Plastic is the nemesis of the oceans but, ironically, in the Maldives it’s playing a key part in conservation.
In the Dhaalu Atoll, comfortably wallowing in the turquoise seas a couple of hundred miles north of the Equator and reached by seaplane from the capital Male, the Angsana Velavaru resort’s methods for restoring the island’s coral reef come as a surprise.
Maldivian reefs were badly affected by bleaching in the 2016 El Nino event and the resort has a coral “garden” where young polyps are grown on a frame then transplanted to the house reef to help regenerate and protect it. Resort marine conservation officer Adlan explained there was simply no better way to attach the corals to the frame than using a plastic computer cable tie.
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A curious twist of man-made fate, but they do the job perfectly and in time the corals grow over them so the plastic is not exposed to the water. The Maldives is renowned for its reefs, marine life, beaches and lush resorts, but is there much else to do other than world-class snorkelling, scuba diving, consuming fancy food and drink and flopping on the sand or by the pool?
For our first trip there, my wife Debbie and I visited two contrasting Banyan Tree-owned resorts – Angsana Velavaru and Dhawa Ihuru – to find out.
(Image: PR HANDOUT)
And breathe…
After a lifetime of breathing successfully (apart from altitude sickness in the Andes; long story, messy) I was surprised to discover I needed lessons.
Enter Dr Sopida at Dhawa’s fitness centre, where Debbie and I learned techniques for stress and anxiety-relieving “box” breathing, alternate nostril breathing for energising your body and stomach-powered deep breathing.
I never knew I needed these but the box technique was one I’ll be using next time England are in a World Cup penalty shootout. Add some yoga-style loosening-up stretches and relaxation methods from Dr S and it was one of our highlights of the week.
Stand up/fall down paddle boarding
I’d thought paddle boarding is one of those things that looks simple but isn’t. So I had a go for the first time at Angsana. I was right. It would be easy to blame the wind, the current, the alignment of Venus and Mars, or Liz Truss, but the fact was that I’m a duffer, tumbling gracelessly into the sea umpteen times. For the record, Debbie smashed it.
Not giving up on watersports, I told Debbie I had been kayaking loads of times and knew what I was doing. Halfway round the island we fell in the sea. It was definitely Liz Truss’s fault, absolutely not me shifting position in an attempt to shoot a GoPro video.
There are 79 villas on the island at Angsana and ours was gorgeous with decking, infinity plunge pool overlooking the beach, sunloungers, minibar and outside to the rear a walled patio with a semi-alfresco loo and shower and a completely open shower and huge bath. So if it rains while you are having a shower or bath, you are going to get wet.
It’s an effort to tear yourself away, but the resort also features a fabulous beachfront infinity pool with decking, sunloungers and cabanas. The watersports centre has all your aqua-fun needs with those paddle boards and kayaks plus jetskis and dinghies (and Hassan the resident macaw), while the PADI-accredited marine centre offers an array of scuba and snorkelling excursions.
The marine conservation message is strong here and guests can join in various eco-activities and, as I did, learn about initiatives with staff such as Adlan. There’s a sizeable population of colourful wild lovebirds on the island and the twice-daily feeding sessions for guests are an ideal photo-opp.
If you want to raise the luxe-level even higher, the resort also has 34 over-the-water villas on a stilted cluster a couple of minutes away by boat. We went for a tour and they are fabulous with hammocks over the water, infinity pools, first-floor terraces and direct access to the ocean and house reef.
It’s an ideal spot for couples and families with activities for all ages, and stays can be split between the villas and over-the-water. Our only issue was the background ambient tunes seemed permanently loud around the public areas.
Why have one slice of paradise when you can have two? After four splendid nights at Angsana we took the seaplane back to Male and a 25-minute speedboat ride out to the sister brand resort, said to have the best house reef in the North Male Atoll.
This contemporary barefoot-chic resort, which relaunched at the start of the year, has 45 villas all leading directly to the beach and that Insta-perfect turquoise water. No villa infinity pools, no main pool. As the reception staff said to us when we arrived: “The ocean is your pool.” And when you can get out of bed and practically step straight into warm, iridescent bliss, it’s hard to disagree.
Like Angsana, villas have a semi alfresco loo and a fully outdoor shower, with decking to the front, sunloungers, a swing, a cabana and a table and chairs – all overlooking that idyllic Indian Ocean. It’s pretty much sandy floors everywhere, including in the bar and restaurant, and you could easily spend a week sans shoes or using the villa flip-flops; many do.
Guests can also get a short boat ride to the neighbouring Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru resort, which features the new stingray-shaped Madi Hiyaa bar – a real showstopper for sundowners.
As the owner of several old sports injuries, I was grateful to spa staff Meli at Dhawa and Lia at Angsana for 30-minute sessions to iron out creases, knots and general achy bits. Also, the iced butterfly flower, lime and ginger tea at Dhawa and the iced tamarind tea at Angsana are worth a visit to the spas alone.
We were on all-inclusive at both resorts and happy with the food at Angsana’s Kaani buffet restaurant and Kuredhi pool bar and Dhawa’s Riveli, also a buffet. Both have themed menu nights, such as barbecue and Asian.
As you might expect, fish figures highly and the tuna and “reef fish” (usually grouper or red snapper) were superb.
Angsana also has two a la carte restaurants – Azzurro at the villa cluster and Funa. We tried Azzurro and it was terrific (don’t miss the truffle risotto or the tiger prawns). Dinner and breakfast on the beach at Dhawa are fabulously indulgent added extras.
Drinks at the Kuredhi and Dhawa’s Velaavani bars are well-known international brands plus fine cocktails and mocktails.
We were wowed by the friendliness and professionalism of the resorts’ ever-smiling staff (most are locals), with senior servers at Angsana and Dhawa practically adopting us during our stays to make sure everything was perfect at meal times.
It was noticeable that regular guests arriving at the resorts’ jetties were greeted by staff like old friends, and vice versa.
Most guests want to try snorkelling and scuba diving and we went on two guided house reef snorkel tours. Angsana’s reef is just 10 minutes by boat and we had a good session, though visibility and fish numbers were down due to choppy water. However, we did get a nice view of a turtle.
We were much luckier at Dhawa, immersed in an unforgettable kaleidoscope of fish, including two greytipped reef sharks (harmless to humans). Our guide Moomin was excellent but, sadly, reef sharks don’t pose for selfies.
Accommodation at both resorts has plenty of TV channels with news, live sports and more. Wi-fi is fast and free.
Impressive eco-initiatives abound at both properties, with single use plastics phased out and food waste recycled into compost to be used in resort gardens or donated to locals.
Natural products are used in construction and solar panels are being installed to reduce fossil fuel-powered generator usage and, of course, there are strong messages about climate change and the effect on corals, which staff like to promote.
As Angsana’s Adlan said: “Spread the word and change the mindset. Post something with your fingertips.”
So is there enough to do in the Maldives? I never even finished my book…
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