'paradise found. am i dreaming?'
as i lay on the balcony of my luxury over-water villa hovering above the beautiful turquoise waters of the indian ocean i am struck just how the anxiety of the of the past year has melted away, all within hours of arriving to this island paradise. taking a dip directly from my villa into the warm tropical waters i find myself entering an ultra-colorful aquatic world. my neighbors the clownfish go about their day. the baby black tip reef sharks & eagle mantas that call the reef home seem like they do not have a care in the world. i feel i must pinch myself, am i dreaming? this place distorts modern day reality.
first impressions
my home for the next five days is the outstanding constance moofushi resort. located on a private secluded island about 25 mins south of male via a twin otter seaplane. yes, that is right, a seaplane. touching down at lunch time we were greeted by henri, cici & the team then whisked off to our villa while we awaited our covid test results that were done earlier in the airport lounge, this service is supplied free of charge & gives everyone on the island peace of mind that all guests are covid free giving everyone the pre covid convenience to walk freely around the island without masks or worry. even the staff have test & quarantine for two weeks before interacting with guests, this is a pandemic free island bubble.
after spending a few hours in our villa waiting for the results we got all clear from reception & headed out the restaurant for dinner. it was such a seamless process & only took a few hours as they aim to get the results within 8 hours. changing into our lightweight linen we took the short walk bare-footed along the boardwalk to manta, the main restaurant on the island. we'll get more into that later.
the resort
this unique resort has distinct areas. in the southern central part of the island, you'll find the hub consisting of the main restaurant (manta), reception, diving center, spa, pool area, totem bar & alizee (a la carte) restaurant. to the north the secluded beach villas are perfect for families & the water villas jet out over the coral reef. on the western side you'll find the boat house where all the included water sports activities are taken up from this is also the where the largest stretch of beach is found & the outdoor cinema can be set up for private viewings. further along are the senior water villas these are an upgraded room possibility that have more space for children & an awesome outdoor bathtub.
the Pièce de résistance of the resort has to be the coral reefs that are found on each side of the island, they are easily accessible for swimmers of all levels. the amount of life that calls this aquatic world home is mind-blowing from the manta's, baby sharks, turtles & the myriad of iridescent fish species it is surly the premier part of the experience here.
i was very impressed with the eco credentials of the resort, using the heat sync from the generators that would normally be wasted to provide hot water for the whole island. the resort has also switched over to reusable glass bottles saving over 100,000 plastic bottles per year.
our water villa
our water villa (no.119) was located on the north east side of the island perched on stilts over the coral reef.
stepping into the villa you are immediately struck by the views from the large, sumptuous bed out beyond the terrace to the crystal-clear waters of the ocean. behind you'll find a large two-person open vanity & al fresco shower. the design & quality of the furniture is sublime from the writing desk to the wardrobe, quality ooze's out from every corner. the well-stocked free mini bar was a welcome surprise especially the high-quality wines & snacks that are refilled daily. if you manage to get caught in a rain shower then the satellite tv & high speed wifi will pass the hours.
through the panoramic doors the large terrace equipped with sun loungers & outdoor seating has immense views out to the horizon, you can also catch a glimpse of all the marine life that call the reef home. taking the direct access steps down from the terrace to the warm turquoise waters i spotted a sea anemone only a few feet away, a few colorful clownfish had made a home there. having clownfish as neighbors was super exciting as i have been fascinated with these fish since i was young.
the villas are designed with ecological thatch roofing that is a traditional method used on the nearby islands. we even had the chance to see local artisans re-thatching some villas during our stay.
food & drink
from the moment you step off the seaplane until the time when you embark to leave the island the food & drink is included, no waiting for check-in they made it simple & easy here.
food & drink selections for me are one of the most important features of a luxury all in resort & this place went above & beyond my expectations.
manta: the main restaurant is where you will spend most of your time. they serve breakfast, lunch & dinner in a buffet format but with added extras that elevate the service from the freshly caught fish cooked to order to the pasta & salad stations where you can request what you desire.
what stood out to me was the sheer amount of choice & the quality of the food that was on offer. from blue cheese to the freshly made ice creams & sorbets with over 20 different flavors, the coconut sorbet was delicious. no matter if you are vegetarian or a red-blooded meat eater there is lots to choose from.
