4 nights, 2 islands!
First stop was Atmosphere by Kanifushi an island in the Lhaviyani Atoll just a 30 minute seaplane transfer from Male Airport and what a great way to arrive. The scenic flight afforded great views of the resort as we came into land. The welcome was like nothing I had ever experienced as we were greeted by many of the staff and escorted ashore by drummers in traditional costume.
This family friendly premium all inclusive resort has stand alone beach villas along 2 kilometres of turquoise lagoon and you can walk, cycle or hail a golf buggy to take you the length of the island. Our villas was comfortably furnished with king beds and outdoor bathrooms and some even have a private pool. If you don't want to swim in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean there are two pools to choose from - one an infinity pool solely for adults.
Activities include snorkelling and scuba diving as well as a range of motorised and non-motorised water sports, a gym, spa and tennis court, sunset and dolphin watching cruises as well as visits to local community islands and we took advantage of an early morning yoga class. Not only did we see dolphins but even stingrays and a nesting turtle made an appearance which was magical.
There are fantastic restaurants including Spice - a buffet restaurant where we had breakfast, Teppanyaki Grill - where we had the most amazing experience with the chef putting on a great show and mouth watering food including the most delicious lobster dish, and Just Veg - a speciality vegetarian restaurant currently rated number 1 in the Maldives on TripAdvisor (I had a stunning potato gnocchi with fresh blueberries, blue cheese mouse and mizuna leaves).
Our second stop was the sister resort of Ozen by Atmosphere at Maadhoo a 45 minute luxury speedboat ride from Male - again the welcome was warm and even included a foot massage whilst we were waiting for our room keys. My room was an Earth Villa with pool - a thatched, standalone beach-front room with its own butler, tropical garden and outdoor bathroom. Very stylish and comfortable.
Facilities include a spa, water sports centre including dive school, a fitness suite with a view to die for, kids club and a range of excursions including an exclusive submarine experience or sunset fishing trip. I took a yoga class with a difference atop a traditional dhoni and some colleagues went on a snorkelling safari.
The food here was equally as good as at Kanifushi with a fabulous buffet at The Palms, a stunning Indian/Sri Lankan meal a Traditions IndoCylon which is open for dinner along with Peking which shares the same overwater space and the grand finale fine dining at M6m the exclusive underwater restaurant where you can watch beautiful underwater views whilst eating delicious seafood.
These islands really are a piece of heaven and I can't wait to return for a longer stay...