DESTINATIONS WINTER SUN | MALDIVES
TOP
ROMANTIC EXPERIENCES
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Private cinema For added romance, staff can arrange a private film screening for two. Couples can choose from a list of Hollywood blockbusters and international classics to watch in an atmospheric setting: under the stars on the resort’s sandy beach, surrounded by torch and candlelight.
Romantic rendezvous A few minutes off the shore from Lobigili is a tiny, heart- shaped island, surrounded by turquoise water, where couples can find the ultimate romantic setting. Perfect for a swoonworthy spot to pop the question, or a place for the ultimate castaway wedding ceremony.
ABOVE: Morning yoga overlooking the sea PICTURES: Ismail Niyaz
Floating breakfast Couples looking for romance will love starting the morning with a floating breakfast on a heart-shaped board (pictured). Guests can choose from a range of options, from fruit and pastries to cheese and antipasti platters, plus tailor- made smoothies. Staff will set it afloat on the private plunge pool for an Instagram post that’s difficult to beat.
skill level. There’s an overwater gym, for a workout like no other, and beach yoga sessions. Guests can also take out the resort’s stand- up paddleboards and canoes, or take it up a gear with a ride on a jet-ski or banana boat.
Guests can also dive or snorkel with the island’s Padi and SSI-certified dive centre to explore some of those rich Maldivian reefs, filled with stingrays, parrotfish, reef sharks and razor-thin barracudas. On my 45-minute snorkel I see dozens of moray eels and vividly coloured fish dart around me. A group of turtles swim serenely past us, coming close without fear, while a pod of playful dolphins leap out of the water on the horizon.
Floating breakfast
TIME WELL SPENT After an afternoon snorkelling and soaking up the sun, the resort’s Elena spa is exactly what I’m in the
44 1 SEPTEMBER 2022
A group of turtles swim serenely past us, coming close without fear, while a pod of dolphins leap out of the water on the horizon
mood for. It has an airy entrance hall and four double treatment rooms with a couples’ bath, each enclosed in a lush tropical garden. A back and shoulder massage using coconut shells, and an expert facial by spa therapist Prisna has me in a state of total Zen as I head back outside for the rest of the evening.
BOOK IT
Kenwood Travel offers seven nights in a SunNest Beach Pool Villa for £3,657 per person, based on travel from November 4-11. The price includes flights from Heathrow with Etihad Airways, transfers, a 45-minute spa treatment, unlimited food and drinks, non-motorised watersports and a dining experience at Only Blu.
kenwoodtravel.co.uk
travelweekly.co.uk
As the last peachy sunbeams dip beneath the horizon, the light breeze and gentle crashing and roaring of the waves pull me back to reality. And what a lovely reality it is: a day spent lazing in a hammock, lounging on white-sand beaches and swimming with some of the most magical marine life. TW
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