Why Gili Lankanfushi is The Ultimate Destination For A Laid-Back Luxurious Getaway
Unpretentious, sustainable elegance will indulge your inner castaway at this blissful Maldivian resort
Scattered like stepping stones across the Indian Ocean are the celestial Maldivian islands – and among them basks the private island resort of Gili Lankanfushi, just a 20-minute speedboat ride from Malé.
A Robinson Crusoe theme is prevalent throughout, where copies of Defoe’s classic are placed in villas and a Man (or Woman) Friday is assigned to each guest, catering to your every whim. Gili’s unpretentious stance on luxury coupled with extraordinary service and attention to detail are what makes it stand out in Maldives’ fast-growing luxury resort space.
Stepping onto the speedboat, a refreshing ginger elixir accompanies an offer to put your shoes away – embracing the resorts ‘No news, no shoes’ outlook. Many resorts echo this mantra but few match Gili’s commitment to the subtle details. Bicycles come with cotton pedal covers and cold floors are pre-prepared with hot water bottles for your feet.
Rustic palm-thatched villas girdled by blue lagoon waters, silky white-sand beaches, and lush vegetation await your arrival. Gili is one of the Maldives’ most eco-friendly resorts, built with sustainable materials, an organic vegetable garden, and a coral sustainability programme. Plastic is banned, glass bottles are recycled as building materials, food waste is composted, and organic toiletries (offered in a variety on fragrances) come in earthenware containers.
Fully refurbished in 2019, 45 over-water villas dot the limpid sea. Seven stand-alone Crusoe Residences, complete with small boats allow you to play castaway.
For total seclusion, Gili boasts the world’s largest overwater villa; the Private Residence, resplendent with live-in staff, cinema room, gym, spa, and infinity pool – former residents include celebrities and royalty. Our rustic-chic villa suite was sophisticated simplicity at its finest. Boasting two levels, the villa is built of up-cycled planks and palm-thatched roofs. All rooms are centered around an open-air sitting room, where ocean zephyrs zip in and out and the deck melts into the lagoon. Only the bedroom is air conditioned, offering ocean vistas with floor-to-ceiling windows. Bedding options range from silk to cotton and feature a choice of eight pillow scents.
Larger than the bedroom, the vast bath-cum-dressing room complete with panoramic bathtub and a semi-open-air shower, surrounds your private water garden. Upstairs is a roof-terrace, ideal for sleeping under the stars. Chunky wood furnishings convey a colonial feel, while whimsical references to sea life are visible in the fish-shaped bedside lamps and fringed light shades modeled on a fishermen’s line.
Activities are tailored to your mood and rhythm. Start the day with a yoga session in a sea-front champa, or explore the reef teeming with small sharks, turtles, and rays with the resident marine biologist. Head to the stunning wine cellar for the increasingly popular non-alcoholic wine tasting. Relax at Meera Spa – a haven of peace above the lagoon, and watch fish from glass floor panels while being pampered from one of 30 different treatments. End your day with a stunning sunset at the Overwater Bar followed by a night in the open-air Jungle Cinema.
Gastronomic experiences are particularly impressive. Chef Harinath Govindaraj’s passionate creations highlight produce from the resort’s organic herb garden in each meal. Breakfast is a lavish beachside affair at Kashiveli Restaurant – featuring a plethora of homemade jams and honey – avocado honey being a personal favourite. By night, the restaurant turns into a culinary journey featuring virtuoso cooking displays from around the world. At the resort’s Japanese restaurant, By the Sea, chefs conjure up outstanding sushi, sashimi, and Japanese fusion dishes.
As Marketing Manager Tammy Gan exclusively tells us, Gili’s philosophy is “Arrive as a guest, leave as a friend and return as family.”
For more information, visit gili-lankanfushi.com.
Images supplied.
