Cerulean waters – check. White sand beaches – check. Huvafen Fushi’s a tranquil island in the Indian Ocean with all of the essential Maldivian ingredients, plus a few more – IAB Travel discovers paradise.
ESCAPE TO HUVAFEN FUSHI
In a region where luxury hotels are 10 a penny, it can be hard to distinguish between the best. But there’s a top level of luxury Maldives hotels that go above and beyond to offer everything under the sun to the lucky guests that stay there. Huvafen Fushi is one of these hotels. A tiny speck of land cast adrift in the Indian Ocean, the white sand beaches and swaying palms are surrounded by satellite islands jutting out from boardwalks: thatched water villas, a deep turquoise swimming pool, dining pavilions. A warm, gently lapping lagoon surrounds the island, where tropical fish dart through the water and colourful corals reflect the sun. Even its name evokes thoughts of paradise: Huvafen Fushi means ‘dream island’ in the local Maldivian tongue, and after a stay here you’ll believe it’s true. Water sparkles clear as gin, restaurants serve up freshly landed seafood, sand is soft as icing sugar. This is paradise indeed.
VILLAS AND RESIDENCES WITH WOW FACTOR
Every single villa at Huvafen Fushi has its own plunge pool, so you can rise from bed each morning and take a refreshing dip before anyone else is awake. The novelty of staying over the water never gets old, watching the light glint off the ocean and the fish swimming beneath it, visible through a glass-floored living space – these villas are not only tranquil, but also intensely private, and have almost immediate access to the house reef. Alternatively, if it’s the actual beach you love about beach holidays, opt for a villa on the sands where you’re just steps away from a place to laze on the dazzlingly white shore. Inside the villas, interiors are reassuringly luxe. Think bath products from legendary Venetian atelier Bottega Veneta; sleek hardwood floors and matching ceilings; enormous beds dressed in plush linens; walls of glass. For the ultimate luxury, book a Beach Pavilion, or add a charter boat to your cruise and you can sleep on board a sleek motor cruiser with an on board wine cellar and a fireman’s pole that descends from the top deck.
UNDERWATER WORLD
Surrounded as you are by the clearest blue waters, it would be a shame not to take a dip. Cantilevered over the ocean, the waters of the lagoon-sized infinity pool bleed into the ocean and the blue horizon (at night, fibre optic lights give it an ethereal glow). While we’re certain you’ll be making the most of the swimming, snorkelling and watersports, there are more treasures under the sea to explore. The hotel’s LIME Spa is sure to impress the most jaded of jet setters – it’s a world first, where glass-walled relaxation pods feel all the more stress relieving thanks to a parade of vibrant marine life dancing past the windows. It’s no gimmick and the spa is actually very impressive: treatments are world-class and have won awards, plus visiting beauty consultants like celebrity facialists Anastasia Achilleos and Teresa Tarmey can get booked up months in advance.
DINING TO DIE FOR
Most visitors to Huvafen Fushi list Celsius as one of their favourite dining experiences of all time: sit outside and you might spot sharks swimming in the waters below, as you dine on fishy friends like oysters and piquant prawn curries calmed by the creamy taste of coconut – but this is only the beginning. Forno offers flavours of Italy in the Indian Ocean: sit beneath wafting coconut palms as you dine on perfectly incongruous Neapolitan dishes like crispy hand-thrown pizzas, delicate pasta and tiramisu. Vinum is set eight metres below the surface – a wine cellar like no other with degustation menus to complement the wine flight, rather than the other way around. For an East-meets-West twist, head to Feeling Koi (pun intended) for Japanese dishes with a South American influence. Special occasions are the usual reason for a stay here – an indulgent honeymoon, a romantic proposal, an anniversary with a zero on the end. For the most luxurious dining options speak to the concierge about the hotel’s destination dining – Huvafen Fushi is known for pulling out all the stops, and they’ll happily set up dinner à deux almost anywhere. Perhaps the seclusion of your own private deck, or perched on a rock close to the edge of the reef.
EVERYTHING ON ONE ISLAND
For an island fewer than 100 metres long, the people behind Huvafen Fushi have managed to include a great deal in such a small space – you’d need to stay here for months before you’d tire of the variety of things to do. Let’s start with the water: there’s a resident marine biologist who can guide you on snorkelling trips around the coral garden and actually explain the science behind what you’re seeing. If you’d prefer to go deeper, the PADI diving centre can take you into the depths of the Indian Ocean, where you’ll spot an incredible array of creatures. Head out on a sunset cruise to spot frolicking fish and return to a wine tasting at Vinum, and ease your sulphite-induced headache the following day with a spot of restorative yoga. Alternatively, cobwebs can be blown away with windsurfing, wakeboarding or sailing. If the outdoors isn’t ‘your thing’, relax in UMbar, a cigar lounge where Cuban and Dominican imports can be found, or opt for something altogether healthier with a curry cooking class with one of the chefs. You’ll want to recreate these dishes when you get home.
WE LIKE:
- Home to the world’s first underwater spa
- Private pools for everyone
- Wine cellar with 6,000 labels
- Water, water everywhere
- Dine under the stars
To read more about Huvafen Fushi take a look at the hotel page
