Is there a extra thrilling solution to begin a vacation than by racing throughout the Indian Ocean on a speedboat? It appears unlikely. After I stepped out of the terminal at Malé Airport and onto the zippy inter-island runabout on account of take me to SO/ Maldives, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the malaise of long-haul journey pale into the gap, together with the capital metropolis’s skyscrapers.
And after not more than quarter-hour of sea spray and coastal bluster? I used to be on a non-public island in an archipelago overlooking the Emboodhoo Lagoon, tottering down a catwalk-inspired jetty right into a daring, fashionable resort; outrageous vistas each method I seemed.
Photograph: Natelee Cocks
In fact, outrageous vistas are type of the Maldives’ factor. It is a tropical paradise after; a nation of postcard-perfect white sands, lush greenery, and aquamarine water. SO/ Maldives—a artifical island within the nation’s midsection—has acquired all the above in spades. But it surely additionally feels enticingly totally different to the minimalist, eggshell resorts you’ll often discover speckled throughout the ocean right here. The petite spot is the primary resort within the Maldives from Bangkok-based lodge group SO/, identified for maximalist areas impressed by the likes of Christian Lacroix and Karl Lagerfeld. And its aesthetic? Simply as fab. Assertion, rebellious style was entrance of thoughts for inside designers Eco-ID when creating the resort, with some inside particulars referencing Chanel’s cruise reveals; the carousel set from 2008, and the faux seaside from 2018. And thus, it’s a colourful, vibrant gem of a spot; a scorching pitstop for teams of associates and new {couples} somewhat than honeymooners.
