When I was looking for the beach portion of our honeymoon, it became impossible to narrow it down to one. The extraordinary hotel options in Bora Bora, Con Dao, Koh Samui, Mauritius, Fiji and Seychelles were beginning to stress me rather than excite me. That was, until I came across the brand spanking new Dhevanafushi in the Maldives. Right then and there it became clear that this was the place I was so desperately looking for.
Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean, and it is comprised by the most magnificent 1,192 islands to be exact. Hence the infinite high-end hotel options we all get overwhelmed by. However, when I found it on the Conde Nast Traveler’s “2012 Hot List” I knew I was in for a treat.
Like the Four Seasons Tented Camp, it was hard-to-get-to which in my mind added to the exclusivity of it until. Dhevanafushi is located in the south end of the Maldives, requiring you take an additional one-hour flight from Male to Kaadedhdhoo Airport, and a twenty-minute speedboat to the tiny island of Meradhoo. By this point I was hungry and tired of flying for fifteen-hours. We were so far away from Male that even the time zone had changed. We later learned that Meradhoo was the only island in the Maldives with a different time zone.
As we approached the 38-villa hotel, my frown turned into an ecstatic smile. We got off the boat and Chris Ely, the General Manager, welcomed us with refreshing coconut drink, cold towels, local drummers and an army of employees. Needless to mention, the guest to ratio was 3.5 for every guest making our stay flawless. Private butler, boat, captain, chef, yoga teacher, waiters? You name it, they had it.
We then turned around to find our room and realized that the overwater bungalows (or should I say overwater mansions) were built half a mile away from the main island, reachable only by boat (or by Olympic class swimmers). This made it even more secluded and perfect. Not only were we in the most spectacular island in the Maldives, but we were also staying in the most remote bungalow in the entire property… superb!
When we were then taken by a charming boat to our 3,000sqf Sunset Revive Overwater Bungalow (Yes, you read that right, 3,000sqf), I was stunned that something this large was built over the water. I have stayed in many over-water bungalows before, but the average size was 800sqf.
As we opened the door to our room (those of you that have stayed in sister hotels like the Burj Al Arab will understand), a very Jumeirah welcome awaited:
a) A plethora of exotic fruits
b) Hermes toiletries
c) A 25-foot long infinity pool
d) An outdoor tub
e) A yoga deck
f) And a massive 13 by 10 ft bed. It was so gigantic I even did some measuring of how many Stefanie’s fit in the bed (pathetic, I know). The final number was 10! It was nearly impossible to find the other human (my husband) in bed during the middle of the night.
Nevertheless the best part believe it or not was not our bungalow, but the scenery from out of the Life of Pi movie. The abstract coral formations dating back millions of years were like small pieces of art decorating a gigantic showroom, the ocean.
Prior to our honeymoon, we expected our daily activities to consist just of soaking up the sun. On the contrary, when we arrived our days were spent fishing, diving, having a private lunch in a motu, snorkeling, water skiing, and being pampered with a couple’s massage at the lavish overwater Talise spa.
When it came to dining, the staff mentioned over and over again that we could order anything we desired, so I put them to the test. I asked for a Michelada and the Maldivian bartender knew exactly what it was, and followed by making an even better Michelada than my favorite bar in Cabo. Whether that was Dom and Caviar in the room, or French fries and a soda, our desires were met every second of the day.
For those looking for a barefoot luxury experience away from civilization, look no further!
