In Maldives, sailing into sunset with dolphins and seeking the elusive whale shark by moonlight

When the Vistara flight left the tarmac of Indira Gandhi International Airport this morning, Delhi was battling foggy delays, check-in fistfights, and was prepared for the worst. But luck smiled, and the plane took off. It was an unusually clear day. The destination was a gem in the Indian Ocean.

Delhi dissolved into the in-flight gin and tonic. Four hours flew by. From the cockpit, the captain said it was time to land and a peek out of the window was rewarded with magic rising out of the ocean: the Maldives.

The Airbus touched ground at the Velana International Airport in Male. Clearing the security was followed by a speedboat ride to Como Cocoa Island, a resort in the South Male atoll where the sand is white and the sea, surreal. In 40 minutes, we were on terra firma.

The overwater villas at Como Cocoa Island, Maldives. Photo: Como

Maldives, a series of atolls, is home to more than 1,200 luxury resorts. Exclusivity is of the utmost importance here. One resort usually has an entire island to itself; the bigger ones occupy more.

Maldives boasts the seventh-largest coral reef in the world; an ecosystem that is struggling to cope with the threats of global warming as well as pollution. Maldives, on its part, is fighting this erosion of coral reefs with coral propagation programmes and what not.

Coral propagation in the Maldives. Photo: Como

One of the highlights of the stay at Como Cocoa was this: coral propagation. We met their in-house marine biologist, who took us by the hand, literally, to the Indian Ocean to plant a coral frame. What is it? A coral frame is an iron frame of varying sizes, which ocean warriors then embed back into the sea bed.

The fragmentation technique that we took part in involves carefully breaking apart healthy coral colonies into smaller fragments or "coral frags".

These frags are then attached to artificial structures, such as coral nurseries or underwater frames - which we had, where they are allowed to grow and develop into new colonies. The corals were fragmented using chisels and scissors and zip ties.

Coral frags. Photo: Author

The resort lets you adopt a coral frame and participate in their two-hour coral conservation project for US$ 200.

Snorkelling in the house reef is complimentary. A handful of those lazy afternoons were spent with snorkelling gear, trying to catch a glimpse of some elusive creature or other.

Outdoor cinema. Photo: Como

In addition to this, Como has a motley range of activities that you can try your hand (or feet) at for a fee while at their resort. Choose from a movie in the outdoors, a picnic on their silk-soft sand, go turtle diving 20 minutes from the resort, get a dinner table on the beach with tiki torches in the utmost privacy, or take a yacht out to see the sun set on the Indian Ocean, as dolphins swim by you.

Dolphins from the sunset cruise. Photo: Author

A sunset yacht to see the dolphins was the main course on the menu this afternoon. As a glowing red sun made its way into our champagne glasses, we saw pods of dolphins rubbing bodies against the boat, answering to the whistle calls from the boys on our yacht, and treating us to their signature somersaults. It was unreal.

Soon, it was time for dinner at the resort's pool- and beachside restaurant, Ufaa. I pounced on the Shambhala menu, a motley collection of all things healthy. Dinner was steamed reef fish in ginger and shallot sauce; a concoction so light on the palate that it was but a necessity for a balmy Maldivian evening.

What's Maldives without fish? Photo: Author

The drinks were from Faru, the bar at Como Cocoa Island. You can pick from among cocktails both signature and classic here.

The floor-to-ceiling walls of the overwater loft villa were just what the doctor ordered after that dinner. I took in the darkness of the vast ocean in front of me. The endless sea was broken only by a few twinkling lights somewhere on the horizon. The constellations spread themselves out in the sky above. Mars glowed a dull red somewhere. A baby nurse shark swam precariously close to my toes, in the cool waters of the lagoon.

Nightfall. Photo: Author

Out there on the deck, a breeze lulled me to sleep, and it was almost as if life had slowed down to a stop just for that moment.

I walked up to the bedroom and fell into the deepest of slumbers.

Now, I usually run in the opposite direction from anyone or anything that requires me to wake up early, but that morning in Makunufushi was different. There was a solid incentive: catching the sunrise from the private deck. And what a sight it was!

After breakfast, we were to take a seaplane to our next stop on this getaway: Como Maalifushi. Como Maalifushi is a 40-minute flight away.

Villas in the shape of 'dhoni' boats. Photo: Author

The sight of pilots in shorts, barefeet, their slippers tucked comfortably in the tiny cockpit, was a pleasant surprise as we took off from a floating platform on the sea in deafening noise. The turquoise waters and dhoni villas of Como Cocoa soon fell beneath us as the plane gained altitude.

Pilots in shorts fly the seaplane across the islands. Photo: Author

After a brief stop to refuel, and another few minutes in the air, followed by a five-minute speedboat ride, we were at Como Maalifushi, a massive resort spanning two islands. It also has a tiny private island for picnics, Lavadhoo.

Maalifushi's 65 suites and villas come designed by maverick Japanese architect Koichiro Ikebuchi. And sure, they all reflect Ikebuchi's signature calmness, reflective of the ocean ahead.

