Reef encounters: Coco Bodu Hithi, Maldives - hotel review

If squeaky white sand and turquoise ocean are your thing, they simply do not come in any more immaculate form than here, says Tom Peck  
Perfect perch: Coco Bodu Hithi’s villas and overwater residences
Tom Peck18 March 2016

Dusk arrived without much introduction and suddenly there was a commotion in the ocean. A marauding stingray, was right there below the infinity pool, forcing a thousand tiny silver fish to describe panicked parabolic trajectories in and out of the water.

It’s no life, really. Half an hour earlier and up to 20 of them might have found themselves taken out by our carelessly misfired champagne cork. Moral crisis briefly ensued. In less pristine surroundings I might have persuaded myself that it was OK to leave it. Cork is organic matter, after all. But when the water’s that inviting, and they’ve left your own mask and snorkel down on your own private sundeck at the top of your own private stairs into the ocean, popping in to fetch it was no great hardship.

What is there left unsaid about the Maldives? If squeaky white sand and turquoise ocean are your thing, they simply do not come in any more immaculate form than here. There are problems, though, and well documented ones. The entire archipelago nation — seven metres tall at its highest point — is at risk of vanishing underwater within decades, and yet its economic survival is dependent upon the regular arrival of kerosene-incinerating long-haul visitors to drink its imported wine and consume its breakfast buffets.

And yet there could scarcely be a more vivid example of the urgency of action. Coco Bodu Hithi, a collection of villas and overwater bungalows (though they prefer the term “residences”) on its own stunning private island, takes its commitment more seriously than most. The island has a resident marine biologist, who runs a programme to monitor and identify the turtle and manta ray populations on the nearby reefs. It is growing its own coral nurseries and is involved in the Olive Ridley Project, which is taking action against the serious problem of “ghost nets” — discarded fishing nets that float around in the Indian Ocean for decades or more, at immense risk to wildlife.

Coco Bodu Hithi is around 40 minutes’ speedboat transfer from Malé airport, and it has chosen to run on its own timezone, an hour ahead of the capital. They say they want their guests to enjoy longer afternoons. It means the sun sets at around 7pm Coco time. It’s worth it.

Cosmic bliss: sleep out under the stars
Flikr/Nabeel Hilmy

We stayed in one of the 24 residences, set along two wide crescents of raised boardwalk at the island’s far end — a six- or seven-minute walk, or a 30-second buggy ride. On one side are the “sunrise” residences, the other “sunset”. Lounging in your private infinity pool watching the sun set is only an option on one side. On the other, the sun-soaked blue is spread out before you as you press your electric curtains in the morning, but yours will be a shady lounger and pool from 4.30pm.

Stay in the residences and there’s an extra restaurant just for you, Stars, where the tuna steaks are seriously thick and delicious, with a light Maldivian curry sauce. But it’s hardly essential. There’s no shortage of choice. Aqua, with its large tables over the water, was particularly delicious and enchanting. Then there’s a twice-weekly seafood barbecue, with tables set against the lapping shore.

You could say the breakfast buffet must be seen to be believed but seeing it is not straightforward. The only way to be absolutely sure you haven’t missed out on anything is to traverse the area by seaplane. It ranges from the usual pastries, cold meats and freshly made eggs and omelettes to beef curry, paratha and dim sum, even Chinese congee.

The closest Coco comes to a straightforward room is the Island Villa, on the main part of the island; they open directly on to the pristine beach, where great coral gardens lurk directly beneath the surface. Languid rays, bustling triggerfish and all manner of other tropical species are never hard to spot.

Of course its underwater riches are for many the single biggest reason to visit, and it isn’t hard to see why. Merely with snorkel and fins, and barely a minute by speedboat from our own semi-submerged back step, we saw blacktip reef sharks, barracudas, octopuses and huge green sea turtles. One of said turtles, a large young male, hadn’t been spotted in the area before, at least according to a Canadian student having a terrible time on a six-month internship at the marine biology centre, which means we were awarded naming rights over it. Brixton is still out there somewhere.

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The entire spa is raised on stilts to allow the treatment rooms to face out on to the ocean. Inside it’s a veritable United Nations of massage, with therapists from Thailand, Indonesia and seemingly everywhere else offering every kind of permutation of Javanese, Sudanese, Balinese and Swedish treatment.

At one point, the softly spoken Jui appeared to be upon me with all four limbs, her hands, knees and elbows moving up my back like a coconut- infused Imperial Walker, before taking my wrists in her hands and raising me up, Boston crab-like, to gaze upon the mint-coloured horizon.

From December to April, by the way, this spot off the back of the spa is where mantas call in for a beauty treatment of their own. “Manta point”, a cleaning station for the region’s most quixotic pelagics, is just a minute or two by speedboat. There you’ll find these wonderful flapping beasts just hanging out, in large numbers, three or four metres below the surface. That’s a rare treat indeed.

It’s one that I haven’t ruled out going back for. Generally, I tend to be of the view that life is too short and the world too large to go to the same place twice. But as I have since discovered, it is hard to find anyone who has ever been to the Maldives that isn’t permanently longing to return.

Coco Bodu Hithi (cocoboduhithi.com) is part of the Coco Collection (cococollection.com). Western & Oriental is offering seven nights for the price of five at Coco Bodu Hithi. Prices start from £2,129 per person based two adults sharing an Island Villa on a bed and breakfast basis for seven nights. This price includes return flights from London Heathrow with Emirates and speedboat transfers. This special offer represents a saving of up to £625 per person and is valid for travel completed between 12th April and 31st October 2016. To book, call Western & Oriental on 020 3588 6130 or see www.westernoriental.com.

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