The luxury castaway in the Maldives

You must be a true spoiled brat to be unhappy in paradise. Still intoxicated and hung-over from the beauty of Ceylon, the withdrawal symptoms crept in on our first day in the Maldives. Where were all the temples? Lush greenery? Chaotic socio-cultural exotica? What’s this? Just another sandy beach with blue waters? Pfff — we have these back home. Grumble. Grumble. Grumble.

I have to say the Maldives had a tough act to follow. While most people from around the world would be simply blown away by the (admittedly) seriously cool international boarding gates at the Male Airport, I will bite the bullet and say I was as spoiled as spoiled can be upon arrival. Sri Lanka was a feast for the senses and I’m a sucker for Old World charm, history, culture and lush nature.

A beautiful beach? Well, that’s really just a 45-minute flight away from Manila. I had intentionally lowered my expectations so I wouldn’t be disappointed. But blame it on the nostalgia of our kind butlers, jeweled peacocks and serene temples.  It wasn’t long before I snapped out of it. All it took was a few bottles of nicely chilled Rose, the super warm staff of the Park Hyatt Maldives and the most gorgeous sunset for me to get my head out of the clouds and to stop and appreciate just how amazing everything was. And how sincerely lucky I was to be in a beautiful paradise, on a dot, in the middle of the ocean, with the love of my life.

Choosing the right resort in the Maldives is essential. Once you’re there, you are there. You can’t have lunch in one resort then eat in another for dinner. What most people — like me who didn’t research properly thinking it was all the same — don’t realize is that the Maldives is an extremely long and vast collection of gorgeous little islands. How they came together as a nation is admirable and mind boggling, as the islands are far and disperse. Our tiny little island Hadahaa (look it up on Google maps!) is an hour and a half flight from Male and a good 45 minutes speedboat ride from the local airport. We’re talking serious speed boat, not a cute little one, but a real fast one that can handle massive waves if necessary. By our regular banca, I’m pretty sure that would have been one-and-a-half to two hours away. The nearest island is an un-swimmable distance and on a not so clear day, disappears into the horizon. Consider that it takes about 30 minutes to walk the island’s circumference — you’re stuck in a small piece of paradise in the middle of nowhere. Literally.

To us honeymooners, this was all the appeal. To be as far away from everyone else as possible. But now you can understand just how crucial it is to choose the right resort. Stuck for a few days in one that doesn’t suit your needs and you may just end up like Tom Hanks talking to a volleyball named Wilson.

This was most certainly not a press junket — as it was costly, but worth it. Thanks to all those who contributed to our honeymoon wish list otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible at all. As much as this article may end up sounding like PR for the Park Hyatt — it isn’t. At the end of our trip, full of great food and good memories, our choice was validated. First of all, the place is drop-dead gorgeous. I’ve always been a fan of the Park Hyatt’s understated, modern yet classic style. Never too flashy, never too cold. The right blend of contemporary chic and elegance. We stayed two nights at the beach villas, but were graciously upgraded to two nights at the jaw-dropping beautiful Park Water Villas. Large airy spaces, a terrace and sun bed over the turquoise waters, the bathtub that opens into the vast expanse of ocean. Large parrotfish swam under us and at night the stars were simply spectacular. Between the hours of four to six the pristine beach is absolutely empty — probably because there is no real reason to leave such a beautiful room.

