A Trip to Take Once in a Lifetime – The Dreamy Maldives Journey 2013 (Part 1)

Text & Photos /Fiona Lin

This is the Maldives, MALDIVES！The so-called “must-visit once in a lifetime” destination — a country that might sink in 50 years — is truly a paradise on earth and the pearl of the Indian Ocean~

When I was still considering it, I went online to look up many resort introductions in the Maldives. When I saw the SIX SENSES LAAMU resort, I found it very captivating, which stirred up an intense desire to stay in an overwater villa. Later, I booked my flight myself and began preparing everything else, thus kicking off this incredible journey to the Maldives...

Here, I’d like to especially emphasize that visiting the Maldives doesn’t have to be done through a tour group. Booking your own flights and hotels is also quite achievable. Moreover, this Maldives travelogue covers everything from food and fun to activities, giving you a complete overview in just one article.

Before I did any research, I had only heard people say the Maldives was a paradise on earth, but truthfully, I knew absolutely nothing about MALDIVES (I just had the impression it was some kind of amazing place).

The Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean, right at the bottom left of India. It’s not “one” country per se, but rather, correctly speaking, the “Maldives Archipelago.” Its capital is called MALE, and all international flights arrive here. However, depending on the resort you choose, you’ll then travel onward via domestic flights, seaplanes, or speedboats. Interestingly, because the Maldives consists of hundreds of small islands, it operates on a “one island, one resort” basis.

Unless you have a long enough holiday to switch between different resorts (and explore different islands), basically, when coming to the Maldives, you first choose which resort you want to stay at, and then decide your mode of transportation. Also, you can search for all the well-known resorts on AGODA. At first glance, the prices may seem manageable — you might think they’re within your budget.

But!!! Those are all pre-tax prices. Taxes in the Maldives are very high, and domestic flights are also quite expensive. For example, the transfer from MALE Airport to Six Senses cost me USD $360 (NT$10,800). So some people say the Maldives is really wonderful, but aside from being amazing, it’s also just… really expensive.

% Image of the arrival terminal (left) and the speedboat to the resort (right)

The route for this trip to the Maldives was Taipei–Singapore, then taking a Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to MALE (the capital of the Maldives). The total itinerary was six days and four nights. The first night was spent in Singapore (for a short one-day foodie trip in Singapore, see http://fionalin1013.pixnet.net/blog/post/125449231). The second night was at a hotel near MALE (the reason being the arrival time of the new flight — Singapore to MALE, 20:45pm to 22:10pm — usually Singapore Airlines arrives late at night, so it’s recommended to stay at a hotel near the airport).

The third and fourth nights were spent at the SIX SENSES LAAMU (Six Senses Lamu Resort).
On the fifth night, I booked a flight back to Singapore at around 11pm, which saved me a night’s accommodation (MALE to Singapore, 23:23pm to 07:10am). If you check with travel agencies, their itineraries are usually more than six days. I guess that’s mostly because most travelers go there for honeymoons, but I wasn’t, and since I booked the flights and resort myself, my schedule was more flexible.

For a six-day trip abroad (Saturday to Thursday), I only took three days off from work, one of which was a national holiday on Wednesday. If you ask me how many days you should spend in the Maldives, I’d say 3–5 days is totally fine. (Of course, if you have a bigger budget and want to stay longer, that’s a different story.)

I’d previously heard that the Maldives could get boring, but I didn’t feel that way at all. After all, it’s a one-island-one-resort kind of place, so the area where you can play and relax is indeed limited to the island. But as long as you stay at a five-star luxury resort, the facilities and activities on the island are quite diverse. Plus, you’ve got a whole sky and ocean to enjoy — how could it be boring!!! = = There was a bit of a preamble, but let’s now look back at this trip together. ^^

(Since we arrived at MALE Airport after 10pm, we were in a rush to find the pre-booked Hotel House Clover Hotel and didn’t have the mindset to take photos, so let’s start from our departure from MALE Airport to Six Senses!) -------

When staying at the House Clover Hotel near MALE Airport, the staff would first ask you which resort you’re staying at, and they’d help contact the resort to confirm the next day’s domestic flight time (this service is great because the nearby hotels know tourists are just staying one night and will head straight to a luxury resort early the next morning).

The next day, we arrived at the airport at 7:30am, and as soon as we got there, we took a photo with the local Six Senses resort representative (the Maldives has its own language, and the writing looks like tadpoles — see the doorplate image below, and everyone calls them “little black men” because they’re all short, dark-skinned, and they used to race us and always lost — hence the nickname).

