Huvafen fusHi - Sand In My Suitcase

Over the Top
For the ultimate honeymoon, there’s nothing quite like an overwater bungalow. Encircled by the sea,
you feel as if you’re floating on your own private piece of paradise. Dangle your feet off the porch.
Hand-feed the fish beneath you. Dive off your front deck. Or, just lie in bed and listen to the waves lap
below you. Here are six unique resorts with heavenly hideaways over the sea.
By janice mucalov
Huvafen Fushi
Republic of Maldives
Nestled on its own palm-studded island in the Indian Ocean,
Huvafen Fushi is the playground of choice for A-list celebrities. (Tom and Katie stopped here to relax during their
yachting honeymoon.) Perched above a popsicle-blue lagoon,
the 26 ultra-luxe overwater sanctuaries flaunt freshwater infinity
pools, plasma-screen TVs and Bose surround-sound systems preloaded with more than 10,000 tunes.
■ Wow Factor Crave a couples massage while you peek out at
fish swimming around you? Huvafen Fushi has the world’s first
and only underwater spa. Two spa rooms are submerged 20 to
25 feet below the water’s surface, surrounded by glass windows.
Afterward, nibble on fruit skewers in the underwater “relaxation
pod” as you watch clownfish and octopi drift by.
■ Special Touches Enjoy the Indian royal treatment with
dinner in the Cardamom Lounge. After cocktails on the beach,
follow a candlelit pathway to your private romantic retreat beneath the trees, decorated with hanging glass mobiles, and enjoy
tandoor oven-roasted reef lobster, prepared by your private chef.
■ area Attractions Sail on a crewed dhoni (a 65-foot
wooden boat fashioned after the traditional Maldivian fishing
vessel) to deserted islands for snorkeling, picnics on powdery
beaches or dinner under the stars. The air-conditioned dhonis
boast daybeds at the bow, king bedrooms, and spacious bathroom
and living areas designed by French designer Philippe Starck.
Overwater bungalows from $1,300, including breakfast.
Each bungalow at
Huvafen Fushi comes
with a plunge pool.
Opposite top: The
resort’s main lobby;
an oversized tub at
turndown service.
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spring 2008 103
Snorkel right off your
deck at Likuliku Lagoon
Resort. Left: Taha’a Island
Resort’s Polynesian-style
Manea Spa.
Likuliku Lagoon Resort
Anthony’s Key Resort
Hotelito Desconocido
This posh private-island resort is superbly set on a small motu
(islet) facing the “vanilla island” of Taha’a. Suspended over a
coral reef, the 48 overwater suites are architectural gems, with
boat-shaped double bathtubs, Polynesian-woodwork motifs
and glass-topped tables that open to feed the fish below.
■ Wow Factor Best are the eight overwater bungalows that
face Bora Bora. Gaze out over the turquoise water at tiny
deserted islands where coconut trees stand tall. In the distance, Bora Bora’s jagged Mount Otemanu reaches for the
sky, crowned by feathery clouds.
■ Special Touches You’ll be welcomed with a heart-shaped
floral arrangement on your king-size bed, bougainvillea
sprinkled in your waiting bath and champagne on ice accompanied by sweet treats. Breakfast in bed is even sweeter
when it’s delivered to your bungalow in a flower-filled outrigger canoe.
■ Area Attractions Activities include scuba diving, Jeep safaris and visits to black-pearl farms and vanilla plantations. For
the ultimate adventure, head out on a shark-feeding excursion.
You’ll stand in chest-deep water and watch black-tipped sharks
swirl around your guide as he hand-feeds these wild creatures.
Reach out to stroke the soft underbellies of graceful stingrays
who frequent the spot looking for extra treats.
A string of 46 exquisite bures — Fijian-style bungalows with
vaulted ceilings, thatched roofs and bamboo walls — grace the
grounds of Fiji’s newest couples-only luxury escape (it opened
in April 2007). The 10 overwater versions that jut out over
a sparkling azure lagoon have separate bathing pavilions and
enormous windows you can throw open to the view.
■ Wow FACTOR While nibbling on butler-delivered canapés
in your overwater bure, peer through the glass panels in your
hardwood floor at the harmless baby reef sharks and parrotfish darting underneath. A bathroom looking glass under
the his-and-hers sinks provides a marine show as you brush
your teeth.
■ Special Touches Warm-from-the-oven cookies are delivered daily. After snorkeling off your deck, rinse in the
outside shower. And at night, scented candles lit during your
turndown service set the stage for romance. Honeymooners
also receive a private-location lunch or dinner, complete
with a bottle of French champagne.
