Travel Horizons: Six Senses Laamu

Showing posts with label Six Senses Laamu. Show all posts

1.01.2017

Where are you headed in 2017?

So many places to visit, but just one lifetime. What direction are you headed in 2017?

This signpost was photographed last March at Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives. If you're looking for a beach destination, you couldn't ask for a more beautiful setting than the Maldives. The water is warm and clear — a simply delightful place to escape winter and relax in the warm tropical sun.

2016 took me to four continents — Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America — and so many fabulous destinations — The Maldives, Australia, London, Paris, and the south of France. I've blogged extensively about each of these trips and taken notes about where to stay and what to do.

Where are you headed in 2017? If your plans are already set, get in touch and ask us how we can provide you with better value at luxury hotels than you can get online. How, you ask? Through our affiliation with Virtuoso and our preferred partner relationships with the top luxury hotel families in the world. If you need help prioritizing your bucket list, still get in touch ... and we can discuss a world full of possibilities.

Enjoy the holidays with your family and loved ones ... and best wishes for the New Year!

copyright (c) 2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

3.18.2016

overwater or beach bungalow?

view from beach bungalow at Velaa Private Island, the Maldives

Clients frequently ask me about overwater bungalows at ocean resorts in the South Pacific — at destinations like Bora Bora, Fiji, and the Maldives. There's something romantic about the notion, and American tourists in particular really want to stay overwater.

The concept was invented by Hotel Bora Bora. Blessed with the best natural beach on the atoll, the resort built a limited number of bungalows along the beach. But because there's only so much beach frontage, the resort created additional guestrooms by constructing boardwalks out over the water leading to bungalows on stilts.

overwater bungalows at Six Senses Laamu, the Maldives

Overwater bungalows were an instant hit, and everyone started copying them. Most of the rooms in Bora Bora are overwater, and I observed the same phenomenon during my recent trip to the Maldives. The advantage to living overwater is that you can slip from your private deck directly into the warm ocean water to swim, snorkel, or lounge.

I'm a contrarian on the matter. Given the choice, I'd prefer to stay in a beach bungalow. Why? The photo at the top of this article says it all. Guests in this beach bungalow at Velaa Private Reserve walk out their back door to a private pool, their own little stretch of beach, and the clear, turquoise ocean water. Besides, I'd rather get into the ocean from the beach where the water is shallow.

Given a choice, I'd choose a beach bungalow every time!

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

3.05.2016

death by ice cream

There are many compelling reasons to plan a vacation at Six Senses Laamu, a non-fussy, sand-between-your-toes, Virtuoso resort just 200 miles north of the equator in the Maldives. Gorgeous, clear sea water. Great snorkeling. A superb spa. Good food. It's even a good destination for surfers at the right time of the year when the waves are high.

But here's a reason you would not have guessed: free ice cream. There are 40 flavors of ice cream and sorbet at the Ice and Chocolate Studio, open daily from 12 noon to 10:30 p.m. You can have as much as you want, as often as you want, and you're encouraged to try all 40 flavors. Are you up to the challenge?

Death by ice cream, indeed!

1.09.2016

my trip to the Maldives is on!

Really excited to announce that my trip to Dubai and the Maldives is on! We'll be visiting late February and early March. I'll write more about my Dubai plans later this week when they shape up, but here's what I'm looking forward to.

Velaa Private Island

An exclusive resort with just 45 accommodations, it's located on an atoll 116 miles north of Male, guests reach it via seaplane and speedboat. The resort has its own golf course (though not a full 18 holes) and tennis courts, as well as a Kids Club, so a great choice for golf enthusiasts, families traveling together, and the upscale country club set.

Six Senses Laamu

Traveling from the far north to the far south, we next travel to Six Senses, 155 miles south of Male. This resort has 97 rooms, a children's club, and is known for great diving and surfing ... and Six Senses has a tradition of great spas.

Gili Lankanfushi

Another intimate resort with 45 rooms, Gili Lankanfushi is a short 20 minute speedboat ride north of the Male airport. No shoes, no news seems to be the motto... guests slip off their shoes the moment they arrive and spend their entire stay in casual, barefoot luxury!

And as if all this weren't enough, I'm planning site inspections at other nearby resorts — Velaa is close to Cheval Blanc, Six Senses is nearby Park Hyatt Maldives, and Gili Lankanfushi is close to Four Seasons Kuda Huraa and Taj Exotica ... and about 20 miles from One&Only Reethi Rah — but don't know if that's close enough for a site visit.

I'll have plenty to say while I'm there ... and lots of advice when I get back about your vacation to the Maldives!

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