Take a have a look at 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 all the time seem as one of many world’s dream locations: pristine Robinson Crusoe landscapes meet up to date luxurious dwelling.
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.
“Natural. Seclusion. Luxury.” 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 International Airport after which switch by way of the neighbouring seaplane terminal. Guests sure for Veligandu calm down within the air-conditioned enterprise lounge, with inclusive foods and drinks, earlier than boarding for the 20 minutes flight throughout the azure Indian Ocean. Their cameras prepared for irresistibly photogenic atolls. It is an exhilarating expedition, offered 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 workers clapping a welcome to the beat of a drum as we step from seaplane to jetty.
Jaadhee, our Lifestyle 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 Sunset Ocean Pool Villa
The ocean-facing window, ground to ceiling with sliding door, is an unlimited light-giving wall of glass. When we wake, we use the bedside management to open the curtains. Beyond, 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 type 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 beneath. Backstage from the ocean-view bed room, there are his and hers wardrobes, a darkish wooden shelf with enough room 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 Sunset Ocean Pool Villa, additionally out there with two bedrooms, every with its personal plunge pool, is only one of Veligandu’s 100 villas. Choose from Ocean Pool Villas, Sunset Ocean Villas, Ocean Jacuzzi Villas, Sunset Jacuzzi Beach Villas, Jacuzzi Beach Villas and Beach Villas. There are powerful selections to be made in paradise.
The lavatory
An exceptionally spacious light-maritime blue tiled bathe room homes each rainfall and hand-held directional showers. His and her wash amenities function Veligandu’s citrus themed toiletries.
The half-egg bathtub has an open-air room of its personal: secluded however overlooking the ocean.
Everything you’ll want to 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.
Begin 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 scorching dishes. They’re again for dinner too: carving steaks, creating your designer pasta dishes.
Taking its title from the manta, Madivaru Restaurant provides a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian delicacies, together with Chinese, Thai, and Indian dishes. Madivaru pays homage to the traditional Spice Route that helped flavour oriental dishes reminiscent of nasai noreng, Vietnamese caramelised pork, shrimp pad Thai and different thrilling tastes of the Orient. That is should you can resist the lobster and Wagyu beef …
Living as much as its title, Thundi leads onto a sandbank of sun-umbrellas and loungers, the place waiters sustain with requests for drinks and snacks all through the day. Those waiters additionally take care of friends 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 way of succulent octopus to a mojito sorbet, the service is exemplary.
At the Himeyn Spa, 5 overwater therapy rooms, 4 of them for {couples}, friends calm down and rejuvenate by way of a variety of remedies delivered by specialists.
You are unlikely to overlook your property health club on the beautifully geared up VFitness Centre with treadmills and train bikes overlooking the ocean. For a chilled, harmonious begin to the day, a handful of friends be a part of the skilled instructor for dawn yoga.
Although the courts are shaded, early morning and night are one of the best time to play on the tennis and paddle courts.
The location
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 newbies to certified divers, the ocean round Veligandu provides one thing for everybody: light kayaking, exhilarating jet-ski expeditions, serene paddle boarding, snorkelling journeys and sundown cruises in quest of dolphins. For final luxurious, rent the resort’s yacht for a non-public tour.
Other good touches
Guests can take a snorkel pack for the dive centre to hunt out turtles and a myriad of tropical fish within the lagoon round Veligandu.
As effectively as offering your day by day itinerary the Veligandu app additionally retains a operating complete of your invoice.
For a particular deal with Veligandu provides Destination Dining maybe on the seashore or on a sandbank.
Solar 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 value
Prices for Summer 2025 start from US$ 508 per night time for a double occupancy Beach Villa with breakfast. The all-inclusive dine-around bundle for a Beach Villa begins from US$ 1,068. Seaplane transfers are a further value.
The finest bit
Jaadhee our Lifestyle Assistant takes care of the whole lot, reserving eating places for us, accumulating us from eating places in a golf buggy and even taking us to breakfast if we’re not within the temper to stroll.
When the time comes to go away, he liaises with the seaplane firm for our time of departure and likewise for connections by way of to our resort in Malé.
The last 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 may be all the time 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 likely be a prime 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. Although Michael had his first journey items printed practically 4 many years in the past, he’s nonetheless discovering new luxurious locations to go to and write on.
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