Hotel Spotlight
Lux South Ari Atoll Resort
The Maldives
One of two resorts managed by Lux in the Maldives, the larger South Ari Atoll offers a high end luxury experience like no other. Here's a snapshot of what to expect when visiting this resort:
Travel
The Maldives is made up mostly of lots of small islands, and the main way to reach a resort is either by speed boat or by seaplane. Trans Maldivian Airways is the largest sea plane operator in the Maldives and runs regular flights to and from most destinations.
Find out more at transmaldivian.com.
The Island
The resort is built around a long straight road which runs the length of the island. This can be walked in about 30mins and is a great opportunity to explore the island at your own pace.
For those looking for a bit more relaxation, there are electric buses which regularly run up and down the island every ten minutes or so. One of the friendly crew is Mofi (pictured) who was very happy to show us great places on the island to take some pictures.
Should you fancy transporting yourself around the island at your own pace, but with a bit more speed, bikes are also readily available for hire.
The Tree of Wishes
Situated in the middle of the island, the striking Tree of Wishes hosts an event each week where the staff hand out ribbons to guests for them to write a wish on, and then attach to the tree. As evocative as that is, it gets even better: Each year, one ribbon is picked from the tree and its owner wins a free holiday!
Accommodation
Lux South offers two main types of accommodation - beach and water villas, both of which are fitted out to a very high specification and offer their own unique features. Beach Villas have the option to include a pool (pictured), with an outdoor bath and shower to enable you to enjoy the outdoors in private luxury.
Each villa also comes complete with its own pair of private sun loungers, which removes the need to rush for prime spots on the beach.
For those looking to get closer to the sea and nature, the Water Villas are suspended above the sea and allow you to relax in the room whilst listening to the sound of the sea. These also come with the option of a private pool, should you prefer to observe the sea from a distance.
Restaurants
There are plenty of restaurants available on the island, with two buffets, East Market and Mixe, open for breakfast, and there being a further choice of a-la-carte dining in places like Beach Rouge or Senses for lunch and evening meals. These require prebooking anddue to demand it's highly recommended that you book these at the start of your stay to avoid disappointment.
Beach Rouge serve a range of contemporary dishes. Try the Sicilian Arancini!
Senses specialises in curries and Tandoor cuisine, no doubt inspired by the resorts close proximity to Sri Lanka. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu here, though we can definitely recommend the Dhal Makhni.
The Lagoon Bar and Veli Bar, just off the main beach areas are also a great place to get something to eat as well as drinks during the day.
The on-site Jeweller has many interesting pieces to view, including one item containing a huge amount of gems - the entire spectrum of colours - which took him several years to collect!
The spa is complimentary to visit for all guests, with the treatments being chargeable, and offers a fantastic way to relax and rejuvenate.
ICI Ice Cream Bar
Conveniently next to the beach, the ICI Ice Cream Bar offers a huge range of ice cream, sorbet, and many other sugary treats. Hassan (pictured) and team were very happy to help when we visited.
LUX Café
Coffee is roasted freshly at the resort and regularly delivered to all the restaurants on the island. The café team are very friendly and run regular sessions for coffee roasting and latté art.
View more on TravelPortal: Lux South Ari Atoll Resort
