With V-day around the corner, it’s no wonder i’m feeling a little lovey-dovey at the moment. Bombarded by all the luxury gift ideas and cheesy cliche’d cards, it’s starting to feel a little too hallmark for me. So what do you get for Valentines day? I vote buying yourself a little treat by investing in a little romantic escape… somewhere warm, surrounded by blue seas and with plenty of ‘me-time’. 
Sitting pretty on the reefs of Lhaviyani Atoll, Hurawalhi is the Maldives’ newest island resort, just a 40-minute seaplane flight from Male. There’s space to explore too, bursting with beautiful areas to discover across the island, and you’ll have the option to stay in one of 90 villas, including 60 ocean villas and 30 beachside hotspots. A must-see undersea restaurant, a tropical champagne pavilion and don’t worry about being disturbed either, there’s no other resorts as far as the eye can see and for those looking to leave the kids at home, an over 15s-only policy. 
It’s not all glitz and glam though, if you’re like me and want to find something a little more green about the resort, it’s great to know that 60% of the island runs on sustainable solar energy, with the majority of the villas actually being powered by solar panels. There’s absolutely no plastic bottles on the island either – the island has its own water bottling plant so recycling here is key. 
One of my favourite places to visit in the Maldives though is actually below the surface of their crystal clear blue waters, and this resort boasts some of the best diving with nearby manta rays, nurse sharks and world-class dive sites all around. Their in-house marine biologist will help fill you in on their new collaboration with WiseOceans, the marine conservation and education specialists that are helping to preserve the island’s underwater habitat as a nesting site for green turtles.
But if you’re looking to experience this without getting wet, welcome to ‘5.8 Undersea’, the world’s largest underwater restaurant sunken to 5.8 meters under the sea. Here’s where it gets really romantic… every table is set for just two so expect it to get a little gushy below the water. 
If you’re looking to keep off the extra few pounds after all that delicious food though, don’t fret, you don’t have to just sit there soaking up the sun (although why wouldn’t you) there’s tennis, badminton and beach volleyball and a whole load of water-sports too like; para-gliding, water-skiing, wakeboarding, paddle boarding, windsurfing, kayaks and catamarans. 
See you at the bar!
