We just got back from a dream trip to the Maldives recently. It was our second time to the incredible destination and certainly not our last! We are already itching to go back already :). This time we were there for a week and split our time between sister resorts – Lily Beach Resort in South Ari Atoll and Hideaway Beach Resort in Haa Alifu Atoll. Even though these are sister properties they both had a different feel and I am glad we got to experience them both! We celebrated our 8 year anniversary at Lily Beach and my birthday at Hideaway. Check out my recap of our stay at Lily beach in my blog post here.

In this blog post I will be recapping our amazing stay at Hideaway Beach Resort. Stay tuned for my Maldives Travel Guide blog post (with all logistics info like how to get there, costs, best time to travel, other tips, etc) sometime next week.

 

Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa – Intro :

For the second half of our stay to the Maldives, Anush and I chose to stay at a different atoll to get a different experience. While Lily Beach is located in the South of Male, Hideaway Beach Resort is in the north of Male. Infact it is in the northernmost atoll of the Maldives called Haa Alifu which is known to be one of the most remote and untouched parts of the Maldives. There are just 2 resorts in this entire atoll (whole normally other atolls have about 20-30 resorts!). The Maldives itself as awhole is a stunning paradise, but there are certain sections that are more gorgeous than others and Haa Alifu is an untouched atoll and quite honestly had some of the most pristine islands I have ever been to.

 

Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa is an award winning exclusive all-suite resort for those who demand genuine luxury and an intimate island retreat. Both space and privacy is a hallmark at Hideaway which has some of the largest beachfront villas in all of the Maldives! It stays true to its name “Hideaway” ; the resort is on a large island and you really feel like you are on your own luxurious private island escape! Hideaway was recently a winner in the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2019 in the category ‘Luxury All-Inclusive Retreat’ (regional winner).

Hideaway is easily accessible by a short 45 minute domestic flight from Male to Hanimaadhoo, after which a quick 20 minute boat ride will jet you off to paradise. There is also a seaplane option (takes 75min), so when you book your stay it would be best to check with your reservations assistant on what might be the best way to get in to the island and what the cost differences might be. I also wanted to note if you are coming from India – there are direct flights from Cochin and Trivandrum to Hanimaadhoo airport a few times a week! This way you wouldn’t even have to go to Male. But if you are coming from any other country you will have to fly internationally to Male first.

 

Simply put -Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa is by far one of the BEST resorts we have ever stayed at period! And thats saying a lot cos we travel a ton, I have been to my fair share of remote islands and beautiful resorts and this really stood out to be truly special.

Just like Lily Beach, we also felt like Hideaway was excellent at catering to all sorts of travelers from couples to families alike.

White Platinum All Inclusive Plan :

While Hideaway does offer other types of plans like just bed and breakfast, half board (bed, breakfast and dinner), etc I am so glad we chose to do the White Platinum All Inclusive Plan. When you are in a one island one resort place like Hideaway it makes sense to opt for the best all inclusive plan so that everything is taken care of and you can get the most out of your holiday. The white platinum plan includes :

• arrival and departure assistance
• fine dining culinary experiences at most of their restaurants
• as well as other amazing experiences such as – two included excursions, snorkeling, non motorized watersports and so much more.
• The best part is that it also includes – a 24/7 Butler service! You read that right .. a bulter service! Each villa comes with its own butler who will help you plan and customize your trip to make your dream vacay a reality.

When you do book your stay at Hideaway, make sure to check out their latest offers as well so you can save up on your vacay! Right now they have a 30% off super saver offer if you book your stay directly with them for stays before Oct 31 2020.

 

Accomodation :

There are many villa accommodation options to choose from at Hideaway Beach Resort. Hideaway has 103 extremely spacious villas most of which have their own private pool or jacuzzi. Of these villas there are 57 contemporary style overwater villas stand on stilts over the lagoon and 46 beachfront villas that have a timeless, classic Maldives feel, each with its own private beach and hidden away among lush tropical gardens for complete privacy. These are some of the largest luxury villas in all of the Maldives!

We chose to stay at a Deluxe Water Villa for our time at Hideaway. I’m totally not exaggerating when I say this was one of the best stays of all time! The Deluxe Water Villa with Pool is split into two sections, with the master bedroom on one side and the bathroom on the opposite site, separated by an entrance area. The large outside deck spans the whole length of the villa. The villa was the epitome of understated luxury, so tastefully decorated and it had the most breathtaking panoramic views of the lagoon in front of us. These villas in my opinion are perfect for couples or a pair of friends, but the larger beach villas with private beach was the ideal option for families. Here are some pics in and around our dreamy villa :

Deluxe overwater villa

 

Dining :

With 4 incredible restaurants to choose from – you really are spoilt for dining choice at Hideaway Beach! Some of our favorite dining experiences here were :

1 ) Maathefaru 

This is the main restaurant of the property and has buffet options for all 3 meals of the day. This sand floored restaurant has a casual beachy vibe to it which I absolutely loved. We loved our sprawling breakfast buffets here everyday. Especially loved my birthday breakfast here where the staff surprised me with a fruit plate cake and sang for me! It was the best start to my day.

