To Paradise and Back

Lush landscapes and tranquil atmosphere away from tourist crowds, dramatic landscapes, and pristine beaches, Alila Maldives is a haven of infinite extravagance, and overwhelming with its heavenly beauty and charm.

As I looked down at the Maldives from the seaplane, I looked up to its beauty- a palette full of the most gorgeous blues! Only Mother Nature could have created such a canvas!! Boycotted and banned sometime back, the Maldives is slowly finding its way back to the bucket list of the Indian tourist, for its Paradise-like beauty cannot be ignored for long, at least not till our own Lakshadweep gears up its infrastructure. One of the favourite destinations on the planet, hundreds of tourists landat the Male airport almost every five minutes, in search of peace, beauty and an escape from a busy life.

The seaplane experience was the most exciting part of my journey: I saw some splendid seascapes painted in the prettiest blues. After a scenic 45- minute ride I reached my resort AlilaKothaifaru, that lies at the northern edge of the Maldives in the Raa Atoll, a hidden gem in the archipelago, offering abundant marine life with wonders to discover throughout the year. Surrounded by a stunning house reef in the scenic Raa Atoll, the island resort is known for its white sandy beaches, turquoise lagoons, vibrant coral reefs offering serenity, stunning beauty and charm.

Some of my exotic experiences at the resort included dolphin watching, a sumptuous floating breakfast in the pool, an indulging spa treatment in their tree top spa, where thick canopies of green envelop and soothe the nerves, and Yoga on the tranquil beach as the sea planes land smoothly and unobtrusively on turquoise waters. Getting onto the giant swing and swinging into the horizon and swimming in the infinity pool till the dusk were other pastimes. While on the dolphin cruise in a traditional Maldivian Dhoni boat, we encountered mostly spinner and bottlenose dolphins. One can’t get tired of watching their spinning antics in the air! Gazing at the sunset with a sundowner, some choicest food and interesting conversation at their private sandbank was another memorable experience. On this pearl of soft powdery white sand amid the turquoise lagoon, the feel of the ocean breeze created a remarkable sense of openness and a connectionto the vast universe as the sun slowly disappeared leaving behind a surreal sky.

I gained a deeper appreciation for Maldivian culture through its cuisine. In the resort’s spice garden I attended a cooking demonstration along with guests from various nations: the chef showed us how to make “Kopee Fai Mashuni”, the signature dish of every Maldivian household. Finely chopped kopeefuiy leaves (collard greens), and onions are mixed well with chilli, salt and lemon juice; smoked tuna and grated coconut are added to thismix along with Rihaakuru (tuna-based thick sauce) and served with roshi (rotis or chapathis). While discussing with other guests from across the globe, I found few similarities in the cooking, as some of the ingredients are common to our culinary cultures. Also common are the love for nature and all things beautiful!Don’t the blue sky above and the blue oceans below connect us all?