November 2010 - Posts

Best of the Maldives: Panoramic Dining – Baros

Published 30 November 10 11:11 PM | Maldives Complete

  “Waiter...the best seat in the house please with a view. Make that the best seat in the world.” The Maldives has a lot of stunning beauty and the resorts there put a lot of thought into how to experience that beauty most completely. The heart of...

Filed under: best of, dining, Sakis, Baros

Best Snorkelling in the World

Published 28 November 10 1:20 AM | Maldives Complete

Is the Maldives the best snorkelling in the world? The debate rages in the diver community about the best diving in the world. A number of clear criteria are considered... Clarity of water Quantity and diversity of fish (including ‘ Big 5’...

Filed under: snorkelling, destination

Great House Reefs

Published 26 November 10 3:12 PM | Maldives Complete

  One of the first questions a true Maldives aficionado asks of a resort is ‘How good is the House Reef?’ When I first heard the advice to seek out the best house reef, I didn’t even know what a house reef was. We arrived at Laguna Beach (the resort...

Filed under: snorkelling, Jumeirah Vittaveli, house reefs, ocean, destination

Snorkel Safari ‘Big 5’

Published 24 November 10 4:28 PM | Maldives Complete

When our family went on safari in Kruger National Park, the various resorts used to brag about how rich their park was by referencing the ‘ Big Five’ ... Lion Elephant Rhino Leopard Water Buffalo The ‘Big 5’ represented the ‘main...

Filed under: snorkelling, industry

Best of the Maldives: Closest to Airport - Hulhule

Published 23 November 10 1:51 PM | Maldives Complete

  One of the common questions on the Maldives Trip Advisor Forum is where to stay for a quick Male stop-over. If you are going for the sheer mathematics of convenience, then the closest hotel/resort to the Male airport is Hulhule . The picture above...

Filed under: best of, Hulhule, location

Best of the Maldives: Donuts – Holiday Inn Male

Published 22 November 10 11:31 PM | Maldives Complete

  When I came upon the Haveeru Online piece on ‘Gonuts’ (“ International doughnuts cafe chain opens in Maldives ”) I nearly fainted with anticipation. Okay, it wasn’t Krispy Kreme . But doughnuts and the Maldives. It’s like ambrosia and paradise...

Filed under: best of, Holiday Inn Male, Traders Hotel, food

Best of the Maldives: Ornamental Garden – Adaaran Vadoo

Published 20 November 10 5:18 AM | Maldives Complete

Everyone talks about the Maldive seascape, but despite lacking in size, the Maldive landscapes are often just as striking in their colour and beauty. Most resorts work hard to bring out the very best with primping and fussing over bougainvillea, hibiscus...

Filed under: best of, geography, Vadoo

Best of the Maldives: Trees – Adaaran Hudhuranfushi

Published 19 November 10 10:37 PM | Maldives Complete

  A rich tropical forest tapestry blankets Adaaran Hudhuranfushi with a colourful and quirky canopy. The sand paths have a grander arboreal arch to them than most islands. And the diversity is stunning. There are several giant Banyans around the...

Filed under: best of, Hudhuranfushi, landscape

Best of the Maldives: Theatre – Adaaran Club Rannalhi

Published 18 November 10 8:25 PM | Maldives Complete

  You just never know what you are going to stumble upon in the Maldives. The stereotype is that there is nothing to do there but lie in the sun and swim in the sea. But every time I visit there I’m always taken aback by some undiscovered curiosity...

Filed under: best of, Adaaran Club Rannalhi, activity

Best of the Maldives: Raquet Sports – Reethi Beach

Published 17 November 10 9:1 AM | Maldives Complete

48 resorts have tennis, 11 have squash courts, and 7 have badminton courts (according to my research). But only Reethi Beach has 2 tennis courts, and 2 squash courts and 2 badminton courts. And they are all in pristine condition. The latter two are situated...

Filed under: best of, sport, Reethi Beach

Best of the Maldives: Exhibit – Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

Published 16 November 10 5:28 AM | Maldives Complete

The number one objection to visiting the Maldives is the thought that there is nothing to do there. If you don’t (a) dive, (b) have a newlywed to stare into the eyes of, or (c) work on your tan, then what do you do on an isolate plot of sand in...

Filed under: best of, Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, infrastructure, eco-sustainability

Best of the Maldives: Spa Arrival – Four Seasons Kuda Huraa

Published 14 November 10 4:25 PM | Maldives Complete

  My recent visit to several prime resorts in the Maldives uncovered a wealth (65) of distinctive features that I will be exploring in depth over the coming months. I thought I would start off with a taster selection over the coming week for each...

Filed under: spa, relaxing, tour, Four Seasons Kuda Huraa

Best of the Maldives: Team Building – Sheraton Full Moon

Published 14 November 10 6:25 AM | Maldives Complete

When I first started working for the big corporation of Microsoft many years ago, one of my sales guys proposed that we do some corporate hospitality with some of our customers. When I asked him what he proposed, he suggested the classic big sporting...

Filed under: best of, Sheraton Full Moon, activity

Best of the Maldives: Equatorial Adventure – Alila Villas Hadaha

Published 11 November 10 12:41 PM | Maldives Complete

Small world. My other water-based pre-occupation (besides Maldives Complete) is coaching and supporting the sport of rowing in the UK for my local school, Sir William Borlase Grammar School , So it didn’t take many degrees of separation to hook...

Filed under: best of, Alila Villas Hadahaa, event

Maldives Tour 2010 – Day 9: Recap

Published 11 November 10 3:15 AM | Maldives Complete

I never thought that I would use the words ‘frenetic’ and ‘Maldives’ in the same sentence, but that was my past week seeing 9 resorts in 7 days including 5 stops at Male airport for transfers. The objective of ferreting out a number...

Filed under: tour