This morning the turquoise sea lightens as bright as the azure sky. Here and there a few fair weather clouds decorate the sky, in the distance reveals a strip of jungle green, coral sand-white and light turquoise that there might be a tiny island. I’m in paradise!
The typical Maldivian Dhoni chugs comfortable from the Maldivian island Kanifushi with the Atmosphere Hotel over to the house reef near the neighboring island Naifaru. I’m sitting relaxed on the sundeck, enjoying the slight, warm wind. Suddenly the wooden boat stops and snorkeling guide Kalhey jumps from the boat into the crystal clear water to check the current and the visibility. With a big smile he comes up, shows the diver okay-sign and I was the first from our international snorkeling group jumping in the bath warm sea.
In his blue dry suit with bright yellow fins Kalhey moves like a fish through the water and shows us the abundant wildlife of the Maldives. “Lobster”, his lips form in the depth and he points to a huge lobster hiding in a cave. Large, yellow blue striped angelfish dart around the corals; a swarm of bannerfish flits past in front of my diving mask. Even a turtle drift seemingly weightless by with the flow.
After a 45 minutes dive Kalhey, who actually is called Mohamed Ibraham and comes from the neighboring island, crosses his arms over the surface. Today’s trip is over. I swim back happily to the wooden Dhoni, take of my fins and climb up to the sun deck. When everyone is back on board, the boat is heading back for our small hotel island Kanifushi. But suddenly the captain stops, he has seen some dolphins! Curiously I look over the railing and really, some animals are jumping two or three times over the waves directly in front of the bow of our ship and then turn into calmer waters. No 25 minutes later we dock at the jetty of the Atmosphere Kanifushi Resort.
The five-star hotel opened in December 2013 on a previously uninhabited island on the western tip of the sparsely populated Lhaviyani Atoll, a 30-minutes flight away from the capital Male. 150 beach villas hide in tropical bushes along the two-kilometer beach, some have also a private pool. For swimmers there is a 50 meter pool at the bar “The Liquid” and a smaller one in front of the Sunset bar, children play in the children’s pool. The beach slopes gently down so that even the little ones can splash around in the sea comfortably. To have costs in the view each booking includes the all-inclusive variant “Platinum Plus”, which includes not only buffets and drinks, but also excursions and snorkeling trips.
After a shower in the outside bathroom of my 100 square meter villa I walk along the beach to the Sunset Bar and let myself fall on a deck chair by the pool. Tired of fresh air, sun and sea, I enjoy a fresh tuna steak with salad, watching the sun going down slowly.
Further information:
Atmosphere Kanifushi Malediven www.atmosphere-kanifushi.com This text has been translated to the best of my knowledge into English. Note: This trip was supported by the Atmosphere Kanifushi. The report represents our own opinions.
