Floating in luxury

Mention the Maldives and inevitably the response is: "Isn't it sinking?" With sea levels rising from melting glaciers and the fact that the Maldives form the lowest-lying land on earth - the highest point is only 2.5 metres above sea level - the world can be forgiven for buying into alarmist warnings from the recently ousted Maldivian government about the future of the archipelago.

But that hasn't stopped hotel chains from snapping up new leases issued by the Maldivian government for new islands. When I visited the Maldives 18 years ago, only about 70 islands were open for tourism. This year, about 110 resorts are peppered across the 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, despite the 2004 tsunami and the threat of sinking.

Back in the '90s, most islands catered mainly to divers and offered basic amenities. The most popular islands were located near the main airport in Male and were accessible by speedboat or dhonis (fishing boats). As islands begin to open up in atolls further north and south, it usually requires either a seaplane ride or a combination of domestic flights and speedboats to get to newer resorts.

Today, the other extreme is the norm, with rooms at mega-luxurious resorts costing between US$800 and US$2,000 a night. Even older islands, such as Baros and Bandos, have refurbished themselves to offer more competitive attractions.

When your landscape is largely homogenous, no matter how picturesque, it pays to apply a little creativity to offer guests a unique experience, be it a decadent outdoor jacuzzi over the waters, luxurious bungalows or even personalised butler or babysitting services.

The Per Aquum group, which operates Huvafen Fushi and the newly opened Niyama, has made full use of the ocean by introducing the islands' first underwater spa at Huvafen Fushi in 2004 and opening the first underwater music club, Subsix, at Niyama.