Expert writer on the Maldives: Introducing Manta Media Maldives

I've launched a new website specialising in news and travel advice about the Maldives. Check out Manta Media Maldives for thoroughly fact-checked articles, 100% written by humans who know the Maldives like nobody else! 

I lived in the Maldives full-time for five years and have been writing about the Maldives for 15 years. That's why I'm widely regarded as the top foreign travel writer specialising in writing about the Maldives. Thousands of my articles about the Maldives have been published across print and web, from local publications to top tier international magazines, guidebooks and websites. They include a BBC Travel article debunking myths about the Maldives' 'Sea of Stars' that I'm thrilled is still the second most read article on BBC Travel - over a year after publication! 

I also recently enjoyed rewriting the guide and creating a lot of brand-new pages for US News and World Report's Maldives Guide. 

While plenty of other travel writers drop into the Maldives on press trips or for holidays, then skip off home to write about it, I'm the only foreign travel journalist who has lived in the Maldives long-term. I was based in Male' and Hulhumale, which were perfect locations for easy access to speedboats, seaplanes and ferries taking me to resorts or inhabited islands. 

Manta Media Maldives

As useful as press trips can be for writers (particularly those who can't afford resort rates in comparison to the compensation they get for their articles), press trips barely let you even skim the surface of a destination, no matter how many resorts you visit, because they are highly contrived experiences organised by resorts or tourist boards. So you only see what they want you to see. 

They probably won't tell you if a resort used to be a graveyard or a leper colony. Or if the owner is likely to have his assets (including the island you're staying on and recommending to tourists) seized by an international court at any moment. But if you've lived in the Maldives and you mingle with Maldivians who aren't paid to say certain things, then you know. I choose carefully how I say things, and perhaps also which places I omit from my recommendations. In short, it means I'm fully aware of the ethics of writing about the Maldives, as well as knowing the islands in depth.

I'm lucky enough to have lived with Maldivians, established lifelong friendships and contacts, and toured almost all the resorts in the Maldives dozens of times over (as well as countless island communities). I find repeat visits to the same islands will reveal a lot, and help you to understand the nuances of a brand better. Resorts can also change a lot from year to year depending upon their management. 

As a travel journalist whose niche is the Maldives, everything I've described above equates to an unparalleled level of understanding and insights into the Maldives. I'll be eternally grateful for my experiences and for the fact that I'm able to spend extended periods in the Maldives each year. I never stop learning, nor trying to tell the untold stories and unseen angles that go beyond the typical narrative about the Maldives. Some of the stories or facts I drop into articles have never been written about before in English, such as insider secrets, folklore, or Maldivian Oral History. 

I've been reluctant to blow my own trumpet about this until recently because I'm not a particularly brash person. But I've been reminded by several of my peers (as well as Maldivian friends, resort managers and other tourism professionals) just how rare it is to have my depth of knowledge about visiting the Maldives. And that there are others out there with a fraction of this experience of the Maldives who are shouting about it from the rooftops - so why not!

So, I decided to put my knowledge to good use by launching Manta Media Maldives. It's named after the media company I founded in Male', Maldives, in 2010 - Manta Media. As an offshoot of my company, it focuses on the travel news and advice that I might not write about in major magazines and websites because it's more current for people booking holidays in the Maldives within the typical timeframe of researching, then booking, their holiday. 

Manta Media Maldives is not meant to be an exhaustive list of everything travel-related that's happening in the Maldives; our stories are curated. I've worked on enough Maldive-focused publications in the past (as editor of Maldives Traveller, editor of TMA Inflight, editor of TNMV, etc.) to know travellers really don't care who just got appointed head of Food and Beverages at a resort. They want inspirational and practical content that can help them pick the right island resort in the Maldives. And hopefully that's what you'll find if you check it out at www.mmmaldives.com. Thank you!

How to: Get a Job in the Maldives

Looking to escape it all, particularly during the pandemic? The idea of living in the Maldives is a fantasy for many but I ended up living there for five years, and have now been writing about everything I've learned about this fascinating country for a decade due to demand for writers who genuinely know the Maldives rather than just drop in for holidays.