The service is relaxed but impeccable. The entire island is on island mode. Friendly not subservient, but utterly efficient. The rhythm slowly rubbed off on us, helping us wind down. The staff is relatively small for such an upscale resort, which means that each one is truly capable and you have the opportunity to cross them several times over the course of your stay. The Sri Lankan bartender who shared his secrets for making the best hoppers. Fayerz, the waiter who obliged us by taking wonderful photos. Natsumi, our guest service officer, popped up randomly to check in on us with her big smile, doing all the legwork to organize our stay. Being avid divers, we couldn’t miss out at all. Inah, a dive master in the Blue Journey’s center, found spots for us last minute on the next boat out. Luckily we were just a few advanced divers that we found ourselves surrounded by some fabulous marine life. One dive had us hooked onto corals as schools of reef sharks swam about. Another dive, brought the term coral garden to shame —  as the healthy state of the reef produced a coral city. With formations like skyscrapers, forming arches, bridges and tunnels hiding giant turtles and an even more gigantic moray eels. Everything seemed magnified by a hundredfold. The dive finished off into a serene steep slope of pure white sand and crystalline waters where a massive eagle ray decides to flirt with us. First, casting his shadow from above then looping from below, wings widespread, majestic and gentle.

Choosing the right resort is also essential for dining. Foodies like my husband and I would have spent a horrible time if the dining options were below our standards. Remember you’re stuck there with no other option than what’s available. Our past experiences with other Hyatt’s (Ho Chi Minh, Singapore, Paris, Manila) had always offered fantastic meals. I’ll never forget our gorgeous dinner in the Park Hyatt Ho Chi Minh with the best darn lemongrass curry and soft shell crabs ever. And they are breakfast buffet of champions. The Park Hyatt Hadahaa did not disappoint. Executive chef Liam Crotty has true challenges in running the place. Everything needs to be shipped and is vulnerable to the fickle changes in weather. Their own garden is in the works but, of course, the space is constraining. That being said, the dining experiences were simply wonderful. Breakfast is served till 11:30 a.m. It is all a la carte and yet you can order as much as you wish. I particularly enjoyed the local tuna roshi with some lime, coconut and chili. The Island Grill has some gorgeously cooked prawns and fish served up with a lemon basil sauce that my husband is still raving about. We especially loved our barbecue on the beach. The powdery sand in your toes, a gentle salty breeze, your skin stinging from a slight burn. The setting sun casting a tender orange afterglow on everything. The smell and sound of grilled seafood. Charred, smokey and soft octopus drenched in a tangy, passionfruit dressing… the little seeds adding a nice sexy texture. Drunk with good food,  love and rose, as night fell we felt so grateful. Such a beautiful moment in paradise. And even better, given to us by everyone we loved. It just couldn’t get any better than this.

And yet, not in the sphere of romance but in the universal camaraderie of the culinary world, another moment came close. On our last blustery afternoon, overcast and windy, I learned from chef Justin to make some wonderful Maldivian dishes: Tuna Garudiya, a clear soup that is fragrant and comforting. Tuna curry, a personal favorite, flavorful and rich. Plus, a grilled spice paste on a lovely fish they ceremoniously served us on our last meal. Everything was so casual and easy. I whipped up in return a chicken Bicol express to satisfy their curiosity for Filipino food. But beyond the food was the exchange.

“Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act one should not indulge in lightly.” M. F. K. Fisher rings in my head. The stories behind the spices; the lives of the hands that prepared the dishes; the journeys from across the globe that led all of us to this one moment on a tiny little island on the Indian Ocean breaking bread.

Tuna Garudiya: Maldivian clear tuna soup

Ingredients:

fresh curry leaves

fresh pandan leaves

cubes of fresh tuna

dried chili

lemon

salt

water

Procedure:

In a small casserole, add the curry leaves, pandan leaves and fresh chili to some water. Bring to a rolling boil to release the aroma of the leaves and chili. Then add the chunks of tuna. Lower heat and let simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and the juice of one lemon.

Maldivian Spice Paste:

Use equal amounts of fenugreek, coriander and cumin seeds. Fried in neutral oil until dark and roasted. Transfer to a mortar and pestle. And pound to rough paste. Add some turmeric, chili powder, curry powder and cumin. Add a little more oil and mix well together. You can add some lemon juice as well for tartness and some fresh or dried chili for heat. Use it on fish or seafood for grilling or baking. I personally think it would be wonderful on meats as well.