Here at Turquoise, we love hearing feedback from our clients…as although we have extensive knowledge of the properties, it is the small details and special touches which our clients receive that we love to hear about!
Libby, Managing Editor of You and Your Wedding and her new hubbie, recently honeymooned in the Magical Maldives,
testing the very best Per AQUUM hotels…Huvafen Fushi, Tom Cruise’s honeymoon spot and NIYAMA, the ultra-cool new kid on the block which everyone is raving about!
We couldn’t resist but get in touch to find out the gossip when she got back!
• NIYAMA and Huvafen are both beautiful hotels, did you find it difficult moving from one to the other?
Not at all. Although sad to leave our beautiful beach bungalow and stunning stretch of sand at Niyama, we were excited to experience the elegance of Huvafen Fushi. And efficient transfers made crossing the archipelago a breeze.
• Did you have a favourite?
It’s impossible to choose. Both properties complemented each other – the effortless, laid-back beauty of Niyama coupled with Huvafen Fushi’s hidden day beds on private corners of the island.
• NIYAMA is 2013’s hotspot for honeymoons, complete with floating restaurant and underwater bar. What did you think?
The whole experience is A-list, from the white-leather-seated speedboat arrival, to sipping chilli mojitos in the open-sided bar and watching manta rays glide past as you dance into the night. Once-in-a-lifetime wow.
• Some clients may worry that because of the ‘club’ the island is very young and ‘happening’ in terms of atmosphere, are there plenty of chill out areas?
The island is one big chill-out. The club is small and sophisticated, but it’s also completely self-contained – being 500m off-shore – and does not impinge on island life at all. The pace at Niyama is so laid-back, we barely left our sun lo
ungers.
• Spill the gossip on the overwater bungalows…
The lagoon bungalows at Huvafen Fushi are perfectly private – think champagne toasts on wooden steps that lead into the sea. Inside, they are beautifully luxurious – the bed is enormous and the bath overlooks the ocean. And the shallow waters surrounding them are teaming with amazing sealife – sharks and sting rays cruise beneath you!
• What did you think of the food and drink? Were the prices reasonable?
All the buffet options and signature restaurants served interesting, colourful, flavoursome cuisine from Africa, Arabia, India and even the Mediterranean. It’s obviously not cheap – but you’re dining in paradise! And it more than delivers on taste. The half-board package is good value.
• Service in the Maldives is so important and of such a high standard, was it the same at the Per AQUUM hotels?
The service at Niyama and Huvafen Fushi is exceptional. Not too intrusive and one hundred percent accommodating. All the staff we met were absolutely charming.
• We certainly hope you managed to get to the underwater Spa at Huvafen, would you recommend it to friends?
Yes! During the treatment, the therapists place a mirror on the floor which reflects the marine life as it glides by. Imagine a massage in a giant (exotic!) goldfish bowl. Super soothing.
• Did you get to do any excursions at either resort that you would recommend to our honeymooners?
The blissful evening cruise at Niyama. We lay on giant mattresses atop an old Maldivian dhoni sipping chilled champagne as the sun set…
• Finally, what would your biggest piece of advice be for future honeymoon couples looking to go to the Maldives?
Just go!
For more information on either of these beautiful properties, please contact our team today on 01494 678400 or visit our dedicated Per AQUUM hotels page
