Maldives: Barefoot on the Island of the Senses

Changing lockdowns and the restriction of normal life gave us a hard time. We don’t want anything like get away! In the corona pandemic, the Maldives are currently one of the safest and easiest holiday destinations in the world to travel to. All hygiene guidelines at Malé Airport and in the resorts are consistently implemented. All that is required for entry is a negative corona test (PCR) in English. It may have been carried out a maximum of 96 hours before departure. You must also submit an electronic entry form, which you fill out on the Maldivian border authorities website within 24 hours of departure maledivischen Grenzbehörden. But the effort is immediately forgotten when you arrive on one of the 1200 islands .

The best thing for me about the Maldives: You can walk barefoot everywhere. The three pairs of shoes you brought with you remain in the suitcase. Dressed stylishly and elegantly even in the evening for dinner is no faux pas without shoes. The second most beautiful: the color of the sea from light to turquoise to azure, a play of colors that changes depending on the depth of the water. The third most beautiful thing: all senses are activated. Sounds that one would otherwise like to overhear in the hectic pace of everyday life are consciously perceived. The singing of the birds, the shimmering of the sun, and especially the swaying of the waves in the morning, which increases to a roar in the wind and lets the waves slap onto the beach. Gourmet cuisine and selective wine cellars pamper the palate. Body and mind regenerate in the sensuality of atmospheric-aesthetic spas that you never want to leave again.

Huvafen Fushi – awakening the senses

For me one of the most beautiful islands is Huvafen Fushi in the North Atoll of the Maldives and only 30 minutes by speed boat from the capital Malé. Nevertheless, there is no need to fear aircraft or boat noise. The small island, translated as “dream island”, has a name it deserves. The Maldivians (local language Dhivehi) call it Fushi. Short and sweet. There is so much more to say and rave about Huvafen Fushi. The “adult only” luxury resort (from 16 years) guarantees togetherness, peace and privacy. Many celebrities, including Bastian Schweinsteiger, have flittered here. 44 pavilions, no reception. The highlight among the beach residences is the 800 square meter luxury villa The PlayPen. The resort’s GM Noel Cameron is the perfect host. “Marhabaa” (welcome) says my butler Nazeeh. He takes care of five villas and guides me to mine. A dream, built over the Indian Ocean in the local style with lots of wood. I see fish gliding by under my coffee table, the azure blue sea spreads out in front of my terrace. The background noise of the ocean will lull me to sleep for the next nights from now on. But first I want to explore the island.

A garden of Eden

Huvafen Fushi has a dense flora in the middle of the island and is bordered by a pearly white sandy beach. The turquoise-green lagoons sparkle like precious stones in the sun. It takes a maximum of 12 minutes to circle the small island. At the marine station I get to know the German marine biologist Alexandra. She invites me to feed the stingrays. In fact, eight to ten of them come into the shallow water on the beach every late afternoon around 5.30 p.m. Alexandra’s colleague Hamed has a special relationship with them. They seem to follow him when he calls for Peter, Angela, Maria or Paul to feed them scraps of fish. I try to do it after him and put my hand in the water. In fact, a few of these amazing elegant creatures are soon swimming around my feet. Their skin feels pleasantly soft and smooth. An unforgettable experience!

Culinary in the Maledives

The island also has a lot to offer in terms of gourmet food. In the “Celsius” restaurant, for example, a juicy Wagyu steak or Italian cuisine in the “Forno” or Izakaya style in the japanese “Salt”. And in the bistro-like restaurant “Raw” over the lagoon, fresh, organic whole food is served. The “Vinum” wine cellar is also well sorted – one of the first in the island state and located eight meters below the surface of the sea. A real treasure trove for wine lovers. The undisputed dining highlight for an intimate private dinner or private breakfast experience is offered by the “Latitude 4 °”, also eight meters below the surface of the Indian Ocean and only 4 degrees from the equator. The new “pop-down” restaurant offers a view of the sea creatures that cavort in the reef through a huge panorama window. Nemo and friends. Dine at a classy table with creations by head chef Abdulla Rifzan, accompanied by an excellent selection of wines from sommelier Jude Perera. If you want, you can have marine biologist Alexandra, who is also responsible for the resort’s coral breeding station, explain the underwater world of the Maldives to you.

Huvafen’s spas under and over water

Forty steps lead me into the underworld eight meters deep in the sea. It is not Hades that awaits me there in the Maldives, but a spa surrounded by the underwater wonder world. It is the world’s first underwater beauty temple, but it looks more like a yacht with a wide lounger area and cuddly pillows on the “bow”. From here I marvel at the drifting fish and their calming movements over the corals. If you are lucky, a shark or a ray will come by looking for plankton. The scene could come from an old James Bond movie, it comes to my mind. The only thing missing is 007, but I’m not Eva Green either …Four treatment beds invite you to take part in treatments such as “Underwater Dream” (60/90 min) or “Underwater Rendezvous (120 min). My therapist is called Jinky and comes from the Philippines. She takes my request from “Deep Tissue Massage” quite literally and takes it with great skill. She moves around the couch like a shadow boxer. Lunge, soft in the knees. She prances. I normally close my eyes during a massage, but I just can’t keep my eyes off the fish and the crystal blue underwater world that can be seen in a mirror under my lounger. Blue Doctor-Fish, Nemos, they all come by with red lips and yellow eyebrows. At some point the gentle swaying of the waves, which I can’t hear but feel in my body, is so overwhelmingly relaxing that I doze off. The moisturizing coconut oil with which Jinky massages is so light and delicate that it does not leave an unsightly greasy film on the skin after the massage. To finish off, I can watch the goings-on in the sea for a while while drinking tea with various candied ginger varieties, from mild to spicy. For those who prefer to be pampered over water, the spa in the pavilion offers a wide range of treatments.

And much more…

You never get bored at Huvafen Fushi and the Maldives. If you have relaxed, have dozed off, read enough and are looking for a change, you can set off with a snorkel and fins and get up close and personal with the reef inhabitants on the island’s house reef. With a bit of luck you will also encounter the huge, but completely peaceful whale sharks underwater. From May to October the graceful manta rays can be seen floating through the waves with gentle flaps of their wings. To discover even more of the great island world in the Indian Ocean, a sailing trip with a Maledive dhoni is ideal. You will be accompanied on the 20 meter long boat by your own crew who will spoil you with drinks and snacks while you enjoy the sun and the view on deck. The “Star Gazing Cruise” under the star-studded sky of the Maledive Indian Ocean remains an incomparable experience – with a glass of champagne in hand.