There’s a small creature nibbling on the hedgerows that separate my villa from the seashore and the indigo ocean past. Its furry ft pad on the sand because it geese and dives between branches, scouting out essentially the most scrumptious of leaves for its snaffled feast. Once I inform the resort employees of this sighting, there’s pleasure. The legend is true. A safety guard, whose personal claims went dismissed some months beforehand, is honored. Collectively we’re the one two on the island who’ve seen it, however now I’ve photographic proof: black, white, pink-eyed and, I think about, not believing his luck, a bunny rabbit basks within the Maldivian daylight.
The {photograph} is shared among the many employees, and a brand new dialog begins. How did it get right here? The animal is clearly not a local, although he has drifted into island life seamlessly. The one solution to arrive at Miriandhoo, the 14-acre islet residence to The Westin Maldives Resort, is by seaplane or boat. Except a freak of nature, someway in a position to swim the breadth of the Indian Ocean (at this level, I wouldn’t put it previous him), then this rabbit is both someone’s escaped pet or an endearing stowaway – or, maybe, each.
What we do know for certain is that he’s stranded on Miriandhoo till additional discover, and I can’t assist however envy him. Beforehand undeveloped land, this tiny island was reworked into The Westin’s first Maldivian resort in 2018. Envisioned by Italian architectural agency PEIA Associati, the 70 villas and suites are impressed by the marine life that surrounds them, with roofs formed just like the shells of turtles, overwater villas organized in a fish motif and all paths pointing to the ocean – the land villas, all 41 of them, lead on to the white sand seashore, whereas the 29 that hold over the ocean are a mere hop, skip and a splash into the waves beneath.
And it’s water price swimming in. Comprising 1,200 islands in a sequence of 26 atolls, the Maldives is understood for its abundance of coral reefs, of which there are greater than 250 species intricately-laced beneath the turquoise waves. Collectively they account for 5 per cent of the world’s reef space, and Miriandhoo is residence to a few of the most particular. The island is positioned within the Baa atoll, the Maldives’ solely UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, designated so in 2011 for its bounty of marine life. Discovered simply north of the Kaashidhoo Kandu channel, which divides the northern chain of atolls, the Baa helps one of many largest teams of coral reefs within the Indian Ocean.
It’s spectacular. Beneath the waves, hawksbill turtles share house with docile reef sharks, whereas fish of each color, sample and persuasion flit out and in of pastel-coloured crevices. The close by Hanifaru Bay is a mantra ray feeding floor, the most important of its variety on the planet, and there’s a well-liked mating level for whale sharks.
The atoll’s UNESCO standing limits industrial fishing and tourism actions to sure areas, which require certification and a license from the nation’s Environmental Safety Company. With the Maldives’ biodiversity forming the bedrock of its economic system, this ensures that its safety is of paramount significance, not only for the wildlife however for individuals who reside round it.
It additionally signifies that guests who participate in excursions can accomplish that understanding that they’re regulated to make sure minimal environmental impression. These with sturdy sea legs can catch a ship to the very best snorkelling spots with The Westin’s knowledgeable guides, or organize an tour to stake out the deep blue for dolphins. Much less seafaring events can merely paddle within the shallow waters across the resort – there’s a lot to be discovered among the many seaweed-strewn stilts of the overwater villas.
Even higher, ebook a therapeutic massage within the resident spa and end up trying down at a glass flooring and a view of the ocean beneath, with colleges of fish and scuttling crabs offering leisure. Wellness is the important thing message on the resort, and whereas merely pitching up and sunbathing would do anybody a world of fine, The Westin affords a sequence of facilities and experiences tailor-made to thoughts and physique. There’s a state-of-the-art health centre, working periods that begin on the first light (my invitation was politely declined) and yoga lessons taken below the guise of an astonishingly versatile man named Guru. Meals is as a lot part of the wellness bundle, and the three eating places – Island Kitchen, Hawker and The Pearl – steadiness diet with indulgence, serving pan-Asian, road food-inspired and Japanese delicacies respectively. The Sundown Bar, a low-key lounge overlooking the ocean, is the proper setting for sundowners.
It’s all too straightforward to slide into routine. The times on Miriandhoo are easy, the island a blanket of peace. The one disturbance comes from the odd screech of the resident flying foxes, which chatter within the timber and sometimes swoop throughout the sky, their large wings casting shadows on the sand. They rule the roost right here, the most important animals on the land, holding sway over the opposite critters on the island. Do they know there’s an outsider of their midst? The lone rabbit, elusive and shy – and having the time of his life.
Supply: luxurylondon.co.uk
