EditedbyLISAMINOT&HEATHERLOWRIE …...Keyword: Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives bywhit esand andturquo...

Source: The Scottish Sun {Main}Edition:Country: UKDate: Saturday 15, April 2017Page: 48,49Area: 1083 sq. cmCirculation: Pub Stmt 248419 DailyAd data: page rate £9,282.00, scc rate £39.00Phone: 0844 669 9400

Keyword: Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives

EditedbyLISAMINOT&HEATHERLOWRIE

MAGICALMALDIVES IS

Paradisefor lovers

MOSTROMANTICPLACEFORHONEYMOON

JUST BEACHY . . .honeymooners lap upsea views, below, and

poolside. Left, seaplane

WE were supposedto be starting ourhoneymoon but Icould have been inan Indiana Jones film.

After landing at MaléAirport in the Maldives,staff whisked us off to aseaplane for the 35-minutejourney to our destination,Kanifushi Island.

And as it took off, I knewexactly how Harrison Ford feltas he starred as the moviearchaeologist.

The engines roared into life,waves splashed up from thepropellers, and within secondstiny exotic islands surroundedb hi d d i

Reproduced by Gorkana under licence from the NLA (newspapers), CLA (magazines), FT (Financial Times/ft.com) or other copyright owner. No furthercopying (including printing of digital cuttings), digital reproduction/forwarding of the cutting is permitted except under licence from the copyright owner. All FT content is copyright The Financial Times Ltd.

Article of 4

387716386 - IANMCI - A19617-51 - 124490254



by white sand and turquoiseblue seas were passing by below.

I loved the flight, and part ofdid ’ i d Bme didn’t it to end. But my

wife Elaine and I had paradisewaiting. And when I say para-dise, I mean paradise.

Everything is thought about,taken care of and, of course, isall included.

On arrival at AtmosphereKanifushi, a welcome partycame out to greet us and wewere introduced to friendlyteam that would be lookingafter us during our stay — and,boy, didn’t they just.

I could not get the stupidear-to-ear grin off my face aswe were shown around ourluxurious villa. Wow, wow,wowser accommodation!

My stupid grin changed onlywhen my jaw dropped at thevilla’s view. Folding doors led toour personal infinity pool. Andbeyond that was the beach andstunning azure sea.

This is exclusiveall-inclusive

Oh yes, this was a magnifi-cent choice for a honeymoon.

The huge comfy bed took inthe glorious views and theopen-air bathroom was stun-ning. Each villa faces straightout on to the ocean and youwake to the sound of thegently lapping waves everymorning. It’s sheer bliss.

Everything you can possiblythink of has already beenthought of. There are the usualrobes and slippers, of course.

But how about a mobilephone to call your personalbutler, a WiFi tablet, jellyshoes for walking across thebeach, daily supplies of factor30 sun lotion, after sun cream.

Are you getting the picture ofhi di ?


Article of 4

387716386 - IANMCI - A19617-51 - 124490254



this paradise yet?Don’t forget a free minibar

replenished twice a day and aseparate wine chiller stockedwith your favourites once youtell your butler what you like.

He’ll also bring you a dailybottle of your favourite spirit,should you feel the need.

Elaine decided to put him tothe test: “I don’t suppose you’dhave a cheeky wee bottle ofHendrick’s gin by any chance?”

“I’ll bring some cucumber forit too, Madam,” was his reply.

My chin was now starting tobruise with the number oftimes it had hit the deck.

When they said it was plati-num plus all-inclusive, I hadno idea what they meant. NowI totally understood — this wasexclusive all-inclusive.

Kanifushi is one of the larg-est islands in the Maldives,measuring 2.5km in length.

But it’s only a coconut’sthrow wide in places. There is

an electric buggy service whichruns all day from the top tothe bottom of the island. Hopon, hop off at its best.

The walks and cycle pathsaround the island and alongthe beach are fabulous. Bikesare plentiful and, should youfeel thirsty and wish to stopfor refreshment, there arewooden ice cooler boxes everyfew hundred yards.