Although it's not the easiest place to find a job, each year hundreds of other people do manage to make their dream of working in the Maldives come true, too. So if you’ve always wanted to work on a far-flung island surrounded by turquoise water and white sandy beaches, read on to find out how to make this become a reality.

 

Jobs for temporary migrants 

Like pretty much all countries, the Maldives relies upon migrants/immigrants to help strengthen the economy and fill employment gaps with their skills. The most common jobs for foreign workers are English teachers, pilots, scuba diving instructors, sommeliers, guest relations officers at resorts and other resort staff including chefs, managers, sales and marketing managers, receptionists, waiters and yoga instructors. 

Random footnote: The temporary migrants of all nationalities and races refer to themselves as 'expats' in the Maldives, but Maldivians use the word 'expat' to refer specifically to Bangladeshi immigrants in the Maldives - they call everybody else simply a 'foreigner'. This is pretty exceptional, as the usual debate around connotations of privilege around the word 'expat' don't apply here in the same way as it does do in the rest of the world, since the people that Maldivians call 'expats' (Bangladeshis) are actually the most under-privileged sector of Maldivian society. Plus the other nationalities who call themselves 'expats' are by no means exclusively European and/or wealthy, often working for less than $1,000USD/month. But I digress, I should probably write a whole other post on that!   

 

Where to find a job in the Maldives

 

The first thing to note is that you should never go to the Maldives as a tourist to look for work. It’s illegal to search for jobs if you’re on a tourist visa. If you have the time (and money), you might want to visit as a tourist just to see how you like it there, but don’t take any risks with job-hunting as you could end up being booted out of the country. 

Most jobs in the Maldives are advertised on the country’s jobs board, www.job-maldives.com. It’s like Monster or Indeed, but specifically for the Maldives. It’s rare to ever see jobs in the Maldives advertised anywhere else, although occasionally you can spot one or two on teaching websites.

You send your application letter and resume by email, and if you’re selected for interview you’ll usually do a skype interview rather than fly to the Maldives for an interview. This is because the country is in such a remote location that it’s quite expensive to get to, so most employers are used to recruiting staff over the internet.

 

You got the job! What next?

 

Your employer will ask you to email some personal documents to support their petition to the Employment Ministry and Immigration Department for a one-year work visa or 3-month business visa for you (depending on the type of job and your contract). These typically include a digital copy of your passport, a digital photo for a visa, birth certificate, college degree (if you have one) or any other type of relevant qualification.

They will then contact you when it’s approved and you’ll discuss a start date. Some employers will also negotiate paying for your flight to the Maldives and it’s common for them to also provide accommodation as part of the deal. However, they rarely pay for relocation costs such as for shipping your belongings.

 

Arriving in the Maldives

 

When you arrive at Velana International Airport, join the line marked ‘Maldivians and Work Permit Holders’ rather than the line for tourist arrivals. Take your passport to the counter and they’ll have your name on a list for work visas or business visas, then will put it in your passport then and there.

It might take a bit of time and it’s a good idea to bring a copy of a letter confirming your job with you, as well as the phone number of your employer, just in case of any problems.

 

Some red flags

 

Some employers in the Maldives try to get you to fly there on a tourist visa then will send you to neighboring Sri Lanka and back after you’ve been working for a couple of weeks so you can re-enter the country again on a work visa. This is very bad practice. Not only is it illegal but also a BIG red flag.

If you arrive as a tourist and then start work it means you’re working illegally and aren’t protected by Employment Law either. So if you’re caught you will be deported, or if they decide they don’t want you to keep working for them/don’t pay you, you have no legal recourse. It’s not worth the risk.

Also, don't ever let your new employer have your passport. Many local employers mistakenly think they can hold your passport for you while you're working for them, but this of course is totally illegal everywhere in the world, including here! Take a look inside your passport; you'll see it states it is the property of the sovereign of your home country (in my case, The Queen!), nobody else. Your Embassy or Consulate can help you get it back if you have any problems.  

Teachers

 

Most English teachers in the Maldives have either a TEFL or CELTA certificate which only takes a few months to get, although some have a teaching degree. English is the second language of the Maldives, and is essential for tourism, so there’s always a lot of demand for teachers. Most foreign teachers work at the schools in Male’ such as Billabong High International School, at resorts (to teach some of the staff) or occasionally on the smaller inhabited islands, although the latter usually can’t afford foreign staff.

