COCOA ISLAND
It's hard to believe the strip of concrete that is Malé International Airport, surrounded by water on all sides, will take the graceful set-down of a wide-bodied jet, but it undeniably will. As my flight approached Hulhule (hoo loo' lay) Island and its quaint Malé International Airport, the amoeba-like atolls began to creep out of the haze, revealing shallow reefs ringing around dazzling lagoons. I had arrived in Maldives.
Maldives is a place that most of us dream about, far beyond the touristy haunts close to home. Its 1,190 islets, situated to the southwest of India and Sri Lanka, are known especially for their over-water villas and offer no more than one resort a piece, every one an oasis for exclusivity, natural beauty and abundant sea life.
I had embarked the day before from New York on an Emirates flight to Dubai, on the new Airbus A380, an enormous jumbo jet with individual first class cabins, a spa shower and a lounge for socializing among business and first class guests. I was in coach, but I didn't mind, as I was on my way to paradise.
From the air, I could recognize a few resorts from my many hours spent researching this place on Google Earth. I have almost every one place marked with a big, yellow, digital thumbtack. You learn the directions of the jetties, the shapes of the lagoons and the geometric layout of structures on the islands. Anantara, for example, is recognizable by its four sister islets, cozied together south of Malé, some connected by jetties and visible from the typical morning landing approach.
HUVAFEN FUSHI
Once you arrive Malé, you may be taking off again on a Twin Otter seaplane to one of the outer-lying resorts. From this petite-but-hearty 20-passenger, high-wing plane, you will be at a low enough altitude to spectate over this Equatorial garden of reefs and atolls. You may notice W's spa covered by stretched white tents or Cocoa Island's single, skinny jetty of perfectly placed villas. Above Huvafen Fushi, you'll notice the football shaped Celcius restaurant, enormous infinity pool, and you may be able to see the outline of the underwater spa from its 20-foot depth.
Whatever you do see, it will be just a speck in a vast blue sea, telling of how far you've come to experience a truly isolated and pristine little piece of paradise.
For more information or a customized quote, please email Megan Bryant at mbryant@coxandkingsusa.com or call 1-800-999-1758.
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