DESTINATIONS MALDIVES | INDIAN OCEAN
ABOVE: Aerial view of Sun Siyam Iru Fushi
including adult-only venues and a jungle pool bar, serve every drink imaginable, from lagers to eye-popping boozy cocktails.
CHILL OUT THE WELLNESS STAY While Siyam World is perfect for active, thrill-seeking guests, the more diminutive Iru Fushi is an oasis of calm, and from the moment I arrive I immediately feel relaxed and at home.
WELCOME TO PARADISE My butler – the lovely Aleef – greets me as I disembark the seaplane following the 40-minute journey from Velana International airport and makes me feel instantly welcome before driving me to my Deluxe Beach Villa. Here, the wow factor really kicks in. I spend a good 30 minutes taking in every feature, including the secluded private pool stretching out onto the beach and outdoor bathroom with a hot tub – already filled for me. Most notably, a private area of beach means I don’t have to worry about fending off fellow guests for a sun lounger.
SPA BLISS With more than 140 treatments covering Eastern and Western spa techniques, all provided in a stunning, tranquil setting, it’s no wonder Iru Fushi’s spa has scooped numerous awards. Hidden away among tropical vegetation, it’s accessed via a reflexology path that applies varying amounts of pressure to your feet, and in the spa itself pebbled paths flanked by
travelweekly.co.uk I sink my coconut
sapling in a pre-dug hole – it gives me a special feeling to know I now ‘own’ a piece of Iru Fushi
waterways lead to 20 treatment rooms. I opt for a traditional Thai massage, which is out of this world. An Ayurvedic doctor is on hand to help guests decide which treatment is best for them, should they wish, and there’s also a beauty salon and hydrotherapy facilities, including a sauna and steam room.
GIVING BACK Sun Siyam’s coconut tree planting scheme is a great way for guests to literally leave a positive mark on the island. Aided by the gardening team, I sink my sapling in a pre-dug hole, with chief gardener Wasantha telling me it will grow to a height of 15 feet and likely start bearing fruit within five years. It gives me a special feeling to know that I now
“own” a piece of Iru Fushi – with a commemorative personal plaque at its base to prove it. I find it a very therapeutic and rewarding experience and one that I’d recommend to all guests visiting the island. The number of plaques with names and hearts engraved on them dotted around the island would suggest this is a popular activity for couples looking to make their stay truly memorable. It also provides a very good reason to come back in five years’ time.
TW BOOK IT
Gold Medal offers three nights in a Deluxe Beach Villa at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi and seven nights in a Water Villa with Pool and Slide at Siyam World, both on an all-inclusive basis, for £4,489 per person, based on two sharing. Price includes Etihad Airways flights from Heathrow, departing on September 24.
goldmedal.co.uk
3 AUGUST 2023 63
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