There were many wonderful surprises on my first visit to the Maldives. The barefoot pilot ushering us aboard the seaplane for our inter-island flight. The sinuous reef sharks that hunted beneath the over-water jetty. The bicycles on offer to explore the sandy island paths. But something I wasn’t expecting was the diversity of culinary adventures on offer in this dreamy tropical paradise.
Yet as the Maldives entrenches its reputation as one of the world’s leading luxury destinations, hotels and resorts across the archipelago are conjuring up a menu of unforgettable food and wine experiences.
And it was the world of fine wine that wowed me when I landed at Constance Halaveli, in the North Ari Atoll.
The resort boasts two dedicated wine cellars, featuring hundreds of labels from both Old and New World producers. If you find the hundred-page wine list a little daunting, there are dedicated sommeliers on hand to guide you from Sancerre to Cloudy Bay. Dedicated wine tasting experiences are available, and the enthusiastic somms were only too happy to show me around the impressive island and over-water cellars.
But Constance Halaveli is certainly no slouch when it comes to fine food either. There are six restaurants spread across the resort, but it was the over-water dining at Jing that sticks in my memory: lightly-chilled Pinot Noir paired with fresh sashimi of local pole-caught tuna, as rays skirted through the floodlit waters below. It’s an unbeatable locale for romantic dining in the Maldives.
While the level of luxury varies from one resort to the next – usually in step with the price tag – the good news is that you’re all but guaranteed a memorable dining experience wherever you go. Even at more affordable resorts you’ll enjoy beachfront restaurants delivering memorable sea views over the breakfast buffet, and over-water eateries pitched for special occasions. Across the Maldives you’ll find chefs working at the intersection of both produce and place, tapping into the region’s remarkable seafood, infused with the flavours of India and south-east Asia.
And though the resorts of the Maldives are cast away in the Indian Ocean, the chefs here keep a firm finger on the pulse of global trends.
At Soneva Fushi chef Carsten Kyster taps into the shift towards plant-based cuisine at Shades of Green, celebrating Maldivian and Southeast Asian culinary traditions across a five-course menu that starts with a tour of the impressive on-site vegetable and herb gardens. Soneva Fushi also places an emphasis on intimate dining experiences, from the open-air teppanyaki experience to the five-seat private sushi experience of So Hands On.
While the sea views from this sake-polished Japanese pine counter are superb, it’s beneath the waves that dining in the Maldives steps into the territory of truly extraordinary.
In fact, the Maldives pioneered the world of underwater dining, when Ithaa at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island first opened to the public in 2005. Back then it was the world’s first restaurant beneath the waves, and more than a decade later it continues to wow diners with a menu of globally-inspired cuisine and a backdrop of vibrant reef life.
However, today it’s not the only deep-diving eatery in the Maldives.
At the Hurawalhi Island Resort you’ll find 5.8 Undersea, while The Sea at Anantara Kihavah and SUBSIX – where diners arrive by speedboat – all dish up unforgettable deep-sea dining.
Of course, sub-aquatic dining doesn’t come cheap, so a great way to ensure you don’t miss out is to choose a resort offering all-inclusive packages.
LUX* South Ari Atoll Resort is a great option. The architecture and décor is geared towards contemporary minimalism, and there’s a similarly modern approach to the dining experience here too. Enjoy a floating breakfast in your plunge pool, a private dinner in the herb gardens, or a castaway sandbank picnic. There are eight restaurants to choose from, but it’s the East Market where you’ll find me next time, tucking into steamers and satays inspired by the fragrant cuisine of south-east Asia.
Plan your trip: Air Seychelles flies weekly (departing Johannesburg on Friday evenings, returning Friday mornings) from Johannesburg to the Maldives, with a brief technical stop in the Seychelles. To plan an unforgettable Maldivian escape, go to VisitMaldives.com.
Entry requirements: South African passport holders receive a tourist visa on arrival to enter the Maldives. Ensure your passport is valid for at least one month after scheduled date of return, and has at least two blank pages for entry stamps.
Covid-19 Safety: On arrival in the Maldives all travellers must present a negative PCR test result, with a sample taken not more than 96 hours (four days) before departure for the Maldives. For the latest information and protocols, visit https://www.tourism.gov.mv/covid19. A PCR test must also be taken 72 hours prior to your return to South Africa.
In-flight on Air Seychelles all travellers are required to wear a facemask, except when eating or drinking.
This is a paid partnership with Air Seychelles and Visit Maldives.
