Sunken Gardens in the Maldives
The Maldives is made up of some 1,200 small coral islands and sandbanks, and the only way to reach most of them is by boat. Seven nights aboard the Scubaspa Ying promises to whisk me away to the region’s finest ports of call. This breathtakingly luxurious 40-passenger cruiser, boasts – as hinted at in its name – a sprawling two-deck Asian-style spa, featuring six treatment rooms, open-air Thai massage, secluded meditation spots and a shaded yoga lounge. It is a floating nirvana.
Our journey begins in Male, the vibrant pint-sized island that is so densely populous it’s a wonder it hasn’t sunk below the waterline. Despite the Maldives being a popular cruising destination, this island-speckled expanse is so vast that aside from a few solitary fishermen, we are usually alone on the horizon.
Mornings begin with reinvigorating yoga sessions on the sun deck followed by a delicious breakfast of exotic fruits, freshly squeezed juices as well as traditional mas huni, a shredded mix of tuna, coconut and chili served with hot-out-of-the-stove roshi flatbread. The rest of our days are dedicated to leisure and relaxation, punctuated by a fruity cocktail or two.
In addition to the exquisite wellness facilities aboard, Scubaspa Ying has another ace up its sleeve, a fabulous snorkelling and diving programme. At Kuramathi Kandu we swim with the surprisingly placid hammerheads and at Moofushi Point we come face to face with graceful Manta rays. From dive to dive, we explore sunken tropical gardens teeming with schools of rainbow-hued clownfish, oriental sweetlips, parrot fish, bluestripe snappers and more. We even chance an encounter with a wizened sea turtle resting beneath the shadowy shelter of a coral reef. It feels like swimming in an aquarium.
Between our underwater quests, we set sail in search of a booty of beaches, each one more heavenly than the last. Think stretches of impossibly soft white sands embraced by crystal clear cyan waters that lap up onto the shore. On Innafushi Island we enjoy a moonlight BBQ right on the beach. After our feast, we lie starfish-style and gaze up at the twinkling velvety sky. If anywhere deserves the epithet of paradise on earth, then the Maldives is a sure-fire contender.
This travelogue originally appeared in Living Wow magazine issue 2.