26 April 2024

Maldives

We offer a wide choice of cheap flights to Maldives together with Maldives hotels, tours and self-drive itineraries.

Other Indian Ocean Reviews

Why should paradise be only for lovers?

Fearne Cotton turns off her BlackBerry, relaxes - and discovers that a girl can enjoy the romantic Maldives without a man

Maldives - The sparkling laggon at Baros

Maldives - Deck dining at the Lighthouse Restaurant

1 The sparkling laggon at Baros 2 Deck dining at the Lighthouse Restaurant 3 Supper on the sand at sunset

THE MALDIVES ARE THE TOP of honeymoon destination wish-lists, and if there was a loved-up capital of the world these islands in the Indian Ocean would be it.

But here I was, heading to this romantically charged hotspot without so much as a boyfriend to lug my case. I feared that, as a man-less woman in a world of happy couples, I would stick out like a sore thumb.

This was the first anxiety about my Maldives holiday. My second was that I am such a fidget I feared I might become bored with all that wonderful island bliss. Would there be enough to do? All worries were dispelled as, happily ensconced in Baros - a small, lush tropical island set in the shimmering waters of a shallow lagoon in the North Male Atoll - I worked out what the Maldives were really about.

Hard to imagine a more perfect place

It’s not just a place for a fine romance - it has something that any traveller is glad to discover the joy of doing nothing. I went with a girl who is one of my best friends and we quickly realised we were in for a happy time chilling out. It would be hard to imagine a more perfect place than Baros for letting cares slip away.

From the moment I arrived, my BlackBerry and mobile phone were switched off and I learned to relax. Getting there has become much easier thanks to the growing number of direct flights.

We flew overnight and woke as we arrived in brilliant sunshine. From the airport at Male, it’s a speedboat ride of about 25 minutes to Baros. Still in my twenties and enjoying a hectic life, I’ve never been one to covet the pleasures associated with getting ‘away from it all’. But Baros persuaded me there are times to take a step back from the madness of modern life.

To say we did nothing at all on Baros, however, would hardly be accurate. There was eating to be done - and what meals! - along with yoga sessions and fantastic cruises to spot dolphins, which were particularly special for me as I had never seen these amazing creatures in the wild.

The staff are the nicest of people

Our over-the-water villa had all the comforts of home, with an iPod dock, a TV and DVD player. You choose how much you want to relax. We did exercise - I loved going to the gym to do yoga - but we enjoyed watching the sunsets much more. This was a big daily event, best enjoyed with a glass of champagne. Also out watching the sunsets, of course, were the happy couples.

But I was surprised to see that the resort also attracts a lot of families with older children. You can remain in your villa if that’s what you prefer. But we really liked heading to the bar each evening before and after dinner, chatting to people over a drink.

One of the great pleasures here is how lovely the staff are: the nicest of people, so polite and so gentle. Inevitably, the high points were the meals, which were spectacularly good. The accent is on healthy eating.

The good-living ethos of the resort means you tend to do things that foster your wellbeing. I was grateful for the opportunity to try lots of new food. Everything from curries to salad is prepared in front of you.

Baros’s top restaurant is The Lighthouse, which features elaborate seafood as well as modern fusion cuisine with Asian and Mediterranean influences. An evening meal there we declared to be one of the finest of our lives.

And it’s worth coming here just for the Lighthouse Lounge, a martini and champagne bar that has a fabulous terrace with 360-degree views. Lime Restaurant is the place for fabulous breakfasts.

But it was at The Cayenne Grill, with outdoor dining in thatched gazebos, that we discovered the range and variety of the cooking at the weekly Maldivian feast set out as a huge buffet. We loved a cookery demonstration with Damian, the Australian head chef, who became one of our great island friends.

I’m an atrocious cook so I was really grateful to get the benefit of some basic tips. He demonstrated how to make a number of dishes from the restaurant menus, and gave us the recipes. One of the treats was to go snorkelling.

We saw a massive reef shark which we were assured wouldn’t hurt us - though I have to confess it almost made my heart stop when it loomed up beneath me. We also saw a lot of less scary marine life, such as the wonderful turtles.

Good for body and soul

But perhaps our greatest indulgence was the island’s Aquum spa. Each massage room has its own gardens and patio area with a bath tub where you can relax after your treatment.

I had a painful back, which was treated by a delicate little flower of a woman who pounded my shoulders very successfully. All the spa treatments were fabulously reviving and I returned home feeling brilliant.

Travelling to the Maldives is good for body and soul. And I can’t wait to go back.

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