Treasury Island

Social media goddess Shenaz Treasury seems to have found her Slice of Paradise in the Maldives.

The Maldives is a water country. More water than country. I believe there are more fish here than humans. When I woke up on the island of Villingili, home to a Shangri-La resort, and stepped outside, there was the ocean, so green, it put my grandmother’s emerald ring to shame. The sand was powdery white and welcoming. There was a ladder from my deck, leading straight into the water. Manta rays and turtles were waiting to greet me when I dived in. I felt like a mermaid.

Home for me has always been by the sea. The daughter of a ship’s captain, I spent the first five years of my life at sea, and in Mumbai we have always lived a stone’s throw from the ocean. The Maldives is made up of thousands of stunning islands known as atolls. Getting there is half the fun—be it the spectacular views of the Indian Ocean, or being presented with a certificate for crossing the equator.

A car, three planes, a bus and a speedboat brought me to Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa. It may seem excessive, but it is not every day I wake up in paradise. The water villas at the resort have everything a weary traveller could ask for—huge bedrooms, king-size beds, luggage nooks, walk-in closets, double sinks, two showers and a tub, sizeable decks and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the ocean. The villas are tastefully furnished and may be bigger than my Mumbai apartment.