Remininiscence

Thursday 11 May
It’s 5.30 a.m. when I am rudely awakened by my alarm clock. I hurriedly pack the last few belongings into my suitcase and hand luggage, have a final cigarette on the terrace – despite a soft red sky, it should be another beautiful day – and then head off to the dining room for my last breakfast. At 7.30 a.m. sharp (island time), the Twin Otter operated by Trans Maldivian Airways takes off from Helengeli and, after a 10-day holiday, brings me back to Malé Airport.

As TMA’s seaplane had left 30 minutes earlier than planned the previous day, I arrive at the airport at 7.00 a.m. Malé time and a few minutes later the representative from Island Hideaway Dhonakulhi greets me and escorts me to the desk of the Maldives’ domestic airline Island Aviation, which is not yet open. He unceremoniously powers up the check-in desk and prints out my boarding pass for the flight to Hanimadhoo in Haa Alifu Atoll. He then takes me to the VIP Lounge, which is open to all guests of Dhonakulhi for the outward flight. First of all, I fill in the guest form for Dhonakulhi and then, after a couple of sundaes and free coffees, one of the two computers becomes free and I can briefly log in to the forum.

At 10.50 a.m., the small Island Aviation plane takes off, flying along the eastern edge of the atolls to the northernmost atoll of the Maldives. On the left, the view takes in Kurumba, Banyan Tree, Ihuru and Baros, while Helengeli passes by on the right and, soon after that, Kanuhura appears on the right, with Komandoo on the left and then Kuredu on the right. On the left, I get another brief view of the far-off Reethi Beach and, from then on, only more indigenous and uninhabited islands flash by beneath us. After a 50-minute flight – with a cold drink and a sweet served every now and then – we land at Hanimadhoo and I am overcome by how green this island is, particularly the airport.

After a brief ticket check, a Maldivian comes over and takes me and my luggage to a snow-white motorboat with equally white, softly padded seats. After a cold towelette and iced coffee, the boat whizzes at full throttle across the smooth sea, and after around 20 minutes we reach the marina of Island Hideaway Dhonakulhi. I am greeted by a manager, I give in the guest form I filled in in the VIP Lounge, and now I am introduced to my butler, Mr Rascheed. He then takes me to my bungalow in an electric buggy, programs his mobile number into the Butler button on my room phone, explains the whole bungalow to me and then, at my request, leaves me on my own to settle in.

My bungalow is number 32 and is one of the 20 Dhonakulhi Residences. It is set in a plot of around 550 m², including a garden. The living room, with separate air conditioning, measures approximately 10 m x 5 m. To the right of the entrance is a round dining table with four chairs. The room is divided in two by a sideboard with minibar and a Melitta “My Cup• coffee machine, which is freely available to use. The second half of the living room comprises two couches, a low table, a stand with a TV, DVD player and home cinema sound system, a desk with Internet connection and some steps to the deck, where there is another table, two chairs and a lounger. On the left, you come to a cloakroom with a suitcase rack, dressing table and two two-door cupboards with a free-to-use safe. A glass door on the left leads into the large open-air bathroom, measuring around 50-60 m², with two black granite washbasins, a separate toilet (with telephone connection), a shower and a large stone bath. In a bedroom measuring around 25 m², with its own air conditioning, is a four-poster bed measuring 2 m x 2 m with mosquito net, two bedside tables, a telephone, a couch, a chess table and a small white teddy bear with a message from my butler. Guests are allowed to take this teddy home at the end of their stay as a complimentary souvenir. The 4-metre-wide glass folding door opens onto the garden, which leads to the beach. Set into the floor of the large, partially covered terrace is a jacuzzi measuring 3 m x 2 m with four integrated jets. In the garden, there is a palm-covered awning and two bicycles (one with luggage rack) on the right, while to the left is a large, covered wooden Maldivian swing, and on the beach, a palm-covered sunshade with two cushioned loungers and a small round wooden table invites you to relax. The bungalow’s private beach has shrubs on either side and is around 15-20 metres long and, depending on the tide, between 3 and 6 metres wide. Smoking is not permitted in any of the bungalows but, although I am a smoker myself, I can understand it as the smell would penetrate the wood and the various materials much too strongly.

