Six Senses Laamu

On landing in the bustling travel hub of Maldives' capital Malé, our journey continued with a short 45-minute propeller -powered hop to the far south, flying over a psychedelic world of turquoise atolls. 

As we edged closer and hopped onto a very smart speedboat, the Six Senses experience began in earnest. We were handed an ice-cold lemonade and fresh coconut and were asked to remove our shoes. Cue some Hugh Grant-esque muttering from Mr Smith, after tucking his Nikes into a bag. And then the boat helmsman uttered that wonderful Maldivian mantra: ‘no shoes, no news’, and that was the last we would see of those trainers for the remainder of the week. It felt wonderful, albeit sometimes quite hot underfoot. 

A warm welcome awaited us at the island jetty. Park any notion of White Lotus-style drama here – there was no crazed general manager in sight. Instead we were introduced to our Guest Experience Manager (GEM) who would be our host for the entirety of our stay. Enter stage-right the indomitably cheerful Afrah for whom nothing was too much trouble, a GEM in acronym, gem in nature. Our introductory tour with our new friend started with the main hotel buildings and onwards to our water villa. We’d been upgraded (music to my ears), but really, you just can’t go wrong in any of Laamu’s villas. 

On entering, our GEM asked us whether we wanted the short or long tour – well, I thought, how long can the long tour be? Turns out there’s a lot to say about these bedrooms, including one of my many highlights, the pillow menu. We turned this into a fun game every night, choosing at random and ending up snoozing in isotonic temperature-sensitive style, drifting off on one with a water-inspired design and even the ‘no snore pillow’ – ideal for Mr Smith…

The villa itself had a hint of Robinson Crusoe in its design language. His-and-hers sinks formed from vintage looking leather trunks, a crow’s nest viewpoint accessed via a staircase to the side, open-air showers and lots of beautifully weathered wood-panelling all added a sense of desert-island adventure. Everything was carefully curated, without seeming too polished. The star of the show was unquestionably the glass-bottomed bath, the novelty of which never wore off – unfortunately for the marine life below that had to enjoy the view. 

Travel around the island was on traditional bikes – each one adorned with personalised name plates, which made us feel at home. Fear not though, those that enjoy a glass of wine or two with dinner (or breakfast…no judgement here), the hotel golf-buggy will scoop you up and – like your bikes – you’ll magically seem to find your way home overnight.  

About the dining…no two meals were the same, from sushi, to Asian street-food and fine dining. To our  delight, wine was also a strong theme at Laamu, where there was a dedicated building for storing and tasting the stuff. In the unlikely event that your bottle isn’t finished, it is diligently whisked away, only to be reproduced at whichever restaurant you’re dining at the following evening. ‘Don’t worry, it will follow you wherever you go.’, were our waiter’s reassuring parting words – the sort of stalking none of us could begrudge.  

The Six Senses group’s commitment to wellness was perfectly integrated into this Maldivian paradise. The spa is at the heart of it all, with a maze of winding sandy pathways each leading to a private sanctuary. The Smith Extra - a couples’ body-scrub – was a bonding experience, despite some minor resistance from Mr Smith, and the view of the ocean and sound of the sea lapping gently at the shore made this an hour well spent. 

The holistic tilt to the island goes beyond the spa though, and we threw ourselves into the variety of activities on offer for the mind and body. Whoever says, ‘you can’t go to the Maldives for more than a  week you’ll get bored’, hasn’t been here. We floated through aerial yoga, took part in a couples’ head-massage workshop (where I discovered I should stick to the day job…), witnessed how easy e-foiling looks (and how hard it was in reality), and – a must-do – sailing at sunset surrounded by  dolphins.

For the majority of guests, the marine life here is the star of the show. The resort equips you with your own snorkel gear for the week, and encourages you to jump into the water at any opportunity. A spectrum of colour awaits there: fish, turtles, sharks, dolphins…the list goes on. You don’t have to go far for fantastical sights – one evening, while playing backgammon on our deck, a huge ray swam past and a baby reef-shark soon followed. The sort of moments that would make even the most seasoned traveller exceedingly giddy. 
Of course, from that dizzying high, leaving this island paradise was always going to be a comedown – we only understood how much so until we reluctantly slipped our feet back into the shoes we hadn’t seen for over a week and realised just how much we’d missed the barefoot bliss Six Senses Laamu had given us.