PHOTOGRAPHY
SEBASTIAN
POSINGIS
AND
KEN
SEET
Fromworld-classsurfingandhigh-adrenalinewatersportstoindustry-leading
eco-tourism,theMaldivesis notjustforhoneymooners,saysShannonHarley.THAT DREAMY SMATTERINGofsandbarsandreefssuspended
in the Indian Ocean,theMaldives,is oneofthemostdisparate
countries in the world,withturquoisewaterateveryturn.No
wonder castaways andhoneymoonershaveheadedtherefor
decades for the ultimatesecludedhideaway.Composedof
26 atolls made of around 1100 coralislands,nonemorethantwo
metres above sea level,the‘lowestcountryonearth’todayfaces
a critical juncture. Climatechange,risingseasandcoralbleaching
threaten its very existenceand,moreimmediately,thetourism
and fishing industriesonwhichit depends.Butrisingseatides
have led to a metaphoricalchangein tide,wheresustainabilityis
non-negotiable forlocalsandvisitors.Luxuryresortsaretaking
matters into their ownhandswithseriousCSR(corporatesocial
responsibility) and sustainabilitycommitmentstoreducetheir
impact and preservetheculturesandecosystemsthatformthe
bedrock of their offering.
Four Seasons is onegroupleadingthecharge.It operatestwo
idyllic island-resortsin theMaldives– LandaaGiraavaruandKuda
Huraa. Between thetrappingsofa tropicalparadise,you’llfind
the region’s top marineresearchcentremannedbybiologists
from around the world:theTurtleRehabilitationProgram,which
offers care for sea turtlesinjuredbyplasticandfishingnets,and
Maldivian Manta RayProjectatLandaaGiraavaru,hometoa
large proportion oftheestimated4,900mantaraysin theregion
during summer. Their‘MantaonCall’programrunsfromJuneto
October, and sees guestsarmedwitha ‘mantaphone’thatbeeps
with alerts of mantaspottings.Therearemarineconservation
workshops and guestprogramstohelprebuilddamagedreefs,
not to mention plentyofopportunitiestodowhattheItalianscall
‘la dolce far niente’ – thesweetnessofdoingnothing.
KUDA HURAA, NORTHMALEATOLL
Holiday bliss may meancheckingin tocheckoutin anoverwater
villa, or for others, itcouldbespendingalldayin thewater.Kuda
Huraa hosts the world’smostluxurioussurfingeventin August,
and has year-roundsurfing,diving,snorkellingandwatersports
for amateurs like youandme.Watchthesunriseona gentle
morning kayak, or tryhigh-octaneJetBlading,whereyoustrap
on a pair of water-poweredbootsandarepropelledintothesky.
Perhaps not as exhilaratingbutjustas‘superhero’is goingfor
a spin on a SeaBob– a motorisedunderwaterscooterthatyou
cling to like a kick boardasyousurgethroughthewater.When
it’s time to dry off, the banquet at
Baraabaru restaurant is a feast of
local cuisine, with fresh seafood,
richcoconutcurriesandtropicalfruitdessertsservedunderthe
stars.Startwithyoghurtfritterswithcumin,cardamomand
coriander,thendiveintodecadentlobsterbiryaniandwarmnaan.
Dinewithyourfeetin thesandatReefClub, startingwithan
overwatersunsetat happyhour– theskythesamecolourasyour
Aperolspritz– followedbyItalianantipasti,seafoodpastaand
woodfiredpizza.
Youcanwalkthelengthoftheislandin about 15 minutes,
startingattheopen-airreceptionandmeanderingalongthesandy
pathsthattwistandturnaroundthecoconutpalmsandfragrant
frangipanis,tothepearl-stringofover-waterbungalowsatthefar
endconnectedbya longjetty.Gettingtothespais anoverwater
affair– arriveforyourhotstonemassageoryogaclassbydhoni,
a traditionalboatwithcurvedbow.
LANDAAGIRAAVARU,BAAATOLL
Tuckedin a UNESCOBiosphereReserve,luxuryhereis ofthe
barefootvariety.FourSeasonsLandaaGiraavaruis largerthan
KudaHuraa,butnolesssecluded.Bicycleis themodeoftransport
ontheisland,whichmakesgettingfromthespa,anti-gravityyoga
pavilionoroverwaterSeaBartothemarinecentrewhenyour
mantaphoneringsa breeze.You’llwanttocheckin foratleasta
weektosamplethespectrumofdiningoptions,fromMoroccan-
inspiredAlBarakat, tocontemporaryMediterraneanatbeachfront
BluBeachClub, hand-madesushiandtropicaljuicesatopenair
CaféLandaa,andFuegoGrill, wheregrilledseafoodandmeatare
theorderoftheday.Andafterdinner,makeyourwaytoSeaBar
forthenightlyshowoffinsandtailsatthesharkandrayfeeding.
In thisfeel-goodislandsetting,it makessensethatwellnessis
a keypartoftheoffering.There’sa fitnesstrailthatsnakesaround
theislandanda comprehensiveyogaandmeditationprogramin
thespa,plusayurvedictreatments,acupunctureandmassageas
wellaslongerdetoxandcleanseprogramsforthosebravesouls
willingtocommittoa weekorlonger.Thereis nobetterplacefor
a morningstand-uppaddleboardorswim(choosefromoneof
fourpoolsortheocean),buttheH2Ohighlighthastobea journey
in theDeepFlightsubmarine.It’sa real-lifeJamesBondmoment
asyouskimovercoralformationsandschoolsofneonfishonthe
seabedin theworld-firstthree-personsub,enjoyingtheonlydry
scubadiveofitskindin theworld.
Visit fourseasons.com/maldivesBLUE PLANET
@misspamplemousse
148 delicious.com.au