You are immediately in awe of the incredible colour Platte on display (and one of my favorite combinations), green, white and blue – green from the lush vegetation, the white pristine beaches and blue for the most amazing colour of the ocean – certainly no filter required here!

 

The beauty of this island is that it's a long, vertically shaped with the beach villas on one side, the water villas on the opposite side and in the middle is the most amazing, crystal-clear shallow lagoon with the lagoon retreat villas circled around it.

 

The lagoon is perfect for families especially for young children to play as the ocean is calm and shallow and home to many marine life. Around the lagoon you will find the Retreat Villas -one bedroom duplex villas perfect for couples and small families and offer sunrise and sunset views.

You enter the villa from the beach side and as its positioned on stilts as the swimming pool and deck sits over the ocean. With a large living room and an additional bathroom downstairs, upstairs is a beautiful large open plan bedroom with an oval bath directly in front of a non obstructed window with a view that goes for miles offering calming vistas of the blue, azure ocean.

All the villas on the island have this unique wall composed of shutters so you can open them to hear the sound of nature at its finest – the perfect white noise for relaxation.

 

Next to the lagoon and the Retreat villas is “The Retreat” a restaurant with a sunset bar and a swimming pool. It gives a very chic vibe with the built-in nets/hammocks sitting over the water, perfect for sunbathing and sipping on a cocktail.

 

The water villas are available in one and two bedrooms and at the very end of the jetty is a huge 3 bedroom for large, extended families. The beach villas offer family size, 1 and 2 bedrooms, some with beach views while the others sit a little back in totally privacy with their own beach access.

 

My favorite of all the villas is the stunning “Royal Beach Residence”. It's a three-bedroom villa with three buildings.  The master bedroom is upstairs in the main building and spread across the entire floor, meaning its huge, while downstairs is the living and dining area. One of the other bedrooms has its own private pool. The main pool is in the centre with a large outdoor seating and dining area. The entire villa is private with an abundant of trees around the villa with direct access to the beach via a narrow path.  This villa is great for families or a big group of friends. The villa comes with a private chef, nanny and if you stay over 5 nights your seaplane is complimentary. Staying in this villa, you will certainly feel like you are on your own private island escapism.

 

Restaurants

 

Café Umi is the all-day dining restaurant, located on the beach and next to the large swimming pool. It offers a buffet and al la carte breakfast, and, in the evenings, you can enjoy the teppanyaki experience.

 

The Fish Market is an interactive way of dining. It contains a great sunset bar and a private dining area inside the wine cellar. There is also a sunset bar.

 

The Lighthouse – is where you get al fresco Mediterranean cuisine. Start the evening at the top of the light house with 360 views of the island then move down to the restaurant for a family style serving meal. A great option as it fully encapsulates the charm of the island.

 

The Collective is the pizzeria, located next to the beach and pool and the perfect option for families and kids.

 

 

Planet Trekkers Kids Club.

As a mum of three I can spot a great kids’ club from a mile away. Not only does it have to cater for kids of all ages, but it has to be spacious with a great indoor and outdoor area. Planet Trekkers ticks all the boxes. The outdoor area has splash pools and climbing walls while the indoor activities revolve around marine life. Its also located only a few footsteps from the beach and the Umi restaurant, so parents can dine as the little ones play.

 

Avi Spa

The spa is set in 6 overwater villas offering an array of massages and treatments. The gym and yoga deck is next to the spa as is the location for the house reef.

 

Marine Life

The island offers its guests a house reef where the marine life and coral is abundantly thriving. As we were walking down the jetty, two spinner nose dolphins swam past us, leaving us in awe.

 

One of the standout features of Intercontinental Maldives is the Manta Trust, which is one of the worlds leading manta ray research organizations and they have their very own research centre based on this island. You must visit the team to learn more about these majestic giants. Enjoy a short boat ride with the marine biologists and the manta ray experts to see the rays and their pups glide through the ocean.

 

Do ask the team about the “adopt a manta ray” initiative so as you can stay in touch with the island team and track the works of these gentle giants once you leave the resort.

 

Its always the little touches that make an island special for me. At the Intercon they had put my initials on my bike and bikes are available in all sizes for kids. They had personalized a pillow on my bed. The skin care products are by Byredo, great touch. The island isn’t ultra luxury but its certainly up for there with the best of them – an added “luxury” I would say is that it’s a wonderful family resort where you can let your kids roam freely.

 

During my stay, I really fell in love with this island – it offers a great vibe, be it for couples, groups or families, with different areas you can enjoy depending on the mood you are in. I highly recommend a visit especially for families.

 

 

For unique rates and more information contact

Unique Family Travels 

Danielle@uniquefamilytravels.com

 

www.uniquefamilytravels.com