MY VISIT TO THE MALDIVES

After numerous cancellations and rescheduling over the last few years we finally made it to the Maldives and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

We stayed at the most beautiful resort called Anantara Veli. I’ve stayed in some of the Anantara hotels before and Veli was simply out of this world.

This resort has 67 private villas, an incredible spa, multiple restaurants to choose. The moment I arrived I instantly thought of a romantic getaway for couples or an ideal honeymoon destination.

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Travel & How To Get There

Traveling to the Maldives was easier than I thought – we took a direct flight from London to Male (about 10 hours) and hopped on a direct and short 30-minute boat ride to the resort.

The amazing Anantara Veli staff were already waiting for us, cold fresh coconut in hand and ready to whisk us away.

I was dreading the idea of a small seaplane transfer to the resort so was very thankful for the speedboat! The ride was a little teaser of what was to come.

Rooms

We stayed in an overwater pool villa that had the most insane panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. Our personal butler showed us around the resort and room… the only thing left to do was jump on the bed in excitement about where I was! I couldn’t get over how gorgeous the room was, the bed overlooked the sea view, a walk in wardrobe, a freestanding bath and walk in shower and a private infinity pool which I didn’t hesitate to jump into.

It felt like it was just you and the ocean – heaven.

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Facilities

The Balance Wellness by Anantara spa has just been renovated and I was blown away.

It has a medispa, hair and beauty salon, sauna and steam room, I could’ve stayed in there all day!

There are four treatment rooms that honestly look like mini palaces and are the most relaxing environment. I had the new Moroccan Hammam experience and Pia had a facial with 111Skin (which is a London-based brand that I love!)

Anantara Veli also offers wellness retreat packages around your stay. This spa was one of my favourite places to unwind. 

Fear not, the island even has a boutique!

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Dining by Design

We also chose the ‘dining by design’ option one evening, which is a private dinner for two on the beach…(how romantic). You can pick anything your heart desires and it’s cooked in front of you by your personal chef, under a blanket of stars. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it – truly one of the most magical and unforgettable experiences.

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Water Sports & Leisure Activities

I’ve never visited somewhere with so many water sports options! From nurse shark snorkeling to flyboarding, sunset cruises, and fishing you’ll never get bored.

All the activities can be organised by your butler and tailored to you. I really wanted to try the private beach cinema under the stars… an excuse to come back.

A fun way to get around the resort is with bikes which we loved to use to head to breakfast in the mornings. If you’re not in the mood to cycle, the resort will always pick you up in a golf buggy.

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Food & Restaurants

I’ve never raved so much about food at a resort. The choice of restaurants was enough to make someone salivate for days. Everything was so fresh and locally sourced. If I had to choose, my favourite is the Japanese restaurant Origami (you all know how much I adore sushi)

The sister resort, Anantara Dhigu also houses more restaurants and is only a two-minute boat ride away so everything is really easily accessible.

They’re also so considerate and cater amazingly to food intolerances/requests which meant I was always able to eat gluten-free, making everything super easy. 

The lovely staff at Anantara Veli also organised a surprise floating breakfast for us in our pool – I was in awe!

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This trip has been on my bucket list for years and was truly magical. The resort felt really private, peaceful and sacred.

All the staff at Anantara Veli went above and beyond to make sure every part of the trip was perfect. There was no ask that is too big or two small, everything was customised to our liking.

It really is such a special resort and one of the best hotel stays and memories I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to return!

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