The Maldives is one of the most exclusive island destinations in the world. Of its populated islands, you’ll only ever find one resort per island, meaning that during a stay here, you won’t have to worry about crowds of beachgoers or sharing the sand with locals and tourists alike. Furthermore, all the resorts are high-end, meaning you’ll be treated like a sultan during your stay. The Maldives is the definition of remote luxury, and as such, it stands to reason that its exclusivity comes with a hefty price tag. Especially when you can stay in an underwater room during a Maldives vacation. Yes, you read that correct: an underwater room. The Maldives is not cheap, nor should it be, because the kind of royal comforts that you enjoy at the resorts here outstrip almost anywhere else on the planet. But beyond that, there are no other destinations in the world where you can indulge in the same level of extravagance. You can stay in an underwater room, but you can also rent a private island resort, picnic on untouched white-sand beaches, dine in an underwater restaurant, and feel like a king or queen in your own island domain. Inspired by the underwater room at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort, we’ve featured some of the most extravagant luxuries of a trip to the Maldives. If you’re a high roller, or simply like daydreaming about what could be, pay attention to what a Maldives vacation has to offer.
What Can You Do in the Maldives?
Sleep in an Underwater Hotel Room
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort is one of the highest end resorts in all of the Maldives. It’s also the home to the underwater room that we mentioned in the opening of the article. Known as The Muraka, this underwater hotel room is the first of its kind in the world. The name means "coral" in the Dhivehi language, which makes sense considering you’ll be sleeping amongst the coral beds during a night here. If you have $200,000 to spare, that is. That’s right: $200,000. And that’s before additional costs. The Muraka is only available as part of a four-night vacation package that costs $200,000, which comes down to $50,000 a night. This is beyond extravagant, but it’s also understandable, since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Constructed of steel, concrete, and acrylic, The Muraka is a pristine hotel room with clear walls that erase the barriers between you and the rest of the ocean. When you lie down in bed, you’ll be surrounded by fish, sting rays, sharks, and even the occasional turtle. It’s as close as you’ll ever get to a night in Atlantis. The price tag gets you more than a night in this underwater room. You also get flown by private seaplane to the resort island, have access to a private jetty, and enjoy the services of a dedicated butler and chef during your time here. Above sea level, you also have another floor to the private villa, with a spiral staircase leading down to the ocean depths, as well as an elevator. This is the absolute peak of luxury. Most people will not able to afford it, but we can certainly dream about it.
Dine at an Underwater Restaurant
It makes sense that you can do more than sleep underwater at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort. Even if you can’t afford the steep bill of The Muraka, you can dine at Ithaa, an underwater restaurant that serves you gourmet dishes from some of the world’s best chefs within a reverse aquarium, where nothing but clear walls separate you from the sea life of the Indian Ocean. The name means "mother of pearl" in Dhivehi, which makes sense as it’s almost like you’re in the centre of an oyster that’s just been opened up on the ocean floor. There’s little at Ithaa to get in the way of the view, as the roof is a curved panel of acrylic that gives you unimpeded views of the ocean and the reef. It may not outshine the location, but the food is a definite highlight. The restaurant serves six-course set dinners, four-course lunches, and indulgent breakfasts. Think caviar and champagne and lobster dinners—the most savoury and upscale food imaginable.
Stay in Your Own Private Residence
As we said at the beginning, the islands in the Maldives only have one resort on them, meaning there’s a small number of people you’ll share the pristine island landscapes with to begin with. However, at a few resorts, you can go one step further and actually stay in your own private residence on the island itself, meaning you get a small slice of paradise that no one else has access to.
At the likes of Hurawalhi and Kuredu Island Resort, you can opt for residences with private pools and patio areas that offer you privacy on a honeymoon or island getaway. At Naladhu Private Island Maldives, you can even swing for the Two Bedroom Pool Residence that gives you 600 square-metres of gorgeous residence facing the ocean, with your own stocked butler’s kitchen, sun deck, and pool. If you’re a real high roller, you can even buy the entire island out, renting all 20 private beachfront homes for a maximum of 50 guests. For a cool $500,000 that is. And you thought the underwater room was pricey! If you stay at the Four Seasons in the Maldives, you can also enjoy an amazing combo experience, where you spend four nights at either Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa or Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru, then board the live-aboard cruise vessel, the Four Season Explorer, for a curated diving experience, island-hopping through the country to the best scuba diving sites, before unwinding with another 4-night stay at whichever island resort you missed at the start. The highest-end travellers can also enjoy their own five-acre private island playground at the Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Baa Atoll, which has a seven bedroom resort that’s booked to only one group at a time. Every resort in the Maldives is a private resort, but this island resort adds whole new meaning to the word "private."
Picnic on a Private Beach
Even if you can’t afford the extravagances of The Muraka or the Ithaa at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island or the Two Bedroom Pool Residence at Naladhu Private Island Resort, you can still enjoy privacy on your Maldives vacation, with a private boat ride, or a picnic lunch on your own private beach. The Maldives offers privacy and refined luxury like no other island nation. It’s almost too good to be true. Almost.
The Maldives is the perfect getaway for discerning travellers who want to experience paradise on earth. Even if you cannot afford the underwater room of The Muraka, you should still set your sights on a Maldives vacation, as it’s the ideal honeymoon or romantic getaway for all kinds of travellers.
You might say that Aren was destined to become a globetrotter after his family took him to Germany two times before he was four. If that wasn’t enough, a term spent in Sweden as a young teenager and a trek across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand confirmed that destiny. An independent writer, director, and film critic, Aren has travelled across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South America. His favourite travel experience was visiting the major cities of Japan’s largest island, Honshu, but his love for food, drink, and film will take him anywhere that boasts great art and culture.
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