The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: Maldives welcomes Indian tourists back amid new luxury resort developments

The Maldives is witnessing a resurgence of Indian tourists, with improved diplomatic relations and new luxury resorts near the airport.

It’s never been easier for Indians to go to the Maldives. A year ago, if you believed the hype, it was all over between Delhi and Male. A newly elected government had focused on an anti-India platform, and some ministers had made offensive anti-Indian remarks. It seemed to me then that this was a mere ripple in the long relationship between India and the Maldives and judging by its response, our foreign ministry took the same position and said very little in public.

Travel to Maldives simplified for Indians with new resorts amid improved ties. (Image by Unsplash)

Both sides knew how important the relationship was to India and to the Maldives. We did not want a hostile neighbour on our doorstep. And the leadership of the Maldives recognised that it had nothing to gain by alienating India.

During the election campaign, the India-bashing had gone down well but once the election was won, it seemed counter-productive. The Maldives has always maintained links with China—which built the bridge that finally connected Male with the airport which is located on a separate island— but Male can’t really count on a country that is thousands of miles away and has other preoccupations to rescue it if its largest neighbour is unfriendly.

The threats would have been much more effective if more of the angry trolls had been people who can afford to go to the Maldives and if Indians as a whole had been significant spenders in the country’s resorts. As it was, the threats of a tourist boycott made very little difference to anyone in the Maldives.

During all the social media rage, Air India continued to operate its direct Delhi to Male flight and every time I took it, I found no shortage of eager Indian travellers. Nor did any of the resorts I stayed in complain about a drop in business though many hoteliers were saddened by the abuse from both sides. (The contrast is with the current anger against Turkey. I know many people who have cancelled holidays there and will not travel Turkish Airways though once again, there aren’t enough Indian tourists for a drop in visitors to make a difference to Turkey.)

All that’s over now and when I went back to the Maldives last month the hostility seemed like a thing of the past. Indians continue to be eager to visit, and the only drawback is not some misguided sense of national interest but the huge cost of holidaying in the Maldives; its top resorts are among the world’s most expensive.

That may be because they are also among the world’s best. When tourism began in the Maldives the earliest resorts were constructed on islands near the airport, and you took a speedboat to get to them. There are some excellent resorts on those islands (the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, the Taj Exotica and Reethi Rah for instance) but many of the other older resorts do not reach the levels of luxury that the Maldives is famous for.

To get to the top places, you usually have to take a seaplane because they are mostly far away from the airport. The sea plane ride is thrilling the first one or two times, but it comes with several drawbacks.

One: Seaplane transfers are expensive. Two: Seaplanes only operate in daylight so if your plane is delayed you have to find a hotel near the airport because seaplanes will not fly till the next morning. Three: Seaplanes cannot operate in bad weather and with global climate change there is no telling when a rainstorm will arrive. I have spent several hours stranded at Male airport waiting for the weather to change so that the plane to my resort can take off.

Over the last few years, the Maldives government has found a way out. Though the islands near the airport were all taken, it has allowed developers to create their own islands which are only a speedboat ride away from the airport.

This has enabled more high-end luxury resorts to come up near the airport. Initially, I was sceptical about the idea of a manmade island but after staying at the Patina resort last month, I have come around to the view that it can work well.

The Patina is on the new Fari islands about 45 minutes from the airport by boat. The islands also host the Ritz Carlton and a third hotel is planned. It’s not clear what the new hotel will be, but it may be a Capella which is the mother brand for Patina.

Capella is a huge success story: Its Bangkok property was recently voted the best hotel in the world, and the company aims to build hotels that are one grade above existing luxury hotels like the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton.Patina is Capella’s lifestyle brand which means it is more inclusive in its approach and children are not just welcomed but they are also pampered.

Most Maldives properties on manmade islands are big (by Maldives standards), perhaps because the cost of creating an island from scratch can be high. The Patina is no exception with over 100 rooms and 13 food and beverage outlets.

The resort is justly proud of its spectacular art installations but its real claim to fame is that there is no time to get bored. The restaurants and bars will keep you entertained (the Chinese restaurant in particular is excellent) and there is even a separate complex where you can leave the kids if you want a little time by yourselves.

The service is uniformly warm and friendly, and you have a real sense that the staff are eager to make sure that you are having fun: Which is not always the case at other resorts.

When I went there were not many Indian guests which may be one reason why Indian celebrities like it. But it really does have everything that well-heeled Indian guests are looking for including, of course, the convenience of being so near the airport.

So far, Capella is not as well known in India as it deserves to be. With hotels in Bangkok, Singapore and now, the Patina in the Maldives, I suspect that is set to change.

And for regular Indian travellers to the Maldives, now that the row is settled and forgotten, it may be time to try the new generation of resorts.