Browsing Tag

Adventure

travel

Niyama: The Ultimate Wellness Weekend

Posted on February 18, 2018

A weekend away in the Maldives is a special adventure, whether you’re headed to a divers paradise, honeymoon hotel or even embarking upon a working retreat, the azure blue of the sea is as mesmerising out of the plane window as it is from the island itself. A short sea-plane ride from the capital lies Niyama, an island that’s got plenty for you to explore with 4 km’s of jungle and beach, that you can wander around by bicycle.

From the beach villas, looking out on your private pool is as postcard-worthy as it is stepping out beyond onto your slice of beach. You could get lost watching the waves gently take back some of their land with every kiss of the beach, as the sun slowly dips below the horizon, casting an electric orange glow across the open ocean that lies in front of you. If like me you’re only missing an umbrella-clad coconut from this picture… rest assured there’s plenty around.

A whole host of restaurants dot the shoreline that vary from themed a la carte offerings to bespoke fish markets with plenty of fresh catch to choose from. The reef fish is a must-try, a little disconcerting if you’ve just been snorkeling with them at sunset mind but you’ll soon learn to adjust to island life.

What’s totally unique if you’re not too keen on getting to grips with the marine life the more traditional way (by getting wet) is their underwater restaurant, located on it’s own little sunset hotspot just off the island’s coast. A quick pontoon ride away and you’ve landed at ‘Subsix’ which turns in to a nightclub and a bit of a glow party once the sun goes down. Dancing with the fish is a new one on me…

The pièce de résistance for me is the newly opened a fully functioning surf bar at the very tip of the island. A shoreline entry with some beautifully cresting waves on the most impossibly clear water. Don’t be surprised if a turtle pops his head up to say hello too!

travel

Huvafen Fushi: An Island of Idyllic Proportions

Posted on June 13, 2017

The Maldives never get old…

Visiting another one of these exquisite islands is nothing but a privilege and landing on Huvafen Fushi, (Fushi means island) we were greeted with an entire Maldivian marching band! it’s a much smaller island to navigate than others i’ve visited, with believe it or not, even more honeymoon corners to explore. It’s the first time we’ve come across an island that’s a bit more health-conscious too, with a healthy breakfast bar and plenty of seafood specials in the evening.

When your only goal is to relax, a unique 200* glass paneled, underwater spa is your ultimate destination for a little R&R. You can enjoy all their beautiful house reef has to offer; an abundance of turtles and black tips to lionfish and eagle rays, there’s always something to get your go-pro going. What’s even more exquisite is re-visiting the spa at night with their resident marine biologist Beth, who’ll show you around the underwater world with a black light. This is where the giant GT’s and moray eels prefer to say hello and with bioluminescent corals giving off fluorescent ‘sunscreen’ colours, it’s an entirely different paradise.

If you’re like me and prefer to get a little more hands-on, then hang around the beach at sunset to meet ‘Cutie’, ‘Holly’ and a whole host of personality filled giant stingrays that like clockwork will swing by to say hello! Dream come true!

The water villas are exceptional, infinity pools off the deck, Jacuzzi tubs facing the sunset and a glass floor in the middle of the living room to make sure that when those rays swim underneath, you don’t miss a thing! You really only leave the villa to remind yourself that you aren’t alone on the island, although we barely saw any other guests in the fully booked out resort. It’s truly the kind of island that helps give the Maldives its honeymooner reputation!

travel

Maafushivaru – The Adventure Awaits

Posted on January 10, 2017

When you read about the Maldives, the thing you don’t necessarily realize is just how many different options there are here. With over 330 resorts amongst 1000+ islands, how do you choose your perfect Maldivian getaway? Most of the islands are under 15mins wide (walking distance) and with their very friendly staff; you can so easily get comfortable here. I’ve been extraordinarily lucky this trip to be able to try out a variety of different resorts, and test their levels of adventure, nature and aquatic experiences.

One white-knuckle seaplane transfer from Male airport later and we’ve landed at our new atoll, Maafushivaru. Straight off the boat onto the pontoon we’re greeted with sea turtles and juvenile lemon sharks basking in the shallows, so I knew from the start this was going to be my kind of island.

