Glass discovers wild beauty in The Maldives

Glass travelled to two of Como’s remote tropical islands and discovered a world of wild jungles, dolphins, manta rays and enchanting sea turtles

IT’S 5am and I’m half-awake on the second floor of a large, stilt-legged villa in the middle of the raging, unabashed Indian Ocean. I can hear the waves crashing against the walls and the wind whistling, furious and out of tune. I go back to sleep. By 6am, the storm’s forgotten and the beginnings of a hot, sunny day are starting to paint the sky a pale yellow. The doors at the back of my villa open onto a sort of patio – it has a bed and a table with chairs, and a little set of steps that lead, invitingly, into the shallow, now-serene sea. It’s hot, so I step in and start, cautiously, to swim out. From the sand just a few feet in front of me emerges a majestic black ray, almost a metre long, who floats elegantly away, it’s wings rippling in the water.

By 7am, I’m at a sunrise yoga class on the pale, powdery sand. Como Cocoa Island – and the other resorts in the Como family – has a focus on wellbeing, and that extends to every part of the experience, from the meals to the activities. They call it Shambhala, and it’s the axis around which the islands spin. For breakfast, for example, one might choose to simply enjoy the buffet of fresh tropical fruit and pastries or, instead, order from the menu which includes traditional Maldivian dishes and healthy Shambhala options. On the bright, balmy Maldivian mornings it’s easy to opt for the latter. There are beautiful wicker chairs on the sand outside the restaurant that blend seamlessly into the luscious and abundant greenery all around.

Boardwalk Maldives

Later that day I was to start my Shambhala wellness path. A little way from the restaurant, through the trees on a quiet, sandy path, is the spa area. This, too, melts into its environment. A thatched, wood-floored hut serves as the main reception. There I wait for my first treatment, a full-body aromatherapy massage followed by reflexology, with one of the resorts’ signature teas in hand. The private treatment hut, just across from the reception, has a large, floor-to-ceiling window that looks across the lapping, cerulean sea. I can’t help but fall asleep almost straightaway. Tomorrow, I’ll come back to this same hut for the concluding part of my wellness path – an Indian head massage, a manicure and a pedicure. Guests can choose how to split their paths – spreading them across multiple days if they wish.

As morning emerged, I decided to take my snorkel and flippers (the resort provides them) and head out to the reefs. I left from the back of my villa, not another human soul around, and swam a little way out. Before I knew it, the sea burst into a lively scene of tropical fish – some in magnificent schools, others alone or with a partner, dipping in and out of coral. If you swim out further, the fish get bigger, more colourful and the population of them denser. Eventually, you’ll reach an incredible drop – the edge of the reef – the ocean beyond there is dark and a little daunting, but enchanting nonetheless. The resort recommends remaining within the reef and, for those who’d prefer to be accompanied, offers guided snorkelling trips.

Water Villa

Later that morning, I packed my things and prepared to leave for one of Como’s other island resorts – Maalifushi. There are frequent seaplane trips between the islands and back to the mainland, and getting from one to the other only takes around 50 minutes. The tiny, 10-seat craft skims above the water and then rises just high enough to see the innumerable reefs marking inky dark circles in the water. Riding in a sea plane gives one an idea of the sheer magnitude of the country – which is made up of over 1000 islands that stretch far and wide across the perfectly blue sea south of India. After some time, the villas of Maalifushi came into sight and, for a few moments, we got a perfect view of them, with their private pools, from the sky.

Beach villa

We landed some way away on the middle of the sea, and then hopped on a speedboat to the reception. Maalifushi is somewhat larger than Cocoa Island, so offers a different experience altogether. We each rode in a golf buggy to our villas, which again were placed off land via an elevated, wooden bridge. The sleek, light-filled apartments spread generously from left to right.

On one side, the enormous living room is punctuated with beautiful crafts that speak of local tradition – wooden bowls of tropical fruit, pieces of pottery and wicker lampshades. In the middle, the bedroom sits beneath a tall, beamed ceiling and, on the other side, the vast bathroom hosts a Jacuzzi-sized marble bath tub.

From anywhere in the apartment, one can open up the tall windows and walk onto the outside decking. There, you’ll find an outside shower, a private pool and a double-sized sunbed that begs to lounged upon as you watch the hot, rosy sunsets each evening.

Shark in the Maldives

After a quick look around, I dressed for lunch. The main mode of transport on Maalifushi is bicycle, and the resort provides each guest with their own, so it was a quick ride across the bridges and through the jungle to the casual beach restaurant, Thila. There, fresh, local seafood is available in many colourful guises along with other laidback dishes. It’s easy to while away a few hours at lunch, but I had other ideas.

Quickly after finishing, I walked over to the water sports centre to hire a kayak. Just off Maalifushi is a tiny, entirely uninhabited castaway island. I paddled over to there in my kayak, parked on the beach and swam a little in the water – feeling as if was the only person in the world. Guests can rent time on the island and spend an afternoon there with a picnic, or a more lavish arrangement, if they wish. All they need do is arrange to be collected later.

Dinner later was at another of the island’s restaurants, Tai, which serves Japanese-inspired cuisine in refined surroundings. There’s a regular marine biology demonstration here, which serves as lovely pre-dinner entertainment. It’s especially special for those with children, as there’s an opportunity to feed the large sharks, who come swimming into the open area in the middle of the restaurant right on cue. Dinner was a feast of sushi, sashimi and other Japanese-style dishes with plenty of champagne and sparkling sake. There’s green tea ice cream for dessert, if you can manage it, and then, luckily, only a short walk back to the villas.

The next morning, I was scheduled to join a boat trip out into the sea to snorkel in an area known for turtle sightings. We weren’t disappointed, after some searching, a charming creature emerged from the rocks below and started to slowly circle towards the surface. Maalifushi offers regular trips like this – with marine biologists on board who can offer their expertise as well as guide you to the right place to spot the animals. Just as the turtle dipped back to the seabed, its colours blending into the coral below, a car-sized eagle ray flew by beside us. In just a few seconds it, too, disappeared into the watery distance.

Maalifushi Villa

Back to the island for our final evening, and we enjoyed a sunset ride on Cameron, the island’s private yacht. Again, the area’s enigmatic wildlife cooperated, and we were treated to a show by a 100-strong pod of spinner dolphins as we sipped champagne on the upper deck. For those looking for the most premium of experiences, a ride on Cameron is not to be missed. Guests can rent the magnificent, 68-foot vessel for just a few hours or for an extended trip.

It was then, with regret, that I enjoyed my final meal in The Maldives. This time, a beautiful dinner of lobster on the sand – with the flickering of fruit bats against the infinite, star-filled sky reminding me of the simple majesty of nature, and decorating my last evening in the most fitting way.

by Becky Zanker