■ Area Attractions Take a boat trip to the village of Yaro
and learn how indigenous Fijians live. The visit starts with
a traditional welcome ceremony, where you’ll drink ceremonial kava tea from a communal bowl with the village chief.
Bring along some cash to buy homemade shell jewelry and
wooden masks from the villagers.
Surrounded by the world’s second-largest coral reef, the carefree
Anthony’s Key Resort boasts some of the best diving and snorkeling anywhere. The rustic water’s-edge and overwater cabanas
sport local woods with colorful textiles. Guests gather at the
restaurant and bar to savor fiery Caribbean sunsets.
■ Wow Factor Diving reigns supreme here. Explore peaceful eel gardens, intriguing coral swim-throughs and the
ghostly wreck of the 300-foot freighter, Odyssey. Spotted
eagle rays, barracuda and sea turtles are plentiful; from February to June, you may encounter giant whale sharks on
their annual migration.
■ Special Touches The 25 cabanas on the islet of Anthony’s Key are deliciously secluded and only accessible via a
one-minute taxi-boat ride from the resort’s main dock. (To
summon the taxi, just strike the hanging empty scuba tank
with a gong.) Request a cabana with a private porch and
hammock — the perfect place to unwind topside after all
that undersea activity.
■ Area Attractions As host to the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences, the resort offers exceptional dolphin-interaction
programs. Dive with bottlenose dolphins in the open sea, become a dolphin trainer for a day or simply stand in waist-deep
water to pet one of these delightful mammals. Overnight trips
can also be arranged to visit the Mayan ruins of Copan.
There are no phones, no TVs and no electricity here — instead, you’ll find glorious seclusion set inside a turtle and
bird sanctuary located 60 miles south of Puerto Vallarta. The
environmentally sensitive Hotelito Desconocido (which means
“little unknown hotel”) is the real deal for de-stressing after
the big day. Three of the 24 palafitos (bungalows on stilts)
stand over a wetland estuary facing the Pacific Ocean.
■ Wow Factor Row your own boat across the lagoon to
reach the overwater master suites. Devastatingly romantic,
they’re decked out with plank floors, reed mats, log canopy beds draped in gauze and open-air showers walled with
bamboo. Come evening, torches and hundreds of twinkling
candles provide the only light.
■ Special Touches Fresh-brewed coffee and cookies are
served each morning; simply pull your palafito’s red rope,
which hoists a flag to signal to the hotel staff that you’re
ready to dine. When lathering each other up in the shower,
you can feel virtuous knowing you’re using biodegradable
bath amenities.
■ area Attractions From September to January, spy on
endangered sea turtles as they come to lay their eggs in the
sand. By moonlight, drive out in a 4x4 with a biologist to witness the birth process and help release baby hatchlings back
into the sea.
Overwater suites from $968.
Overwater bures from $1,221, including all meals (no drinks).
Key Superior cabanas from $318.
Palafito Master Suites from $500.
s o c i e t y i s l a n d s , Fr e n c h P o l y n e s i a
Fiji
R o ata n , H o n d u r a s
middle: janice mucalov
Le Taha’a Island
Resort & Spa
Three overwater
Master Suites at
Hotelito Desconocido
put guests as close to
nature as possible.
p u e r t o v a l l a r ta , M e x i c o
Continued on page 137
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Continued from page 105
over the top
9 Beaches
B e rm u d a
Bermuda is known for its formal ways, but only flip-flops are
required at the island’s most casual resort. Balanced on stilts,
all 84 breezy cabanas, built with soft-sided sailcloth material,
resemble luxury tents. The six overwater cabanas boast natty
blue-and-white decor, as well as all the mod cons, from air conditioning to a fridge for chilling your chardonnay. Mingle with
other guests at the open-air lounge, Dark ’n Stormy’s, named
after the island’s signature drink.
■ Wow Factor There’s nothing quite as romantic as the sound
of a tropical rain beating down on your cabana-tent roof at night
while you stay dry and cozy in bed. A plexiglass fish-viewing
panel in the floor allows you to spot the marine life below.
■ Special Touches Using the free cell phone provided, have
your tiger-shrimp salad and piña coladas delivered anywhere on
the property by the resort’s roving “A La Carte” dining service.
For a romantic evening, ask to dine à deux by the glowing light
of tiki torches on the beach of your choice. (There are — you
guessed it — nine of them.)
■ Area Attractions When you’re feeling active, mountain
bikes are available for rent. You can also kayak, sail and snuba
(a snorkeling-scuba hybrid) to the wreck of the HMS Vixen.
The historic Royal Navy Dockyard is only a 10-minute taxi
ride away.
Paradise Pier cabanas from $370 for two, including breakfast. ■
for more info, see the 411 on page 140.
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