Hotel: Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

Address: Baa Atoll, Republic of Maldives

Website: www.fourseasons.com/maldives

TraveLife Ranking: Five Stars

Rooms: 102 spectacular beach and water bungalows and villas

Room Rates: $700 and up per night

Awards: The resort has received high recognition for its food and spa services and its environmental projects, especially those related to reestablishing the reefs destroyed by a El Nino (1997 to 1998) to their previous brilliance is the stuff of legends. After one visit, TraveLife now ranks Landaa Giraavaru among its Top 5 resorts in the world.

Highlights: Everything here meets or exceeds Four Seasons standards – the toughest in the business. You’re promised the “Four Seasons Maldives Experience” when you arrive and what you quickly realize is that it’s going to be an experience of a lifetime. Look up “first class” in the dictionary and you’ll see a picture of this resort. Staff is a wonderful mix of Maldivians, Europeans and Asians and they must love working here because they always have a smile on their faces. This resort, like most in the Maldives, caters to the honeymoon set so love is always in the air, along with frequencies of tropical flora and fruit. The resort’s environmental programs and its dedication to teaching guests – especially children - about the nation’s delicate ecosystem are all part of the highlights of visiting here. The scuba diving and snorkelling are world class – maybe even top of the class. The private island is a tropical paradise and its sugary shore allows for long romantic walks at sunset before enjoying some amazing international fare at one of the resort’s 5-star restaurants, where the spectacular views are free.

History: The resort opened in November, 2006 and it’s been a “destination to die for” ever since. It’s location between Asia and Africa and its easy access from Europe have always made it a popular stop, starting thousands of years ago during the spice trade period.

Interior Highlights: You’re first impressions of the resort is the open-air lobby and it makes a pretty good first impression. The thatch and timber construction used in the rooms and public areas is patterned after traditional Maldivian designs. Beach and over the water bungalows are all spacious and private – seclusion is what most of the guests who come here crave and they find it on their stilted decks or behind their high-walled beach bungalows. The beach bungalows come with plunge pool, day bed, open air dining pavilion, outdoor showers and some come with open-air lofts where the day bed can be converted into a night-time hideaway. With in-room dining options, there’s really no reason to leave your accommodation – and many honeymooners never do.

In the Next Room: Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru is very hush, hush about the identity of its guests. So, the woman with the Bollywood good looks who was always hiding behind large Gucci sun glasses was probably an Indian actor and the Arab chap with the cell phone always at the ready could have been an oil sheik, and the rather large muscular man built like an Aussie Rules Football player, probably was - but we’ll never know for sure.

The Rooms: Wow! That pretty much sums up these beauties. Whether you choose the over the water stilted rooms – a favourite with Asian guests – or the beach bungalows and villas preferred by Europeans and North Americans, there’s not a bad room in this house. The over the water rooms – 40 in total – are located on a double-loaded jetty that juts out into the turquoise Indian Ocean lagoon and features a bedroom and dressing area and a spacious bathroom that comes complete with an outdoor shower. The ocean is always only a few steps away and at night, lights under the units attract all kinds of colourful fish. The outdoor deck offers a separate dining area and 10 of the villas at Landaa Giraavaru offer plunge pools. There’s two water villas that can accommodate family groups with two spacious bedrooms and shared living and dining area overlooking the sea. The beach bungalows and villas offer even more room and their courtyards with el fresco dining options and plunge pool just increase the feeling of spaciousness. All rooms come with million dollar views of the surrounding brilliance and week-long stays – the recommended length of time to spend in this paradise – go by too quickly.

Spa: Landaa Giraavaru’s Spa and Ayurvedic Retreat is quickly establishing itself as one of the best in the business. Well-trained therapists from spa kingdoms like Bali, Thailand, the Philippines, India and Malaysia have been hired to pamper you with a full range of massage treatments delivered in spacious over the water rooms with glass floors so you can enjoy an aquatic show while having your aches and pains rubbed away by experts using a range of chemical-free products that won’t hurt you or the environment. The ayurvedic treatment – an ancient medical procedure started in India more than 10,000 years ago – is delivered by experts of the craft in an open-air garden room after consultation with the resort’s resident ayurvedic doctor. By just taking your pulse, the good doctor can not only tell you what physical ailments you may be suffering from but also what your state of mind is, as well. Treatments also include recommendations for diet and lifestyle changes that will benefit you long after your visit here.

Restaurants: The resort may be in the middle of the Indian Ocean and four hours by air in any direction from a major city, but the dining options offered here are as good as you’ll find in any world capital. Blu, where Italian inspired dishes rule, is our favourite on Landaa Giraavaru. Blu’s all white furnishings and breathtaking ocean vistas, combined with sunsets that must be seen to be believed, is what lures guests to the ocean-side restaurant but it’s the contemporary Italian offerings that keep them coming back. Blu is open for lunch (pizzas are their mid-day specialty) and dinner. For something completely different, you must try Al Barakat, an Arabian restaurant and bar that stands on stilts off the resort’s main jetty. The rooftop restaurant offers Lebanese and Moroccan specialties under a canopy of stars. Café Landaa is where you’ll eat breakfast and is an evening dinning favourite for those looking for Asian dishes and the catch of the day cooked in some exciting culinary styles. There’s also in suite dining options and the honeymooners like that.

Shopping: The resort has a couple of gift boutiques offering some local craft and some high-end imported clothing but you didn’t come here to shop. Close By The resort can arrange visits to some local Maldivian islands where you can immerse yourself in the local culture through art and dance but there’s plenty on Landaa Giraavaru to keep you busy and entertained.

Tips: There’s no doubt you’re required to fork over a lot of hard earned dollars for the Four Seasons Maldives Experience, but hey, you’re worth it. This is one of those “must see before I die destinations” and the resort is worth every cent they charge. Right now, because of the downturn in the global economy, the resort is offering many different deals – like stay three nights and get a fourth night free – but even without the deals, the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru is worth its weight in gold.