Throwback Travel: Villingili, Maldives '11

The Maldives, a string of green atolls fringed by soft-white beaches, tall palm trees and turquoise waters, has a reputation for being one of the must-go-island in the world. With an average elevation of less than five feet above sea level and a peak elevation of eight feet, the immense Indiana Ocean is slowly swallowing up these magical islands, burying one of the world's treasure deep down in the sea.

After bugging my mother for centuries, gathering facts about the sinkage of Maldives, I was finally able to persuade her to bring us to the heavenly island in 2011. There was no direct flight to Maldives from Hong Kong, so we had to transit in Malaysia after a 3 hour flight and then off to Male, Maldives for another four hours. Just as I thought I could finally rest and take a soothing bath, my mother decided to surprise me with another plane ticket. Oh yays! Another plane ride. And let me tell you, that was not JUST a plane ride, it was one of those i-think-i'm-gonna-die kind of plane ride.

It doesn't look that scary in pictures but I wasn't exaggerating when I said it was one of those i-think-i'm-gonna-die kind of plane ride. The propellers made a lot of noise throughout the whole flight, and since the aircraft was so light in weight, the turbulence we encountered were so much more terrifying.

After an hour of non-stop talking with my sister (obviously to distract myself from the noises and turbulence), we finally landed at Gan International Airport on Addu Atoll. We were then escorted to the nearby jetty, where we took a five-minute speedboat ride to Villingili. Villingili is the only resort island of Seenu Atoll, meaning the the whole resort has the whole island by itself. The resort we stayed at was Shangri-La's Villingili & Spa. Shangri-La hotels & resorts are known for providing a state of great comfort and extravagant living. And I can say this is probably by far my favourite among the other Shangri-La hotels I've stayed at.

Landing late after a long day of flying and packing, I collapsed in bed once I stepped into the room. I set my alarm for an early wake up the next morning, hoping to make use of every single seconds I have in Maldives.

The next morning, I woke up to this gorgeous skyline. I couldn't help but take a couple pictures of this beautiful scenery of my room. The room I stayed in was called the Water Villa.  It was built on stilts in the resort's lagoon and is connected to the island by a timber walkway. Each room has its own private "stairs" that lead you directly to the ocean and of course, a hammock that hangs over the water!

Apart from having the most amazing outdoor view, the water villa also includes an exquisite bathroom with an oval bathtub, indoor & open air showers and vanity counters. Three different ways to take a shower... Nothing can ever top that one eh? Shangri-La also provided L'Occitane toiletries, which had definitely made my shower a hundred times better throughout my stay.

Oh and did I mention each one of us had our own bicycle for transportation? Since the water villa is located at the side of the island, every time we wanted to go to the beach or dining room, we would have to cycle along the wooden pavement to get there. For all those peeps that don't know how to ride a bike, don't worry, you could always request a buggy to pick you up.

Speaking of the dining room, this is how it looks. Beautiful, isn't it?

As relaxing as it is, kids might find it really boring to go to the beach every day, thus Shangri-La also offers a variety of recreation for both adults and children. My family and I were there during Easter, which explains why the following pictures and activities are so easterly.

If you're thinking of a little getaway trip, the Maldives is no doubt the place to go for. Not only is it a beautiful place to be at but it is also sinking, and girl if you don't visit Maldives soon, it will be gone soon.

Have you been to the Maldives? Which resort did you stay at?