Most teachers are based in Male’, the capital city. Male’ is a chaotic concrete jungle, with 150,000 people crammed into 2.2sq miles, and alcohol is banned there.

On the plus side, during your weekends and vacation time you can get discounted rates at resorts, access to the islands and lagoons and a lively party scene via Facebook groups such as Maldives Expat Parties (a group I founded) and Expats in Maldives.

Typically a flight to the Maldives, round-trip flights home once or twice a year and a private room is part of a foreign teacher’s package in the Maldives. Most teachers get two days off per week (sometimes just one), and normal school holidays.

 

Pilots

 

There’s normally a very high demand for foreign pilots in the Maldives because there aren’t enough Maldivian pilots to meet demand. I say normally. Up until the pandemic, seaplane pilots were very much in demand and salaries were raised to attract new talent. There's currently a hold on recruiting foreign pilots but it's expected that the Maldives will bounce back again by mid 2021. 

Tourism is huge in the Maldives (it’s the country’s largest GDP) so they need pilots based there year-round. The biggest aviation employers are TMA and Island Aviation Service. TMA is the biggest seaplane operator and Island Aviation Service has seaplanes and wheel planes.

Pilots are given a free flight to the Maldives, round-trip flights home several times per year and a private room. In fact, TMA sends pilots home for a one-month holiday every three months.

 

 

Scuba diving instructors/dive masters

 

If you’re already certified as a PADI Diving Instructor or Dive Master, you might be able to get a job with a dive centre at a resort, on one of the inhabited islands or on a liveaboard (also called a ‘safari boat’ in the Maldives). With the Maldives being one of the world’s best scuba diving locations, it’s an incredible place to work as a diver.

Employment packages always include accommodation but flights to the Maldives and home are negotiable.

 

Resort staff jobs

 

While you’re less likely to get a job as a foreign waiter at a resort (there are plenty of Maldivians with this skill-set already) there are lots of jobs for multilingual guest relations officers, sommeliers, receptionists, English teachers and yoga instructors at resorts, as well as senior management such as general managers, assistant managers, CFOs and sales and marketing/PR managers.

All resort job packages include free accommodation at the island, although, unless you’re senior staff you probably won’t get a private room (dorm rooms are common). The resorts usually pay for you to fly there and for a return trip home once a year. Most resorts only give you one day off per week and you work very long hours.

 

What it takes to work in the Maldives

 

 

The harder side of living in the Maldives is something very few people think about but definitely needs consideration. Working at a resort is completely different to working on an inhabited island. This is mostly because the resorts are almost always on an island of their own, isolated from the rest of the country.

Depending on the location, it might be really hard to leave your island to visit any other islands during your day off. So you can sometimes get ‘island fever’ (a kind of claustrophobia) and need to be very resourceful so you don’t get lonely or depressed. Resorts are particularly intense, with 500 or more staff on one tiny island usually less than a couple of square miles in size.

Whichever island you’re on, activities are pretty much all based around the sea (swimming, diving, snorkeling etc), so if you don’t like the ocean/sun, get bored easily or suffer from depression, do think hard before accepting a job in the Maldives as it’s completely different to being on holiday in the Maldives. Male’ is a different story - it's basically not peaceful or idyllic in any way because it's a capital city island, the center of commerce. At just 2.2sq miles, you make your own fun here. But you do end up with some of the closest friendships you'll ever make in your life, due to the hours you'll spend simply sitting and talking to friends. 

Before you go, also read up on Male’ and the Maldives, learn about the moderate Sunni Muslim culture and its implications for you, implications for women living in the Maldives and read some news articles from a reputable English language news publication such as the Maldives Independent (currently not operating but hopefully will re-start one day) to get a feel for the place. That way you’ll be mentally prepared for what is a challenging but also very rewarding and unique experience.

 

Final note: Labor laws to protect you

Typically, Friday is the day off for staff although some companies also give you Saturday off. Sunday is the start of the week. This is worth saying again: Do not ever let any employer hold your passport, unless they’re renewing your visa. Some employers in the Maldives genuinely don’t realise it isn’t legal for them to hold your passport. The Maldives has a very good Employment Act based on the UK’s labor laws to protect staff from unfair dismissals etc and a good Employment Tribunal, but if you have any serious problems contact your local Consulate or Embassy immediately as they’ll fight your corner for you.

