• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Property
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Work & Finance
        • Transform borders Singapore immigration lawyer sulochanaTHE Singapore immigration lawyer to get your work permit
        • Driving in SingaporeDriving in Singapore – What you need to know
        • migration to AustraliaIs migration to Australia or NZ on your wish list?
        • How to starting a business in SingaporeWhat you need for starting a business in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Things to do in SingpaoreWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • puzzles octoberPuzzle Pages – answers for October 2023!
        • horoscopes for julyMonthly Horoscopes – October 2023!
        • what's on in sydney theatre wickedA Wickedly Good Time – Things to Do in Sydney!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • special needs education clinic TLCNeed special needs education support for your child?
        • Yellow Aliens mascotWhere to rent Halloween costumes & more!
        • White Room photography studio in SingaporePortrait photography in Singapore: here’s some top studios!
        • Nexus International School Singapore digital learning and managementCoding languages starts early at this school
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Furniture & Décor
      • Real Homes
        • Looking for the best outdoor furniture in Singapore?
        • Home News: New furniture, home décor & services
        • solo exhibition in singaporeAmazing 3D-style artwork by Zhuang Hong Yi
        • Where to buy antiques or vintage furniture – Reviews
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Australasia
      • Rest Of The World
        • migration to AustraliaIs migration to Australia or NZ on your wish list?
        • The Latest Travel News & Hotel Deals
        • what's on in sydney theatre wickedA Wickedly Good Time – Things to Do in Sydney!
        • stamp duty investing in property5 Reasons to Invest in Property in Sunny Spain!
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • New Nibbles: Foodie news!
        • Oktoberfest 2023 singapore - the places for food and beerHow to celebrate Oktoberfest 2023 in Singapore
        • Deviate wine bar in Dempsey Hill - we chat to owner Joe Keats of Petersons WinesThis Dempsey bar is a best-kept secret!
        • Crossroads cafe at Orchard - where to eat in Orchard Road - alfresco dining SingaporeTry alfresco dining & happy hour at this café at Orchard Road
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • anti-frizz hair treatmentFrizzy hair? We review keratin treatments and more
        • hairdressers in singaporeBest Hair Salons in Singapore for Haircut, Colour & De-frizz!
        • Fashion News and Sales in Singapore!
        • sensitive skin moisturiser skincare steps productsTried & Tested: Sensitive skin moisturisers, serums & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • dental facial orthopaedic and clear aligners orthodontics in singaporeA star in alignment – orthodontics and charity work
        • mould service in singaporeChoose the right mould removal service in Singapore
        • allergic rhinitis, allergy medication and insuranceFast facts on allergies, symptoms & insurance
        • Health News: What’s up!
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • Close

Visiting the Maldives: The Amazing Atoll

29th September 2016 by Jessamy Smit 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/visiting-the-maldives-the-amazing-atoll/

It’s years since we last visited the Maldives, but as we stepped off our speedboat at Amilla Fushi Beach Resort, it seemed like only yesterday.

Needless to say, we were thrilled to be arriving back in this luxurious paradise! Managed by The Small Maldives Island Co., Amilla Fushi (meaning “your island home” in the local Dhivehi language) is a truly spectacular place, located in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll – one of only 26 natural atolls in the Indian Ocean.

Accommodation options

The resort offers a vast choice of stunningly designed modern contemporary homes, including options for every kind of traveller. In keeping with the natural environment, the Tree Houses are fabulous wooden structures rising up from the lush jungle foliage, each with its own swimming pool, which our little monkeys thought was amazing!

The Ocean Lagoon Houses and Ocean Reef Houses sit over the island’s crystal waters, while the beautiful Beach Villas are perched neatly in the soft white sand. Beach Residences, with up to eight bedrooms, have also been added to the mix for those larger parties wanting to celebrate in style or just chill and relax.

Beautiful sunsets
Beautiful sunsets

Whichever you choose, each house and villa is fully equipped with all the mod-cons, from Nespresso machines to fancy tea-pod machines, fully stocked minibars and snack bars, and an indoor and outdoor surround sound music system.

Opening the doors to the bathroom – which, incidentally, was nearly the size of my house – gave me complete home-interior envy; the colour scheme and the eclectic features were such a treat.

Chilling and dining

Amilla’s resort staff are wonderful. Each house runs on a katheeb concept – that is, with a butler who looks after your every need, whether it be a buggy ride to breakfast, an evening trip with the kids to see the small sharks swimming around the Reef Houses, or a trip to the resident doctor to deal with an unexpected illness. Smiling seemed second nature to all of them, and nothing was too much trouble – and yet everything was done without an intrusive feeling.

There’s no dress code on the island, which makes it all the more relaxing. The main dining area, The Bazaar, is a collection of fabulous restaurants with a linked iPad ordering system– this means that you can order from any of the restaurants regardless of where you’re sitting. Our kids loved it.

Fish and chips by the pool
Fish and chips by the pool

The resort boasts the first “fish and chip shop” in the Maldives, with the freshest catches. There’s something for everyone, from pizzas to a wine store with nightly wine and cheese tastings, and the fine-dining restaurant Lonu, by acclaimed Aussie chef Luke Mangan. Amilla even has a general store where you can buy beautiful sandwiches, ice creams and fresh fruit and veg. Sit outside with a lovely coffee and listen to the tunes from the resident DJ.

The Bazaar is centred around one of the largest communal pools in the Maldives, too, so it’s an ideal setting for the most amazing cocktails and spectacular sunsets.

Added extras

The resort  offers some wonderful free additions to help you enjoy your stay; a huge daily buffet breakfast is included in the cost, along with a 50-minute spa treatment, all non-motorised water-sports (including the hire of snorkelling equipment) and a 20-minute session of a motorised water-sport. Children are welcomed and loved by all; there’s a kids’ club, plus babysitting services with fun activities on offer. There’s also free laundry and WiFi. These are the kinds of extras that can really add up on a holiday, and it means that when you come to leave Amilla, there’s no nasty shock upon paying the bill.

Along with these freebies, there are all kind of activities to keep everyone busy. The Javvu Spa is superb! It has 10 wooden treatment pods, each with either a sauna or a steam room; there’s also an outdoor yoga pavilion.

Amilla’s own house reef has the renowned “Blue Hole” diving site, which is actually within snorkelling distance of the beach. Elsewhere on the island there are tennis courts, plus a resident tennis pro to help those of us who need it. The Maldivian fishing trip is one not to be missed, and you can even have your own catch grilled or baked for the following day’s lunch.

Amilla has a beautifully relaxed atmosphere with some of the most genuinely friendly and helpful staff I’ve ever encountered on a holiday. It truly was sad to leave – in fact, we had some tears on the boat back to the mainland. They really have done a great job in creating “your island home”.

Getting there

Following the four-hour flight from Singapore, it’s just a 15-minute domestic flight from Male to Dharavandhoo Airport on a Flyme plane. Flyme (flyme.mv) is the Maldivian airline operated by Villa Air, which provides scheduled flights to domestic airports. After your short flight, the Amilla speedboat will transport you from the airport on your 10-minute journey to the resort.

Want to read more? Subscribe here!

Categories: Uncategorized Tags: Maldives Maldives Resorts

Jessamy Smit

Originally from South Africa, Jess Smit is a lifestyle writer, foodie and self-proclaimed grammar snob. She is mum to four junior food critics (two born in the UK and two in Singapore) and loves travelling with her tribe and her husband, Paul.

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2023 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.