Sands of time

Published on Thursday 24 January 2008 10:56

With sea levels rising, the Maldives could soon be the ultimate paradise lost – so enjoy these beautiful, tranquil islands while you can.

A WHOLE island is dedicated to the airport. The neighbouring island, all two square kilometres of it, comprises the capital city. The remaining 1,190 islands that form the Maldives are scattered like jewels from a broken necklace, stretching more than 800km below the southern tip of India, and grouped in clumps of 26 atolls between the Arabian and Laccadive seas. It is the only nation in the world which is comprised 99% of water.

As the plane approached its destination, I stared spellbound from the window over circles of brilliant, electric turquoise dotting the darker waters. They seemed to be bounded by white rings, which, as we approached, turned out to be waves breaking on the coral reef. Some of the islands were identifiable by sprouting greenery at their epicentres. Other islands seemed little more than shallow mounds of palest coral sand. More still were so low-lying and flat that they were hard to spot, apparently sinking below the level of the surrounding reef.

Which, unfortunately, they are. The islands have recovered from the Boxing Day tsunami, but with 80% of the Maldives rising no more than one metre above sea level, the ocean could still sound the death knell. Inhabited for 2,500 years and first mentioned by the Romans in 362AD, their end is nigh. Thirty years' reprieve, some give them; 100 years, say others. Scientists have been warning of impending disaster for years as global warming steadily raises sea levels by nearly one centimetre a year. With each millimetre rise in sea level, the power of a wave increases, giving it greater destructive power. Coral reefs, natural barriers against the waves, are being frantically cleared of debris and reclaimed.

Yet despite predictions of doom, and within strict environmental controls – only 20% of any island may be built on – hotel resorts keep popping up. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. The Maldives are, after all, a worldly paradise, enhanced by a mouthwatering array of five-star establishments since the birth of tourism here in 1972. And I was on my way to stay at one of the newest resorts, the Anantara.

Seaplanes carry passengers to the more far-flung islands, courtesy of the famous barefoot, shorts-wearing pilots – and Anantara sent its launch to collect us from the airport, the power of 400 wild horses propelling us across the ocean to its island home of Dhigufinolhu.

Once beyond the sea traffic and buildings of the capital, Male, a world of pristine natural beauty is revealed. Sunshine, clear skies, sparkling waters – and tiny islands. Of these, only 200 are inhabited, with resorts occupying around 90 more. After some 40 minutes, Anantara shimmered into view.

The hotel's 108 villas, four with private pools, occupy the five-acre island, and face either the rising or setting sun. Forty of these are on stilts above the water. This typical Maldivian strategy not only provides a heavenly scenario – lapping waters, sea breezes, private access to the sea, seclusion – but is also in keeping with environmental requirements to minimise the developer's footprint on land. Villa interiors are airy and made entirely of wood, pitched roofs are covered in palm-leaf thatch, known as cadjan, and each has a private area of wooden decking extending over the beach or water. The land-villa bathrooms are a particular delight, enclosed in large, leafy walled gardens and open to the skies. And with four sumptuous restaurants to choose from – including a Thai restaurant perched on a pontoon accessible only by boat, and an Italian place hovering above the waters on the edge of the lagoon – the scene is set for a week of slothful indulgence…

Except that there is plenty to tempt one away from cocktails and fish-burgers around the infinity pool. An early-morning walk through ankle-deep waters to the sand bank, almost at the outer reef, is obligatory. And no one can justifiably visit the Maldives without a peek into the fascinating underwater world teeming with fish. For serious divers, the hotel has scuba facilities, while the less experienced can enjoy snorkelling in sheltered waters.

We took the boat to Castaway Island, and lazed on powdery sands in the shade of resilient kani trees. When the heat became too much, we flopped into the clear water and flippered in search of fish. We did not have far to look. Shoals of yellow and blue-striped fish nibbled at bread from our fingers. There were near-transparent fish darting about like the creation of some hi-tech designer, bright parrotfish mouthing silently, spiny-backed fish that dared you to approach, and scissor-tailed fish from which all the others fled. By the time we emerged, goggle-eyed, from the water, half the island had disappeared beneath the rising tide, and our barbecue lunch was ready – magically prepared by hotel staff.

But you do not need to don a snorkel to see the aquatic life – just visit Anantara's over-the-sea spa.

From the comfort of my bed in the spa suite, I gazed through the glass beneath me, to watch stingrays, baby blacktip sharks (harmless to humans) and stars-and-stripes pufferfish (so the Photo Guide to Fishes of the Maldives informs me) gliding through the dappled light.

Meanwhile, Thai-trained staff pummelled me to within inches of Nirvana, slathering me in heady oils of patchouli and sandalwood.

As evening fell, we boarded a donghi – the traditional wooden high-prowed boat of the Maldives – for a leisurely sunset cruise. When the champagne and canaps appeared, so did the dolphins – small, playful and ridiculously athletic as they dived, twisted and flipped before us in a display of mammalian one-upmanship.

The sun gradually fell behind the horizon, and the sky grew inky, filling with the fattest, shiniest stars by the time we returned to dry land. Ah well, time for dinner already…

Truly, life can be exhausting.

Fact file Maldives

Kuoni Travel (01306 747008 or www.kuoni.co.uk) offers seven nights at the Anantara Resort in a deluxe beachfront villa with breakfast, including flights with Emirates Airlines from Glasgow and transfers in resort. Consisting of two islands, Dhigufinolhu and Bodu Huraa, the resort is a 40-minute speedboat ride from Male airport and has opportunities for snorkelling and diving. Prices for 2008 start at 1,538 per person, based on two sharing.