 

Why You Should Buy A Boat in LA

Wait, I'm not attempting to write the most obnoxious millennial travel blog post in history (admittedly that'd be an achievement!). This isn't a post about people whose dads buy them boats. Just bear with me and you'll see this idea has legs...

The views aren't too bad!

Buying a boat to save cash

The genesis of this oxymoron springs from a conversation I had with a pilot friend at California Yacht Club in Marina Del Ray on July 4th while we were waiting for the fireworks to start. As I munched on a hot dog, sipped a margarita and celebrated my first Independence Day with new friends, she really got me thinking about traditional as well as the abstract concept of what 'home' means. 

I already know that a home is much more than bricks and mortar, and as a travel writer, I'm secure knowing 'home' is a feeling I take with me to wherever I'm sleeping that night, and how I feel when I'm with (or FaceTiming) my friends and family. But what are the essentials (physical and abstract)? For example, I really need to have a good shower. Yes, this could be where I've been spoiled by doing too many hotel views with amazing rain showers, but then again, I found plenty of flats even in Valencia with them). What are your non-negotiables? Are there any more creative solutions for home ownership than the typical options? We've all seen the 'tiny home' concept take off, but what are the alternatives? I love to think outside the box so of course I couldn't resist doing some research on this...

LA Story

As many of you already know, Los Angeles isn't the cheapest city in the world in comparison with many others. Sure, it's more affordable than San Francisco, but certainly not as cheap  as some of the other places I've lived; Valencia in Spain for example (I added the 'in Spain' bit because I met someone on my first day in California from what I'm going to call the 'new' Valencia - a neighbourhood in Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County). 

Pick a room, any room...

As you can see from my Valencia article (link above), renting a room in Valencia costs as little as $350 a month. For that price, you get something quite basic, but tip the budget a tiny bit higher to $460 per month and you'll get a large double bedroom with private ensuite bathroom in a two-bedroom luxury apartment, or even a smaller one-bedroom apartment. It'd be located centrally in a bougie neighbourhood full of cupcake bakeries and craft beer bars, such as Ruzafa (yep, that's my old 'hood). And if you're buying in Valencia, an apartment can be yours for as little as $46,000. 

So, yeah...Los Angeles definitely is pricier than Valencia but no surprise there. Most salaries are far lower in Spain than in the US too (which is why most of my friends in Valencia worked online remotely for foreign companies or were digital nomads who ended up extending their stay in the city because it was so much fun). 

That being said, living in many parts of LA still isn't as expensive as living in London. London is my benchmark being as that's where I'm originally from. 

I used to live in a neighbourhood with the same kind of media and music industry types, plus yoga mums with those prams you can jog with, that you get in Santa Monica so it's not too surprising that I feel at home here. It was *the* place my friends in LA told me I should be. 

While we're talking about comparisons, as I recently wrote in an article for Far and Wide, the rent in Los Angeles is comparable with rent on the opposite side of the world, in Male', capital of the Maldives. (For context, the Maldives is an archipelago in South Asia where the average salary is $250 a month, so a lot of Maldivians end up sharing one apartment together).

But let's get back to the point. Rent in Los Angeles starts at roughly $800 a month for something pretty basic in a not particularly great (although not necessarily dodgy) area. If you're bothered about how attractive the room looks and how 'nice' or 'safe' the neighbourhood is, you probably need to pay at least $1,300 and over for a room (most probably in West LA). Again, it depends upon what your essential requirements are. For me, being a female (and a petite one at that), living somewhere safe and well-lit is always my first priority, everything else like the bed and the shower is secondary to that. And then things like being within easy reach of the sea are a huge bonus, but more of a privilege than a necessity...I'm lucky enough to have had a few beachfront apartments over the years.

This is the view from one of my former apartments in Male'

So we're looking at $1,300 plus, and we're still talking about only one room. In a shared house. Maybe with a shared bathroom. Eh. Not so fun when you're in your 30's and used to having your own place. Everyone has their own non-negotiables. Perhaps not sharing a bathroom is one of yours. Because who wants to put on clothes in case you run into anyone in the hallway anyway?!

