Full Moon at Sheraton Maldives

This is a beautiful property that welcomes you into an environment that is unintimidating. Laze over water villas, feast away and come full circle at Full Moon

Text& Photographs: Farzana Contractor

The good news is you can get to the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort by boat, no need for that seaplane ride that deters many. Straight as you get off the plane from wherever in the world you have flown into Velana, the international airport in Male (small and friendly, but a huge multi-storeyed one is coming up right next door), once you finish the immigration formalities, all you have to do is wheel your bag across the road and get into your waiting speedboat.

You get to Furanafushi Island, where the resort is situated in just under 20 minutes. It is in the region of North Male Atoll. The water on the day I was heading there was choppy and my heart kind of kept threatening to leap out of my mouth! But I survived and was soon in the welcome lounge, sipping on something nice, cool and tangy and yes, most welcome after that ride!

It doesn’t take one long to see this is a very friendly, unintimidating place. With happy, shrieking and chattering voices of children everywhere. Clearly this is a resort you come to on a family vacation. The main pool which was the first feature I chanced upon seeing was also built in that fashion. Large and accommodating and children-friendly. Though many do prefer to book beach villas and swim in the sea, skipping man-made pools altogether. Or just laze on the beach. Or lie in the hammock in the sea!

I don’t know how all these resorts in The Maldives manage to be so lush, full of exotic plants, shrubs and trees, but the fact that Sheraton is one of the earliest established properties in The Maldives must help.

There are many different styles of accommodation here that you could choose from. The Water Villa, where I stayed is, of course very popular, but I also liked the ones inland, where you climb up the stairs to your villa through dense foliage.

There are no bicycles here, unfortunately, but the buggy is always around when you need it. That is the mode of transportation, with buggy stops actually earmarked.

Though walking is a wonderful way of getting by on the island and the exercise will help in building up an appetite to eat at the various restaurants situated almost in a cluster, in the centre of the island making it easy to decide where exactly you would like to eat, once you get there.

The main dining hall, called Feast, is large, very large. The resort has 176 rooms, so a large space would be very much needed. Feast is where you also go for breakfast every morning. It’s a buffet, with many live-cooking stations and highly popular with guests. It’s a stress-free way of enjoying your meal. Eat all you want at your own pace. The breakfast spread is so substantial, most guests skip lunch and go back for dinner there, again to dive into an array of mouth-watering international fare. The modern tropical décor of Feast with a Cajun-thatched coconut roof is rather appealing.

I ate a satiating lunch at the tiny ChopstiX, which served home-style Chinese food, reminding me of old-world restaurants of Bombay. But an elaborate dinner with the General Manager as host, was splendid. It was at BanThai and the setting, in private dining areas in little cottages, was quite appealing. There is also a Masala Hut serving Indian fare.

Anchorage is a popular venue. Right off the main swimming pool, it is an informal, airy, breezy, open bar and café. It has indoor and outdoor seating and people happily move through it to reach the beach. Here is where you get vantage views of the long beach strip and the crystal clear, blue waters.

The facilities at Sheraton are endless and you can indulge in what your preferences are. Go gymming at the well-equipped fitness centre, play tennis, go diving, snorkelling or just opt to play chess on the giant outdoor chessboard, where you need a fair amount of muscles to pick the man off the board! You could even go on a family sandbank picnic or coral-planting. An advantage being just 20 minutes off Male means if you do wish to go explore the capital city, you could.

I went on an enjoyable cruise on the dhoni, the local boat, to ‘swim with the dolphins’. They are such adorable creatures. Totally captivating. I saw so many that were swimming alongside our boat. Like most other guests onboard I could not stop making any number of videos.

A spa visit is a must. That’s why you’re here in The Maldives, right? The Sheraton’s Shine Spa does not disappoint, the therapists are very experienced and well-trained. It is situated on a private island with six private treatment villas and also houses the yoga pavilion.

I was fortunate to witness a wedding on the island. The bride was dressed in a long white gown and was posing away on the water’s edge, deliriously. It did make for a great background, blue skies, blue waters, golden sunshine.

I guess this is reason enough for the many honeymooners to also find their way here. I was majorly and pleasantly surprised to see the number of name tags tied to branches of trees, of couples who had been there for their honeymoon. So many that Sheraton actually designated a special space as Honeymooners’ Garden.

So is anyone out there preparing to marry in this season? You know where to head!