Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort

Arrival

We flew to Malé from Zurich with Etihad. In Abu Dhabi, we had a layover of 4 hours, which can be spent quite comfortably in Etihad’s Business Lounge. Passengers flying Economy can also use the amenities of the lounge with a day ticket. In well air-conditioned rooms, with comfortable armchairs and a fairly large selection of included food and drinks, the layover flies by.

We are met at the airport in Malé by the friendly resort staff and escorted to the elegant Anantara Lounge. We hand in our passports there and wait comfortably with a refreshing drink until the staff have completed the immigration formalities. Not a trace of airport hustle and bustle or long queues. After just 30 minutes or so, we are sitting in a speedboat and on our way to Dhigu.

We experience the first highlight of the trip on the way: a large school of dolphins swims around our boat. Our skipper stops so that we can watch and photograph the animals at play. After half an hour, we arrive at the resort, and our first impression of the vast expanse of the calm lagoon is overwhelming. The play of colors in the water is unique, as is the sight of the beautiful villas that tower over the water on stilts.

Resort & Villas

Anantara Dhigu has 110 Over Water Suites and Beach Villas, all generously proportioned. The Sunset Beach Villa, for example, is 125 m² in size and offers everything you would expect in a luxury resort, from a Nespresso machine and open-air bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers to a swing bed by the private pool.

All Beach Villas have direct beach access and offer plenty of privacy. Guests are provided with vintage bicycles, each labeled with the guest’s name. Anantara Dhigu is surrounded by lush jungle vegetation and white beaches.

Every corner of the island is manicured to perfection, and you can’t help but wonder how much work and effort went into it. Giles Selves, General Manager of Dhigu Maldives, enlightens us about the challenges the resort has faced during the pandemic. A few months without care are enough to give nature the upper hand. Sun, sea, and salt attack the beautiful teak wood first, and there is plenty of it in Dhigu; stilts, walkways, terraces, and entire villas are made of wood.

The flora also thrives magnificently with so much sun and rain. If the gardeners didn’t prune regularly, the whole island would quickly become overgrown. Fortunately, most of the staff stayed on the island during the lockdown, and the hotel was able to celebrate its reopening in all its glory after 6 months.

Fine Dining

Breakfast is either enjoyed in the Fushi Café on the wonderfully shaded terrace right by the sea or delivered to the private pool in the form of a floating breakfast. The homemade coconut jam is a must on every breakfast plate and has become legendary among guests.

For lunch, you can choose between fine dining in the Sea.Fire.Salt restaurant or the Italian Aqua by the pool. In the evening, we dined at the signature Thai restaurant Baan Huraa, one of the best Thai restaurants in the Maldives. It offers a unique culinary experience created by Thai chefs.

Signature dishes include coconut curries from Thailand’s southern provinces, as well as hot and spicy dishes from the north; authentic Thai flavors are guaranteed.

Activities & Kids

Anantara Dhigu is known for snorkeling with nurse sharks. This species grows up to 3 meters long and is recognized in the Maldives as a very lazy and, therefore, harmless animal. Indeed, I feel absolutely safe with these fascinating sea creatures, which slowly pass by at a depth of around 2 meters, and I enjoy the snorkel tour in the colorful underwater world.

Sporty guests can choose from many different activities. Yoga, tennis, diving, and surfing are offered daily. Anantara Dhigu is also extremely family-friendly. Children receive their own bathrobes and slippers, the restaurants have children’s menus, and the charming Doni Kids Club features two air-conditioned playrooms in traditional Maldivian boats and a treehouse.

Spa

The whole island is actually a Zen oasis. Everywhere you look, there are shades of blue and green. But even if well-being is omnipresent, a visit to the spa is recommended. The massage rooms can be reached via the wooden jetty and are built on stilts over the ocean.

I receive a Thai massage in the open-air shala, right in the fresh air. The sound of the ocean in the background is real and doesn’t come from speakers as usual.

Anantara Kihavah Nature is the best architect

The Maldivian architect Mohamed Shafeeq certainly had this motto as a guideline when he designed Kihavah. Nature was the model both above and below the surface of the Indian Ocean. It is the indigenous, traditional Maldivian architecture that ensures that guests feel they are not just in a luxury resort but rather in a natural paradise. Ancient techniques, such as thatched palm roofs, make each building at Anantara Kihavah a unique, natural sanctuary that belies the more intricate design within.

Villas

Eighty spacious private villas, ranging from 258 m² to 2,000 m² in size, are located either over the water or nestled in the garden, all with private beach access. The villas blend seamlessly with the natural tropical surroundings. Coconut palms that tower through some of the luxury villas, covered terraces, and lush canopies provide shade and seclusion.

The villas are equipped with every conceivable amenity, but what makes them special are the materials and design. The central visual theme that runs through the entire resort is an Indian-Moroccan fusion with colonial style elements. The bathrooms resemble open-air temples and are equipped with the finest teak wood, free-standing stone bathtubs, and several open-air showers.

Snorkeling with the Manta Rays

Swimming with these majestic animals is a must-do in the Maldives. The manta rays can grow up to 9 meters long and weigh up to two tons, making them among the largest creatures in the ocean. So if you plan to swim with them, you should definitely be prepared for their sheer size, which can be intimidating at first.

