 |
| One usually reaches Dhonakulhi island by speedboat |
As Mohammad Shafique turned the motorized
buggy I was sitting in, onto the wooden walkway connecting the main sandy island
to the newly-built water villas, I could distinctly feel a rush of adrenaline pumping
through my veins. A long arched walkway lay ahead of me, with stilted villas
branching out of it like a palm leaf. I was in Hideaway Spa & Resort,
situated in one remote northern corner of the sunny Maldives; and Shafique was going
to be my butler for the whole length of my stay there. I had been put into
villa no. 25, and when Shafique told me that my villa was situated at the far end
of walkway, I could hardly hold my breath. I could imagine very distinctly- a
wooden bungalow built over water, with open sea on two sides and having an
in-room Jacuzzi bath and also a private pool seemingly merging into the vast
blue waters of Maldives. The trance I had got into while imaging all this was
broken when Shafique politely asked me to get down. We had arrived in front of
my villa, which was going to be my home for next three days.
 |
| Lovely sandy walkways on Dhonakulhi |
It was just about half an hour ago that I had
stepped onto this beautiful and large crescent-shaped island named Dhonakulhi in Haa Alif Atoll in northern Maldives
and tasted the first fruits of their warm hospitality. A scenic 50-minute
flight on Maldivian from domestic terminal of Male international Airport had
brought me to Hanimaadhoo International Airport- a small airport built on a
long strip of land in the northern most part of Maldives. Hanimaadhoo can be
termed as a gateway to Hideaway and other neighbouring islands, and Maldivian
is the only airline that connects it to the other parts of Maldives, and also
to the rest of the world. As soon as I got down the 36-seater plane and entered
one-storey airport terminal building to retrieve my baggage, I was welcomed by
a nicely-clad young representative of Hideaway who ushered me and five others
to the ferry terminal, where a private boat was waiting to take us on a
25-minute journey to Dhonakulhi.
Exciting motorboat ride
The boat ride was a memorable one; this
stretch of Maldivian waters is least crowded and I could hardly notice any
other vehicle during my 25-minute ride except for some colourful fish jumping
out and diving back into the water as the motorboat roared towards its
destination.
 |
| A speedboat brings you from Hanimaadhoo airport at Hideaway |
The boat ride had
confirmed my travel agent Crown Tours Maldives’ first claim that Hideaway
offered complete privacy by living up to its name. And as soon as I was fondly welcomed
with a garland and a sandalwood tilak on my forehead by a
smiling young lady, and ushered into a nicely decorated hall near the
reception, I saw Crown Tours’ second claim coming true- the ultimate luxury. The
whole atmosphere at Hideaway gave impression of pure opulence in its truest
sense, and I felt like a prince being ushered into his royal habitat. I was
going to immerse myself in grandeur and luxury for the next three days. The
reservation manager Shambu- an Indian national- introduced me to my butler
Shafique, with a promise to take me on an island tour the next day which he
duly and happily fulfilled.
A king-size stay
 |
| Staying in a Ocean Villa means dipping yourself in pure luxury |
As I entered my ultra-spacious villa, I was simply awe-struck.
Was I in a resort or in some royal suite? A huge double bed, 10 to 12 types of
pillows in the bedroom, in-villa dining area, a sitting area outside looking
out to seemingly endless blue waters, a huge indoor bathroom with a walk-in
closet and free standing Jacuzzi tub, separate glass-walled shower and toilet
cubicles, an exclusive infinity pool with sundeck… it felt if I was in some other
world.
The days were a bit warm at Hideaway, so I preferred to
spend most of my afternoons in the coziness of my luxurious room. And I just
couldn’t resist spending my evenings relaxing in the warm water of the infinity
pool and then in the in-room Jacuzzi. I could find nothing better to pamper
myself before I proceeded to have my dinners in one of the four restaurants of
Hideaway.
The island tour with Shambu
 |
| The ultimate Hideaway Palace |
It was on my second day there that Shambu took me for the
island tour. And on this tour what unfurled before my eyes were pure luxury and
enviable variety on offer at Hideaway. The most attractive and lucrative of this
variety was indeed Hideaway Palace- a private sanctuary tucked in one fine
corner of the island. Staying in one of
the two Hideaway Palaces could be anybody’s dream. A master bedroom, two large
guestrooms, an open-air dining pavilion along with an indoor dining pavilion for
romantic candle-lit dinners, it seemed perfect for a premium experience for a
whole family. And then, Shambu make me visit their beach villas, which seemed
perfect for a couple or short family seeking a relaxing time, with a stretch of
pristine white sand dissolving in turquoise waters.
Delicious food, great ambience
 |
| Outside of Matheefaru restuarant |
 |
| Inside of Matheefaru restuarant |
Hideaway boasts of five tastefully done restaurants, of
which Matheefaru is the biggest one and offers the guests a wide range of international cuisine. It has
one of the grandest breakfast buffets in Maldives and I just couldn’t resist
myself from tasting each and every food item being offered there. With a French
touch to its food, Matheefaru could easily serve as an ultimate destination for
food lovers.
And for a thorough seafood lover like me, I need not go any
further than Meeru Bar. A live fish pond there captured my imagination, and
then I had the delicious-most lobster of my life. I chose one out of many and
Valentine (yes, that was the name of waiter there) deftly caught and got it
cooked it for me. A barbequed lobster with chilled beer…I could not have asked
for more.
The sunset barbeque
My experiments with food would have remained incomplete,
had I not been a part of Seafood Barbeque Party at the Sunset Pool Café on my
last day of stay. I was offered to be part of it during one of my lunches at a restaurant and how I could say no! The party was on the sides of infinity pool with sun setting in the
horizon… it was a perfect setting for an evening party that offered some of the
most delicious seafood recipes from many live counters. And yes, most of the
chefs at Hideaway were from Srilanka; and we know Srilankans are placed among
the best cooks in the world. And yes, there were some Indian chefs too, offering you delicacies with a warm smile.
Easy accessibility from India
One more interesting aspects about Hideaway that
attracted my attention was the fact Indian travellers could go there without
even touching Male. In fact, the Maldivian operates a weekly flight from the
Indian city of Thiruvanathapuram to Haanimadhoo where the Maldives government
has started immigration facilities. So, travellers willing to go to Hideaway
can actually bypass Male and cut their travelling cost if they opt for this
option.
posted by
AJAY K GARG
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment