DESTINATIONS INDIAN OCEAN | MALDIVES


CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: One Bedroom Water Pool Pavilion, surfing, seaplane and Edge restaurant, all at Niyama Private Islands PICTURES: Christopher Wadsworth; Paul Reiffer


the third-biggest island in the Maldives, so it feels more like a village than a single resort. It’s also surprisingly green, with jungle-like canopies arching over rustic, sandy trails. You’re given a bike so you can amble along them on two wheels, and buggies are also on hand to shuttle you around. There are overwater and beach villas – all


ultra-modern and Bond-level sleek, with remote- controlled blinds and shiny, mirrored minibars – plus quirky hangouts like the laid-back Surf Shack, where wooden beach swings look out over ocean sunsets.


Playtime: Activity is at the heart of this place, and surfing is one of its fortes – it’s the only resort in the Maldives where you can surf straight off the shore, drawing pros from across the world. There’s something for all levels: we had a beginners’ lesson that saw us learning the basics in a calm, lagoon-flat stretch of water, gentle ripples passing under the board as we glided serenely along. Beyond that there’s waterskiing, jetskiing,


wakeboarding and more, but I opted for parasailing and found myself taking off beneath a huge parachute to float wistfully through the sky, island below turning into a blob of forest-green, vast expanse of teal stretching below like a giant pool.


But my highlight had to be sea-bobbing, which saw


me nose-diving into the depths of the ocean while being pulled along by a tiny, colourful jet.


60 21 NOVEMBER 2019


NIYAMA WHERE TO eat


E Subsix: Doubling up as a glow-party club, this underwater restaurant has spiky leather chairs that look like sea urchins, fluorescent-blue lights replicating the sea and quirky touches that feel as surreal as dining on fish while watching them swim through the surrounding ocean.


E Nest: A wooden deck perched in the treetops (pictured), this had us eating Asian-fusion dishes including exquisite sushi, hoisin spring rolls and sweet chilli prawns amid the jungle canopy. There’s also a teppanyaki bar downstairs, where a local chef whipped up fresh seafood with theatrical flourish.


E Edge: Reached by boat, this experimental restaurant – set on a jetty – is all about romance. Dishes were outlandish and creatively presented, with the likes of oysters, blue crab and white chocolate panna cotta served beneath a starry sky.


Downtime: It’s not all about intense activities here. Among my highlights was a Turtle Quest snorkelling trip in search of these graceful creatures. We spotted three gliding through the water beside schools of colourful fish and rocky, jagged coral, before witnessing a dolphin flip in the air and belly-flop back down. I also took part in a Maldivian cooking class, whipping up a three-course lunch of fresh tuna soup and coconut-infused curry against a backdrop of glittering ocean (the classes take place at beachfront restaurant Blu). But the most serene experience was the spa, an outdoor pavilion set amid exotic greenery,


where treatment rooms faced the lagoon so you could see the water. Treatments were personalised – I was asked which oil and music I wanted – and there was a huge menu of Thai, Ayurvedic and other options, plus a relaxation garden where I sat feeling positively Zen for a good hour afterwards.


travelweekly.co.uk ²


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76