However, after our first encounter with the giant, we were completely relaxed and enjoyed the company of these wonderful sea creatures. We were lucky enough to snorkel right in the middle of a group of around 50 animals and were able to observe their graceful movements up close. They performed loops in the water and opened their mouths just a few meters away from us.

Back on the boat, we all felt overwhelmed, privileged, and grateful that we were able to experience this.

Culinary Delights

As the Maldives is a low-lying chain of tropical islands surrounded by salt water, much of the food consumed by both locals and tourists is imported from all corners of the world. Only shellfish, fish, and coconuts are regional. Under these circumstances, it is a great challenge to run a world-class restaurant. However, the chefs in Kihavah manage this brilliantly, and we experience culinary flights of fancy at breakfast.

Later in the day, we continue with the ocean experiences and dine in the underwater restaurant. The octagonal „SEA“ was developed to optimize the underwater views from the perspective of a restaurant. The glass fronts are lower than the dining tables and extend above diners’ eye level, creating the illusion of being part of the surrounding reef.

The restaurant also houses an underwater wine cellar, the first in the Maldives and the best in the world. The restaurants on stilts are accessed via a bridge and are inspired by the resort’s surroundings. Fire is the teppanyaki restaurant, Salt serves variations of Asian cuisine, and Manzaru specializes in fine Italian cuisine.

Thanks to the island’s location, there are endless views of the horizon and the starry night sky. We experience the majestic sunset at the resort’s Sky Bar, which is also home to the largest telescope in the Maldives.

Niyama Private Islands Maldives Nature’s Playground

Arrival & Location

The spectacular 40-minute transfer by seaplane from Malé to Niyama is worth the trip alone. Seeing the white sandbanks and all the shades of blue you can imagine from a bird’s eye view is an experience like no other! It’s not for nothing that the resort is called Nature’s Playground. The resort is spread over two islands: „Play“ and „Chill“. On the Play side are all the water sports activities, such as Sea Bob, surfing, and Kids Club, while on the Chill side are the beach and overwater villas. The best way to move between the islands is by vintage bike, which is provided for each guest.

Villas

The Beach Pool Villa has a comfortable king-size bed overlooking the ocean, a huge fridge, a popcorn machine, and a Nespresso machine. The villas are tucked away in the trees to ensure that all guests have privacy. The best part, however, is the bathroom, which is as big as the villa itself and completely outdoors!

Sport & Entertainment

Active vacationers get their money’s worth at Niyama. The resort has facilities for a week-long vacation without getting bored. Spa, fitness room, nine restaurants, surf spot, snorkeling station, cooking classes, and, of course, fantastic beaches. Private boating, diving, jet skiing, stand-up paddling, or snorkeling with the turtles can also be arranged.

In the evening, there is live music in the Fahrenheit bar and glow parties in the underwater restaurant, which is transformed into the Subsix nightclub at night. Action also awaits in the Games Room with air field hockey, billiards, and a cinema.

The special feature of the Niyama Private Islands is definitely the Vodi, the surf spot with private waves. Niyama is the only luxury surf resort in the Maldives where the waves break right on the doorstep. The director of the spot is Nathan Kemp, who was born and raised in Southern California. Passionate about the environment and sustainability, Nathan tries to combine surfing at Niyama with various local initiatives to teach surfers about the impact of the sport on the environment and what they can do to preserve the environment they love so much for future generations.

Culinary Delights

I start the day at the Epicure restaurant. From the waffle station to the superfood station, there’s everything your heart desires here. At lunchtime, I had the best crab sandwich of my life right on the beach at the Dune restaurant. In the evening at the latest, you are spoiled for choice; the Nest, located up in the treetops, has a Japanese concept, while the Tribal combines fine cuisine from Africa, Central, and South America. If you fancy the best caviar and seafood, take the speedboat to Edge, a restaurant less than 500 meters out to sea, and either dine on the terrace and feel like you’re floating above the sea, or go six meters under the water to enjoy local lobster with champagne in the underwater restaurant Subsix.

Style and Character of the Anantara Group

Anantara is a global hotel chain headquartered in Thailand with a strong service ethos. In fact, you can find many returning guests at all three resorts. What is particularly noticeable is how the staff treat each other. There is a family atmosphere that goes beyond the usual hospitality. For example, at the weekly sundowner by the pool in Niyama, the crew mingle with the guests and chat with them over a glass of champagne. In this way, the managers also have direct contact with the guests and can look for suggestions. „Maybe there is something we can do even better?“

In Kihavah, I asked the general manager, Ross Sanders, about this. I was interested to know why the staff are always in such a good mood and make such a conspicuous effort for the well-being of the guests. He then told me a story: During the pandemic, almost all the staff stayed at the resort, although every employee was free to go home and still receive their full salary. There is a mixture of around 80 different nationalities working here, and they had to rely on each other while the hotel remained closed for over 6 months. As a result, family relationships have developed, cohesion has been strengthened, and the resort has been maintained to perfection.

Nevertheless, it was difficult for them; it is a great challenge not to see their own family, who live on another island, for so long. The uncertainty of how long the lockdown would last was particularly difficult for everyone. When the first guests arrived on the opening day, a family from the USA who were finally able to go on their long-awaited vacation, all 150 employees lined up to greet them and welcome them. It was a highly emotional moment for both the guests and the hotel crew.