Like a cluster of fairytale mushrooms rising out of the water, glittery with ocean dew; that twinkling sea so clear you can see the shadows of fish nudging about at the bottom, it's almost hard to believe that Sun Siyam resort is real. After 10 hours in the sky, leaving grey, drizzly London in the dark and arriving to the sight of over-water villas peeping out of gin-clear lagoons, landing in the Maldives feels something of a spectacle.
The celebrations began back at Heathrow, sipping champagne and ordering an afternoon tea hamper to my table in the Clubhouse Lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 3. And, well, there was a good reason to celebrate: this trip marked one of Virgin Atlantic’s inaugural flights from London to the Maldivian capital of Malé — currently flying from London Heathrow three times a week until March 29, with a daily service launching from October 27 — and it seemed even the onboard staff were in jubilation, “Well all I can say is WOW. This is somewhere special!” Amanda, the lead cabin crew member excitedly announced as we made our descent.
I was lucky enough to try the Upper Class cabin for the first time on this trip which meant being able to lie on a flatbed (unashamedly smug, particularly since this was a night flight), with pyjamas, canapes, a three-course dinner and a slap-up full English for breakfast.
With hindsight, this was just the start of the A-list treatment I was about to encounter as a guest of Virgin Atlantic Holidays. Crashing through the water after a buzzy 45-minute seaplane journey to the island of Medhafushi, it felt unexpectedly like a scene from Downton Abbey, the staff at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi all lined up to greet us as we poured out like spilt milk onto a crescent-shaped beach. I tried to hug them all though settled for the outheld hands, we drank fresh coconut water and were taken to see our new home.
Iru Fushi
The island is spectacular by any standards. Surrounded by miles of sand peaks that slope gently into living gardens of corals aflutter with teeny rainbow-coloured fish, fringed by lush tropical vegetation. The resort rotates around 221 villas, 81 of which are overwater and come with outdoor hot tubs or pools.
The beach villas feel like mini residences, nestled between towering banyan trees and swaying palms teeming with chattering terns, the beach stretched out ahead. In the Deluxe Beach Villas, the outdoor courtyard-style bathrooms are ginormous, with huge freestanding baths and swing seats. Private terraces and pools overlook the cabana, all linen-draped, with mesmerising views across the ocean.
One of the great glories of the resort is the staff. Wherever you go, whatever you do, without you knowing it’s even happening, someone is quietly keeping a helpful eye on you. They magically appear, like a fairy-godperson; a mixture of chauffeur, waiter and guide. When I casually strolled over to breakfast, my butler Thahseen would suddenly arrive the moment I finished to ask if I slept OK and needed a better pillow (there’s an entire menu of to choose from), one day he turned up with approximately seven variations of lotions and cream for my insect bites. Another day my broken sunglasses, left scattered on my terrace, reappeared completely fixed by our cheery housekeeper, Saddam. You only have to lick your lips and look pensive and one of the twinkly can-do staff appears with your favourite glass of crisp pale rosé.
Despite being one of the larger of its five Maldives resorts, Sun Siyam Iru Fushi feels intimate and never crowded. The private-island retreats in the Maldives also has one newly opened boutique resort in Sri Lanka, owned and founded by Maldivian entrepreneur Ahmed Siyam Mohamed.
While there were many loved-up couples and honeymooners around, there were scatterings of families too, with plenty of fun on offer for kids and teenagers including the Nemo Garden underwater park in the lagoon where there are pools for kids, adults and families, as well as the brilliantly kitted out Koamas Kidz Club. There’s also a separate area for families at the main restaurant, which offers a kids’ buffet for dinner and a children’s play area.
Days here pass by in a breeze. You can snorkel with the resort’s in-house marine biologist Caitlin, go diving and kayaking, have a private cookery lesson on the beach or sail to an uninhabited island for a castaway picnic lunch. Whatever you do, don’t miss the sunset dolphin cruise where you’re whisked off in a traditional Maldivian fishing boat, under candyfloss skies, to the secret ocean spots where you’re most likely to spot wild pods soaring through the water.
Amongst all the lolling around on your supersized sunlounger, it’s worth making a beeline for the spa, the largest in the Maldives. Here, the 20 treatment rooms are named and scented after a flower, with more than 140 soul-soothing treatments to choose from, from the 90-minute Maldivian Spa Experience, which starts with a creamy coconut milk bath and ends with a coconut oil massage, to the Ayurveda massage which saw my tiny but mighty Balinese masseur Odi somehow ease out every knot in my body without causing any of that fist-in-mouth pain I’ve had at other spas.
