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Most Disturbing Sight
Published 20 August 12 3:15 PM | Maldives Complete
For the first time ever, Lori and I did an excursion to a ‘local island’. Staple fare on the resort excursion buffet, but one we had shied away from like miso soup for breakfast. But LUX* Maldives included it as a refreshment stop on their...
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5 Star Nibbles
Published 18 August 12 1:6 PM | Maldives Complete
    On our latest Tour, a further give-away to the true ‘rating’ of an island occurred to me as we went through our nightly sundowner ritual of pina coladas (for me) and the most bizarre cocktail concoctions that captured my wife’s fancy. The...
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Rising Tide of Quality
Published 16 August 12 11:21 PM | Maldives Complete
  Every time I go to the Maldives, I am struck by the relentlessly rising tide of quality. Refurbishments, extensions, additions. Not just at the super-premium deluxe end of the market where the ever escalating arms race for wow factors marches on...
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What Else I Now Have Seen
Published 11 August 12 7:8 AM | Maldives Complete
After last year’s tour, I wrote one of the highest profile pieces of the blog to date called ‘ What I Haven’t Seen Yet’ . It got a bit of notoriety when the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board sent a copy of it around to resorts for...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 12: Overview
Published 27 July 12 5:54 AM | Maldives Complete
    The tour is done. Thankfully, we returned to England just in time a break in the 4 month downpour. The 27 degree, sunny days made the return transition less jarring. I’ve shared my daily initial impressions, and over the next week I will...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 11: Holiday Island
Published 26 July 12 7:49 AM | Maldives Complete
    Old school charm. So many decry the onslaught of the billionaire playground super-premium marque resorts into the Maldives. The Maldives veterans miss the days of straight forward thatched roof bungalows in the middle of paradise without...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 10: Sun Island
Published 24 July 12 9:56 AM | Maldives Complete
Grand. Not large, but ‘grand’. Sun Island is the largest resort island by just about every metric. Largest acreage (for a dedicated resort island versus the multiple resorts on Gan and multiple tourist hotels on Male) and number of rooms to...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 9: LUX Maldives
Published 24 July 12 1:1 AM | Maldives Complete
LUX* Maldives is the new league leader. W Retreat, Soneva Fushi and recently Gili Lankanfushi have jockeyed at the top of the Maldives Complete ‘Best of the Maldives’ leader board for ‘Best Of’ pieces. Each have been around 22 or so (it varies because...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 8: Vakarufalhi
Published 21 July 12 11:55 PM | Maldives Complete
It’s all about the people. In Maldivian paradise, every resort has the same soothing sun, turquoise waters, vibrant sea life, swaying palms, and romantic sunsets. Nowadays, most resorts have spruced up their rooms so that they are comfortable and...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 7: Mirihi
Published 20 July 12 6:2 PM | Maldives Complete
      Mythical Mirihi of Maldivian Magic. I stepped off the transfer to Mirihi with the highest of expectations. Expectations built up from near frenetic fandom expressed in reviews and especially the TripAdvisor Forum. And the biggest...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 6: Maafushivaru
Published 19 July 12 1:21 PM | Maldives Complete
    Great things come in small packages. That is certainly part of the charm of the Maldives. When I try to describe the magic of the place, I often refer to the iconic tropical picture of a plop of sand and a solitary palm tree. That is the...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 5: Vilamendhoo
Published 18 July 12 10:13 AM | Maldives Complete
Best in class. Any fighter (weight class), racing driver (engine class) or school athlete (age class) will tell you that the key is being best in class. Vilamendhoo makes a serious bid for the best 4 star in the Maldives. Leading contenders before for...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 4: Lily Beach
Published 17 July 12 2:49 PM | Maldives Complete
    Just right. That was the best compliment a family friend, Elmer Rising , had for a meal or anything he enjoyed. As an artist, he had a deep appreciation for getting things ‘just right’. For a meal, it was not over the top (like some Thanksgiving...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 3: Paradise Island / The Haven
Published 16 July 12 6:53 AM | Maldives Complete
Just a literal (or should I saw ‘littoral’) stone’s throw away, we proceed onto Paradise Island / The Haven. We’ve have been very close to visiting Paradise (the resort, not the notion) several other times before. A few years back...
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Maldives Tour 2012 - Day 2: Gili Lankanfushi
Published 15 July 12 9:9 AM | Maldives Complete
    Gili Lankanfushi is probably the most anticipated stop of the Tour. And it is our very first stop. When we were first planning our earliest trips to the Maldives, and compiling a massive spreadsheet of research data that would eventually...
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