The Sea of Love
Text: Gillian McLaren (@Jetset_Gillian)
Images: Tara Turkington (@taraturk1)
Visit Maldives (@visitmaldives)
Imagine a starry, starry night, strolling barefoot on a powder-white beach, then lingering together in shallow ocean water lit by bioluminescence. There is something sensual about a tropical island, where you can dine alfresco beneath a shimmering moon, feet to one another’s feet in warm sand. The Maldives are reputed to be the most romantic islands in the world, renowned as the destination for all phases of the journey of love, whether courtship, engagement, marriage or anniversary celebrations through the decades.
As you sip iced champagne - a surprise left in your stilted suite set over the Indian Ocean - you gaze out at the lambent light, as the hour of the butterfly turns to the hour of the moth. Stairs from your Water Villa lead down into the azure ocean where tropical fish nibble on coral and seaweed. Even in this fading light you could spot trumpet-fish, fusiliers or a purple jellyfish, without leaving your deck. Glide into your infinity pool together, then be a spectator to the phenomenon of Indian flying foxes leaving the Banyan trees, to soar into the sky like some giant pterodactyls.
Unforgettable gift given in the Maldives
If you leave your curtains open, you’ll wake to the sun’s lustrous rays on a lapis lazuli sea. Later, in the sunlight, you bask side by side at the base of a coconut palm, like the Variable lizards found on the island. When you feel thirsty, you hail a waiter to order a virgin cocktail, or a freshly squeezed juice of local produce like Maldivian mango (Dhivehi Anbu), sugar apple (Dhivehi Atha) or pomegranate. Not to be missed is fresh coconut water from a young coconut, served in the its shell.
White sand under palm trees
In the Resort Spa, you have a couples massage, while looking through the glass floor to silver fish shoaling in the water below you. Lulled by the rhythmic movement of the hands of a skilful masseuse on your back, plus the fragrance of oils, you soon close your eyes.
Floor with glass zones revealing underwater life
As the heat of the day dissipates into the evening sky streaked with vermilion, you enjoy a romantic dinner for two, at a table set in the water. There is a wide range of food in the Maldives, but dishes with freshly caught seafood - like grilled crayfish, fish curry, or sushi - are delectable. For dessert try the Saagu bondibai, a sago pudding. With eager anticipation of being alone on a remote sandbank, you chat about the prospect of an excursion, where you will have a gourmet picnic. Perhaps you might try the scuba diving during your holiday, as you could swim with Napoleon wrasse, sleek dog-tooth tuna, or curious batfish.
Back in your Water Villa you continue your tête-à-tête in your private jacuzzi, making desultory decisions like which sarong to wear for your exclusive photo shoot the next day.
Water Villas on a Maldives Island
Visit Maldives:
Air Seychelles:
Getting there:
Travelling from South Africa to the Maldives has never been easier, with the weekly commercial flights on Air Seychelles (The Indian Ocean’s leading airline) from Johannesburg to the Maldives, via the Seychelles.
The flight onboard an A320 aircraft makes for a pleasant nine hour journey, especially considering the other long-haul routes offered by other carriers, and the best news is, these services have been confirmed in to 2022 by the airline.
After a flight with Air Seychelles to Malé, a Seaplane transfers you to your resort.
Covid-19 requirements:
The main requirement is a PCR test 96 hours prior, and then another 72 hours prior to your return to South Africa.
For more Covid-19 updates and protocols please visit:
https://www.tourism.gov.mv/covid19
For more features by Gillian McLaren: www.gillianmclaren.blogspot.com
Cheers! Iced white wine for Gillian McLaren, after a day of sublime scuba diving in the Maldives
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