8 Reasons to Visit The Residence Maldives and the Idyllic Islands

Home to some of the best beaches in the world, the Maldives offers an assortment of unrivalled luxury, white sandy beaches and a supreme underwater world, making it the perfect choice for a trip of a lifetime. The necklace of islands in the Indian Ocean defines many people's idea of balmy perfection: blissful blue lagoons, coral reefs and seclusion, only granted due to the countrys multiple islands offering privacy like no other. Due to paradises proximity to the equator, the Maldives experiences consistently warm weather all year round. However, like most countries in the Indian Ocean, the collection of islands experiences a monsoon season between April and October.

With nearly 1200 islands offering postcard picture moments, no two are ever quite the same. Every resort in Maldives is its own hidden oasis, and with over 100 to choose from the only problem is selecting where you want to stay.A world away from the everyday, The Residence Maldives on the islands of Falhumaafushi and Dhigurah have been designed in harmony with the natural environment and seamlessly blends traditional Maldivian architecture with contemporary elegance and modern comforts. While tropical beachfront villas open to a private oasis just steps from the sand, luxurious over-water villas offer the cool pleasure of slipping straight from the deck into a personal lagoon.

Teeming with natural beauty that beckons to be explored, here are 8 reasons to visit The Residence Maldives and the idyllic islands.

1. The Residence Maldives is made up of The Residence Maldives at Falhumaafushi and The Residence Maldives at Dhigurah. Both resorts are connected by the longest private bridge in the Maldives, with a castaway island along the bridge. Guests staying at either resort can cross use the facilities and dining options of the sister resort, providing guests a twin island experience in one stay.
2. With 94 villas in Falhumaafushi and 173 villas in Dhigurah, the combined inventory forms one of the largest resorts in the south of Maldives. Guests have various room category options to choose from in a beach villa with their own private beachfront, lagoon villas situated along the shoreline of the island or a water villa.
3. There are 9 restaurants and 6 bars to choose from across both islands spanning cuisine from across the globe.
4. The Residence Maldives and The Residence Maldives at Dhigurah are the only two resorts in the Maldives which have the exclusive Spa by Clarins, offering an array of holistic treatments, pampering massages and hair services. Featuring overwater treatment pavilions at both spas, daily sunrise and sunset yoga classes, seek solace for the mind, body and spirit.
5. The Residence Maldives is located in the deepest and largest atoll of Gaafu Alifu in the world, where the resort is surrounded by pristine underwater landscapes, colourful corals filled with various marine life. The resorts own PADI 5* Dive Centre provides beginner lessons for non-divers to guided dives for certified divers to explore the underwater world. With many dive sites untouched by mankind, divers and snorkelers alike can find various hard and soft corals, sponges, sea fans as well as trigger fishes, parrot fishes, fusiliers, tunas, turtles, barracudas, rays (eagle rays, sting rays, manta rays) and sharks (grey reef sharks, white and black tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, leopard sharks).
6. The Residence Maldives forms part of Protect Maldives Seagrass initiative launched by the Blue Marine Foundation and the Maldives Underwater Initiative and endorsed by the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism in an attempt to protect the delicate ecosystem of the marine life. The resort is also installing solar panels to produce its own electricity and to reduce its diesel consumption; a step towards sustainability and being eco-friendlier.
7. The hotel cultivates Ayurvedic plants to incorporate into uplifting, health-focused beverages as well as producing house-made virgin coconut oil for its spa treatments.
8. The team have recently launched the Earth Basket programme, an onsite farm showcasing native produce that is then used in the kitchens of the hotel. Food waste from the resort is composted in-house and is subsequently used to nourish the kitchen gardens without any further use of pesticides to aid growth. On-site activations also cater to guests of all ages, enabling them to create memorable first-hand experiences with nature. The farms serve as immersive showcases of local biodiversity with head gardeners leading tours for guests to learn about the ecosystem and native plants.