Discover dolphins and relax on a paradise holiday in the Maldives
THERE isn’t much that will get me out of bed at the crack of dawn on holiday, but spending an hour at sea with a pod of more than 100 dolphins has to be top of that tiny list.
As a “doer” on holidays, the Maldives has never really appealed to me because after a couple of days on a sun lounger, my boyfriend and I end up squabbling relentlessly.
But in the middle of the impossibly blue ocean, sitting at the helm of a boat close enough to the water to hear the dolphins chattering is possibly my No.1 holiday experience of all time.
Within hours of arriving at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu resort I could tell it was going to be a trip of a lifetime.
We already enjoyed a spectacular sunset with a bottle of champagne and a beach barbeque under the stars.
Over the next week, we caught red snapper while trawler fishing, swam amid turtles, sharks and clown fish, had a couple’s massages in a lagoon villa and a picnic on a desert island with only herons and hermit crabs for company.
All with the backdrop of the whitest sand and the brightest blue water you have ever seen... in real life or on Instagram. In short, the Maldives is paradise.
But that’s nothing new. Everyone knows that the 1,000-plus islands that make up the South Asian country are some of the most beautiful on earth.
It’s why the country is one of the top honeymoon destinations.
Bare feet are encouraged, even at dinner time.
But almost as famous as the islands’ beauty are the eye-watering prices. But while not exactly affordable, it is NOT impossible.
Dhuni Kolhu is a resort where you can realistically get a holiday without having to re-mortgage your house.
The island has 90 villas, providing accommodation for up to 180 people, although I have no idea where they go.
Apart from at mealtimes, I never saw more than six people any given time — surprising as it takes only ten minutes to walk the island from end to end.
Dhuni Kolhu is the mid-priced 4 star resort of the Coco Palm group, which also has a 3 star and a 5 star in the Maldives.
Packages on the island range from B&B to all-inclusive and from an island villa to one of the typical Maldivian lagoon villas built over the water.
While it has all of the Maldives trappings, this resort is also a big fan of the laid-back vibe, with bare feet positively encouraged by staff, even at dinner time.
The relaxed atmosphere is in large part thanks to these staff.
Coco Palm Dhuni Khol prides itself on hiring most of its staff from a neighbouring island, unlike many other resorts which ship in people from far and wide.
The effect is enormous, providing a family atmosphere, and you find yourself carrying on threads of conversation with certain members of staff throughout your stay, from one morning at breakfast to late evening over a post-dinner cocktail the next day.
One family consider the resort their home-away-from-home so much that they have visited 43 times. The management is also keen to work to protect the environment.
The resort has set up its own turtle sanctuary for injured animals caught in drift nets.
Yes, you do get what you pay for at a resort like this — which is up to £2,000 cheaper than your typical Maldives resort.
There is no pool. But who needs one when you are surrounded by crystal-clear waters, and many of the villas do have a small plunge pool.
The all-inclusive dining area also feels rather impersonal, which might feel like a bit of a let-down if you were there on a honeymoon, but the staff more than make up for this and so does the high-quality and varied food.
The all-inclusive deal also includes drinks at the picturesque beach hut on the main stretch of beach. There are three other, more romantic options for dining on the island — you just have to pay extra — and those are incredible.
The beach BBQ that we had on our first night is one of the most romantic experiences of my life.
Tables for two are placed along the water’s edge, allowing for a perfect view of the stars. Strolling hand in hand past curious herons
Guests dine on canapes and salads, followed by grilled seafood and meat and finishing with delicate desserts including homemade sorbets and lovely macarons.
Then there is a Thai and Maldivian restaurant offering spicy fish curry and grilled shrimp in a clearing, and a relaxed beach bar that serves dishes including reef sushi, club sandwiches and chicken salad.
All-inclusive customers get a dining credit for one evening at both the beach BBQ and the Asian restaurant — paying extra for drinks.
Like the fine dining options, the island also offers plenty of activities at an extra cost, including massages and beauty treatments at the island spa, fishing and water skiing.
Probably the best of the bunch though (apart from the dolphin watching), has to be the private island experience.
The resort owns a desert island nearby called Embudhoo, which has a single one-bedroom hut.
Guests can book anything from an afternoon picnic to an overnight stay — complete with a private beach barbeque.
This truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, strolling hand in hand around the island past the curious herons and sipping champagne on a deserted stretch of beach as the sun went down, with no one else for miles around.
In fact, most of this holiday felt slightly surreal, like we were on the set of a Hollywood movie experiencing things that I never imagined beyond my wildest dreams.
Which is what the Maldives does so well.