At the end of 2018, I was evaluating different locations for the perfect honeymoon. As you could read in an earlier blog post “Which Honeymoon Destination Is Best ?“, I did review five different locations. I did evaluate those 5 locations based on location, activities, privacy during the stay and price. Bora Bora and Santa Lucia are locations that are far away from Belgium and take a long flight to get to. So I limited the choice to Seychelles, Mauritius and Maldives. When reviewing all proposals of the three locations, there was only 1 choice possible… The Maldives.
The Maldives, where sands are white as the smiles of the locals, where fish swim happily in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, where the weather is a dream, and the deep rays of the sun wait to engulf you in their arms. Let me highlight some of the things you can do.
The Romantic Side of our Honeymoon
For couples, a romantic holiday in the Maldives is a chance to be together in a way that never happens at home. Accommodation on a resort is not just a room, it’s a private love nest designed for the romantic. Our villa was secluded isolated above a lagoon. The interior décor was soft, muted tones of distinction, the furnishings impeccable. The bed was large and blissfully comfortable, the bathroom luxurious. From the veranda we had a panoramic view of the lagoon. Three evenings our bed was decorated with romantic decorations and few evenings our bath was filled with flowers and romantic smell.
Besides the great villa accommodation, the resort was equipped with 4 top restaurants including one Indian-Sri Lankan and one Chinese restaurant. One restaurant M6M was 6 meters under the sea level and belongs to the TOP 7 underwater restaurants in the world. Here you can see the sharks swim by while eating your main course. In each restaurant we got great meal suggestions resulting in delicious top meals. Below you can see the starter from our honeymoon dinner at the beach.
The Relaxing and Spiritual Side of our Honeymoon
In the Maldives, a spa has become much more than its conventional meaning of a commercial establishment offering health and beauty treatments. Resort spas not only match the luxurious standard of the resort’s accommodation, they go beyond it in design and location. There are spas built on stilts over a lagoon enjoying panoramas of infinity.
Since the therapies are designed specifically for resort guests, they incorporate many elements of the Maldives, influenced by the rhythm of the tide lapping the lagoon’s shore, the natural oils of tropical plants and the purity of lush island ambience. The spas of the Maldives deliver a unique experience unmatched by spas elsewhere, because of the inspiration of the island location and the skill of expert therapists. All kinds of treatments are available from the spa menus, many incorporating Reiki, a healing technique based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the patient by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the patient’s body with an effect on Chi, the circulating life force.
What’s different about a spa treatment in the Maldives? Treatments are designed specifically to meet guests’ concerns, often using island-sourced ingredients. Most spa therapists at the resorts have long experience observing the effectiveness of the treatments and products available so they can offer the best. For instance, Anti-Ageing facial therapies usually have the same techniques and ways for a basic facial. What’s different in the Maldives is that the ingredients used during the course of the treatment are chosen to treat a sun-stressed or mature skin according to the patient’s age, to achieve a joyful sense of rejuvenation. Properly advised and applied therapy can visibly reduce lines and wrinkle depth, helping guests to return home looking younger. A treatment can define radiance and facial contouring by increasing the skin’s elasticity and firmness. Anti-ageing facials can be especially effective in the benign, tranquil ambience of a resort’s spa. Some resorts feature complete spa packages such as a Detox programme of special therapies complemented with a diet by the resort’s chef to encourage regeneration of the body’s well being. Every resort spa has its own signature treatment provided by therapists from around the world as well as from the Maldives. Spa therapists are experienced in infusing universal remedies with natural, botanical, sea and herb based products to inspire a unique experience to balance mind, body and spirit. We had vouchers for three spa treatments. We enjoyed in particular the Ayurveda packages and Cleopatra bath. (see picture)
Ayurveda is Sanskrit meaning “the science of life.” It is an old philosophy based on deep understanding of eternal truths about the human body, mind and spirit. It has been practised in neighbouring Sri Lanka as the natural medicine of that country and as an alternative to Western lore. It has an efficacy proven by 3,000 years of care and cure. It’s nature’s way of good health because of its reliance on natural plants, herbs and oils. As suggested by its name, a combination of ayur meaning life and veda meaning knowledge, Ayurveda is also known as “life knowledge” implying “the art of healthy living.” It’s the oldest complete medical system with medications developed by ancient sages through keen observation of life and its functions. Ayurveda has been known in the Maldives for generations and has been adapted to make use of local herbs augmented by ingredients imported by ancient traders. The practice of Ayurveda at resort spas adds a new dimension to this therapy due to the salubrious surroundings of the islands’ especially designed spas. It is a rural village therapy transformed to the sanctity of well-managed, professional treatment centres on idyllic, modern Maldives resorts. Being in the Maldives is an opportunity to discover the benefits of Ayurveda without compromise. Personally I enjoyed two ayurveda massages.
The Fun Side of our Honeymoon
The Maldives is unusual as a holiday destination because of the fun things to do. You can do fishing excursions, and dolphin cruises, a picnic on the beach, and shopping expeditions to neighboring inhabited islands. You will be able to organise fun activities for yourself, like going on a dhoni (local boat) to try your hand at line fishing, or swim in crystal clear lagoons watching marine life through a snorkel. We did both of those activities. We didn’t catch any fish during line fishing tough…
We spend a lot of time snorkeling. At our villa we had stairs to enter the water and snorkel around our villa. Every day there was also a boat that took us to the coral reefs where we could admire butterfly fishes and many other colorful fishes. Mrs DividendCake even noticed three big sharks swimming deep. The dolphin cruises were also spectacular with many dolphins swimming close to the boat.
Besides the snorkelling, we also enjoyed jet ski and parasailing. Jet skis are a bit like motorbikes as they roar across the water leaving spray and foam in their wake. The Maldives is famous around the world for its extreme surfing and there are several surfing areas within the atolls, with Male’ Atoll being the most convenient because of proximity to the airport and for boat transfers from Male’. Great surfing is possible between April and October when three good swells come each month, lasting a couple of days, and the best thing is that these are off-shore. Waves are commonly 2m high.
Less than a third of resort watersports centres have facilities for parasailing and it is a thrilling, but demanding, watersport. It is just as thrilling to watch, as it resembles surfing while attached to a parachute. The participant is towed behind a boat while harnessed to a specially designed canopy wing, the parasail. As the boat gains speed, the wind catches the parasail and it, and the participant, soar above the waves. For us it was the first time doing this watersport. You have an amazing view over the island and a thrilling experience.
Besides the watersports, we visited a neighboring island where a local guide showed us the maldivian way of life. Many houses have outside seating that everyone can use. Most people know each other. 50% of the people work in tourism, others are fishermen or have another profession. The tsunami was a scary story to hear as it did hit the island at 9 AM in the morning. Luckily nobody was dead but none of the 300 fruit trees except one survived the salt tsunami flood.
Final Words
For us, as a couple, the Maldives will always be a memorable experience as we couldn’t find any imperfection in anything. We had great services from all people helping and serving us. During our resort review, we couldn’t find ANY comment to improve on and that means something. This honeymoon was simply a BLAST in all aspects of life….romance, colorful while 100 yellow butterfly fishes swim around you, relaxing with the spa experiences, amazing through the food of the restaurants or the underwater views in the M6M restaurant. For us, it was a magic and perfect honeymoon.
If you are interested to learn more about our resort, click on the image below.
End of this blog post. Enjoy life by travelling the world and creating lifetime unforgettable experiences. As always, we end with a quote.
Source : Visit Maldives
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