The Magic of Turquoise: Uncovering the Dream-Island
by Subarna De (Oman)
Every walk with nature is adventurous, and the clear turquoise waters of Maldives had the magic of love and luxury to offer to the newlywed couple in the summer of 2019. Newly married, we first set foot on the fluffy white sand beaches of Huvafen Fushi, an intimate resort island in the North Malé atoll, Kaafu, about thirty minutes by speedboat from Malé International Airport, Maldives, Indian Ocean. As our speed boat slowly dropped anchor off the small private resort island, the thakuru or butler named Nada, stepped ahead to welcome us with a glass of refreshing coconut water. It is a custom of the resort to assigning a butler to every bungalow. Maldivian in origin, he had a calm and pleasant personality. I noticed a warmth in his voice and a spark in his eyes that made us feel comfortable in the unknown. He was our local friend, always a phone call away for the next three days of our stay to help us in Huvafen Fushi. In a buggy, he showed us all the forty-four contemporary beach and overwater bungalows and pavilions. Finally, he dropped us in our cosy overwater-ocean cottage. The three-tier deck with a state-of-the-art décor was our new home for the next three days to experience the magic of love and luxury in the middle of the turquoise waters. Sometimes we were lost into daytime gazing through the glass floor in the lounge room to spot a turtle, a manta ray, a stingray, a small shark or a group of tuna. In essence, we often became night owls playing games to check on who may count on more to please the other’s eyes as the light below the glass floor attracted the colourful marine life beneath more at night. And sometimes we slinked into our infinity pool with a glass of champagne or luxuriated on our private jacuzzi or deck overlooking the tranquil turquoise-azure horizon and dreaming of a new life of togetherness. In the local Dhivehi language, Huvafen Fushi means dream island. And yes, it indeed is! A place where we dreamt of beginning our new journey of life, less ordinary. A place where the green trees playfully sway and swing to the soft breeze and sometimes whisper to the white sands about the frequent visit of the small sharks, the eels, and the stingrays into the lagoon; just like the two of us in the peaceful and tranquil setting. It is a paradise where serenity and tranquillity reign over the murmuring of the waters. Here, the overwater bungalows and pavilions remain a constant spectator of the dazzling mixed hues of turquoise, sea green, azure and aquamarine that weave stories of love, luxury and experience. In the breezy warm lazy evenings, one may stroll down the wooden pier over the lagoon or stop by the seashore to feed the stingrays. Or, if you are a terrific sundowner like us, you must go on a sunset cruise on a traditional Maldivian dhoni. The orange-red sky and the azure waters create a symphony that even ears can hear. This breath-taking experience of the crepuscule in the Indian Ocean drove us into a magical mystery ride which I can best explain quoting John Lennon: “No hell below us/Above us only sky”. Alternatively, the nights were luminous and sombre with warm lights in the narrow mud-paths, creating an utterly romantic ambience. The private dining under the starry sky in the shallows of the infinity pool, illuminated by fibre-optic lights and the chief at your service adds to this romantic experience. There are other Haute cuisines of world food, but a traditional Maldivian cuisine is hard to find in the dream island. The island wine cellar, Vinium, eight meters below the ocean has a variety of six thousand types of wine. Beyond food and drink, the world’s first underwater spa was an indulging experience with the spectacular view of the marine life underneath. Other times, we engaged ourselves in various water adventures like the dolphin cruise, deep-sea fishing, jet-skiing, parasailing, snorkelling. Huvafen Fushi, the Maldivian experience, was a floating home that we never wanted to leave. It is this dream island from where we started sailing our life’s journey.
