The Magnificent Maldives (Part One)

There’s so much to share about our incredible last week in the Maldives at the Hurawalhi resort (https://www.hurawalhi.com) so this is part one of a two-part post.

The Republic of Maldives is an independent nation.  The culture and customs come from Indian, Sri Lankan, Malaysian, Arab, Persian, Indonesian, and African influences.  And it’s the smallest Muslim country in the world.

There are 1,200 islands in the Maldives, but only 200 are inhabited. It’s also the world’s flattest country and it’s slowly sinking.  Yes, you read that correctly. Which is one of the reasons that we wanted to visit.

A sea plane is the way to get from Male (the main island/airport) to Hurawalhi and although we look scared, it was fun to fly in one.  We are more scared about the fact that the country is sinking.

View from the plane of a few of the uninhabited islands.  From the air, they look like jelly fish.

Our trip coincided with Earth Day…here are a few ways Hurawalhi keeps the environment and sustainability at the center of its mission:

·      Solar panels contribute to the electricity needed to power the resort.

·      A water bottling plant provides all the drinking water.

·      There’s a ‘say no to plastic’ policy.

·      And the resort has a wonderful organic garden.  It produces fruit and vegetables with the help of a composting machine that provides the nutrients needed for the plants to flourish while at the same time reducing waste going to landfill. Executive Chef, Eric Henri Drogueux, and his team then use the homegrown produce to create exquisite dishes. 

The food was exceptional.  Thankfully, there was also a great gym.

After a busy 10 days in Japan, this week was all about relaxing, and Hurawalhi was truly perfect for this.  It was the “vacation inside the vacation.”

The view from our room.

The walkway from our room.

One of the gorgeous treatment rooms at the spa.

So grateful to be here.

Part Two coming your way tomorrow!