My Dream Luxury Getaway to The Maldives
The Maldives has always been on my bucket list and in December 2014 I was lucky enough to enjoy a stay at the remarkable Cheval Blanc Randheli Island Resort.
There are no direct flights between Australia and the Maldives, so I chose to fly with Singapore Airlines via Singapore to Male’ the capital city of the Maldives. I was met by the friendly resort staff at Male’ International Airport and was taken by private car to the Seaplane terminal about 8 minutes drive away. Here the resort offers a stylish and quiet lounge where I could sit and relax enjoying snacks and beverages until my Seaplane flight departure. Forty minutes north of Malé by private seaplane, I was welcomed to the stunning Cheval Blanc Randheli Island Resort with the sun shining to it’s fullest, the pristine turquoise water sparkling and my jaw dropping at the perfection of the resort!
My experience was faultless from the moment I was greeted at Male' Airport and this continued throughout my stay. The 40-minute seaplane transfer on board Cheval Blanc's private seaplane was just the start of this indulgent, once in a lifetime luxury stay.
The resort oozes sophistication and attention to detail. I particularly enjoyed the showcase of art throughout the resort. I stayed in an island villa which had a private garden on one side and 10 metre private infinity pool overlooking the endless Indian ocean on the other. The beautiful entrance led to the expansive open plan villa with huge doors allowing you to divide each room. A light-filled living room lead to the plush bedroom with possibly the most comfortable bed and pillows I've ever slept on, with a door to a spacious walk-in dressing room. The bathroom was magnificent - taking a relaxing bath is a must! Each room overlooks your infinity pool and the beautiful ocean. After a swim in the infinity pool and tanning on the outdoor lounge I could use the ladder to step down into a safe, enclosed ocean lagoon. Nothing was too much trouble for my private butler including arranging my complimentary 30-minute head, neck and shoulders massage at the resort spa, housekeeping deliveries to my room, complimentary snorkel hire and dinner reservations. I never saw housekeeping however they did an exceptional job and I was surprised with an elegant variety of chocolates, treats and fruit in my room daily.
I especially enjoyed riding my bike around the island and along the paths that weave throughout the lush gardens, however for those that aren't the bicycle riding type the resort also offers a buggy service to guests at all times.
The weather was phenomenally good which made this picture perfect resort even more outstanding. The food was of the highest standard with a selection of 5 different restaurants offering a variety of different cuisine and prices.
Watching the incredible sunset, cocktail in hand with such beautiful surroundings was unforgettable. I also enjoyed the shisha which you can order from the bar!
The other guests were friendly and I was surprised to see a nice mixture of not only couples but families of all ages holidaying together. The resort has a fantastic kids club and although I personally didn't use the water sports facilities, cheval blanc certainly offer everything you could think of.
I cannot recommend this French inspired resort enough. I treasured everything about it! As a lover of tropical climates and everything to do with the ocean the Maldives remains among one of my favourite destinations in the world!