My mother and I reached Sun Siyam Olhuveli by speedboat from Velana International Airport. The city gradually disappeared behind us, leaving long stretches of blue. Open water filled the view for most of the 45-minute journey, eventually bringing the resort into view.
We arrived to welcome drinks and were introduced to Caffrey, our Island Ambassador. After showing us to our villa, she remained our main point of contact throughout the stay, coordinating our reservations, excursions and daily plans.
Romantic Water Villa with Pool
We were led across a wooden walkway to the Romantic Water Villa with Pool where we would spend the next three nights. Positioned directly above the lagoon, the villa had a circular four-poster bed at its centre beneath a high vaulted ceiling. Glass doors filled the room with natural light and opened directly onto a private deck with sun loungers and a swimming pool facing the Indian Ocean.
Steps led straight from the deck into the lagoon. The view from the villa formed a striking tableau of water, sky and a line of waves breaking over the reef.
After travelling that morning, the combination of a comfortable bed, complete privacy and an uninterrupted ocean outlook was exactly what we needed. We settled in, took a proper look around and allowed ourselves some time to rest before beginning our first evening at Olhuveli.
Day One
We slept through lunch and woke up just in time for the Dolphin Discovery Cruise. A boat waited at the jetty, and we set off in the late afternoon with a small group of guests. The journey began with everyone scanning the horizon and treating every distant ripple as a possible sighting. The atmosphere changed as soon as the first fin appeared and everyone gathered along the edge of the boat.
Several dolphins moved through the water nearby, disappearing beneath the surface before emerging in a different spot moments later. A few came close to the boat, their backs briefly catching the light before they slipped beneath the waves again. The crew had warned us that sightings could never be guaranteed because the dolphins were wild, which made each appearance even more exciting. The cruise easily became the highlight of our first day.
We returned to Olhuveli and began walking towards our dinner reservation. The bridges connecting the three islands revealed the resort’s scale in a way our arrival by speedboat had not. Buggies carried guests between restaurants and villas, while paths branched towards beaches, pools and different corners of the islands. The sky had darkened by the time we reached Culinarium.
Culinarium sits over the water, with open sides overlooking the lagoon. Light from the restaurant fell across the sea below as we settled in for our first dinner at the resort.
We began with grilled mushrooms, followed by seafood paella and Parmesan-baked salmon. The paella arrived in a large pan loaded with prawns, mussels and squid folded through saffron rice. The salmon came with truffle mushroom risotto and a creamy Albariño sauce.
The generous mains left us rather full, but that didn’t hold us back from dessert. We tried the coconut and mango panna cotta with passion fruit and caramelised pineapple, followed by a lemon meringue sablé. The panna cotta was creamy and tropical, while the lemon meringue brought some welcome sharpness to the end of the meal. Culinarium easily made up for the lunch we had slept through.
Day Two
The next day began with breakfast at The Restaurant, where the buffet covered everything from eggs and pastries to fruit, curries and Maldivian dishes. I ate with one thought circling in my mind. In a few hours, I would be snorkelling for the first time.
The Three Point Snorkelling excursion took us by boat to three sites around the atoll. I had never used a snorkel before and the prospect of entering open water made me nervous. The group included around ten people, most of whom seemed far more experienced, so I decided to approach the excursion one stop at a time.
Shark Point was our first stop. From the boat, we could see sharks moving through the clear water below while everyone prepared to get in. Swimming with them may have been the purpose of the stop, but watching from the boat felt adventurous enough for me. I stayed where I was and had an excellent view as the group entered the water and the sharks continued circling below.
By the time we reached Turtle Point, my nerves had eased enough for me to join the group. I put on my mask, lowered myself into the water and spent a few seconds bobbing at the surface as I adjusted to breathing through the snorkel. I then dipped my head beneath the water and the view changed completely.
An expansive underwater landscape opened below me. The clarity of the water revealed coral spreading across the seabed, schools of brightly coloured fish moving in every direction and turtles gliding through it all. One rested among the coral while another swam nearby, its movements slow and graceful. Marine life seemed to occupy every part of the water, from the smallest fish slipping between the coral to the turtles passing beneath us.
