Where Time Slows Down: A Bolifushi Island Retreat to Remember
We were assigned a butler on arrival, Moosa, who magically responded to every query on WhatsApp in under 10 seconds. (I mean, where do you find people like that?!) As we made our way to our Earth villa, the place just blew us away. Lush greenery, palm trees with young coconuts and that unreal blue water peeking through every corner. I tried to mentally bookmark all the photo-worthy spots but gave up midway, there were just too many. A few friends had warned us that Maldives is more of a honeymooner’s paradise and not exactly kid-friendly. Well, they couldn’t have been more wrong!
Outside our villa were four cycles, each tagged with our room number, including a tiny one for our littlest, who was thrilled to have her own ride. The villa itself had a massive living area, even bigger bathroom and an L-shaped private pool that we were already obsessed with from the photos. A few steps from the pool and there was the beach, with our own private chairs. Honestly, it felt like a dream we never wanted to wake up from.
Starving, we headed to their Moroccan restaurant where the chef had already prepped for our picky eater (bless him!). After stuffing ourselves and clicking too many photos near the beautiful SANGU BEACH, we crashed into the pool back at our villa. That evening, we found comfort in a solid butter chicken and naan at their Indian restaurant, Saffron, and later we just sat at the bar deck till late – chatting, soaking in the breeze. There’s something about the ocean at night. When you can’t see it, you feel it. It sings.
Meal-wise, we also had the option of trying out their French, Pan Asian and OZAR bar restaurants so there was a plenty of variety. Next morning we had floating breakfast! And yes, it is as fun and chaotic as Instagram makes it look. Half the time was spent trying not to tip over the tray, but we had a good laugh and somehow managed to eat too.
We also went for the Turtle Quest, snorkelling with a small group on a boat. The guides were amazing and knew exactly where to take us after checking a couple of spots. We saw beautiful marine life and even a turtle who popped up to say hi. On our way back, we were lucky enough to spot dolphins! The guides clapped to get their attention and 3-4 came up close before swimming away. Such a magical moment.
One of our highlights was the paddleboat ride. We gave up paddling midway and just sat there watching the underwater world through the transparent bottom, spotting at least 15-20 different kinds of colourful fish. The kids were beyond excited! We even got a spa session (yes, it’s on a water villa!) with the Indian Ocean as our view while we were being pampered. And the kids were happily occupied at the kids club. Oh, and I have to mention the beach BBQ night. Beautiful setup, great food, a personal chef and just the right mix of silliness and laughter to wrap up the evening.
Honestly, the whole experience was just what we needed. Unplugged, relaxed, full of joy and memories we will be talking about for a long time.
A useful tip — Avoid exchanging your money for Maldivian Rufiyaa. Most places accept USD. We made the mistake of carrying a lot of local currency and only ended up using it on the local island. Even there, prices were converted from USD to Rufiyaa, which meant losing money on every transaction.