These are stocked with softdrinks, water and ice-coldbeers. When I said Kanifushi

had thought of everything Imeant EVERYTHING!

Oh, and for the very lazy,there is a drinks delivery guywho comes along the beachthroughout the day with a cartfull of cold drinks just in caseyou can’t face the 50-yard walkback to your villa.

The food choices at Atmo-sphere Kanifushi are out ofthis world. The largest restau-rant is Spice, featuring anextensive buffet for breakfast,lunch and dinner. Deliciouschoices every time.

Further along the beach,Sunset bar and restaurant issituated next to the infinitypool and offers a la carte forlunch and dinner.

The menu here is excellent.You are literally spoilt forchoice. No matter whether it’sa quick plate of calamari andsalad for lunch or a romantic

four-course evening meal righton the beach, restaurant managerProbal and his team will pullout all the stops for you.

Make sure to try one of theamazing cocktails they offer. Theginger mojito was top of our list.

And don’t miss the ProgressiveDinner, which takes in every oneof the dining and drinking expe-riences the island offers.

Start with a glass of fizz andcanapés on Sunset Beach andwork your way along to the mainrestaurant and bar area.

Elaine’s favourite was Just Veg— the only exclusively vegetarianrestaurant in the Maldives. It’sjust fantastic.

The concept was introduced bythe Italian Michelin star chefFabrizio Marino. Its appeal is byno means limited to vegetarians.

Meat-eater me loved it just asmuch as my wife did. You don’tpay a supplement to eat here but

make sure you book when youarrive, as demand is very high.

Teppanyaki Grill is the onlyplace on the island that carries asupplement, but it’s well worthforking out to experience thewonderful food and the sheertheatre of its preparation by theteam of executive chefs.

The name Atmosphere is soappropriate for this stunningresort as that’s exactly what ithas in abundance. I have nevermet a more friendly, helpfulteam than at Kanifushi.

They made every day of ourholiday extra special with littlesurprises — from the beautiful“happy honeymoon” flower deco-rations to returning from dinnerand finding a bath filled withflower petals awaiting us. Theyreally do pull out all the stops.

Kanifushi is also fantastic forfamilies, with its kids’ clubsmeaning parents can make the

most of their R and R time too.I should admit we were prettylazy most of the time — well, wewere on honeymoon after all —but for the more active there areplenty of daily activities.

You can get your fix of yoga,pilates, diving, snorkelling, windsurfing, sailing and jet skiing.

And the Robinson Crusoe-stylepicnics to uninhabited islandsare just wonderful. Our personalfavourite was the romanticChampagne sunset cruise.

If your idea of holiday heavenis being waited on hand and foot,24 hours a day, by a team ofdedicated workers whose onlypurpose is to make your stayblissfully happy and stress-free,h ’ll fi d h b

than you’ll find nowhere betterthan Kanifushi.

Luxurious, exotic, all inclusive— ahhhhh, beach holidays justdon’t get any better than this!

MARK SWEENEY


Article of 4

387716386 - IANMCI - A19617-51 - 124490254



GETTING/STAYING THERE: Seven nights all-inclusive Platinum Plus at the5H Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives is from £2,987pp. Price includes flightsfrom Glasgow, transfers and all-inclusive accommodation. Book by July 7for travel up to September. See barrheadtravel.co.ukMORE INFO: For more on planning your time in Kanifushi and enjoyingwhat the Maldives has to offer, see visitmaldives.com

GO:MALDIVES

TAKING THE PLUNGE. . . Elaine and Markrelax on honeymoon


Article of 4

387716386 - IANMCI - A19617-51 - 124490254

EditedbyLISAMINOT&HEATHERLOWRIE …...Keyword: Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives bywhit esand andturquo...

Documents

Transcript of EditedbyLISAMINOT&HEATHERLOWRIE …...Keyword: Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives bywhit esand andturquo...