When the weather in the UK is criminally manic, there is nothing more soothing than booking a holiday to a dreamy destination where you're guaranteed hot sun, warm waters, activities galore and great food.
Let me paint the picture. It's 36 degrees celsius, you wake up with the mesmerising sounds of turquoise waters splashing against the poles of your Lagoon Water Pool Villa as you lay, cocooned in the soft bedsheets of a California king bed. You're at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences indulging and living the soft life you truly deserve.
I know what you're thinking. A resort tucked away in an island with no way out but through seaplane, sounds claustrophobic and probably a bit boring for the adventure seekers in most of us. However, from the moment you step foot on this island paradise, time loses all meaning. Frankly, there was not enough time to really enjoy everything the island had to offer in the five nights we were there. I made the trip with my family, and since we're all extremely active (half of us are professional athletes), this was clearly the perfect break our bodies and minds needed.
Amilla Maldives sits in the heart of Baa Atoll, and is one of 1200 islands grouped into 26 natural atolls that collectively make Maldives the idyllic safe haven of luxury and peace that it is.
27 best Maldives hotels for the ultimate bucket list holiday in 2024Gallery27 PhotosI'll admit, the journey is not just a quick hop on a plane and a short cab to the hotel. You will need to get a dinky little seaplane*, yes, but the views you will encounter for the following 30 minutes will be worth every minute. Simply unmatched. In fact, pictures don't quite do it justice when it comes to this part of the journey, but the scenes do get better.
You land smack bang in the middle of the Indian ocean, a 10 minute boat journey to the island. The arrival is very White-Lotus-resort-energy, when you're greeted by a smiling and waving island crew ready to take you in. Things only get better from there. We were then served a cool hibiscus beverage straight from the land, to help with the jetlag and then taken by buggy to our villas.
As we drive along the island, we're engulfed with a botanical wonderland. It's not all sand and sea here. Majestic sea almonds, screwpines and the gentle breeze sways a sea of mature coconut trees in utopian harmony. It all feels pretty surreal.
As we arrived at our Lagoon Pool Villas, we were greeted with our very own bikes parked right outside, to help us get around the resort with ease. It's a big place, and these come out very hand throughout the entire stay. That's really the only way we managed to get to all of our activities on time. The villas were spacious and each had their own private pools that face the ocean. Luxury and privacy? A killer combo.
You then don't have to go far from your own villa, as the Indian Ocean waters are a mere few steps away from bed. There you will be greeted with the hidden treasures that lie within the vibrant snapper and fusilier reefs. Here, an entire ecosystem pulses with life, and boy, do the pictures have something to show for it.
If you're more of a nature person, you can always opt for other accommodation spots like the Treetop Villas, that are immersed in greenery and are extremely private. These sit high above ground and feature a glass-walled pool suspended over the jungle. Just 20m down a secret pathway, you'll find an impressively white sandy beach dedicated to guests of the treetop hideaways. Large groups can also opt in to book the dreamy Beach Pool Villas. There you will have a lot of private space, private pools and even private beach land.
We got given a long list of activities we could get up to throughout the week. Naturally, we tried to squeeze as many as time allowed, whether it was DJing classes, aerial hooping and even kombucha making classes.
The food was pretty impressive too. Even fussy eaters would thrive as the resort featured for all meal plans, (from half-board to all-inclusive), the option to dine around at their seven different dining venues, whom catered for different types of cuisines. We tried them all and took a serious liking to East Restaurant which featured a mean South India buffet. – I seriously recommend the Lagoon Prawn Masala curry. Although, if you're opting for Barolo, then have a try of the Sri Lankan Chilli Mud Crab, but if you're stopping at Joe's for the fresh pizza then you can't go wrong with the Maldivian one, because when in the Maldives…
The culinary moments don't end there, with a sandbank picnic, floating breakfasts, foranging lunches and culinary classes all available upon request. We had a private dinner sat at the beach, with fairy lights and seats carved out of sand and that was one of the most endearing experiences of the entire trip.
Along with all of these amenities, the stay also offers a complimentary, 30-minute head, neck & shoulder massage, bottle of wine upon arrival in your villa, a guided house-reef snorkelling excursion, early check-in/Late check-out (as available) as well as many other exciting things.
The whole island is an eco-minded haven. Most of the produce comes straight from the island and authentically Maldivian – including the water, which is just treated and recycled sea water. This 5-star luxury resort owned by Maldivians was opened back in 2014, and has really adopted the beauty of ultimate relaxation holiday. They're also the world's first accesibility and inclusion-certified resort, meaning that they've undergone a strict adaptation and education programme to welcome disabled guests.
On our last day we started the morning early to watch the sunrise (as we did most days of our stay). I hate to say it, but this was truly one of those you-had-to-be-there type of sunrises. Through the horizon you could see the velvety darkness gracefully transforming right before our eyes into blushes hues unseen during any other hour. It was breathtaking. The birds wake up, the tide lowers and the day awakens in an indescribably harmonious manner.
We remind ourselves why this may be the dreamiest destination we could ever imagine being in. As we return onto the seaplane, all we can think about is, when will we be able to set foot in this paradise again…
Stays at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences start from approx. £1,064 per villa per night. Seaplane transfers between cost approx. £527 per person.
For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona
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