After I had cleared away my luggage and nibbled at the welcome snacks and part of the fruit basket, I wanted to explore the island a little on the bike. Unfortunately, the sandy roads are very soft and, I’m not sure whether it was due to my ineptitude or the perilous sand, but my front wheel kept falling from the narrow, well-worn buggy tracks into the soft, deep sand. Unfortunately, I had set off at the wrong time – between 4.00 and 5.00 p.m., all roads in the interior of the island are fogged against mosquitoes – and so I left the interior roads through the island and cycled on the eastern side to the Gaafushi Restaurant, which is in the lagoon and can be reached via a bridge. After roughly 100 metres, I reached the rambling grounds of the Hideaway Mandara Spa and the Spa Water Villas standing in the lagoon. After a few photos, I continued – cutting across the densely vegetated island and the large staff area in the interior of the island – and ended up at a large, idyllic-looking palm grove, where a large buffet and tables are set up once a week. Depending on the theme – on 12 May it was “Arabian Night• – the feasting is accompanied by suitable gentle music. Without the daily measures to protect against mosquitoes, it would be impossible to enjoy the island’s jungle-like natural beauty without getting bitten. I have still not seen any island in the Maldives with more beautiful vegetation, but during my stay I could not hear or feel any mosquitoes at all!

As I cycled further, the large freshwater pool on the west coast suddenly appeared before me. On the wide sandy beach are sunshades and loungers, and behind them the large pool with a gently curved bridge and a bar in the water. Alongside it there is a shallower kids’ pool and around the landscaped pool are cushioned loungers and sunshades. As I tried to cool off after the cycling, the sun sank slowly into the sea. The sunset at the pool is almost more beautiful than on the terrace of the main bar. Every Thursday at 7.30 p.m., the Divers’ Night is held there, with a PowerPoint presentation and free snacks and drinks. As the base leader Nicole had taken her notebook on holiday, the video “Maldivian Nights• from the Foto+Dive Studios, which received several awards, was shown. Actually, it wasn’t shown straight away, but half an hour later, after I had explained to the diving base staff that the stereo jack of the speakers should be plugged into the DVD player, not the video projector, which requires a stereo to RCA adapter cable. Then reception had to sort out a suitable adapter and then we were finally able to hear the film commentary instead of the mains hum.

After I had taken my bicycle back to the bungalow and freshened up a little, my butler drove me to the Matheefaru Restaurant by buggy. The main restaurant comprises the main building and two smaller, airy buildings, reached by long boardwalks, with glass floors and underwater floodlights. I took a table on the terrace of the main building and, after a quick glance at the French chef’s exquisite menu, my butler served me truffled spaghetti in gorgonzola sauce and, for dessert, assorted ice cream with nuts and caramel. Back home in the bungalow, I saw out the first evening with a bath in the jacuzzi by moonlight and a good mood.

Friday 12 May
The firm yet soft beds provide a wonderful night’s sleep, so my second day began without any spinal disc problems for once. A buggy takes me to the restaurant and my diving gear to the diving base. The breakfast buffet in the restaurant proves to be somewhat tricky, as even with the traditional omelette I have to choose from 12 instead of the usual 4 ingredients. The chocolate croissants also taste divine and I would have had to stay on Dhonakulhi for at least two weeks in order to sample all the other treats and pastries. Because I’m going diving today, I decide that one omelette, three different pastries and a large waffle with chocolate sauce and honey will do for today! Oh yes, and on Dhonakulhi there are no commercially prepared juices, only freshly squeezed ones!

I go to the Meridis diving base, just a few metres away, on foot, and there is my equipment already assembled. Because I want to dive on the house reef first, we – my buddy is the deputy base leader Kirsten – don the equipment and walk the few metres to the jetty near reception. We dive in the reef channel off Dhonakulhi, with only a light current. The corals don’t look bad but, as with all resorts, are not exactly overwhelming. What’s striking, however, is the abundance of fish in the narrow kandu: Besides red and yellow-purple fairy basslet, fusiliers and blue-striped snappers, we encounter a huge school of tuna and several dozen inquisitive batfish. In the blue water, which is only 12-15 metres deep here, a single eagle ray glides past and then, when we cross the reef channel westwards, we come across two stingrays. We then dive back again, and under the bridge we encounter a large violet boxfish as well as seeing the tuna and batfish again. Even if we didn’t come across any mantas this time – the peak season is in December, when schools of more than a hundred mantas travel through the reef channel every day – the dive on the house reef was still very beautiful.