Since we were taking a domestic flight from Male (with Maldivian Airlines) to another island, Kadhdhoo, and then a speedboat to reach LAAMU Island (the Six Senses resort), the “little black men” first took us to a VIP Lounge where we enjoyed a buffet-style breakfast. The flight was scheduled to depart at 9:10am. It was a bit like how if you fly business class, you get to go to the VIP Lounge to eat first. From this moment on, the feeling of a premium vacation started to kick in.

I had originally thought Maldivian Airlines would be pretty shabby, but it was completely beyond my expectations. The flight attendants were all highly professional. As soon as you board, they offer you chilled wet wipes, drinks, and snacks.

From the plane, looking down at the Maldivian seascape was incredibly beautiful, and I took a lot of photos of the atolls. They looked so adorable from the air. Some were round, some were long, and each atoll varied in size. The entire 30-minute flight was a fantastic experience. We arrived at another island, Kadhdhoo Airport (the baggage conveyor was manual — how quirky), picked up our luggage, and then prepared to take a speedboat to Laamu. Once on the boat, the Six Senses representative handed us cool juice and an eco-friendly shoe bag. Because the Six Senses Laamu emphasizes eco-organic and natural concepts, they hoped we would put our flip-flops in the shoe bag so that upon arrival on the island, we could go barefoot on Laamu’s land.
As we approached the resort, passengers on the boat started taking out their cameras and snapping photos (you could feel the excitement among everyone on the boat).

Upon arriving at the resort, the resort manager welcomed everyone to Six Senses Laamu and introduced each room’s private butler — the GEM (Guest Experience Maker). Ours was Shamin. After greeting us, the GEM took us on a tour around the resort.

Perhaps because I had emailed the resort directly to book and had special requests, the resort gave me a room at the very end of Jetty B, which had the best view. It wasn’t too close to the neighboring rooms, offering an excellent vista. This is a photo I took of myself just hanging out outside the room in the morning.

Each room has a small urn filled with water outside the door, which you can use to cool down your feet if they’re hot from walking barefoot. Two bicycles are parked at the room entrance for guests to ride around the island freely. It takes about 5–8 minutes to bike from the room to the main activity area. On the island, only a few guests’ bikes have their initials on them — generally, they just write the room number. (This note is purely for bragging rights.)

The little hedgehog by the room door is for you to scrub the sand off your feet before entering. The face icon next to the door indicates that an open eye means housekeeping is allowed, while a closed eye means “do not disturb.” In the bathroom, you can comfortably do your business while enjoying the sea view. The bed is adorned with romantic white drapes. This is one of my favorite parts. I loved the combination of the natural wood color scheme with the sage green furnishings — it felt super relaxing. On the table, there was the resort’s weekly activity schedule and SPA info, plus fruits including mangosteen, bananas, oranges, and green apples.

This is the view from the room, showing the overwater villas of Jetty A. There’s plenty of outdoor space. I love this creative idea of designing the sink using the concept of a suitcase — I think it’s one of the classic features of the room.


As for the room’s mini bar, there are two large bottles of ice water provided daily, along with a complimentary bottle of champagne, tea bags, coffee, snacks, beer, and more. The room’s sound system is BOSE — you can plug in your iPhone to play music. If you don’t have one, the room also has some great CDs. I remember when I filled out the request form, I selected Basanova under the music preferences.

When I opened the door to the room, the space outside was amazing—there was a little lounge area, two sunbeds, and even stairs that led directly down to the sea. The room provided life rings and life vests, and you can borrow snorkeling gear like masks, snorkels, and fins from the dive center.

These photos were taken right after I got into the room—I was so excited I changed into my bikini and jumped straight into the sea. Snorkeling near the room wasn’t too impressive in terms of fish, but still very satisfying. But that’s not all—the room has another door leading to the shower area and a small loft on the second floor. The shower area is unique because it’s outdoors, but since the overwater villa is surrounded by wooden panels, it offers privacy.

The second highlight of the room is the transparent bathtub. At first glance in the description, I thought it was super cool, but later realized it might only be nice during the day—because at night, it feels like you might get sucked into the sea (okay, maybe I’m overthinking!). Next to the bathtub is a huge screen that can be pushed inward to turn into a regular TV. There’s also a staircase near the shower area for easy access to the water.

