Who goes to the Maldives alone? I once asked that myself, after all, the Maldives is considered by many to be the top remote honeymoon destination of the world. With its idyllic clear turquoise lagoon waters, stunning islands, picture perfect white sand beaches, beautiful coral reefs plentiful with marine life and ultra luxury overwater resorts, why would anyone want to travel here alone without a loved one? Well the question you should ask yourself is why do I have to wait to be with a loved one to travel to the Maldives? Are only couples or families allow to experience paradise? Depending who you ask, scientists predict the Maldives will sink or rather be submerged by the ocean waters within 30 to 80 years. The great tsunami of 2004 already swallowed two-thirds of the country and with the current climate change, the Maldives will become a vanishing paradise. Like the city of Venice sinking into the Adriatic Sea or the Great Barrier Reef of Australia being devastated by coral bleaching and climate change, Maldives with its underlying coral islands just up to 5 meters above sea level, will be gone. I am not going to wait for an opportunity to arise for me to discover this famous holiday destination, I am going to take it.

Falhumaa - Overwater dining restaurant at The Residence Maldives

Petite and Solo Safety Factor

5 out of 5

Maldives is safe and crime is rare. Maldivians are one of the most helpful and welcoming people I've ever met (reminded me of the Balinese of Indonesia or Thai people).

In February 2018, Maldives declared a state of emergency for about 15 days amidst some political unrest. Naturally this affected tourism to the destination and honeymooners and vacationers began to cancel their reservations to paradise. I followed the news and postings and there were no indications of subsequent violence erupting in Male, the nation's capital, so I took a chance and continued on my dream trip to the Maldives. After all, I was not staying in Male anyway. I was staying on a resort island far from the capital. When I arrived in Male one month later, all seemed normal and the airport appeared quite full. When I arrived to my resort, I asked the Front Desk personnel if they were at full capacity considering the high season and I was told due to the unrest and issued travel warnings, the resort was only at 60% occupancy.

After my travels and well into the month of April, the political crisis had subsided and everything was "business as usual". It seems the crisis in the Maldives was more like a squabble between two half-siblings. Nevertheless, it is good to pay attention to the current affairs of any nation before embarking on travels and to use discretion before making the decision to risk travel there.

Accessibility

1,192 coral islands make up the Republic of Maldives, this South-Asian nation located in the Indian Ocean. These islands are grouped in a double chain of coral atolls. Atolls normally sit atop the rim of an extinct volcano that is submerged beneath the water. The beautiful multifaceted blue color of the lagoons forms over the volcanic crater or caldera while the higher rim is above the water, allowing coral to grow and form reefs.

Maldives is a chain of 26 atolls that stretched north to south, spanning about 115 square miles. This makes Maldives one of the world's most geographically dispersed countries. The capital and largest city is Male. Within the 26 coral atolls, 200 islands are inhabitable and about 80 islands are tourist resort islands.

Nearly all visitors arrive at Male International Airport located in Hulhule island right next to Male. Once they arrive, tourists generally proceed to their island resorts by boats, sea planes and private yachts. Some tourists stay on Male and take day trips to neighboring islands with use of the local ferry service. This is a great way to experience the Maldives without emptying your bank account.

Personally, I wanted to vacation like a honeymoon without being a honeymooner on a resort island in one of those Maldivian classic overwater bungalows. I chose The Residence Maldives by Cenizaro. This island resort, 20km north of the Equator, is located on Falhumaafushi in the Gaafu-Alifu Atoll or the Northern Havadhoo Atoll. It is one of the largest and deepest atolls in the world.

My journey started in Dubai to Male. Arriving early morning in Male, the resort's airport greeter with a sign bearing my name escorted me to the resort's waiting lounge, Moonimaa. My domestic transfer to Kooddoo Airport wasn't for another 3 hours but I made use of the free 6-hour WiFi access, the complimentary food and had a quick nap. The transfer was about 55 minutes by air and after landing at Kooddoo Airport, the resort representatives escorted me to a nearby jetty for a 10-minute speedboat transfer directly to the resort.

