DUSTY TRAVELS / The Maldives

ANANTARA DHIGU MALDIVES RESORT

Where do you take a toddler for a relaxing beach holiday ? This was the question I asked a friend who also happens to be a very clued up travel writer.  She’d just returned from a Miami conference and apparently the best place is the Maldives.  The beaches are pristine (no dangerous rocks, crazy waves, anything that could potentially eat or sting you) The temperature holds mostly between a balmy 24-31 so no need to over-pack for every eventuality. 

This was my first time visiting and would be Dusty’s longest flight (7.5 hours to Singapore (from Sydney) and then 4.5 hours to Malé). My partner was a little apprehensive but I assured him that we’d be fine and after all whatever will be will be and he’ll forget all about it once he arrived, I’ve added some tips that I’ve been given and use myself  (Flying with a toddler)  I booked a nights stay in Malé so that we would be refreshed and could enjoy the boat ride and our first day at our first destination Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort.

Anantara Dhigu is a small Island (you can cycle end to end in 10 minutes) 35 minutes by speedboat from Malé that houses 110 rooms, over-water, sunset or sunrise beach bungalows. All transfers are arrange (seamlessly) by the hotel.  We were collected from our hotel and swiftly taken to be checked in at their lounge room at the wharf, this is a genius idea as it means when you arrive at the resort you hop on your beach buggy and go straight to the room, no faffing which really helps when you have a toddler in tow. The speedboat is armed by a team of 4 and we all got life jackets, icy water and towels and the wifi password (STARFISH) love it.

The greeting we received by the team when our boat arrived was so lovely and Dusty was presented with a little bracelet with his name on which was a nice touch, we were then given a quick tour of the island, which hosts a kids club, spa, tennis courts, water sports centre as well as four restaurants; beachfront Fushi Café (which serves the best buffet breakfast I’ve ever experienced - full video walk through on IG Stories highlight ‘Maldives’ ) pool bar Aqua for drinks and casual lunch options,  Sea.Fire.Salt, a fish and meat grill restaurant and Terrazzo, an Italian.  You can also take a quick boat ride across the lagoon to Thai Baan Huraa on sister resort Anantara Veli or for modern Japanese there is restaurant Origami.

Day 1 / Attention To Detail

We arrived at our sunrise beach villa just after lunch and we were welcomed with nibbles, bubbles and a cupcake making kit for Dusty.  I loved all the thought that had been put into making Dusty a big part of the trip, his own towel with the kids club hermit crab motif (more on hermits later) his bed was neatly made up and the room that had been chosen for us was lovely and dark as it’s nestled amongst trees just off the beach.  Dusty had a much needed nap and we spent the afternoon on the beach (not another soul in sight, bliss) We enjoyed our first of many coconuts and dips in what I can only describe as the clearest most water I’ve ever encountered.  That evening we rode our bikes to Sea.Fire.Salt where Dusty was kept entertained by the waiting staff and enjoyed a small mountain of the most delicious spaghetti bolognaise from a brilliantly put together kids menu and we had perfectly cooked steak and chips. We rounded off the evening with a quick cycle around the island and carried a sleeping Dusty out of his seat and into his cot.

Day 2 / That Breakfast Buffet Though !

Dusty decided to wake up at 4.30am as you do ; ) So we made the most of it and had a lovely sunrise walk up the beach, again not a soul in sight which made the place feel like our own desert island, he met his first hermit crab and was absolutely fascinated them.  Next up was breakfast. Now, I have encountered quite a few breakfast buffets in my time as a stylist when travelling for work and on holidays in general but this one tops the lot, the quality and diversity is second to none and it was the perfect opportunity for us to give Dusty lots of new things to try, his favourite being a coconut and mango wellness pot.  We spent the day playing on the beach and after Dusty’s nap we checked out the kids club, I didn’t want to leave him there by himself as we were staying for 3 nights and I wanted to spend as much time together as a family but if we had stayed longer I wouldn’t have hesitated, the women that look after the children are so warm and really tapped into what a child of each age would be interested in.  For dinner that evening we took a 5 minute boat across the lagoon to sister Island Anantara Veli to Thai restaurant Baan Huraa where we watched the fish through the glass floor in the middle and filled our bellies with delicious food to the sound of waves crashing onto the reef.