I'm a huge wine buff & the onsite wine cellar with over 160 boutique wines from all over the world was a sensation. from south african chardonnay to new zealand sauvignon blanc every meal was an exploration into the world of wine with the dedicated sommeliers on hand to recommend the perfect paring.
alizee: the onsite al la carte restaurant set on the beach under the coconut trees was the perfect setting for our last evening. the resort offers the chance to visit alizee once per week included in the package & oh boy was it worth waiting for. i took the scallops for starter & fish for a main. the food was delicately balanced with the freshness of the seafood coming through, a passion fruit pillow dessert finished the meal accompanied with a late harvest white wine.
experiences
before arriving to constance moofushi was skeptical that there would be enough things to do for the week we were here but i was totally wrong there were too many experiences to the point where we couldn't take a few up due to our limited time on the island.
day one... after dinner we decided to take a walk to the end of our jetty where they have rope beds over the ocean. it was the perfect place to view the night sky in all its glory, the sheer amount was stars was unbelievable. there is so little light pollution in the maldives, this gives you the opportunity to see the milky way with the naked eye. at night the resort went from five star to a billion star.
day two... rising early we started the day snorkeling at the house reef. this reef was teaming with life it was so exciting to see so many marine animals all vividly colored. we then headed over to the boathouse to grab a paddle board for a few hours, needless to say i fell in a few times.
after lunch we were treated to a cocktail class at totem bar with one of my favorites, the daiquiri. after sipping a few of our creations it was time for the dolphin trip heading out less than 20 mins into the open ocean we caught our first glimpse of a spinner dolphin as we moved in closer, we noticed it was a huge pod. that's the moment when they started to ride the bow of the boat. i don't know what it is about dolphins, but you can't help but be happy to see them, it was a once on a lifetime experience that we will remember forever.
day three... another day, another snorkeling session to get the joints moving. we then headed over to the infinity pool for a few hours which so happens to be located right next to totem bar. starting the day with a margarita & piña colada was risky but we justified it to ourselves by affirming we were on holiday. the freshly cut coconuts where also a nice touch to replace some essential minerals & keep us sober, it was not very successful as we had quite a few drinks. in the afternoon we took lunch on the beach at totem bar before heading out to snorkel once again. for dinner it was indian night. they also caught a huge jack fish that was oven roasted, it was truly the biggest fish i have even seen cooked, divine.
day four... a sunrise yoga session on the jetty started the day right before a short snorkeling session. later that morning we had the pleasure of taking a back of house tour. this was a particularly enlightening experience, the amount of work that is done behind the scenes really impressed me especially the desalination plant & generator area that have great eco credentials. after the tour we managed to sit down with the manager henri, we shared a watermelon juice & chatted for a while. he really does make everyone feel very welcome to the island.
vesa took a 1.5-hour introduction to diving provided by the onsite dive center, blue tribe she said it was an awesome experience. having the opportunity to see sharks, clownfish & then swimming back to shore with a turtle was mind-blowing. if you are going to dive anywhere in the world i cannot think of a better place than here.
we took the opportunity to have lunch in the lagoon, yes, the lagoon. this was truly a magnificent experience, sitting in the warm water with fish all around us it was again another of those pinch yourself moments. later we joined the group for a sunset wine tasting on the beach, the sommelier did an awesome job introducing everyone to some fantastic wines & the charcuterie board helped the wine flow. finally, we finished our evening at alizee with some out of this world dishes.
thinking back as i write this, we did a hell of a lot on this day. the time flew by.
departure day... we opted for the late checkout as we had flights later in the evening. this was already organized as the night before a note was waiting at our villa with the return seaplane details. they always try to maximize your time at the resort on the final day so not to spend too much time at the airport, although they do have an awesome private lounge close to (MLE) airport.
considering it was our last day we had a prosecco breakfast with a made to order omelet & a huge bowl of wonderful tropical fruits. we then hit the beach for some tanning & snorkeling before our departure.
final thoughts...
this was quite simply a dream, a dream that we didn't want to wake up from. we will cherish the moments we had here with the nature, wildlife & people. words cannot describe the feeling you have when staying on this paradise island it's truly magical.
i would like to give a big shout out to the wonderful staff especially cici whom looked after us very well, she is a super star. also, not to forget gopal at the bar, he remembered our names from the day we arrived, he is a true professional.
if you are thinking about visiting the resort please use the link below as all the proceeds go to the resort directly & not greedy corporations like booking.com that take huge fees.