BEYOND THE BEACHES

Turquoise hues, white sand, over‑the‑water private villas, and romantic sunsets— the Maldives remains the ultimate tropical paradise destination

- Hanli Hoefer

Comprising 1,192 islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, the Maldives has been a staple laptop screensaver since the dawn of default settings. Like you, I have images of the Maldives pinned to my dream vacay vision board. And like you, I, too, release a deep sigh of wanderlust whenever I watch a villa tour on my nightly Instagram scroll. So imagine the excitement I felt when I was invited to stay for four days and three nights at Fairmont Maldives, Sirru Fen Fushi, located on the Shaviyani Atoll in North Maldives. I overpacked my bag with my best resort wear and a surplus of bikinis, and to paradise I went.

Arriving at the resort was itself an adventure. I had never flown in a seaplane before this trip and as someone with a history of slight aerophobia, I braced myself for a white‑knuckled flight—a 55‑minute journey from the main island of Male. Upon boarding the 12‑seater plane, we were greeted with friendly nods from pilots dressed in uniform: buttoned‑up shirts, Bermuda shorts and flip‑flops. Perhaps it was the casual footwear that calmed my nerves, but once we took flight and my gaze locked on the marbling blue swirls of lagoons, islands and atolls below, my worries lifted, for without a doubt, this was one of the most memorable views out of a plane window I’ve witnessed.

When it comes to holidays, there’s a spectrum of personalities. On one end are the loungers, the ones who simply want to melt into the peaceful art of not lifting a finger, and on the other, those who cannot stay still. I lean towards the latter and so I admit I had a pinch of scepticism, wondering, what is there to do on a secluded island?