Day 3 / Do we really have to leave ?

I knew before we went on the trip exactly what we would want to do each day and that was to relax and spend as much quality time exploring and playing together on the beach as a family in our little bubble. Anantara Dhigu really is the perfect place for a young family to do that.  The days followed the same gentle pattern of getting up early, watching the sunrise and going for a swim, having breakfast, Dusty having a little morning nap and then we would go for an early lunch to the pool bar where the waiting staff would play peek-a-boo, pretend to serve him water into his cup which he found hilarious. After his big nap we would all hang out on the beach and wait for Mr Coconut man to show up before getting ready for dinner.  Whilst Dusty napped on our 3rd day I slipped off to the over-water Spa and opted for a facial and head massage whilst I listened to the water lap below me, absolute heaven.  For our last night we went to the same restaurant that serves breakfast in the morning and had the dinner buffet which was same as the breakfast, crazy good !!  This is such a good option for families as there’s lots going on to keep little eyes busy and the staff are brilliant with the kids, but most of all the food is insane and unlike any buffet I’ve ever been to and don’t get me started on the desert section.

Summary

I’m sure that there are lots of islands just like Anantara Dhigu with pristine white sand and clear, warm turquoise water but I can’t imagine that too many have staff as incredible as the people that work here.  They seriously blew myself and my partner away, genuinely the happiest and most attentive people you could meet and this was consistent with everyone we met.  I think that’s the part that I didn’t quite contemplate when I first thought about my ideal tropical holiday with a family in tow but it’s actually the most important element.  They managed to keep Dusty entertained, especially in those key moments (Lunch and Dinner) when he started to hit a wall and want his bed. When we needed something ( which was rare as they really had thought of EVERYTHING) I felt like It happened before we’d even asked and when Dusty dropped / occasionally threw a fork at dinner I felt like the waiting staffs ears were so attuned to this sound that a new one appeared within seconds.  As we boarded the boat to leave I genuinely felt a bit teary, my dream of having a perfect tropical island holiday with my little family and creating memories; morning sunrise walks, watching bats, birds and little hermit crabs and biking around with Dusty on the back (which incidentally is the best way to get him to sleep when he’s having none of it) had come true.

ANANTARA DHIGU MALDIVES RESORT

NIYAMA PRIVATE ISLANDS

Niyama Private Islands is located 50 minutes by seaplane from Malé. The two Island are joined together by a small bridge and in total are 2km in length. The islands are divided into PLAY and CHILL. There are 6 very different restaurants as well as a classic poolside restaurant, a beach club, a live music bar and a deli. They have a HUGE kids club area suitable for all ages that includes a water jet park, a giant trampoline set into the ground, a climbing wall, as well as all of the classic swings and roundabouts etc.

DAY 1 / Bright White & Turquoise

We arrived at lunchtime and were taken on an island tour and on to our beach villa where we were left to unpack and relax. Biking around the island is big in the Maldives as it’s the easiest way to get about and ours were lined up in the driveway of our villa, each with its own name tag which was a really lovely sight. The villa had some great features; tons of wardrobe space, a gigantic bath, curtains and blinds that close at the touch of a button, a full size fridge, a pop corn machine and complimentary homemade ice cream that would be re-filled daily (dangerous) It also has some lovely little touches for Dusty, his own wash bag, baby bath and towel and little fluffy crab was tucked into his bed waiting for him. The floor to ceiling patio doors lead out onto a terrace with a swinging day bed and a beautiful pool in a tasteful green. The view beyond is of the brightest turquoise water I’ve ever seen and the sand here glows white, as in it can take your eyes a while to adjust when you first walk out onto it. The beach near our villa was long and we didn’t see another soul on it. After Dusty’s nap we took the bikes for a spin around the Island. The feeling of space and privacy is very apparent at Niyama and we felt instantly relaxed. After meeting our host for some welcome drinks at the Surf Shack (Reggae music playing in the background naturally) We watched the surfers carry their boards out of the water as the sun was setting. We then headed to NEST for our dinner booking, a tree house space 6 metres up that is home to Niyama’s Asian restaurant. The staff were brilliant and made Dusty a little fish on a rod out of leaves that he waved around until dinner arrived. After dinner we went for another bike ride in the moonlight and spotted lots of fish over the bridge between the two islands.

