Perfect solitude

It's my first ride on a seaplane and I am not quite sure what to expect. No chickens are flapping around in the cabin, but the rickety fan at the back looks like it belongs in an Indiana Jones movie and offers little temperature control in the stuffy plane.

When the plane "lands" next to a wooden platform bobbing in the middle of the ocean, I am beginning to doubt the wisdom of my choice. Looking towards the shore, the island where I am heading looks uninhabited. As the speedboat heads towards the front of the resort, however, I am relieved to see the welcoming party on the jetty.

Seclusion is precisely what Banyan Tree Madivaru is offering, with only six tented villas - the only ones in the Maldives. "The last of our guests left this morning; you will be the only guest on the island tonight," the manager tells me as he welcomes me, explaining that it was the rainy season.

I am quickly assigned Saeed, my butler, who takes me to my villa, which comprises three interconnected sturdy tents: a living/dining/study area with a large divan and flat-screen TV, a modest-sized bedroom and a huge bathroom area that includes two spa beds for in-room massages. There's a small dipping pool but, with the ocean just 10 metres away, who needs a pool?

Each villa enjoys its own secluded stretch of beach. With rich corals quite near shore, you just need to walk up to them and pop your head in the water to see a wonderful array of colourful reef fish.

Madivaru might be a bit laidback for those who are unable to sit back and do nothing but relax, but Banyan Tree certainly takes luxurious pampering to a whole new level. It even has its own time zone, having turned the clock back an hour so that guests can maximise their hours in the sun. It's a mind game, of course but, still, it's great to have your own time zone.