Well, how about you had your own space to yourself, with its own bathroom, two bedrooms, beautiful views and a nice community? Just one thing; it floats.

The cost

Obviously you need to come up with the initial cost of purchasing your boat to start with, but it's infinitely more affordable than buying a property - you could get a pretty decent one to two cabin boat for around $30,000 to $40,000, or something much swisher for more, obviously. 

You need to take into account the cost of mooring. You could, for example, be looking at $2,371 annually (yes, that's right, per year not per month!), in an open slip for a vessel up to 28 feet long.

A 30ft boat like this costs $29,500

Plus you get access to the yacht club facilities, which, depending on how fancy the yacht club is, can include access to swimming pools, members' bars and tennis courts along with the usual access to a hot showers. (That might actually help to persuade me, being as boat showers usually aren't the greatest, even if you're looking at a very big yacht!)

Obviously there are additional costs like maintenance. And if you actually want to take it anywhere; kerosene! Funnily enough, my friend bought her boat and then learned how to sail it. But then again she's a pilot, so it was easy as pie for her. 

You might not have a huge amount of indoor space, but you wouldn't if you were living in a tiny home either. And you get your very own pad, with the freedom to take it wherever you want to, plus a ready-made community of neighbours wherever you go. There's a very convivial sense of community at the yacht clubs, with people chatting to neighbouring boat owners while they relax in the sun or potter about. There seems to be a lot of pottering going on. But it's pretty nice to dial the pace right down when you're living in a busy city! 

Other benefits: No psycho housemates (hooray), and no lining up to get into the bathroom before work. Yes, there's an initial outlay, but it's considerably less than what you'd have to pay if you wanted to buy even a small studio in LA. And you know what, if money is no object, then why not just treat yourself to a boat anyway! You can't beat being on the water!

7 Reasons To Visit Dusit Thani Maldives

Of all the resorts I've reviewed in the Maldives (and that's most of them), Dusit Thani is in my personal Top Five. Here I'll tell you what makes it so special...

A stunning resort offering a unique combination of Thai and Maldivian hospitality! Photo: Dusit Thani

The other day I wrote about why Four Seasons Maldives has a special place in my heart but although it's considerably less pricey than FS, Dusit Thani Maldives has very good game if you're looking for a five-star resort in the Maldives. Let me tell you why: 

1) You don't need to be a Kardashian to afford to stay at Dusit Thani Maldives

It's a more affordable option for those who don't want to compromise on world-class luxury and service. 'But wait', you might be asking, 'Aren't all Maldives resorts basically the same: white sand, turquoise sea, luxury water villas...'. Sure, choosing between Maldives resorts can sometimes feel like choosing your favourite KitKat out of a box of KitKats (or something funnier)...But hopefully in this blog I can help explain the nuances. Here's the thing with Dusit Thani. It's in the lower half of five star range (compared to the $50,000 a night suite at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, for example). But it's still a very solid Maldives five star resort. I'll tell you why in more detail this post. 

Contemporary Thai decor in one of Dusit Thani Maldive's beach villas. Photo: Dusit Thani

2) Thai Charm and Hospitality, in the Maldives

‘Sawasdee Kaa!’-  this is how the personal butlers greet you at the seaplane jetty with the classic Thai hand gesture and a slight bow. It's the start of a unique journey where guests experience a combination of Asian cultures: Thai hospitality meets the natural beauty of the Maldives, with everything running like clockwork thanks to the excellent Thai, Maldivian and international staff. The staff are extremely friendly and welcoming, the management clearly made an effort to train everyone. (You'd be surprised how many big resorts fail on this).

The stunning beach and water villas are in mint condition, since the resort only opened in 2012 (I was lucky enough to be amongst the media invited along to road-test it and revisted many times since). The villas are decorated in a contemporary Thai style - subdued tones with subtle nods to the resort's Thai ownership (Dusit Thani is a well-respected brand in Thailand), such as beautiful Thai silk curtains and traditional artwork on the walls. 

