THE ART OF BEING DAZZLED - With One Unexpected Marine Cameo

There are destinations we choose, and destinations that choose us. The last time I was in the Maldives was on my honeymoon, just over 25 years ago. I remember two things from that trip. Firstly, we slept for 33 hours straight after we landed (God’s honest truth) and that trip ruined all other holidays for me for the next two decades of my life. The Maldives, with its impossible palette of blues, is a place so ethereal it seems less like a holiday and more like a deliberate seduction.

And also: an eagle ray, but we’ll get to that.

From the moment our seaplane glides toward Heritance Aarah’s sweeping curve of overwater villas, staff greet you with a Hawaiianesque welcome song and dance, before you are whisked onto a golf buggy to your welcome drink at reception. I had Judy Garland’s “Forget your troubles come on get happy…” starting to play in my head. Five minutes later, back on the buggy straight to what was to be my paradise for the next few days.

My villa, poised above the lagoon, offered an effortless elegance: natural materials, warm woods, soft linens, and an uninterrupted relationship with the sea. The architecture seems to exhale, inviting you to do the same. I was charmed instantly. I found almost instantly what was going to be ‘my spot’ in the villa. The swing on the decking, with a view that I convinced myself only belonged to me. I wanted desperately to lie down but I was terrified that I would take another 33 hour nap, so instead, I decided to sit in the bath overlooking the sea and just take it all in…

Before I knew it, it was time for my first dinner and I was beyond excited as I had heard about Heritance Aarah’s all-inclusive concept being not merely generous, but culinary theatre. And it did not disappoint. From the setting: a showstopping school of fish chandelier, to the detail in service par excellence to picture perfect plates of quiet brilliance. Now normally at this stage in my article I would describe what I was eating but the truth is, every time I thought a dish couldn’t get any better, it just did. So I will talk about my culinary adventures all in one go.

Each restaurant has its own identity, its own mood, its own story. Whether it was a refined 7 or 8 course tasting menu or a leisurely beachfront lunch, dining here felt less like consumption and more like participation. The chefs approached their craft with the swagger of culinary rockstars who knew we’d applaud anything they set on fire. One of my favourite restaurants was Ambula. Here the chefs (after giving me a private masterclass) balanced local Maldivian flavours with the most fragrant Sri Lankan spices. The menu, presented to us in a scroll, included a First and Second service, an Intermission and a Final Act. The meal began with an Arrack cocktail and a mint compressed watermelon square. This was followed by a beetroot and Tuna consommé, curried octopus, a coconut roti with curried crab and coconut sambal (a highlight), jack seed stuffed chicken with quail egg, fried cassava and pineapple chutney (another highlight) and just when I said ‘Absolutely no more!’ they brought out the spiced Bibikan and Hibiscus Tea ice cream, possibly the most divine desert I’ve ever had. Then, just when I thought I can finally rest in peace…our wonderful waiter began “The pouring of Yarr tea” (poured by the yard) which was something to behold and even more magnificent to savour. (Though I did protest).

Day two began with possibly the best breakfast I have had in any hotel in any country. And believe me, for a seasoned traveller that is a bold statement. I decided I would have to stay at HA for at least a month in order to try every variation. There is everything from the freshest of fruit and breads to any variation of eggs to traditional Sri Lankan Dosas to warm noodle soup. After that, I of course, needed another lie down. This, was at the Ocean Suites infinity pool…larger and more luxurious than the infinity pool in my own villa, so it had to be done! I was out like a light, possibly a food coma, but also an alien feeling for me being the insomniac that I am. 

Far too soon, it was time for my Maldivian massage. If the villa represents tranquillity and the restaurants indulgence, the spa represents transformation. My treatment was a symphony of scent, touch, and sound, the kind of experience that untethers you from the world outside. For a blissful hour, time softened. I drifted. I disappeared. I reassembled. I emerged not  merely relaxed, but recalibrated. I did not want to leave. They told me I had to. There was some kicking and screaming involved but I finally returned to my villa.

I knew we had a dinner coming up, so I went to my little kitchenette and from my ridiculously stocked mini bar I made myself a rum cocktail. In a moment of pre-dinner serenity, I went to place my cocktail on the chic coffee table overlooking the water. The room glowed with that Maldivian golden hour, the light that photographers dream about. Only then did I register it: the glass floor beneath the table.

What followed was less celestial. I let out a startled, sharp scream, the kind typically reserved for unexpected tax bills and fell right on my backside, missing the sofa entirely as the creature glided directly under my drink like a living inkblot.

It was a reminder that in the Maldives, the boundary between nature and living space is beautifully, unapologetically blurred. Aarah doesn’t simply offer ocean views; it invites the ocean to participate in your evening routine.

The eagle ray continued undisturbed. My dignity, less so.

The next few days were filled with everything from night fishing, (I caught a red snapper and a white emperor fish), to making Tiki cocktails, to a rum masterclass, to shucking a coconut and even learning how to write my name in Arabic at the HA village! However, the snorkelling out here needs a special mention. The ocean here is not just scenery. 

And yes — I do suspect at least a few fish remembered my earlier scream.

For more information visit www.heritancehotels.com