Palm of paradise ... the beach meets a terrace at Alila Villas.Credit: Ute Junker
The island we're sitting on is, we are told, one of the best places in the world for star-gazing. Hadahaa Island, a remote speck of sand in the far south of the Maldives, is just 54 kilometres from the equator, which means you can see the constellations of both the northern and southern skies at the same time. What's more, with the nearest inhabited island 10 kilometres away, there's no light pollution to dim the celestial panorama. Most nights, the starlight is almost bright enough to blind you.
Or so we're told. Tonight, unfortunately, the stars are hidden behind an impenetrable curtain of heavy clouds. With the banked cloud mass stretching from horizon to horizon, the only thing that's clear is that there'll be no star gazing for us tonight.
The astronomical no-show may be a let-down but it's the only thing on Hadahaa Island that disappoints. That's just as well, since it's not a destination that's easy to get to. Once your international flight has landed at Male, the Maldives' main airport, you can look forward to another 55-minute flight, followed by an 80-minute speedboat trip to the island. Some travellers find this degree of remoteness daunting. For others, it's the main attraction.
While tropical resorts spring up in the Maldives like mushrooms after a shower, until now they have been concentrated in the northern part of the archipelago. The Maldivian government's recent decision to allow resorts to open on specific islands in the south of the country is a chance for hoteliers to show their guests a different side of the Maldives - one that lets visitors get more intimately acquainted with traditional Maldivian life, as they savour a luxurious - and exclusive - resort experience.
Even before your launch lands at Alila Villas, the only resort on Hadahaa Island, it's clear this is going to be a memorable experience. While the dazzling white sand and eerily blue water are familiar from the travel brochures, the giant shape that appears stranded on the beach is not. As you get closer, you can discern the island's signature building, a spectacular wooden structure shaped like an overturned dhoni, or traditional fishing boat, that houses the hotel lobby. The building was created by local fishermen using centuries-old techniques - an example of Alila's commitment to working with local communities.
At the other end of the powder-white beach is a wooden walkway leading out to the resort's 14 aqua villas. While most new Maldivian resorts include over-water bungalows as a matter of course, few have designs as spectacular as Alila's. Floor-to-ceiling windows let you savour the seascape from wherever you're sitting, while the stylish interiors are kept simple so as not to detract from the ever-changing floorshow provided by the elements.
The island also has 36 land-based villas. The 360-degree ocean views may be missing but each one is just a few steps from the water and shares the same chic aesthetic. In fact, everything in Alila is a design delight. The resort is all clean lines and sharp angles, sleek white structures forming elegant silhouettes against the aquamarine water and the blinding white sand. Just add a model in a flowing kaftan and you have an instant magazine cover.
Even dinner is an exercise in aesthetics. The resort's two restaurants are spectacular. Relish is a soaring space open on one side to the elements. Nestled under the double-height ceiling is a cosy loft area where you can enjoy a more intimate dinner experience. By contrast, the resort's other restaurant, Battuta, has lavish Moroccan-inspired interiors, with filigree lamps and over-stuffed couches perfect for post-prandial reclining.
The meals are as tempting as the surroundings, offering a sophisticated twist on standard resort fare. Take, for example, breakfast. Depending on how you like to start the day, you might choose to tuck into home-made bio-dynamic yoghurt and toast served with passionfruit or lime and papaya jam. More substantial options range from traditional Maldivian (a delicious tuna curry) and Japanese (soba noodles) to crepes and pancakes (in either mung or banana variations). Dinner choices may include mushroom and cauliflower cappuccino fortified with truffle oil and breadcrumbs, tuna carpaccio or a rice-flour-crusted red snapper served with sweet spiced eggplant and minted pomelo salad.
The vibe on Alila is decidedly sybaritic. More often than not, once you've lazed on the beach, had a massage in the spa or snorkelled the house reef, you'll find it's time for another meal. However, for those who are interested, the resort encourages guests to get to know more about the real Maldives. There are extensive opportunities to meet the locals on excursions to the neighbouring islands. Guests can watch artisans create traditional handicrafts or even listen to traditional storytellers recount the islands' ancient myths.
The chance to meet the locals is also one of the most popular activities at another brand-new, but very different, southern resort.
Located south of the equator at the southern tip of the Addu Atoll, Shangri-La Villingili is located on an island that, by Maldivian standards, is immense. In a country where most landmasses are small enough to be circumnavigated by a toddler, Villingili is an impressive three kilometres long, with two kilometres of white sandy beaches and - again in contrast to most of the sandy islets - plenty of lush vegetation. The island is covered by 12 hectares of foliage featuring 45 different plant species, including 17,000 coconut trees.
This abundance of space allows Shangri-La Villingili to offer activities that other islands can't match, making it great for family getaways. For instance, children are catered to with facilities ranging from a mini-flying fox to an entertainment centre.
But you don't have to be a child to appreciate Villingili's roster of activities. It's a great getaway for those who like the idea of relaxing in a tropical resort but get island fever after a day or two. Bicycles are on hand to make getting around the resort easier. Villingili offers the full range of water sports, from snorkelling and diving to sailing and windsurfing, as well as nature trails, a tennis court and a well-equipped gym.
The resort's most unusual attraction is also the simplest. It's a road - the longest road in the Maldives. Villingili lies at the apex of five inhabited islands, joined by a series of causeways. It's possible to cycle the entire length of the road - all 17 kilometres of it - passing brightly coloured houses shaded by mango trees, fishermen mending their nets and even through an abandoned British military base. Stop for lunch in one of the local cafes or take a picnic and savour an experience that most visitors to the Maldives will never get to enjoy.
Back at the resort, guests can choose from 142 villas in five different categories, the smallest of which clocks in at a spacious 133 square metres. The tree house villas are perched three metres above the ground, each with its own infinity pool. The beach villas have separate pavilions for eating and sleeping, while the expansive water villas offer endless horizons and massive bathrooms.
The resort's dining options are equally diverse. Perched on a promontory, Dr Ali's serves a range of cuisines - Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Sri Lankan and Malay - in three richly decorated dining rooms, with furnishings designed to match the menu. Other dining options include relaxed beachside dining at Javvu and the Fashala lounge, which serves seafood barbecues.
Don't leave Villingili without a visit to the Chi spa, perched on the highest point of the island. The signature massage is a three-hour treatment using the cowrie shells that were for many years used as currency by local traders. The treatment incorporates heated cowrie shells, pure coconut oil and even traditional Maldivian chanting, a sound as soothing as the whisper of waves on the shore.
The writer travelled courtesy of the Maldives Tourism and Promotional Board.
TRIP NOTES
GETTING THERE
Singapore Airlines flies daily to the Maldives via Singapore. Phone 131 011, see singaporeair.com.au.
WHERE TO STAY
Alila Villas Hadahaa rates start at $US1130 ($1255) a night for a minimum four-night stay in a villa. Round-trip air and sea transfers from Male cost $440 a person.
Guests can take part in the Gift to Share program, where the fourth night's accommodation is complimentary in return for a donation to a Maldivian community project.
Until May 9, Shangri-La Villingili is offering a deluxe pool villa package including seven nights' accommodation, daily breakfast and a $US500 credit on food and beverage per villa, for $US7000. Special packages are available for the treehouse villas and water villas.
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