At 2.00 p.m., we - Kirsten and Yuko, two Japanese divers and I – go by boat to the aquarium, where we see beautiful corals as well as two napoleon wrasse, a few eagle rays and numerous shoals of fish. Unfortunately, I can’t do more diving tomorrow, as I have to fly home on Sunday. Back at the Meridis diving base, we don’t have to rinse the diving equipment, as the base staff always take care of that!

In the evening, Tim Bilfinger, a German, calls me to ask whether I would like to have dinner with him at the “Arabian Night• in the palm grove. Naturally, I say yes, because firstly it’s an honour for me to eat with the Resident Manager and, secondly, I can speak German with him and learn more about Island Hideaway Dhonakulhi than I can with my scant knowledge of English. When I arrive by electric buggy in the palm grove, a large buffet has already been set up in the middle and there are tables all around, concealed between the palm trees. Mr Rascheed, my butler, is already waiting discreetly for us, concealed in the background. The food was, as usual, excellent, and was rounded off with a flowery South African “Mount Langi Ghiran• (Cabernet Merlot). Then back to the bungalow by buggy and, after a bath in the lagoon, I enjoy two more cigarillos in the jacuzzi.

Saturday 13 May
Today is my penultimate day on Dhonakulhi and I have planned almost a whole day taking photos and video. At 8.00 a.m., the buggy takes me to breakfast and, as I’m not diving today, I tuck into the sweet buffet a bit more! At 8.45 a.m., I start my grand tour of the island with Mr Rascheed as my driver. First of all, he shows me the Rambaa Retreat from both inside and outside, then the Funa Pavilions, followed by the Jasmine Garden Villa (we leave out the Dhonakulhi Residences as I live in one). The next type of bungalow he shows me is a Hideaway Palace. Actually, the Hideaway Palaces aren’t bungalows; each is a small village of its own. Around the huge landscaped pool are a house with the living room, one with the dining room and the deck, and three houses each with a bedroom, cloakroom and open-air bathroom. In front of the houses is the large private beach with sand dunes and – as with all the bungalows – sunshades, loungers and swings. In front of the northwestern Hideaway Palace is a gorgeous, large sandbank for the guests’ exclusive use!

Mr Rascheed conjures up an ice-cold towelette and a cold bottle of water from a cool box stashed in the buggy. He only takes a bottle of water himself when I offer him a drink from my bottle. After the refreshments, we drive on to the cool, air-conditioned sports centre and, while I take a few photos, panoramas and a video of the billiards and games tables and the superb array of sports equipment, my butler has a quick game of table football with one of the members of staff. Outside, I take another photo of the two hard tennis courts and then we drive on to the watersports centre, where I take more photographs. Although the use of all equipment in both the sports centre and watersports centre is free, the facilities are not used nearly enough. The penultimate stop on today’s island excursion is the enormous area that makes up the Hideaway Mandara Spa, with fish ponds, treatment and relaxation rooms and the Spa Water Villas, where guests can receive spa treatments in their own water bungalow. Finally, we visit the crèche, where children can be looked after if required, and are supervised as they play with the numerous toys and pieces of apparatus. The crèche also has a large lounge with a multilingual library and a computer, which can be used to surf and e-mail free of charge via a fast satellite broadband connection.

In the afternoon, I chill out by alternating between a coffee on the beach, a swim in the lagoon and relaxing in my own Jacuzzi. As evening falls, I reluctantly begin packing my suitcase again. In the evening, I eat at the Matheefaru Restaurant again. I start with a shrimp soup Asian style, which is followed by a soft, tender and juicy Australian tenderloin steak with truffled garnish (unfortunately I didn’t remember the name). For dessert, I enjoy a passion fruit mousse. We sometimes eat at pubs with 3 or 4 Hauben (Austrian chef classification) at home, but I have never been served such a fantastic steak in Austria or anywhere else! I always thought a butler was an unnecessary luxury, but my butler Mr Rascheed was a real diamond. Even when I was at the restaurant, he stayed hidden in the background at all times, but as soon as I even got out my cigarette packet, he was standing beside me and put an ashtray on the table for me. I reckon that in the time the waiters on most islands would take to bring a drink over, my butler could have served me a complete à la carte menu! Back at the bungalow, the timetable for the next morning’s departure was already on the bedside table and I packed the last few things and set my alarm clock for 3.45 a.m. One final naked dip in the jacuzzi in front of the bedroom, another cigarillo beneath the full moon and then off to bed.