DAY 2 / Kids Club

We were up early for the sunrise and rode our bikes to the opposite side of the island where the water was shallow and huge shoals of fish were gathering really close to the shoreline, it wasn’t long before a baby shark turned up for breakfast and we watched it chase the fish around, which Dusty loved. After a swim and some time spent watching the hermit crabs we went to ‘Epicure’ for a buffet style breakfast. After breakfast it was time to explore and we rode to ever corner of the islands, Niyama really is a beautiful resort, it has the stretches of sand that break through the water that you imagine the Maldives to be like. All of the bike routes are under shaded palms and jungle style trees, a much needed contrast to being out in the blistering sun on the white sand. For lunch we went back to the surf shack and had a very good raw fish salad, lamb burrito and truffle fries - I think we could have eaten here everyday, the atmosphere was so chilled and the views amazing. After lunch my partner had a massage booked and so Dusty and I went to explore the kids club, we’d ridden past it a few times now and it looked very impressive and didn’t disappoint, it was massive and the staff were lovely. We spent a good hour there with Dusty running through the water park area, having fun on the low level climbing frame which was perfect for little ones, it is 100% the most amazing kids space I’ve ever been too and when it was time to leave there were a few tears. It was now my turn for a spa treatment and Dusty was off for a nap. The spa is on the CHILL island and the treatment rooms are located next to the shoreline with beautiful views. My therapist gave me a lovely body scrub and facial and I floated back to the villa for a nap myself. That evening we kept things casual and went for a BBQ meal on the beach at BLU, the food was great and there were lots of kids about so Dusty was happy. Again we ended our evening with a bike ride and a walk along the beach.

DAY 3 / Under Water Fine Dining After our morning swim and breakfast we hung out at our villa. Dusty had all his beach toys out and was very happy pottering around and I made full use of the lounger. You could easily spend everyday at your villa, the pool is beautiful and doesn't distract from the view of the beach beyond and there is enough sand hermit crabs to keep even the fussiest toddlers happy ! For lunch we took a speedboat to Niyama’s famous SUBSIX restaurant. We walked down the staircase and into one of the calmest spaces I’ve ever experienced, it’s a small restaurant with maybe 10 tables that all face a floor to ceiling glass window where you can peer into an underwater world. There we so many fish and the get daily visits from baby sharks, the day before there had also been sea turtles spotted. Dusty LOVED it and I pushed his high chair right up next to the glass and that kept him happy for the whole meal. We worked our way through an amazing set menu of scallops, lobster ravioli, seabass a really good chocolate dessert. After lunch we rolled back up the stairs to our awaiting speedboat and headed back to the mainland, that meal is up there with one of my favourites ever, just incredible and I still can’t get over the amazing feeling of calm that comes with being underwater.

Summary

I didn’t realise that holidays like our time spent at Niyama existed in the Maldives, the chilled out feeling on the island is similar to that I’ve experienced in Thailand. The space is incredible and you really feel like it’s only you and a couple of other people on the Island during the day. It’s a brilliant spot if you like to keep active whilst you’re away too and the beach break is perfect if you surf or want to learn. The island is great for couples or families with children of any age as there really is something for everyone. You will not run out of dinner or lunch options and the standard of the food is incredible. We had a wonderful dinner on the last night at Tribal, an African, Central and South American restaurant where you sit under a beautiful white canopy amongst blazing fires eating the most incredible steak, the waiting staff were so great with Dusty and across the board they always made a point of making sure his food was presented moments after we’d ordered, which any family will know is the key to happiness when eating out with children. Lunch at SUBSIX was an experience I will never forget and an absolute must do. The rooms at Niyama are worth a mention, they’re really well designed, lots of wardrobe space and the curtains and blinds all work on a switch system and can be dropped quickly which helps when you are carrying a stirring baby through the doors after lunch. Our bathroom was accessed via two large double doors between the wardrobe space so that when you left them open you could see all the way through to the ocean, it also contained the biggest bath I have ever seen in a hotel room and we made full use of it as a family. Niyama is somewhere we could definitely spend longer at, there is so much to do and explore, the scenery is spectacular, my partner could surf and I know Dusty would have a ball hanging out at the kids club.

NIYAMA PRIVATE ISLANDS MALDIVES