The accommodation also delivers exactly what you want from a Maldives resort: private sundecks, infinity-edge plunge pools with wow factor, beautiful bathrooms and the obligatory romantic bathtubs big enough for two. Artwork in the restaurants and bars provide hints of Thai culture, but the thatched roofs pay homage to Maldivian traditions.

It's hard to find a better spa in the region than the Devarana Spa and its super-talented, lovely staff. Photo: Dusit Thani

3) One of the best spas in the region

Wait, while I'm still on the subject of Thai hospitality, did you know they have one of the most beautiful spas in the Maldives? And it's not a case of style over substance either, the Devarana Spa at Dusit Thani is the only spa in the Maldives entirely staffed by Thai massage therapists, who are some of the best in the country. 

Devarana Spa is a highly-regarded Thai spa chain. The actual building is an extensive private treehouse. The heavenly-looking white treatment rooms are linked by wooden walkways high up in the trees. Inside they are gleaming havens of tranquility. If you can, try the Devarana Signature Massage that combines Thai, Shiatsu and Ayurveda techniques with Swedish and Aromatherapy influences...I'm drooling just thinking about it! 

Benjarong Restaurant: A real treat for anyone who loves Thai food! Photo: Dusit Thani

4) While we're talking about indulgences: Thai cuisine!

As we all know, Thai cusine is some of the most delicious in the world. At Dusit Thani Maldives you can find a range of restaurants with international cusine but the jewel in its crown is the stunning Thai signature restaurant suspended over the ocean, named Benjarong.

Benjarong is staffed by Thai chefs and waiters and offers truly authentic Thai cusine and service. All of the classic Thai dishes we all love, such as chicken with cashew nuts and green curry are available, as well as some less well-known options. Benjarong hangs directly over the ocean, and above it on the next deck is the Sala Bar. You can head there for an after-dinner cocktail such as a lychee mojito to enjoy the incredible views over the ocean and a hip lounge atmosphere. 

So many restaurants and bars in the Maldives stand on platforms over lagoons but at Dusit Thani there are no less than four separate spacious dining decks over the water. 

The beautiful infinity swimming pool is lit up by LEDs at night. Photo: Dusit Thani

5) Infinity pool and gourmet steaks 

I'm putting these two together as one because they relate to the same location. If you enjoy a quality steak, then you must check out Sea Grill, which is next to the beautiful freeform infinity pool (I didn't know what a freeform pool was either before I started writing about the Maldives for a living: It means it's a soft shape; not a square or rectangle). 

The interior of Sea Grill - or better yet, catch the breeze on the terrace

One of the prides of Dusit Thani Maldives is the 750sqm freeform infinity swimming pool, which is built around an ancient banyan tree. It was one of the largest infinity swimming pools in the Maldives and the only one with a beautiful tree in it (before Amilla Fushi arrived on the scene a couple of years later) and at night the water is brought to life by dozens of twinkling LED lights.

Sea Grill serves fresh seafood but in my opinion the superbly-grilled, juicy, grass-fed Wagyu Australian steaks are incredible. During the day time, you can chill at Sea Grill and watch the infinite turquoise ocean and at night the tiny colourful lights in the bottom of the pool create some magic.

The house reef is in pretty good condition and diving/snorkeling in the Baa Atoll area is excellent. Photo: Dusit Thani

6) An eco-friendly ethos

A lot of 'greenwashing' happens around the world but a few years ago I investigated what luxury resorts in Baa Atoll, including Dusit Thani Maldives, are doing in terms of conservation and environmental work. The good news is that Dusit Thani is doing a lot of genuinely impressive work on that front. 

The main focus of all of the eco-initiatives at Dusit Thani Maldives is on the marine environment. The resort’s marine biologist offers guests regular talks about the huge range of marine species like turtles, rays and dolphins in the area, and leads guided turtle and manta-spotting trips where she informs guests about the species and the importance of conservation. The marine biology team is experimenting with coral-planting in the lagoon to mitigate the impact of coral bleaching in the immediate area and a small amount of damage which was an inevitable result of the resort’s construction.

They also grow vegetables and herbs on the site and have their own desalinated water bottling plant  to reduce the amount they have to import (almost everything in the Maldives is flown in or shipped in), plus they recycle bottles and glass and re-use them on pathways and as mosaics. 

