MaldivesMaldivesMauritiusMadagascarSri LankaIndiaAustraliaMalaysiaThailandSingaporeAbove, from left:
an Overwater
Villa at St Regis
Vommuli. Inset:
a bath at One &
Only Reethi Rah.
Opposite: the
main pool at Four
Seasons Private
Island at Voavah.BEST DINING
One & Only Reethi Rah
Pitched at the ultra-luxury end of the spectrum, Reethi
Rah caters to every appetite. Its signature Reethi space
is three restaurants in one: classic Italian at Aqua
(spaghetti alle vongole e bottarga, perhaps), French at
Earth (foie gras ravioles), and Asian at Fire (Thai beef
salad). There’s contemporary Japanese and teppanyaki
at Tapasake’s overwater pavilion, breezy beachside Italian
and pizze at Rabarbaro, and Middle Eastern flavours
in the lantern-lit surrounds of Fanditha. The resort’s
newest addition, Botanica, serves 100 per cent organic
produce among exotic blooms in an orchid house and
alfresco under a spreading banyan tree. Or keep it simple
with a private dinner at one of the island’s 12 beaches.
North Malé Atoll, oneandonlyresorts.comBEST DESIGN
St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
From the air, St Regis Vommuli’s six-room spa looks
like a lobster. The bar, a soaring, streamlined form
suspended above the ocean, takes the shape of a whale
shark. The 44 overwater villas fan out across the ocean
like a school of manta rays, and the library channels
a giant conch. Opened in late 2016 and designed by
Singapore’s aptly named WOW Architects, Vommuli
is the Maldives’ most daring design statement. And
with form comes function: all accommodation features
hammocks, private pools and wine hampers.
Vommuli Island, Dhaalu Atoll, stregismaldives.comBEST PRIVATE ISLAND
Four Seasons Private Island at Voavah
Picture the dream deserted-island hideaway. A seaplane
arrival at an oasis of caster-sugar sand anchored in
an ocean of aquamarine. The submarine world is
a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, home to the largest
known population of manta rays. In the super-marine
world, up to 22 guests stay in a three-bedroom villa, a
two-bedroom stilt house in a lagoon, and a communal
beach house – each with its own pool. Moored
offshore are a private spa with on-call therapists and
a 19-metre yacht with divemaster. Imagine beach parties,
dinners on secluded sandbanks serenaded by a string
quartet, and cocktails. Voavah is an island of absolute
privacy and endless possibility, for $US38,000 a night.
Voavah, Baa Atoll, fourseasons.com➤O
f all the world’s dream destinations,
the Maldives delivers most precisely
what it promises in the brochures.
Blinding white talcum sands.
A sea of hues so blue they seem
unimaginable, and certainly
indescribable. Swaying palms, balmy breezes,
astonishing reef encounters – all these come as
standard. The question you need to ask yourself is,
what else do I desire? A waterslide from my master
suite straight into the lagoon? Done. A submarine
restaurant where I can dine while surrounded by sea
creatures? Take your pick. A private plane to fly me
to those hard-to-reach surf breaks? At your service.
With almost 1,200 islands scattered across the
equator and just over 100 resorts, there’s a Maldivian
address to satisfy every whim.152 GOURMET TRAVELLER