The Maldives is a country you’ve probably heard of but might not be able to pick out quickly on a map. It’s a gorgeous archipelago in the Indian Ocean, just west of the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka.
Sun Siyam Resorts, a Maldivian-owned company, hosted me to visit three of their properties in November 2023. I highly recommend visiting. Here are ten things I loved about my time staying at Siyam World, Iru Fushi and Olhuveli.
The water!
So warm, turquoise, and full of fish. I spent SO MUCH TIME in the water. Whenever I got back out, I wanted to jump back in. Read about water activities in my USA Today article about water sports.
Diving
It was my first time ever scuba diving. I had some very chill instructors who were patient and encouraging–Ahmed Saamee, aka Sam, at Siyam World and Luca Diamante at Olhuveli. I saw turtles, sharks, rays, eels and tons of fish! You can read more about diving in my USA Today article.
Cats
Both Siyam World and Iru Fushi have resident cat colonies. Creative director Sara Siyam, a cat lover and activist, is building a veterinary clinic at Siyam World to make sure all the felines are cared for. And snipped. Veterinary care isn’t so widespread in the Maldives as in some other countries, so this is a big deal.
My overwater villa in the Maldives
It’s the stuff of our poshest fantasies—an overwater villa! There was a hole in the floor for fish watching! And best of all, a ladder directly into the lagoon for snorkeling first thing in the morning.
The staff
I met some of the friendliest, kindest people on my trip. Many were Maldivian, while others were from around the world, including the UK, Italy, Philippines, Nepal and Malaysia.
One afternoon my planned boat trip got canceled due to weather. Abdullah Fayaz, whose job title was butler, took me on a fascinating nature tour around Iru Fushi, which turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip. He knew about every plant on the island, and told me stories about his childhood growing up on a nearby small island.
Fruit bats
These big, fox-faced bats love banyan trees. They come out before dusk and zip around.
Riding a cruiser bike around Siyam World
Siyam World is on a sizable island. I loved cruising around on the soft sand trails, checking out different viewpoints and looking for bats and cats.
