Book a Maldives getaway at one of these new resorts
Plus, where to get your eel fix in Tokyo and Samsonite's latest e-offerings.
By Meryl Koh /
01: CHASING THE SUN
We suss out the factors to picking your dream Maldives getaway spot.
FOUR SEASONS PRIVATE ISLAND VOAVAH
MALDIVES
SONEVA JANI
KANDIMA MALDIVES
ROOMS
Seven bedrooms split among a beach villa, two water villas, and two mezzanine suites, available for one group booking.
Stargaze from the bed in one of the 25 villas that have retractable roofs. There are over 50 villas in total.
Take a dip in the Indian Ocean from your own private deck in one of the Aqua Villas.
DISTANCE
(FROM MALE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT)
45-minute seaplane flight to Four Seasons’ Landaa Giraavaru hotel, and then a 20-minute boat journey to the island of Voavah.
40 minutes by seaplane from Male International Airport to the island of Medhufaru.
30 minutes by seaplane to Dhaalu Atoll, then a 20-minute boat ride.
THAT LITTLE EXTRA
Guests have a 19m-long yacht at their disposal to explore surrounding Unesco territory.
Put on headphones for a private movie experience at the overwater Cinema Paradiso.
With 274 studios and villas, a host of activities and various social spaces, this is a village for trendy travellers.
02: THE EEL DEAL
Chef Teppei Yamashita’s buzzing Man Man in Keong Saik Road may offer high quality freshwater eel from Mikawa Isshiki region, but the hour-long wait (they don’t take reservations) can get tedious. Why wait? Satiate your unagi cravings at 200-year-old restaurant Nodaiwa in Tokyo, which recently got a Michelin star. Run by fifth-generation chef-owner Kanejiro Kanemoto, it serves wild-caught eel drenched in sweet soya-based sauce accompanied by wasabi and rock salt. 1-5-4 Higashiazabu, Minato-ku, Tel: +81 3 3583 7852.
03: ONE-STOP SAMSONITE
Following a series of acquisitions that included premium label Tumi, US luggage company Samsonite has launched an e-shop offering various brands like Lipault, Hartmann and High Sierra, saving customers the hassle of transporting their new luggage home.
PHOTO 123rf.com