A Maldivian rendezvous in the Covid-19 era

I nibble on the cheese, sip the champagne and then wonder what to pick up next from the enormous breakfast spread in the basket. This is a far cry from the usual breakfast scene at a hotel. Picture this: on a Tuesday morning I am in my swimming costume in the middle of an infinity pool with the blue ocean behind me and a lavish floating breakfast basket loaded with all things you’d want at this meal.

I’m at the Heritance Aarah resort in Maldives and we have to leave in a day. Apart from being utterly excited with this luxuriant experience, a part of me is crying because this dream is going to end soon. I pinch myself to recall how did I manage to land up here in the middle of the pandemic. Wasn’t I scared to travel? The answer is a big no.

Covid formalities

When the country is making sure you are safe, then you get comfortable and feel totally secure. What was re-assuring is that every person stepping into Maldives is Covid negative since you can only enter after getting a Covid RT PCR test done within 96 hours prior to your departure. This certificate needs to be shown at the time of immigration. When I travelled, just one airline was flying into Male, now there are three – Air India, GoAir and IndiGo – with direct flights from Mumbai and New Delhi to Male.

One does not need to quarantine or apply for a visa and the short flight duration just makes things easier and better. That is why, when you open your Instagram feed, you will find that almost every travel lover is in the Maldives. And why not? I was glad that I went when this idyllic haven in the midst of the Indian Ocean had just started opening up. Being there for a week, I spent time at two resorts.

Safety measures at the resorts

Both the resorts have protocols and procedures in place to make sure safety comes first. For example, my luggage was sanitized before being sent to the room, my temperature was checked daily, my Covid test was done in the room before leaving for Delhi.

Heritance Aarah was my home for four nights. I could not get over the massive ocean villa from where I could jump straight into the blue water from the deck at the back. The sea was my companion even in the room – from a glass panel in the floor, I could spot many manta rays, stingrays and sharks literally from my bed. This resort really spoils you because of the 24-hour butler service available to the villas. Experiences & activities

I wanted to go scuba diving, but unfortunately the bad weather and rough sea did not allow me to fulfill this wish. Nonetheless, I focused on other activities and tried my hand at the water scooter. I had done it in Goa earlier as a pillion rider, but this time I rode the waves on my own with the instructor sitting at the back. Of course, I was apprehensive at first but as I crested each wave, it gave me a high. And this is one of the many experiences that I’ll take back with me and remember forever.

I will also never forget the delicious food here. One sip of the exquisite ice tea that was the welcome drink and I knew that the food would be superb. What I didn’t know that each meal would just keep getting better at each of the five bars and six restaurants at Heritance Aarah. So much of thought has gone into making each dish such as the intensely flavorful 18-spice butter, the jelly shot made by the talented mixologist Steve Fernandes, the melt in the mouth potato puree, the 9-course dinner at Ambula which is all about Sri Lankan and Maldiven cuisine.

Sunsets and snorkeling

The other resort where I spent three nights was Kandima Maldives, a sprawling resort located on one of the biggest islands in the country with more than 250 villas. It is stylish and modern, with many Instagrammable points. Apart from the unusual swing in the sea, I found myself posing at the Kandima sign near the beach bar when the sky was on fire – an epic red sunset that I rarely get to see in other places. This is also the spot where you can get your daily dose of yoga as the gentle breeze from the blue sea invigorates you.

My most memorable evening here was the sunset cruise. With a glass of bubbly in my hand and canapés to munch on, I let go of every worry in the world as the boat chased the sunset.

They also have scuba diving and snorkeling and I chose to do the latter. It was a surreal, awe-inspiring experience – the colorful reef, gorgeous corals, marine life under me. I spotted a number of fish and even the sea turtle.

We take a seaplane from the resort to Male when it is time to head back. I look around to see everyone asleep and realize this is a special moment between Maldives and me. I am flying above ocean and it is already beckoning me to come back. I don’t know when, but I promise myself that I will return. For now, I am lucky I could travel at a time like this.