Sunday 14 May
At 3.45 a.m., my mobile phone rudely awakens me with the sound of merrily singing hamsters. It is still dark, but thanks to a quick cup of coffee I manage to stay awake until I have slipped into my cumbersome long trousers and am dressed ready to travel. At 4.30 a.m., my butler comes and serves me breakfast in the living room: five pieces of croissant and other pastries, fresh coffee from the Thermos flask, a few small bananas and apples and oranges. I leave the fruit, except for a small banana, but I scoff the whole basket of pastries. Then Mr Rascheed drives me to reception with my luggage, and at 5.20 a.m., the white speedboat travels with me (and my butler) to the airport on Hanimadhoo. At 6.50 a.m. sharp, I fly back with Island Aviation to Malé Airport. It’s a shame, I’d just got used to the exclusive but unflashy luxury on the paradisal “Island Hideaway Dhonakulhi at Maldives Spa & Marina•…

Epilogue
I visited a luxury island once, two years ago, but on that occasion I was happy to finally leave the island after a few hours. Not the case with Island Hideaway Dhonakulhi. Here, I felt good as soon as I got in the speedboat and more so than ever while I was on the island. No paved plaza between the reception, restaurant, spa and pool, just natural sand – no tacky waterfall, just real nature all around – no affected fashion parade by a few nouveau riche types, just guests dressed completely normally, like you’d see on the other islands of the Maldives – no swanky luxury, just a discreet, dignified quality of life, which makes your stay a feel-good experience right from the word “go•! Although I can’t afford to do it again in a hurry, I feel quite homesick for “Island Hideaway Dhonakulhi at Maldives Spa & Marina•...

Facts and facilities

Arrival:
Even at Malé Airport, I realised I was heading for an extraordinary island. After arriving in the Maldives and going through the usual customs check, you go into the departure lounge and, after checking in with Island Aviation to for the journey to Dhonakulhi, all guests of Dhonakulhi wait in the VIP lounge, which provides free drinks, coffee, cake and Internet access, for the onward flight to the exclusive island of Dhonakulhi, which is also a member of SLH, “Small Luxury Hotels of the World•.

Transfer:
The Island Aviation planes that go to Hanimadhoo are Dornier 228s, which hold 17 people (7 rows on the left and 10 on the right, with one seat in each). The best seats for taking photos are in the first three rows; behind that, the wings tend to get in the way of your shot. During the 50- minute flight to Hanimadhoo in the Haa Alifu Atoll, the northernmost atoll of the Maldives, I have a superb view of the many uninhabited, indigenous islands on the eastern side of the North Malé Atoll, the Lhaviyani Atoll, the Noonu Atoll, the Shaviyani Atoll, the Haa Dhaalu Atoll and finally the southeastern islands of the Haa Alifu Atoll. Even the arrival at Hanimadhoo was an experience, as it’s the greenest, best-kept airport I’ve seen so far on the Maldives.

Butler service:
At the exit of the small arrivals hall, the staff of Island Hideaway Dhonakulhi were waiting to take the guests and their luggage to the snow-white motorboat with white padded seats, where we are greeted with a cold towelette and an iced tea. No sooner have we sunk down into the soft seats when the speedboat whizzes off and, after around 20 minutes, the boat docks in Dhonakulhi’s marina. After a cool welcome cocktail, each guest is introduced to their personal butler, who then takes his guests and their luggage to the bungalow by electric buggy and is available for the duration of the holiday to answer any questions and fulfil any requests.

Bungalows:
Each bungalow has its own garden with a covered wooden swing and a sunshade with cushioned beach loungers on its own private beach. Thanks to the high trees and bushes, all bungalows are shielded from prying eyes, from either the road or other bungalows.

• The 7 "Funa Pavilions" are on the western side, south of the reception, and are set in a plot of around 175 m², including a garden. Separate living room and bedroom, and an open-air bathroom.

• The 7 "Rambaa Retreats" are on the western side, north of the reception, and have an approximate area of 385 m², including a garden. Separate living room and bedroom, and a large open-air bathroom with shower and tub.

• The 20 “Dhonakulhi Residences• are set in a plot of around 550 m², including a garden, and there is also a jacuzzi measuring 6 m² in front of the bedroom, as well as a deck. The residences are located on the west and east of the southern end of Dhonakulhi.

