Check out any league desk on travellers’ aspirational vacation spot and the Maldives are up there. Crystal clear seas caressing sugar white seashores, throughout an archipelago nation of virtually 1,200 islands. The Maldives will at all times seem as one of many world’s dream locations: pristine Robinson Crusoe landscapes meet up to date luxurious residing.
Veligandu Maldives Resort Island, a micro isle of lush inexperienced jungle fringed by soft-sand seashores, has upgraded paradise. Closed for 18 months, the resort has been reinvented as 5* luxurious.
“Pure. Seclusion. Luxurious.” Veligandu’s new mantra seductively chants. It’s a quiet, nearly impossibly stunning nook of the planet for honeymoons or just escaping to paradise.
The welcome
Fly into Malé Worldwide Airport after which switch by means of the neighbouring seaplane terminal. Friends certain for Veligandu calm down within the air-conditioned enterprise lounge, with inclusive food and drinks, earlier than boarding for the 20 minutes flight throughout the azure Indian Ocean. Their cameras prepared for irresistibly photogenic atolls. It’s a thrilling expedition, supplied by bare-foot pilots, even earlier than you arrive at your vacation spot.
Like Maldivian monarchs returning to their island kingdom, we’re met by white-shirted Veligandu employees clapping a welcome to the beat of a drum as we step from seaplane to jetty.
Jaadhee, our Way of life Assistant welcomes us with chilled fermented passion-flower juice. Then takes us on a tour of the resort’s many amenities and drives the golf buggy to our villa.
The Sundown Ocean Pool Villa
The ocean-facing window, ground to ceiling with sliding door, is an enormous light-giving wall of glass. After we wake, we use the bedside management to open the curtains. Past, the opulent villa’s personal infinity pool, shades of azure, turquoise and teal soften into the horizon.
Beside the mattress there’s a well-padded, amply cushioned banquette for chaise-longue model lounging. A teak ceiling fan, the scale of a seaplane propellor, whirs alongside the air-conditioning. When required, a 65 inch flat display tv, with numerous worldwide channels, swings out from the midnight blue wall. Decor is up to date stylish with touches of conventional Maldivian colors and textures.
As you enter this over-the-water indifferent villa, new in November 2024, the glass viewing panel, beneath your toes acts as an oblong portal into Nemo’s world under. Backstage from the ocean-view bed room, there are his and hers wardrobes, a darkish wooden shelf with enough space for 2 instances and a mini-bar. Thoughtfully, within the mini-bar, the top-shelf is included, the lower-shelf is chargeable. Bottles from the chilled wine cellar are chargeable too.
Our Sundown Ocean Pool Villa, additionally obtainable with two bedrooms, every with its personal plunge pool, is only one of Veligandu’s 100 villas. Select from Ocean Pool Villas, Sundown Ocean Villas, Ocean Jacuzzi Villas, Sundown Jacuzzi Seashore Villas, Jacuzzi Seashore Villas and Seashore Villas. There are robust decisions to be made in paradise.
The toilet
An exceptionally spacious light-maritime blue tiled bathe room homes each rainfall and hand-held directional showers. His and her wash amenities characteristic Veligandu’s citrus themed toiletries.
The half-egg tub has an open-air room of its personal: secluded however overlooking the ocean.
All the things you must plan your journey in 2024
The amenities
With white sand flooring the open-sided Dhonveli buffet restaurant is cooled by Indian Ocean breezes and followers: appropriately Dhonveli is Maldivian for white sand.
Start breakfast by creating your personal smoothie earlier than deciding on from a powerful array of tropical fruit: each contemporary and poached. Then get the cooks to rustle up your private egg favourites.
At lunchtime these cooks change to cooking fish and seafood to order, alongside a wide array of salads and sizzling dishes. They’re again for dinner too: carving steaks, creating your designer pasta dishes.
Taking its identify from the manta, Madivaru Restaurant affords a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian delicacies, together with Chinese language, Thai, and Indian dishes. Madivaru pays homage to the traditional Spice Route that helped flavour oriental dishes comparable to nasai noreng, Vietnamese caramelised pork, shrimp pad Thai and different thrilling tastes of the Orient. That’s should you can resist the lobster and Wagyu beef …
Residing as much as its identify, Thundi leads onto a sandbank of sun-umbrellas and loungers, the place waiters sustain with requests for drinks and snacks all through the day. These waiters additionally take care of company on sun-loungers by the white-flowered frangipani and palm tree fringed infinity pool.
Raalhu, the Maldivian for wave, is a spectacular fine-dining restaurant, strategically positioned for sundowners at its Champagne Pavilion. From the arrival of a grilled courgette and salmon amuse bouche, by means of succulent octopus to a mojito sorbet, the service is exemplary.
On the Himeyn Spa, 5 overwater remedy rooms, 4 of them for {couples}, company calm down and rejuvenate by means of a variety of remedies delivered by consultants.
You might be unlikely to overlook your house gymnasium on the beautifully outfitted VFitness Centre with treadmills and train bikes overlooking the ocean. For a relaxing, harmonious begin to the day, a handful of company be part of the skilled trainer for dawn yoga.
Though the courts are shaded, early morning and night are one of the best time to play on the tennis and paddle courts.
The placement
Veligandu’s overwater villas curve out from an island a mere 600metres by 150 metres: 50 minutes by speedboat and 20 minutes by air from Malé.
Drop into the Ocean Watersports and Excursions Centre to pick out from a plethora of aquatic alternatives. From curious novices to certified divers, the ocean round Veligandu affords one thing for everybody: mild kayaking, exhilarating jet-ski expeditions, serene paddle boarding, snorkelling journeys and sundown cruises seeking dolphins. For final luxurious, rent the resort’s yacht for a non-public tour.
Different good touches
Friends can take a snorkel pack for the dive centre to hunt out turtles and a myriad of tropical fish within the lagoon round Veligandu.
In addition to offering your each day itinerary the Veligandu app additionally retains a operating complete of your invoice.
For a particular deal with Veligandu affords Vacation spot Eating maybe on the seaside or on a sandbank.
Photo voltaic panels present the roofs on the not too long ago constructed villas. All a part of Veligandu’s programme to minimise its environmental footprint.
The price
Costs for Summer time 2025 start from US$ 508 per night time for a double occupancy Seashore Villa with breakfast. The all-inclusive dine-around bundle for a Seashore Villa begins from US$ 1,068. Seaplane transfers are an extra value.
The very best bit
Jaadhee our Way of life Assistant takes care of all the pieces, reserving eating places for us, gathering us from eating places in a golf buggy and even taking us to breakfast if we aren’t within the temper to stroll.
When the time comes to depart, he liaises with the seaplane firm for our time of departure and likewise for connections by means of to our lodge in Malé.
The ultimate verdict
An astounding infinity pool, shaded by white-flowered frangipani and palm timber ought to be the beating coronary heart of the island, but there’s at all times a way of quiet calm and sun-loungers to spare.
At Veligandu, seclusion and tranquillity are a part of the posh. Futureproofing, Veligandu’s new villas have been raised on their columns, to insure in opposition to rising sea-levels. This will probably be a high Maldives vacation spot for many years to return.
Disclosure: Our keep was sponsored by Veligandu Maldives Resort Island.
Michael Edwards
Michael Edwards is a journey author from Oxfordshire, UK. Though Michael had his first journey items printed practically 4 a long time in the past, he’s nonetheless discovering new luxurious locations to go to and write on.
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