The Maldives. A world away, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there is no where else like it on the Earth. Specifically it is a chain of atolls, so there are no mountains only reef built isles; they rise from the water just far enough to graze the sky.
It was our honeymoon and we wanted to do something exotic and different. We wanted to go somewhere far from our lives. Years ago, I had received a brochure for a resort called the Only & Only Reethi Rah and had dreamt of going to this far away place. With a 20 hour flight ahead of us, it was daunting yet exciting.
When we finally got there, landing on a small atoll that was just a runway and small terminal, we recognized that this was not an ordinary country. They have a downtown and government, which we saw as our yacht whisked us away from the terminal towards waters unknown. The taller buildings faded into the distance and we realized we were entering a paradise unmatched, where it is 80 degrees everyday. The small isles we passed faded into the light blue water. There are 1,200 in this chain, so you can imagine the comings and goings of these idyllic hideaways.
An hour later, we arrived at Reethi Rah. Our yacht pulled into its dock and we were stunned by not just the beauty of the atoll itself, but the amazing architecture of the entrance hall. Thatched roof with bamboo beams, carved totems held the roof in place and we were greeted by a very happy to see you staff. The service there was unmatched; words can not describe how we were catered to. From the greeter who has cold towels, cold drinks, and your itinerary, to the person who shows you the resort via golf cart.
The room was a small house over the water, which was bigger than our New York apartment. Everything was thought of, and the house valet was there for what ever our needs were. We had our own personal valet who made reservations, got us ice, or whatever we could think of to stump him. The back of the house was a small landing with chaises – and four steps down we were in the water, bright blue, clear, warm and only three feet deep for about a 1/2 mile out. The reef provided unlimited exploration by foot, swim, kayak or boat. The fish life surrounded us as we waded through this fantasy island.
The resort itself was somewhat larger, even though the maximum capacity of guests is 200 while the staff is a total of 700. The room came with bicycles to wander the island at our leisure. There were white coral-dusted trails everywhere, which provided the perfect way to experience Reethi Rah. The food was amazing, anything we wanted was available! Sushi, Indian cuisine and plenty of fresh fish – after all that, is one of their biggest industries in this small country.
The One & Only really thought of every detail. At the pool, the staff brought by cold towels, fresh water, ice cream and even homemade donuts at 4 pm every day. A world class spa and gym, any activity on the water, scuba, snorkeling and excursions to other atolls were all available to us. But who would want to leave?! This really was paradise. My wife, Jes, cried on our last day. She said she wasn’t sure she would ever be back and found it such a personal experience; it was one of the hardest departures she had had. A part of us stayed behind in Room 111 in the Maldives.
Jes Gordon is the owner of jesGORDON/properFUN, an event management company and production team, which has been open for 20 years. Jes and her husband, Bill Marmor, split their time between New York and Los Angeles. Bill owns a commercial editing house called REX EDIT based in Venice, California and has been in operation for 8 years. Jes has a book coming out this fall called “Party like a Rock Star,”and is often seen on E! News and many other lifestyle channels. Bill is a native of Los Angeles and Jes is a NY native.