• The 2 “Hideaway Water Suites• are located north of the watersports centre and Gaafushi Restaurant, in front and to the left of the spa centre on the eastern side of Dhonakulhi and each have an area of around 235 m². The Spa bungalows each have a separate living room and bedroom, a closed bathroom, a sauna, a terrace with jacuzzi and a spa treatment room. (The "Spa Water Villa" was renamed in "Hideaway Water Suite" in November 2006).

• The 5 “Jasmine Garden Villas• are set in a plot of around 705 m², including a garden, and are arranged similarly to the Rambaa Retreats, except that instead of the jacuzzi, there is a large pool in front of the bedroom with a relaxation area as well as a seating area in the water. The Jasmine bungalows are located in the northwest of the island.

• The 2 “Hideaway Palaces• are actually more like 2 small hotel complexes, as both Palaces have an approximate area of 1420 m², comprising 1 house with a large living room, 1 house with a dining room, 3 houses with a bedroom in each, a deck and a large landscaped pool in the centre, between these houses. One Palace is at the northeastern end of Dhonakulhi and the other is in the northwestern part of the island and has its own dreamy sandbank in front of the private beach

Internet:
All bungalows have a telephone socket near the desk for the free Internet access (via guests’ own computer). In the crèche is a large lounge with a multilingual library and a table with a computer and free Internet access. Free Internet access via wireless LAN is available in the main restaurant.

Kindergarten:
At the Kiddy Club, children can use the playground free of charge and, if required, the children can also be looked after, like in a proper crèche.

The bar:
As Dhonakulhi uses the same time as Malé, you should get to the bar before 7 p.m., as you get a magnificent view of the sunset from there. Every Thursday at 7.30 p.m., a Divers’ Night is held in the bar, with a video and free snacks and drinks. Although there are drinks in plastic bottles in the bungalows, no drinks are served in plastic bottles anywhere on the island!

Matheefaru Restaurant:
In the middle of the island, on the western side, is the main restaurant “Matheefaru• and, in front, two smaller pavilions linked by a bridge, with glass floors so that when you are eating, you can see the fish doing the same. The breakfast is always served as a buffet in the main building, but the omelette or the waffles with chocolate sauce and honey are served by the butler after you have chosen. The breakfast buffet offers an enormous selection and is of the highest quality, and the fruit juices are always freshly squeezed!
Lunch and dinner is always served à la carte! I ate an Australian tenderloin steak with truffled
potatoes there on the last evening, which was better than I’ve ever tasted from any 4-Hauben chef in Europe! Now I know why the prices in the menu are always written in words rather than figures.

Gaafushi Restaurant:
In the middle of the eastern side, in the lagoon, is the “Gaafushi• Restaurant, which specialises in Asian cuisine and seafood in the evenings. Every Friday, a theme evening with buffet is held in the large palm grove (near the diving base); in April, it was “Barbecue• and in May, “Arabian Night•. Guests are served by their butler.

Shop, jeweller, pool:
Next to the reception is a large shop with souvenirs and fashions, in addition to a well-known jeweller from Sri Lanka.

Pool:
Past the reception is the bar and, 50 metres further on, a landscaped freshwater pool with a pool bar, a kids’ pool and sunshades on the beach.

Spa:
The Hideaway Spa is located north of Gaafushi Restaurant on the eastern side and is extremely spacious, with treatment rooms located on the island and in the two Spa Water Villas.

Sports centre:
2 hard tennis courts in front of the air-conditioned sports centre and, inside, billiards and table football, as well as a second room with treadmill, crosstrainer, exercise bikes, dumbbells and other sports equipment. Guests may use all facilities free of charge.

Watersports centre:
The banana boat, catamaran, rowing boat, surfboards and water bikes can also be used by guests free of charge.

Meridis diving base:
The modern Meridis diving base is run by Nicole, with support from Kirsten, Yuko, Mohamed and Josef. The dive boat is manned by the two captains Abdullah and Rameez and the crew Emi and Fazeel. Island Hideaway Dhonakulhi is currently the only hotel island in the Haa Alifu Atoll and so to get to any of the dive sites, divers set out from the Meridis diving base. Individual mantas are seen from November to Mai at the surrounding cleaning stations, but in December hundreds of mantas weave through Dhonakulhi’s small reef channel, so that sometimes there is hardly any room left for the divers and boats.