It’s got a very casual feel to the place, compared with our previous resort. It’s a smaller resort and as there’s less people at any one spot, it feels a bit more private. The weather had been threatening us all morning and during our lunch we first got a taste of its infamous tropical climate as we sat and enjoyed a very fuss-free buffet meal. It feels a bit like a luxury diving resort, it’s the kind of place that travelling solo, you’d feel totally at ease.

This island has its own private island too, if you’re feeling like you want a bit more of a castaway experience (VIP of course) you can check into a separate atoll that’s completely yours for the night. Perfect for families or even a hen do! It’s got a restaurant on the island for when there’s no bookings though so you can still visit it during the day and hang out on an old dhow.

After lunch we were invited on a private manta ray excursion, where we were also told whale sharks had been spotted in the area too! Not wanting to waste any more time at the dinner table, we all got our equipment ready and headed out with their on-site marine biologist to a nearby sandbar. The weather was determined to keep us guessing but unfortunately that meant the visibility had dropped.

We didn’t hesitate to see what was beneath the waves (which had started picking up so for those of you who suffer from sea sickness… the best cure is really just to jump in!). Armed with a Go Pro and a snorkel, the water was actually a much warmer place to be than staying in the boat! Wearing paddle suit from The Upside at Sun & Sand Sports

We toured the reef for all of about 30 minutes, with a few turtles popping up to say hello, amongst a bevvy of colorful fish. What was extremely noticeable amongst all the islands is the global El Nino phenomenon that’s hit them hard. There’s nothing locally that can be done, it’s a weather phenomenon that makes the shallow waters too warm to sustain the plant life.

From corals and reef-beds that used to line the coasts with colours in the Maldives, it’s estimated that over 60% has been lost. You can see a lot of broken corals, white and bare, covered in algae, to the point that live corals or anemones were few and far between. It’s not as bad as Australia of course who’s rumored to have lost up to 90% of their beautiful reefs!

No manta’s or sharks were spotted on our trip, but that gives me even more reason to come back! If you’re looking for more of an aquatic adventure, this island will make sure you get what you came for.

Top tips:

– Take a Go-Pro!
– Enjoy some table-cooked Teppanyaki on the boardwalk
– Even if it rains, swim!

travel Winter

Christmas Will Be Spent… Sunbathing!

Posted on December 18, 2015

For most of us, heading somewhere chilly is essentially the key to a Christmas holiday, whether it’s back home, or somewhere specifically white and snowy. This year i’m off somewhere super warm instead… South Africa!

There’s one big thing I will be missing though… as you all down copious amounts of wine, choccies and yummy Christmas grub, I won’t be able to cover the usual holiday podge with leggings and a sweater and call it insulation…

I can’t wait to visit one of my favourite places in the world and i’m hoping Santa brings me one of these gorgeous little numbers from Cali Dreaming from Maison du Maillot! Seamed Antlia Top and Pandora Bottom

Navy Scuba Grus Top and Crux Bottom

Pink Nude Ursa Top and Toggle Bottom Bikini

Navy Scuba Andromeda One Piece

JADETRIBE: Beach Basket Pink Large Tassle Pink/Black

Adventure

The Amazing Race

Posted on May 12, 2015

There’s an awesome new adventure playground in the capital! If you don’t know about it already, make sure you head to Abu Dhabi’s Al Forsan complex near Yas. We ventured down last weekend to compete in their inter-media competition called ‘The Amazing Race’. An entire afternoon of ‘friendly’ games, but everyone knows just how competitive I can be, so I definitely came prepared to win!

The twitter chat set the tone… we were hungry for a victory already! With agency vs. agency, magazine vs. blogger, PR vs. media, we were put into 3 teams of 8 (Team Green all the way).

Round 1) Paintballing! (a great way to relieve any couples tension too FYI)

Round 2) Equestrian (so it turns out… i’m extremely allergic to horses!) but they were just SO beautiful I couldn’t NOT get a snap 🙂

Round 3) Go-Karting! For anyone that knows me… you know why we won!

Round 4) Wakeboarding! (my first time ever and not the most glamorous pose I admit…)

We didn’t get to hang around for the final activity, missing out on the shooting element (where we would have DOMINATED fyi) and after such an amazing day, we came second overall (and got in a great workout)!

*All photos by the incredibly talented Hyku!