The island's natural beauty is another thing that makes it special. Photo: Dusit Thani

7) The beautiful natural environment

As I said earlier, I'm hoping to explain some of the nuances. There are 26 atolls in the Maldives, and Baa Atoll is one of my favourites. How do they differ? In more ways than you can imagine! From the depth of the water in the atolls (which affects many things including the diving and marine life) to how close they are to Male (you may notice more planes overhead, commercial boats passing by out at sea, etc). 

 A unique feature of the oval-shaped island is that the vibrant coral reef completely surrounds it, unbroken by a natural lagoon.Small, delicate paintings on the walls and contemporary works of art in the restaurant and bars give subtle hints of Thai artistry in the resort, but the thatched roofs and wooden walls pay homage to the Maldivian traditions.

Baa Atoll, where Dusit Thani is located, is a UNECO World Biosphere Reserve, recognised for the importance and diversity of its marine life and protected for future generations. And just around Dusit Thani's vibrant house reef itself you'll find abundant marine life including Hawksbill turtles, brilliantly-coloured fish, soft corals and some huge table corals too. 

As for the island, it's a perfectly oval-shaped island encircled by a beach of icing-sugar soft sand. (Again, nuances! Some beaches are full of dead coral and one in the far north is really rocky!). The beach stretches all the way around the island (again, not all of them do), and you can walk all the way around the island uninterrupted (some resorts block off part of the beach for a private staff area). 

Some final points about Dusit Thani Maldives: 

This was my private open-air bathroom on one occasion I visited, complete with plunge pool. Photo: Sarah Harvey

• The villas are full of modern technology including complimentary Wi-Fi, cable TV and a Bose surround sound entertainment system, not to mention private wine coolers filled with wine and champagne. The minibar snacks include some Thai treats, including delicious spicy lemongrass crackers!

• 15 of the 46 Beach Villas have small private pools in the outdoor bathrooms but they are rather tight on space, as there is no-where to lie after a soak. However, the huge pools of the two-bedroom Beach Residences are impressively large; perfect for a big family.

• The Lagoon Villas and Ocean Villas all provide incredible sea views and the fantastic reef is just a stone’s throw away. Those who prefer to be closer to the sand will find the Lagoon Villas are a better bet.

• Activities and excursions include wine tasting on a sandbank, fishing, sunset champagne cruises, monitoring turtles nesting, yoga classes, and snorkeling with resident marine biologist.

One last look! Photo: Dusit Thani

Why Swimming With Manta Rays Should Be On Your Bucket List

If they're not already on your bucket list, put swimming with these huge, graceful, alien-looking creatures on it now!

Just look at this beauty!

Why should you swim with manta rays? Let me share the first of my many experiences with manta rays with you to explain why. (Just make sure you're responsible and don't touch them or crowd them: These colossal beauties deserve our respect and you could harm them with just a touch)...

Manta rays aren't shy!

“Manta! Manta!” The cry we had been waiting for rang out from our guide. The group I was with had been dropped off at a sandy-bottomed dive site known to be a fairly reliable place to see manta rays during the southwest monsoon and there had been some recent sightings during the days preceding my visit. We were on the eastern side of the Maldives, where the southwest monsoon season (April to November) is the best time to spot manta rays. We’d been sailing around on the traditional wooden ‘dhoni’ (boat) for less than 20 minutes before we got the signal and a surge of adrenaline instantly rushed through me. I was about to see wild manta rays for the first time!

A manta breaching the surface

Sure enough, the surface of the water was being breached by several triangular pectoral fins. The undersides of their fins flashed white as they sliced through the water and beneath them I could see the silhouettes of yet more manta rays. We had stumbled upon a group of reef mantas which although smaller and more common than oceanic mantas are still amongst the largest of any type of ray in the world, at an average of 3 to 3.5 metres wide.

Gentle Giants

Part of the sharks and rays family; mantas are gentle giants which feed upon microscopic zooplankton. Sadly they are rated as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which makes observing them in the wild even more of a privilege. Threats to mantas include pollution, entanglement in fishing nets and even illegal poaching as their gill plates are used in Chinese medicine. However all ray species are now protected in the Maldives.

