“But what do you do there?” asked a friend who knows me well when I told her I was going to the Maldives for a holiday. “It’s just beaches, isn’t it?”
Perhaps she was thinking that because there’s no grand shopping or rocking nightlife to enjoy, the Maldives equals zilch. As I relaxed on the oversized, plump cushions on the sun deck of a dhoni, while the sail above me billowed in the wind, I realised the Maldives means excitement.
Boredom, nothing to do; hassles, stress, traffic, other people’s children; tired buffets and tiresome staff are unheard of there, if you choose the right resort. And with over 90 islands open for guests and about 50 more resorts in the planning stage, there is a huge choice and great competition to offer something unique.
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A Dhoni anchored by a sand bank |
That’s what drew me to Dhoni Island. It’s a tiny island of lush vegetation and leaning palms, with a beach of fine white sand all around it, set in a translucent lagoon brimming with cocktail-coloured fish. Just 164m by 96m (that’s less than four acres in area), it lies in the centre of Ari Atoll, 90km from the capital, Male, itself only 90 minutes flying time from Colombo.
The island is unique because each couple (never more than 12 guests at a time and absolutely no children) stays on a dhoni. A dhoni is a Maldivian boat used for fishing and transport, hand-crafted from local timber with a broad beam and steered by a helmsman using his foot to control a tiller. Adapted from a design evolved over two millennia, the dhonis based at Dhoni Island have been custom-made, each with a luxurious stateroom, saloon, sun deck and fishing platform, as live-aboard sail and engine-powered vessels.
With freedom while cruising in the atoll to do whatever one fancies, staying on a dhoni adds a new concept to holidaying in the Maldives. I don’t dive so that option didn’t interest me, but for those who do there is a master diver and equipment available for underwater guided tours of the reefs with their spectacular corals and fish. I did try my hand at fishing, ensconced with rod and line in a fishing chair on the helmsman’s deck with a bright blue lure and hooks attached to it by the deck hand. I wish I could report that I caught something (the crew did), but I didn’t. And it didn’t matter because the day itself was so packed with fun.
It began with breakfast of mas huni (tuna shredded with coconut, onion, chilli and lime juice) with local bread called roshi. This was served in the dhoni’s saloon by my sarong-clad thakuru, the tropical island butler assigned to me for my stay. He brewed a classic espresso coffee in the boat’s galley, which is equipped with stove, microwave, toaster and a glorious red retro refrigerator.
I swam in the velvet sea between silky lagoons, skimmed over waves in a dinghy to a sand bank the size of Lipton’s Circus for a picnic, and wrote a poem sitting on the sun deck while the sail beat time above me. I could have visited the spa but instead sipped a cocktail on the beach as the sun set and the boat crew gave a boisterous performance of the Maldives’ folk dance, bodu beru.
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The boat’s galley with its red retro refrigerator |
The day closed with a multi-course dinner that was an eclectic fusion of the best from five continents. This was created especially by Dhoni Island’s international master chef who discusses with each guest in the morning what they would like for that night’s dinner. He also recommends the fine wines to go with each course. I had dinner ashore in the open-sided, high-roofed thatched pavilion that serves as the restaurant. Sand-floored, it adjoins the ever-open bar with counter fashioned out of a dhoni, where my thakuru was always on hand to prepare a drink.
Guests at Dhoni Island can also stay in one of six island lodges, whose secret garden bathrooms have waterfall showers and plunge pools, but I preferred to return to the dhoni to be lulled to sleep by the gentle rhythm of the waves. The stateroom was larger than a hotel suite with a dreamily comfortable kingsize bed, wardrobes and hidden cupboards, air-conditioning, flat screen LCD screen with state of the art speakers, i-Pod and DVDs available, and a neat bathroom ensuite.
The dhonis anchor in the lagoon in the evening, their silhouettes against the setting sun recalling the classic lines of the Royal Yacht Britannia. Guests can be left alone on board at night or the thakuru will stay in the crew’s quarters to provide round-the-clock attention. Cruising around the atoll, line fishing, cocktails, house wines and spirits, gourmet meals, accommodation in both a dhoni and an island lodge are all included in the rate to stay at this unique, private holiday island. And there’s lots to do too...if you want.-
(www.dhoni-island.com) |