Everything happens outside, so you’re kissed by sea breezes as you tuck into Maldivian fish curry at the toes-in-the-sand Islander’s Grill, or stone-baked pizzas at Italian restaurant The Trio. There are a whopping 14 eateries and bars, ranging from Asian to French, and most are part of the all-inclusive deal, so there’s zero chance of you ever going hungry.
Siyam World
After five nights at the laid-back Iru Fushi, we zipped seven minutes across the water to Siyam World, sister hotel to Iru Fushi and also part of Sun Siyam Resort group.
As I stepped off the boat, there was someone rocketing across the lagoon and in the air, attached to what looked like a giant hose pipe, while a gaggle of girls’ laughter echoed from the nearby banana ride against the backdrop of a floating obstacle course. It didn’t take long for one thing to become profoundly clear; your life will never look more fun than it does at Siyam World. This is the Maldives on acid, where my overwater villa combined the honeymooner’s fantasy with the thrill of the pluses of a ski-on-ski-out chalet — only, make that kayak in and slide out. Yes, those slides plunge you from your deck right into the sea.
This is the Maldives on acid, where my overwater villa combined the honeymooner’s fantasy with the thrill of the pluses of a ski-on-ski-out chalet
And that’s just the start. You’ll also find a horse ranch here, yes: actual horses in the Maldives. Siyam World happens to be the only resort in the Maldives to have one, so you can live out all your galloping, wind-in-the-salty-sea-hair fantasies. There’s also a fleet of every type of high-tech watery toy you can think of; Hydrofoil e-bikes, two-seater Seabreacher jets that can jump, dive and ride through the waves and Cudajet underwater jet packs that make you feel as if you’re flying underwater.
This resort is much larger than Iru Fushi, with 472 villas (300 over water), all with private pools and between one and six rooms, making it a great option for families and groups of friends. Alongside the water villas with slides, you’ll want to nab one of the Beach House Collection villas. They have cocktail trolleys to whip up an ice-cold G&T just the way you like it, an upstairs bedroom so you’ll wake up to sunrise views over the ocean and each with their own little garden, with direct access to the beach. You’ll also get your own vibrant retro custom Mini Moke so you can explore the island on four wheels.
If you come here to properly flop, there’s sunset yoga and meditation sessions on the beach as the sea swirls around you, as well as the sweeping and tranquil Veyo Spa, tucked amongst the jungly part of the island, where Maldivian traditional healing, massages and moon rituals come washed down to the soundtrack of the birdsong echoing off the trees.
One morning we met Mariyam Thuhufa, Siyam World’s Maldivian-born marine biologist, to get involved with their coral-planting restoration project, attaching pieces of coral that had broken off the reef naturally by waves to a metal structure that was then returned to the house reef to regenerate.
Another day, we left the resort for the nearby local island of Kudafari, home to 900 residents and the birthplace of Sun Siyam’s founder, and learnt about some of the projects funded by the Siyam Cares sustainability program, including the construction of a new Mosque and school, as well as the work they’re doing to protect some of the island’s traditional industries.
Much like Iru Fushi, Siyam World runs like a well-oiled machine, with dashing resort manager Ausy Waseem at the helm, never missing a beat. Staff are at your beck and call. Feel like six breakfasts, tasting style — kale, pineapple and ginger shots; fresh mango with local honey and yoghurt, omelettes-to-order, sushi, doughnuts, champagne? No problem.
There is no end to the eating. Want a feast on your own stretch of beach? Just let them know. There’s a whacking 10 restaurants and seven bars here — from the gourmet overwater Asian Takrai to Andalusia, the traditional Spanish restaurant, with its own secret wine cellar. With almost all restaurants and bars covered on the all-inclusive plan and with a sense of time forgotten, leaving is the only low.
Book it
Virgin Atlantic has launched flights between London Heathrow and the Maldives with a new winter thrice-weekly service. The new service is operating on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, boasting 31 Upper Class, 35 Premium and 192 Economy Delight, Classic and Light seats. In October 2024 the service will increase to operating daily.
Seven nights in the Maldives with Virgin Atlantic Holidays, including flights from London Heathrow, with four nights bed and breakfast at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi staying in a Deluxe Beach Villa, before enjoying three nights all-inclusive at Siyam World Maldives in a Water Villa with a pool and slide starts from £3,449 per person.