The spectacle caught me completely off guard. I had been so preoccupied with the mechanics of snorkelling and my fear of being in open water that I had barely considered what would be waiting below. Once I saw it, my nerves receded and wonder took over. I remember being struck by the beauty of nature and by how much of it exists beyond our comprehension.
Our final stop was Coral Garden and this time I entered the water eager to see what was beneath it. The seabed was covered with intricate coral formations, with fish weaving through their branches and gathering in colourful schools above them. I could finally pay attention to the details, the shapes of the coral, the movement of the fish and the extraordinary clarity of the pristine water.
I could not have asked for a more beautiful introduction to snorkelling, and I remain grateful to Olhuveli for giving me the experience.
The boat brought us back to Olhuveli in time for lunch at Island Pizza. The restaurant sits beside the beach, with tables facing the lagoon and sand underfoot. We were midway through our meal when a grey heron appeared near the water and began making its way towards us. It walked right up to our table and stood beside us for several minutes, entirely at ease as we ate. The unexpected visitor brought a touch of whimsy to our meal.
We crossed to Romance Island that evening for dinner at Teppanyaki. The chef prepared each course on the grill in front of us, combining the cooking with flames, spinning utensils and a steady stream of tricks. His enthusiasm kept everyone around the table involved, and he seemed to enjoy performing as much as we enjoyed watching him.
The Meat and Seafood Teppanyaki menu began with miso soup and maki rolls, followed by hibachi vegetables and egg-fried rice. The chef then cooked beef tenderloin, tuna and prawns on the hot grill, serving each component as it was ready. A matcha crêpe with flambéed fruit and vanilla ice cream completed the meal. The food was great, and the chef ensured the evening was every bit as entertaining as it was delicious.
Day Three
Our third day was the first morning without an excursion on the itinerary, giving us the chance to thoroughly enjoy the villa. It was also the morning chosen for our floating breakfast, which the team delivered directly to the pool on a large woven tray. Baskets of pastries sat beside plates of eggs, fresh fruit and breakfast sides, with juice, coffee and small pots of condiments arranged around them.
Once the tray was cleared, I remained in the pool for most of the morning. From there, it was only a few steps across the deck and down into the ocean. I moved between the two for some time before eventually leaving the villa for lunch at The Bite.
A table had been prepared for us in an elevated wooden structure overlooking the beach, giving us a clear view of the turquoise water and the palms lining the shore. Sitting above the sand with the entire beach in front of us made the setting as enjoyable as the food.
We visited The Ocean Spa after lunch for a 60-minute massage and hydrotherapy session. The treatment rooms were positioned over the water, with wide windows looking towards the Indian Ocean. After the previous day’s snorkelling and a morning spent swimming, the massage was very welcome. We followed it with hydrotherapy, moving through the water treatments before returning to the villa feeling thoroughly relaxed.
Our final dinner was at Milano, an Italian restaurant with an open kitchen, arched interiors and warm lighting that suited the intimate setting. The à la carte menu drew on familiar Italian flavours and this turned out to be the best meal we had at Olhuveli.
The saffron seafood risotto was creamy, with seafood folded through rice that carried the warmth of the saffron. We also ordered the grilled half chicken, which was tender, well-seasoned and satisfying. For dessert we had an espresso tiramisu, served with enough coffee flavour to balance the mascarpone and sweetness.
The food had been good throughout our stay, but Milano brought everything together. Each dish was carefully prepared, the setting suited an evening by the sea and the tiramisu gave our final night the ending it deserved.
Departure
Our final morning began early with breakfast at The Restaurant, followed by the speedboat back to Velana International Airport.
My thoughts kept returning to Turtle Point. I had boarded the snorkelling boat frightened of entering the water, yet a short while later, I was swimming above coral and watching turtles move below me. Olhuveli will remain, for me, the place where I first discovered the Maldives beneath the surface.
