maldives holidays

Waterbungalows were the new thing, a perfect fit for the ‘luxury in paradise’ holiday-makers. These grew in size and marketing speak to become Overwater Villas and now every resort with a patch of lagoon big enough to take a jetty, has an additional string of rooms to sell, at premium prices. Like spas when they arrived, it was a hit-your-forehead-with-the-palm-of-your-hand moment: “Of course, why didn’t we think of that before!” Kanuhura Maldives

If Maldives took the established idea of over-water rooms to another level, what happened next was truly innovative and pointed the way to the future use of the water. The Conrad built and opened the world’s first underwater restaurant. I was wary of all the hype but was as giddily impressed as anyone when I got to look around it. The number of fish, their size and proximity gives you a very unusual sensation. The concept’s continuing success can be marked by the fact that the restaurant has two sittings a day and every table is booked well in advance.