Maldivian Dreams!

Well, I figure if you are going to blog about beautiful things you may as well start at the top. For years I've been obsessed with going to the Maldives and last year we finally had the chance to go and cross that off my bucket list. We went for my husband's 50th Birthday and it was the trip of a lifetime. It took 2 days to get there and we stopped in Singapore for the launch of our products in Sephora there which was so fun and amazing too!

The entire experience was completely surreal. I expected it to be beautiful, but the perfection we encountered was stunning. We have traveled a lot and are quite picky but it was hard to find fault with these incredible Islands south of Sri Lanka in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Actually, we were supposed to go when the Tsunami hit the region in 2004. In fact when the devastation occurred, many of our friends and family freaked, thinking we might be there and our cell phones were ringing off the hook but we were blissfully unaware in the South Pacific instead. So, fate perhaps intervened and we found ourselves there years later finally...

The beauty is indescribable!! The resorts were completely flawless, the beaches out of this world and the crystal clear aquamarine water was like nothing we have ever seen. And as if that wasn't enough, the food was some of the best we have ever had and we are HUGE foodies traveling the world looking for the best dining experiences ever and I can honestly say this topped all of them! We were so surprised. How on earth do they get this incredible food in the middle of nowhere?? One of the Managers shared with us that a company in Dubai coordinates it all for them getting the best of the best from all over the world and they ship it in from where ever they need to get the finest ingredients from. You pay a premium for sure but goodness was it worth it!!

I could go on forever, from the first class service, villas with private pools some cantilevered over blue lagoons, snorkeling and scuba diving that is out of this world and the most ridiculous food and wine ever. Oh, and the spas!!! Are you kidding?? One was underwater and it was like you were surrounded by a giant aquarium and one had a glass window in the floor beneath the massage table so you could watch the fish swim by while getting your massage. The Yoga Pavilion at one resort quite literally almost made me cry walking up to it.

Here is a picture of two of  the restaurants at one of the resorts. Walking along the jetty at night time, it's lit up with little candles and lights and they light the water underneath too so it glows and you can see all the marine life which is magical! Oh, and the sunsets...

Really busy beach...

Each resort is on it's own Island or Atoll so they pick you up at the airport and transport you to the resort in a luxury yacht or float plane. They are usually very small and remote and your means of transportation are by bike, ( my fave!) foot, or you can call your butler to come and get you in a golf cart. Sometimes, riding my bike to breaky, dinner or the spa I could have sworn I was in heaven, literally! White sand pathways surrounded by lush green foliage with water on all sides of you is just like nothing I have ever experienced. Here is a picture of the parking lot at the spa :)

We went on a dolphin cruise and I think I held my breathe the entire time. They were so beautiful! They saw the boat and were coming at us from all directions jumping and spinning in the air and so excited to play with us. I sat on the edge of the front with my feet almost in the water and they swam with our boat the entire time taking turns swimming with the front of the boat. Unfortunately, my battery died on my camera almost at the beginning but in a way it was good because although I didn't get the kind of pictures I could have, I put the camera down and just drank it all in!! Absolutely beautiful creatures god created!

Each of the resorts did something to acknowledge my husband's Birthday which was really nice. This one sent us a bottle of champagne and here he is in our infinity pool that is cantilevered over the lagoon. He's quite pleased with himself that he discovered that the champagne glass floats on it's own and he doesn't need to hold it. Okay, small things amuse us but really the Maldives rock!!!

The resorts we went to were Shangri La, One & Only and Huvafen Fushi. They were all equally wonderful and we were so glad to get to experience all three. In fact, we are planning another trip as we speak...

La vita e bella!

P.S. I would be remiss not to mention two things that helped make our trip sheer bliss. One is http://www.tripadvisor.com/ We never go anywhere without consulting this website first. Also, without Lindsey from Linara Travel http://www.linaratravel.com/ there is no way it would have been as amazing. We ALWAYS book our trips ourselves and never use a travel agent but Lindsey is such an expert in the area that I can't imagine what we would have done without him!