The large Maalifushi is in sharp contrast with Cocoa Island's 33 intimate villas. So, if you're planning a trip to one resort, it's a good idea to pack in both to try out both the worlds that Como has on offer in the Maldives.

At Como Maalifushi. Photo: Author

The sunset villas in Maalifushi come with a private pool, a sundeck with a dining table and cabana, and full-length windows overlooking the Indian Ocean. The bedroom has a separate dressing area. A sunken bath and outdoor shower are part of the large bathroom here. You get a bicycle to take around the resort.

Add to that the resort's overwater spa, Shambhala Retreat. The treatments here are from Shambhala, Como's signature line. The classic Shambhala Massage with their blended massage oils will leave you rejuvenated like never before. You can choose from an extensive menu. In addition, Maalifushi also has an on-site gym with views of the ocean. Your body and eyes will both thank you for this workout-with-a-view experience.

Among the outstanding activities in Maalifushi is whale shark snorkelling. From November until April every year, the resort offers the chance of swimming with the largest fish in the sea: the whale shark. Sharks between 4 metres and 12 metres are more common, but some of them can also reach a staggering 18 metres in length!

The mysterious whale shark is the biggest fish in the world. Photo: Como

From 6 pm to 10 pm, when you sign up for this experience, the marine activity centre calls you if there's a whale shark sighting. A boat then whisks you north in 20 minutes, where you are transferred to a larger boat; a local fishing one that the resort has a tie-up with. The crystal-clear Maldivian waters are a window to the life of these gentle aquatic giants. The entire excursion takes about two hours.

At Maalifushi this summer, there's also a space camp from August 5-14, under the guidance of NASA astronaut and aquanaut Nicole Stott. On August 16 and 17, Stott is at Como Cocoa Island for a guided reef dive.

Every season, there's a gamut of activities at both the properties to keep both adults and kids busy.

At Maalifushi, for example, you can book out Lavadhoo island for a daylong picnic. This island, a cross between Cast Away and Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, will make you leave the world behind. Bonus: there's no internet on your phone!

Picnic on Lavadhoo island. Photo: Como

We took a speedboat from the resort to the island for a 'Cast Away Picnic', where the driver left a rudimentary phone behind - call on the last dialled number only if you needed to. You know, like all those better days of yore when mobile phones hadn't quite become an extension of our palms.

A rudimentary phone for company on your Cast Away Picnic. Photo: Author

Snorkelling in the warm turquoise waters of the lagoon was the priority this day. The resort's thoughtfulness is evident in the snorkelling glasses that they have for their guests: there were numbered glasses! No saltwater can get into your glasses and contaminate the contact lenses! My myopic eyes heaved a sigh of relief.

A packed lunch was laid out under the coconut palms after this day of sand and snorkelling. The afternoon breeze was balmy as I got myself in a hammock in the shade for a quick read. Sleep crept up soon after.

Dinner on the beach. Photo: Como

The laidback days at Maalifushi are punctuated by meals at their various restaurants. For local seafood such as sushi and sashimi, head to their Japanese restaurant, Tai, which is open in the evenings.

Healthy salads, beach barbecues and their signature cuisine classics are part of Madi's all-day dining, which celebrates flavour and freshness. The Shambhala Kitchen menus are also available in-room. Then there's Thila, the open-air bar named after the Maldives' rock formations that rise from the seafloor.

Seaplanes are the lifeline in the islands in the Maldives. Photo: Author

From the seafloor to catching the sunset from the deck, the Como life is pretty, lazy, and pretty simple. It is just the slowed-down break you need from the city hectivity. The sea is idyllic here. The coral reefs and atolls and sealife is unparalleled. The ease of transfer to your resort of choice is equally tantalising. And then, it's a stone's throw from India and comes with no visa hassles.

After four days in this tropical paradise called Maldives, as the return flight took off from Male, it finally made sense... why Maldives enjoys the kind of reputation it does among travellers all over the world!

FACT SHEET

Where: Maldives is a series of atolls in the Indian Ocean. Male, the capital of the archipelagic nation, is well-connected by flights from major Indian cities. A direct flight from Delhi to Male takes about four hours.

When to visit: The months of November to April, when it's winter in the Northern Hemisphere, is usually the best time to visit Maldives.

Maldives has a robust coral-reef ecosystem. Photo: Como

The tropical paradise gets plenty of sunlight and temperatures around 29-31 degrees Celsius. January to April are the driest months of the year; so expect a lot of crowds at the resorts.

How to get around: A trip to the Maldives necessitates a booking at one of their many resorts. When you land at the Velana International Airport in Male, your resort representative receives you at the airport and then takes you to your destination. Internal modes of transport in the archipelago include seaplanes and speedboats.

The warm waters of the atoll make for stunning dives. Photo: Como

For Indian passport holders: Indian passport holders can visit Maldives without a visa, provided you meet certain conditions. All visitors need to submit a traveller declaration form on the Imuga, or Maldives Immigration portal, within 96 hours of their flight, during arrival and departure. This self-declaration form is free of charge.