Stay
ROOM FOR TWO
Island retreats in the Maldives make for dramatic and extremely
private vacations. Taking it up a notch is the Romantic Pool
Residence at Velaa Private Island on Noonu Atoll. The dreamy
one-bedroom villa is suspended in the middle of a lagoon and is
accessible only by a boat, making it the most exclusive offering
at the resort. (Unless you rent the entire resort island by shelling
out nearly one million dollars.) Czech architect Petr Kolar’s fluid
contemporary design involves ample airy spaces, including a
gazebo, a sun deck, a jacuzzi, a sunken bath, an infinity pool,
a gym, and a massage room. You will never want to leave this
space. From `13,11,050; velaaprivateisland.comLIFE ON A LAGOON
Walk barefoot on the wooden walkway snaking its way through
the turquoise lagoon and leading you to your standalone over-
water villa—the private resort island of Soneva Jani is paradise
for vacationers. Treat yourself by picking the Two-Bedroom
Water Retreat with Slide: it has a private pool, catamaran net,
sunken seating, outdoor shower, wine cellar, dining sala, and a
water slide that lets you glide into the aquamarine lagoon from
your villa. Add to this the retractable roof in the master bedroom
that opens to a starry night with one push of a button and shuts
automatically in the event of a downpour. It’s the ultimate
overwater villa. From 2,06,250; soneva.comAN ISLE TO YOURSELF
Designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, the four-
bedroom Private Island at Cheval Blanc
Randheli feels like a slice of heaven. Owned
by the luxury conglomerate LVMH (which
also owns labels such as Louis Vuitton,
Fendi, and Dior), this accommodation is one
hectare of pure decadence: four bedrooms,
three spacious lounges, a 25-metre-long
outdoor pool, an in-house spa, a grand piano
to add music to your memories, pristine
beaches, and exotic gardens to laze around,
and a cocktail bar stocked with the best
potions. A team of butlers is available on
the premises round the clock. Available on
request; chevalblanc.comISLAND LIFE