The Residence Maldives Falhumaafushi

Singaporean-owned Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts is an international hospitality company with a moderately sized portfolio of independent luxury properties in some of the most exotic places in the world. Cenizaro's signature brand is The Residence with locations in Mauritius, Zanzibar, Tunis and the Maldives. They are also slated to open a second property in the Maldives at Dhigurah with special offerings geared towards adults only. I really loved my journey to The Residence Maldives. I did not mind traveling to Gaafu-Alifu Atoll which is one of the most southerly atolls in the Maldives. While some travelers may want to be close to Male and not travel too far to get to their island resort, I reveled taking the 55-minute domestic flight over the beautiful atolls and blue water lagoons. It made for some of the most picturesque photos I have ever taken over the Indian Ocean and only added to my anticipation of a glorious vacation.

As a solo female traveler, The Residence Maldives greeted me with open arms. The staff was gracious and welcoming. They anticipate all sort of travelers and still provide the exceptional service expected by honeymooners, family vacationers and adventurous solo travelers. The only female hostess in their main dining room was particularly kind to me, greeting me with a bright smile daily and sat me in a comfortable area in the restaurant. She told me they were accustomed to receiving solo female travelers and it was nothing extraordinary. My butler Francis checked on me often but without being overbearing. It was always comfortable running into him while he went about his errands for other guests or while I biked the long paths of the resort. He arranged my dinner reservations, took care of my laundry requests, helped me acquire a smaller bike for my petite stature and even managed to blow up my pool floatie.

At The Residence Maldives, I decided to experience both the Beach Pool Villa and the Over Water Pool Villa for comparison. Both were exceptional accommodations, each with a living room, double sink bathroom, indoor and outdoor showers, large stand alone tub, a deck to sunbath and a 1.2 meter pool. I am an amateur swimmer (barely) and the pool's depth was perfect for my petite size. In the overwater pool villa, air-conditioning is only located in the bedroom area. Ample bottles of water are provided daily (about 6 bottles) and there are coffee-making machines in the living room.

Beach Pool Villa

View inside the shower looking out towards the oversized tub

His and her sinks or in my case, Me and My sinks

Water Pool Villa

Reception

The open-air reception area is small but welcoming. Upon arrival I was served a refreshing orange drink and noticed the tsunami warning sign that alerts guests and employees to the assembly point and shelter

Bars

The Residence Maldives has two bars, the Library Bar above the reception area and the island-style Beach Bar and Lounge by the pool

The Dining Room (on the beachfront)

This is the main dining room of the resort serving breakfast, lunch and dinner a la carte style or themed buffet style. Most Maldive Resorts' room rates includes full breakfast. Meal plans such as half-board, full-board and all-inclusive are optional. As I was traveling solo and not necessarily a big eater, I did not select a meal plan. I ate when I was hungry and enjoyed a beverage occasionally. For me, this proved more economical.

Falhumaa

A lovely overwater fine dining restaurant. My best meal was here in an elegant setting.

SPA by Clarins and Wellness

Resort Pool and Beach

The Residence Maldives Offerings

In every villa is a calendar of daily activities and offerings throughout the resort. I was able to plan my time around this activity sheet and take full advantage of the resort's amenities. The Residence Maldives offers non-motor sports such as kayaking and stand-up paddling complimentary. Each villa is equipped with two bikes to use. This proved to be a great form of exercise and came in handy when I did not want to wait for the resort's buggy. Diving facilities are near by to rent snorkeling equipment or to schedule reef diving or deep ocean fishing. Professional photographers are also onsite for a photoshoot and bridal dresses and accessories are available for renting.

Traveling to the Maldives by myself and experiencing the warmth and hospitality of The Residence Maldives was a dream come true. I know now that any woman can make the long journey here by herself and feel safe, confident and more importantly renewed. This vacation was probably the most relaxing that I have ever had the opportunity to experience. All my senses were recharged here and I am thankful to have found myself again at The Residence Maldives.