MALDIVES


Daydreaming


The shores of Maldivian island Vakkaru will give clients the respite they seek, finds Hollie-Rae Brader


“


s this a dream, mummy?” asks my three-year-old son as we’re whizzed around the island of Vakkaru on the back of a golf buggy. Yes, my toddler is deliriously tired after a lin}ÌhÞ oÛiÀni}hÌ yi}hÌ vÀom on`on to Malé and very little sleep, but his question is pertinent, so idyllic are our surroundings. In fact, as he asks, I feel the need to double-check whether we’re in some dreamlike state or if this place is, in fact, as perfect as it appears. "ÕÀ LÕÌliÀ ->Ìo l>Õ}hà >n` VonwÀmà we’re all wide awake and have simply arrived in paradise.


I


This almond-shaped sanctuary – a tiny speck of an island – is a short 35-minute seaplane ride from Malé and is in the Baa Atoll, a pristine Unesco Biosphere Reserve with a thrilling underwater world.


illoÜ }ÕiÃÌÃ on Lo>À` oÕÀ yi}hÌ >Ài well-heeled but unpretentious. I spot a Birkin handbag and Gucci trainers, but this isn’t a place for in-your-face luxury. Instead, guests here are unassuming and discreet. That feeling of discretion continues as we arrive, with guests welcomed by their butlers and whisked to their villas for check-in. There are 111 villas dotted across this tiny isle, of which 59 are located over the lapping, azure waters of the Indian Ocean. The beach villas, meanwhile, are concealed among the island’s towering coconut trees and epic foliage, perfect for clients seeking ultimate privacy. The top accommodation – The Vakkaru


Over Water Residence – sleeps 16 and is one of the biggest in the Maldives. Previously home to a coconut ª


44 ASPIRE JANUARY 2025


aspiretravelclub.co.uk


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