Following the recommendations @theluxurytraveller made based on our preferences, we ended at Anantara Kihavah (@anantarakihavah) in the Maldives.
The Hydroplane
Once you arrive to Male airport, we were greeted by hotel staff and then guided to the lounge and wait for the hydroplane. Luckily we didn’t have to wait much to board on the plane. The hydroplane was one-of-a-kind experience. It isn’t that comfortable so be prepared to be hot and feel squeezed. The flight duration was around 45 minutes. You may find it overwhelming, but it was worth it. Althoug I think for the next time I’ll consider a boat transfer hotel.
The Property
At the property, we were greeted by the hotel general manager and were presented to our lovely host Maria, who took care of us very well during our stay.
Overwater Villa
We could only stay at an overwater villa, sadly. Ideally we would have loved to spend half of our stay in a beach villa, but it was fully booked.
The Room
The villa was quite spacious and bigger than what it seemed on pictures. It was decorated with wooden furniture, making the room very cosy and homely. The bathroom was quite roomy and very luminous. Some parts of the bathroom had crystal floors and windows for you to see wildlife and the beautiful ocean views at any moment. You can access to the pool from the bathroom which was very convenient as you will spend most of the day outside. But my favourite area was the outdoor shower that we used every day after our long swims.
The Terrace
The terrace was pretty big and equiped with with sunbeds, a dining table and a rocking bench— the perfect spot to relax and unwind during the day. The pool was nice but the stairs to the sea felt like heaven on earth. To be honest, I think I only used the pool twice because being able to swim in the ocean and enjoy the beautiful coral life at any time is priceless. And talking about the coral reef, in Anantara Kihava Maldives is slowly but surely blooming. You just need to swim for 5 minutes and to find yourself around plenty marine life. Equipment for swiming is available in the dive center. All you have to do is ask for it and then return it before leaving.
Moving Around
Moving around the island is easy. You have your own bikes, you can do it by buggy or you can walk. I must say that we walked everywhere around the island as it felt so good and relaxed—and it only took 5 minutes at most. The main pool was located by the Italian restaurant and overlooking one of the beaches. Honestly, we never used this pool as we loved staying at the villa. The gym was well equipped with weights and some cardio machines. I love when hotels have good gyms so your routine don’t go downhill over the holidays. The hotel provides different activities for your stay such as swimming with the turtles, the mantas or a sunset cruise among others. You won’t get bored for sure.
Food at Anantara Kihavah
The resort had a great variety of restaurants: a buffet style, an Italian, a local food, a Japanese and the underwater restaurant. Food in the restaurants were good but not outstanding. We enjoyed the one that served local food and SEA—the underwater restaurant which happened to be our favourite. The menu and the vibes changes during lunch and dinner so I would recommend trying it at least to times. Everyones that ate at SEA were always welcomed with a nice glass of Louis Roderer Cristal—what a treat, right?.
The restaurant is small and have only a few tables making it very intamate. Also, there is something magical about eating underwater while watching sharks and other wildlife. We also enjoyed lobster night which was booked with our package. It was a lovely and romantic dinner on the beach while eating lobster, drinking a bottle of champagne and listening to ocean. It wasn’t private as there was more tables but I totally recommend this experience.
Sunsets in the Maldives were out of this world. Almost everyday a flaming beautiful sky would be shining above us. I still can’t get over how beautiful it was.
Observation Deck
On our final night in Anantara Kihavah, we got to experience the observation deck and it was a unique experience. All I could think of was how privilege I was to observe the stars, constellations, galaxies and the moon through a telescope in an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
We went in November and the weather was perfect during our stay except for one day that it rained a little.
I would recommend Anantara Kihavah Maldives if you want a little bit of everything such as food options, great beaches, coral reef and a big room and swimming pool.