"Mesmerised by the sight, I remained rooted to the spot as it passed beneath me; unable to take my eyes off it until its shape gradually faded into a blue shadow".

We were there to simply marvel at these majestic creatures, and the guide dutifully briefed us that they could easily be startled and under no circumstances may we attempt to chase or touch them as it could cause a great deal of harm. Nodding in agreement, we slid into the water one by one some metres away from where the mantas were swimming.

Watch out below! Graceful manta gliding by

I peered through the slightly-murky water to try to catch sight of the shape of a manta ray and my snorkel almost fell out of my mouth at the thrill of seeing a manta ray glide just a few metres beneath my fins! Mesmerised by the sight, I remained rooted to the spot as it passed beneath me; unable to take my eyes off it until its shape gradually faded into a blue shadow.

The underwater visibility in the Maldives is usually superb but there was a large amount of plankton in the water which made it more hazy than usual. The zooplankton was the very reason the mantas had been attracted to the spot. Although zooplankton makes your skin tingle slightly the ethereal spectacle of the manta rays made me completely forget the mild discomfort.

My initial surge of excitement barely had time to ebb when I saw the guide pointing in another direction. I turned to see two more manta rays gliding along side by side, funnelling plankton into their strange alien-like mouths with their cephalic fins. Then a third swooped down along the sandy bottom as the imposing figure of the largest manta ray swept into vision.

Just look at that alien-like face and body - amazing creatures!

Drinking in the details 

As the mantas glided past me I drank in all the details. Their strange triangular ‘wings’, white underbellies, gaping mouths and ability to effortlessly accelerate from ‘cruise’ mode to faster than any human could swim. Their gracefulness and elegance was spellbinding. At this moment I immediately understood why manta rays are on the bucket lists of so many snorkellers and divers. I dived down to about five metres with my snorkel in a vain attempt to share their perspective, wishing that just for a day I could become an aquatic creature roaming the reefs of the Maldives.

Where to spot them

Where the mantas roam varies according to the season and their migratory pattern but there are certain sites where they can be often found including cleaning stations where they go for the removal of parasites. There are countless ‘cleaning stations’ and favoured feeding grounds for mantas across the Maldives. One of the most famous sites for spotting manta rays is Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, a Marine Protected Area and home of the Maldivian Manta Ray Project (which researches and monitors the manta population). Visitors can purchase special tickets to visit Hanifaru Bay via their resort or safari boat. Visitor numbers are monitored and there are regulations in place n order to protect the Maldives’ precious manta population.

They are usually found in groups like these ones here

Ari Atoll is also another good place for sighting manta rays. But in most atolls there will be somewhere named ‘Manta Point’ or at least somewhere which is known as a regular haunt of mantas. Guests on liveaboard boats (diving cruises) stand an excellent chance of seeing manta rays during the right season; not just because they maximise their chances by doing three or four dives per day but also because the lights at the back of the yachts attract plankton which in turn attracts mantas. It’s certainly not uncommon for an exciting discovery of manta rays feeding at the back of the boat at night.

• Most resorts in the Maldives offer manta-spotting trips (during manta season)

• Some resorts also offer a manta-alert service, whereby guests put their names on a standby list to receive a call or text message when manta rays have been spotted

• There are thought to be roughly 10,000 manta rays in the Maldives

A combination of factors including the abundance of food, lack of natural predators, lack of big-scale and commercial fishing and the protection of all ray species in the Maldives are just some of the reasons why the population in the Maldives is in somewhat a better state than in other regions where some populations have seen a 95 per cent decline just in the past few decades. But there’s good news for the species on an international scale. 

All manta rays and five species of shark have recently been included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It’s an international treaty that forces countries to control the trade of products of listed species. This means that if a country insists on trading in manta products they will need a permit and to provide scientific evidence that it will not be detrimental to the population, which is extremely difficult to do. 

Mantas have a pregnancy lasting nine to 12 months so they can’t reproduce fast enough to replace those mantas hunted by fisherman or dying trapped in nets. But over time, it is hoped that the impact of this new international law will be seen in the oceans around the world...

Now do you see why manta rays are so precious? Heck, I even named Manta Media after them!