If your desert island vibe is understated ‘quiet luxury’, then you’ll find yourself right at home at Como Maalifushi in the southern Maldives, where you can go from dining barefoot, with your toes in the sand, to sleeping out on your own private island and then chatting to a NASA astronaut the next (more on this later). Just some of the next level and unique experiences on offer here.
Como Maalifushi is the only resort on the Thaa Atoll, one of the largest circular reefs in the world, with 60 islands dotted over 500 square miles. It's a 60 minute Manta Air seaplane flight, south of Male towards the equator (with just a handful of passengers you could almost say it's a PJ), to this off-the-beaten track paradise, away from the criss crossing sea planes and tourist activity closer to the capital. Pocket-sized in island terms, at just 900 metres long, it's an oasis of calm and relaxation, with 65 villas and suites, ranging from beach suites and garden rooms to over water villas and Como residences.
Splashing down onto the waves we stepped out of the seaplane onto the tiny landing raft in the lagoon, before a speed boat transfer to the island jetty, where we were welcomed by our butler, Joy. (Private butler service comes with villas and Como residence accommodation). His wide smile, sparkling eyes and easy going nature perfectly suited his name. We hopped on his buggy and headed down the island's sandy path, bordered by lush undergrowth and tall, elegant palm trees, to our overwater villa at the far end of the island. So far, so quiet luxury!
Inside our thatched, one-bedroom water villa, there's a spacious living room, bedroom with dressing area and bathroom with a sunken bath. The interior is pared back and chic in shades of white, cream and woods, designed by Japanese interior designer Koichiro Ikebuchi, all contributing to an understated quiet luxe vibe. My first thought, ‘It's bigger than any one bedroom flat I have rented." And my second thought, 'I could definitely live here!’
Stepping out onto the deck, there are windows leading out from the lounge, bedroom and bathroom, the sense of spaciousness continues - there's a large day bed, pool and outdoor shower. But it's the view that captures and keeps your attention. I spent many hours of our trip staring out over the azure-blue waters and the horizon beyond, reading and contemplating life while watching the clouds, sunsets and rainstorms come and go. We visited in August which is monsoon season so we experienced bright blue sky days alongside a few tropical storms. (The best time to visit for the weather is peak season between December to March, and April and November for diving).
You can access the the turquoise waves via steps down from the deck, and it's the perfect place to launch off and go for a snorkel. The water villas and suites are located on a circular jetty and in the centre is the Como Garden, a coral nursery where there's an abundance of sea life to swim and discover.
At the top end of the jetty is the Japanese restaurant, Tai, where we were reliably informed, it was the place to swim underneath to see reef sharks. This is how we found ourselves, early one morning, casually swimming alongside six of these majestic creatures. At around 5ft length, they were certainly larger than we had envisaged and equally mesmerising, fascinating and terrifying all at the same time. I had to remind myself they are not predators!
Each villa has their own guest bikes so you can head out to explore, and cruising around becomes an enjoyable part of the island life experience as most of the action happens at the far end of the island, near reception. Here you will find the main pool looking over the white sand beach, the games room with a pool table, the water sports and dive centre, the kids club (age 4-12), the Como Shambala spa, yoga studio, gym and a padel court.
Next to the pool and beach, you'll also find Thila the open-air bar, which serves light bites, meze and pizza, and Madi the main restaurant (meaning Manta Ray). Breakfast here is a delicious spread of juices, fruit, yoghurts, homemade granola and a la carte mains to order. Our menu favourite by far was the fluffy French Toast with maple syrup and fresh fruit. With all, also available for in-villa dining on ‘feeling lazy’ days.
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Madi also plays host to dinner, with a mix of Mediterranean, Maldivian and Indonesian dishes and with different themed evening. We sampled both the Maldivian and thali specials, with delicious and generous platters of curries, vegetables and rice dishes. Also not to be missed is the Japanese restaurant, Tai, serving fresh seafood and sushi. But the ultimate dining experience has to be a trip to Lavadhoo, an uninhabited neighbouring island that you can call your own for a few hours with a beach picnic, or bring the chef for a full catered beach BBQ, cinema screening and private sleep out under the stars (and canvas).
We found the food at Como Maalifushi a level up compared to some we have experienced in the Maldives, with a focus on a la carte over buffet dining, and thanks to the on-island herb garden, there's always a zing of fresh flavour.
Como hotels are known for their wellness and spa journeys, with the Como Shambala Retreat, and even just hanging out at the spa reception is a relaxing moment in itself. There's an over water spa with 8 bungalows and take it from me, the Como signature full body massage will instantly enter your top five of all time and induce a state of zen. There's a gym with a view out to the water, and we found ourselves hanging out in the changing rooms where there's a sauna, steam room and large plunge pool for post workout relaxation. As part of the retreat there's twice daily complementary yoga practise, and a healthy Shambala menu with juices and salads is available in the restaurants.
For the adventurous there's plenty to experience, and it's these special trips that really makes Como Maalifushi stand out. From aqua safaris with the hotel's marine biologist, fishing trips aboard the resort's 68ft yacht or the night time whale shark safari. We heard a recent boat trip had come across a 30ft Tiger Shark and we met a surf fanatic family who had come from the US, to surf a local reef with an expert guide.
The highlight of our trip was getting involved with the Island Astronaut Camp at the Play by Como kids club (age 4-12). Our son got to hang out with former NASA astronaut, Nicole Stott and her partner in purpose Christina Korp, founder of Space For A Better World, who both hosted the camp. Alongside kids from the neighbouring island school, he learnt about different elements of space, made and exploded rockets and created art that will be flown to space by Blue Origin, before being returned to our home address. We found ourselves sneaking in to get in on the action and both Nicole and Christina were super welcoming and keen to answer questions. We joined them and their team at a wine tasting dinner and space presentation to hear about their work. All round a super cool holiday experience to remember for every member of the family!
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And next up on the experiences agenda (October 20-26th) is the chance for tennis fans to learn to play or improve their padel tennis with coaches from Rafa Nadal's team.
The overall atmosphere of Como Maalifushi is chilled, friendly relaxation, with guests and staff contributing to the vibe. The staff are keen to make you stay as enjoyable as possible, stepping in to play padel with us when we didn't have an opponent and taking our football mad son to join a staff game on their full size pitch.
You tend to bump into the same faces during your stay, either in the gym, at breakfast or the welcome cocktail evening with people waving or shouting hello as you cycle along the sandy path. Guests were a mix of friends, families and couples and we met people from many different nationalities, including Brits, Dutch, Korean, American, Belgian, Russian, and French. And with an atmosphere of understated luxe, and facilities, food and service all on point, it made me think of the ‘quiet luxury’ trend as there's no doubt you are holidaying with the 1%.
Prices for Como Maalifushi start from $1790 per night (£1365) (inclusive of taxes) in a Beach Suite on breakfast basis for two persons.
For more from GLAMOUR's Camilla Kay, follow her on Instagram @camilla.kay.
