MALDIVES


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here’s no guarantee we’ll see them today,” says our marine guide Sara, as we eagerly clamber onto the dhoni – the traditional Maldivian boat that is our vessel for this morning’s turtle-spotting adventure. But the glint in her eye tells me she’s got a good hunch. Five of the world’s seven species of sea turtle can be found gliding in the reefs off Veligandu Maldives Resort Island, located in the North Ari Atoll, and today we’re hoping for a glimpse. As we cruise crystalline waters to Madivaru Corner – the spot voÀ Ìhi LiÃÌ Ãi}hÌin}à q wn` myself in a daze, mesmerised by the beauty around me (a frequent state during my stay). Having never ventured to this dream-like archipelago before, I wondered if the reality would live up to its idyllic, almost otherworldly reputation. Any doubt evaporated the moment I stepped off the seaplane. It’s true: the water really is that blue. As we drift farther from the shore, the sea becomes an increasingly vivid kaleidoscope of turquoise and deep sapphire hues. Soon the engine falls silent, and once we’re suitably Ãl>ÌhiÀi` in ÃÕnVÀi>m >n` `onnin} wnà >n` snorkels, we splash into the water. Within seconds, we spot a gentle hawksbill, almost as if it’s been waiting to welcome us. It glides elegantly through Ìhi Ü>ÌiÀ] ÃÕÀv>Vin} LÀiiyÞ LivoÀi Û>niÃhin} inÌo Ìhi LlÕi° ominÌà l>ÌiÀ] Üi wn` iÌà Vom«>nionà q some weaving through the coral gardens, others Ão «iÀviVÌlÞ V>moÕy>}i` >lmoÃÌ miÃà Ìhim°


T


I could have spent hours drifting alongside them, lost in their slow, rhythmic grace, but I drag myself from the water, with the promise of so much more magic to come.


Curved around a wooden boardwalk are 47 lavish


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overwater villas, each with a private pool and facing the sunrise or sunset


Reimagined resort I’ve checked into Veligandu – part of Crown and Champa Resorts’ portfolio of hotels – to Li >mon} Ìhi wÀÃÌ Ìo iÝ«iÀiinVi Ìhi «Ào«iÀÌ޽à transformation following an 18-month renovation that saw it reopen as a wÛi-ÃÌ>À hoÌil l>ÃÌ oÛimLiÀ° With a broader selection of dining options and bespoke iÝ«iÀiinViÃ] Ìhi ÀiÃoÀÌ li>nà into the demand for variety, yiÝiLiliÌÞ >n` «iÀÃon>liÃi` service that high-end clients iÝ«iVÌ in Ìhi >l`iÛið But the standout addition is 47 lavish overwater villas, each with a private pool. Curved around a wooden


boardwalk, with sunrise and sunset-facing options, Ìhi y>Ì-Àoovi`] LoÝÞ Ûill>à h>Ûi > Lol`] mo`iÀn aesthetic that is almost brutalist in design. The iÝÌiÀioÀ VoloÕÀ «>liÌÌi ià ÃomiÜh>Ì ÕniÝ«iVÌi` q terracotta hues offset with cool-toned greys – but the stark contrast against the blues of the ocean is striking. Each villa is topped with solar panels, which, together with the 3,000 installed across the island, supply the entire resort’s energy needs during daylight hours.


Inside, a glass-bottomed panel in the entranceway offers a window into the underwater ÜoÀl`] >n` l>À}i yooÀ-Ìo-Viilin} `ooÀÃ yoo` Ìhi


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OPPOSITE: FIRST ROW: Champagne Pavilion; Sunset Ocean Pool Villa SECOND ROW: aerial view of Ocean Pool Villas; writer Charlotte Brook; Two-Bedroom Ocean Pool Villa bedroom THIRD ROW: Resort seaplane FOURTH ROW: Sunset Jacuzzi Beach Villa; Sunset Ocean Pool Villa PREVIOUS PAGE: Aerial view of Veligandu Maldives Resort Island


68 ASPIRE JUNE 2025


aspiretravelclub.co.uk


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