Next to it is a staircase leading up to the small loft on the second floor. I didn’t spend much time there because I preferred the sunbeds outside the room. After exploring the room, I couldn’t wait to ride the bicycle with my name on it and explore the island. The view of Six Senses in the afternoon was absolutely stunning—the resort has designed many seats extending out over the sea, making it perfect for an evening of sea-gazing and relaxation!!!

Back near the Service Center, there’s an ice cream area serving homemade artisanal ice cream from the resort. I had two scoops every day during my stay. There are over ten flavors to choose from, and my favorites were coconut and raspberry. You can also add different toppings. Oh ya, nearby there’s also a wine cellar that houses a variety of fine wines as well as bottles brought by guests. During breakfast hours, this cellar also offers bread and cheese for everyone to enjoy.

There are three restaurants on the island. In the main activity area, there are Chill and Longitude. The third one, called Leaf, is the best—and the only organic restaurant on the island. I tried all three, and I’ll introduce them one by one in the text. The wine cellar is right next to Chill, which has a beverage bar, and the beach in front of Chill is the best snorkeling spot on the island.

Next to the Chill restaurant is the Service Center. Compared to the restaurant, the Wi-Fi here is the strongest, so I often came here to get online.
The Service Center allows you to borrow books or DVDs to watch in your room. There are also two large Apple devices for guests to use. It’s a duplex design, and I highly recommend the second-floor outdoor seating facing the sea—it’s rarely used, giving it a secret base kind of vibe. That’s also where I encountered a Japanese couple taking wedding photos. Seems like more and more people are coming to the Maldives for their honeymoon shoots...

Some special activities at the resort come at an additional cost—for example, a romantic dinner or cocktail cruise to a nearby uninhabited island for two.
I didn’t book any of these special experiences because I felt staying on the island was already wonderful. While wandering along the beach, I found this set of table and chairs (Photo above), and I’m not sure if you have to pay extra to have meals served there or if the restaurant can deliver directly to the beach.

There’s also a kids’ play area on the island. P and I checked it out, but it seemed quite empty—maybe because not many young children visit, or perhaps the kids there are a bit older. I took a fun photo with my Shrek there, haha.

After changing clothes back in the room, I headed to Leaf, the restaurant touted as the best on the island. The resort in the Maldives offers different meal plans. I chose HB (Half Board), which is the most recommended option among travelers—breakfast and dinner included, costing USD 118 (about NT$3,500) per person per day. I originally thought I’d eat a big breakfast, skip lunch, and then have a huge dinner, but after morning snorkeling, I’d get really hungry again. So later on, I just ordered lunch separately. I even brought instant noodles because the room has a kettle to boil water—perfect for a quick bite when you’re tired and hungry. This is the daytime herb garden at Leaf Restaurant. As an organic restaurant, they grow many organic plants.

I noticed that dinners in the Maldives tend to start quite late. GEM booked ours for 7 PM, but it’s easy to get hungry while wandering around the island. The middle of the restaurant features an open kitchen, with seating surrounding it, so you can clearly see the chefs at work. Leaf offers a wide range of dishes, served in set meals, but you can choose your own salad, appetizer, main course, and dessert. Drinks and alcohol are not included in the meal plan and are ordered separately, so when the staff asked what I wanted to drink, I didn’t have to order a beverage.

First, they served delicious and hearty handmade bread.(Photo below), which had a different texture compared to fancy pastries—more chewy and fragrant. I ordered a Gin Tonic to go with my meal. The organic salad came with a sauce similar to vinaigrette or fruit vinegar, which was very appetizing. The crab meat salad had white rings on the outside—which turned out to be squid. This dish was excellent.

For my main course, I chose the seafood grilled fish, while P opted for steak—but I highly recommend the seafood grilled fish (Photo below). On the left, it looks like pappardelle pasta, but it’s actually zucchini sliced into long thin strips. It was my first time trying this cooking method, and the texture was incredibly similar to pappardelle, but with a refreshing sweetness. On the right were three tender grilled fish fillets, each surrounded by something resembling spinach. It’s clear this dish was made with great care—the fish was perfectly cooked, melting in your mouth.

The dessert at Leaf Restaurant was also exquisitely presented.On the left () was rice pudding with caramelized bananas, and on the right was a chocolate jelly block paired with berries and a mousse-like topping. My first dinner in the Maldives—thank you GEM for booking Leaf for us. It was a wonderfully appetizing and satisfying evening!!

(To be continued...)

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