Maldives – Proposal in Paradise!

As with anybody planning a trip to the Maldives, we’d spent endless hours researching the best place to stay, reading review after review. As it’s bloody expensive, and quite possibly a once in a lifetime experience, it was important to get it right. With Meeru, we’d found perfection. Meeru was a great choice for us because:

1)   It’s a ‘proper’ desert island experience. A lot of the resorts are only a 10 minute speedboat ride from the capital, Male. Some of these resorts are also amongst the most expensive. When you go to the Maldives, you want to feel like you’re on your own little desert island. Islands close to Male often have the view of Male from them. Or the ‘rubbish’ island, where all the rubbish from the islands is incinerated. The waters, surely, can’t be as clean. Other resorts, much further away, cost an absolute fortune to get there by seaplane. Meeru is a 55 minute speedboat ride away – far enough from Male to feel you’ve left civilization behind, and not too far to feel weary from more flights or longer boat rides. Perfect.

2)   Space. Meeru Island is a big place. It’s 1200m long by 350m wide. Big enough to feel you’ve got the place to yourself in parts. They have two main buffet areas at either side of the island, and a nice sprinkling of bars, a fantastic over-water restaurant, an over-water spa, a lovely clubhouse, and 2 big infinity pools. Areas of accommodation (286 rooms) are spread over the island, from Garden Villas to Water Villas, with Jacuzzis slightly more expensive extras. All in all – there’s space. They even have the only FIFA-approved football field, which hosts regular Staff vs Guests games.

3)   Adult’s-only. What a great idea! No pesky kids running around screaming or crying to disturb the peace you deserve. One half of the island is a kids-free area. So that means a kid-free restaurant, kid-free bar, and, very importantly, a kid-free pool!

4)   The beach. The ocean. 1.5 km of white sand, palm-tree fringed beach lightly lapped by the warm, turquoise, Indian Ocean.   Heaven.

6)   Excursions and Activities. Plenty to do if you feel like getting off the sunloungers: Scuba-diving, snorkeling at the house reef, windsurfing, kayaking, fishing, table-tennis, tennis, badminton, pool, golf, football, and fantastic excursions like the sunset cruise, trip to Male, love boat day sail, Robinson Crusoe island experience, seaplane photo flight….loads to do.

7)   The staff. Friendly, helpful, full of good tips, genuinely concerned about you. The staff at Meeru are from all over the place, and I found them all fantastic, from the jolly Maldivian waiter assigned to us at the buffet restaurant to the helpful French woman who helped me arrange my romantic proposal dinner on the beach, to the practical German woman who helped me organize the day trips. Everyone was so nice, and I felt like I was treated as a special individual rather than one of the crowd.

8)   The all-inclusive package. You only live once. I had to go for it. It’s an optional plan, which includes unlimited “all you can drink” alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages “all day – all night”; plus water, soft drinks, beer, wine, coffee, tea, iced coffee and iced tea from the Mini Bar; 24 Hour “Afternoon” Tea; one ½ bottle of Champagne, one Sunset Cruise; one half hour group lesson for Snorkeling, Windsurfing and Golf Driving Range; the Fitness Center, and daytime use of the Golf Driving Range, Tennis, Volleyball and Badminton Courts, the Games Room; Kayaks and Windsurfers. Definitely worth it.