Dream Birthday breakfast !

 

2 ) Meeru Bar and Grill

We tried this casual beach bar and grill for both a la carte lunch and dinner. We especially loved the yummy pizzas and the view of the ocean from here.

Casual dinner date at Meeru

 

3 ) Sunset Pool Cafe

The prettiest restaurant on property and it reminded me of a slice of Greece in the Maldives. I was obsessed with the all white and blue decor here! Perfect spot for lunch or a late afternoon snack while hanging out at the pool.

Blues for days!

Delicious passionfruit sorbet!

 

4) Samsara 

An award winning Asian Fusion restaurant, we celebrated my birthday dinner here and it was incredible! Great food and a romantic ambiance made this such a memorable evening. They also surprised me with a small birthday cake which was so thoughtful!

 

 

Beaches and Pools of Hideaway :

Among the 3 resorts I have been to in the Maldives – Hideaway handsdown had the best beaches. Infact some of the beaches here are certainly the most beautiful beaches I have been to in my life. The north beach here was like stepping into a postcard WOW! It is exactly what you would imagine an idyllic Maldivian escape to be – white powdery sands, crystal clear calm waters , swaying palms and no one else around!

I can’t with how perfect the north beach is!

This was by far the best birthday and one of the best days of my life! I simply cannot put the beauty of this spot in words – I think the pictures would say it all!

 

The other beach we loved here was the one by the water sports center. The color of the water here was unreal – an azure glowy blue! Whether you choose to try your hand at some water sports or simply lay out or take a refreshing dip in that blueee water you are guaranteed an incredible time in paradise.

 

Beach near the water sports area

 

There are also 2 pools in the island – one at Meeru bar and one at Sunset cafe, where you can relax and enjoy being sunkissed.

Sunset cafe pool

Main pool

 

Activities :

Here are some of the fun activities you can opt for at Hideaway :

• Excursions : As part of the white Platinum plan you can choose any 2 excursions from – a visit to Local Island, Dolphin Cruise, House Reef Snorkeling, Sunset Cruise and Dolphin watching. We loved the traditional sunset cruise on a Dhoni boat ! Although we saw only a few dolphins, the spectacular views made up for it.

Sunset Dhoni boat cruise

 

• Other excursions : You can also opt for other excursions outside the white platinum plan. One thing I would suggest is the Private Romantic getaway if you are celebrating something special! they literally drop you off on a sandbank/private island in the middle of nowhere and it is what dreams are made of!

 

• Sports and recreation : Water sports, Tennis, gym , football, yoga, ,etc.

 

• Snorkeling, Diving and fishing

 

• Hideaway Spa : A visit to their award winning spa is a must! We tried a Balinese couples massage here and left feeling so rejuvenated and relaxed.

Spa area

 

• Cycle and explore: Each villa comes with its own set of bikes – which is the best way to get around to explore the vast and lush tropical island. There is also a buggy service instead of the cycles available 24/7.

Loved biking around the island!

 

 

• Photo and video : Celebrating a special occasion at Hideaway? You can choose to hire their in house photographer to create some stunning memories from your vacay! We did a mini photo session at the North Beach and I love how it turned out!

 

• Fish Feeding : Every evening Hideaway does a fish feeding right at their main dock or beach area where tons of sting rays, reef sharks and other fish come right up to shore ! It was so beyond magical to observe these beautiful wild marine animals in their natural habitat and guess what – they also do love long sunset beach walks just like I do!

Pure magical moments!

Other points to note :

• I wanted to mention how impressed I was at some of the eco friendly and sustainable practices that Hideaway follows! Sustainability is so important for a delicate eco system like the Maldives so a little effort goes a long way. They do not use any plastic and have an inhouse water bottling plant that used glass bottles for water. Some of the other sustainable practices included – buying freshly caught fish from local fishermen, in-house grown products from their vegetable garden, planting new trees and using recycled plants to create beautiful crafts.

 

• In my experience you can go to the most stunning place but what makes your stay truly memorable is the staff. I usually never write about it in my blog posts but this has to be an exception! Every single person of the staff at Hideaway went above and beyond to make our stay so comfortable and exactly how we wanted it.

 

Get Inspired to visit Hideaway :

No shortage of “no footprint” picture perfect beaches here at Hideaway!

Dreamiest flower bath situation!

Maldivian sunsets are seriously UNREAL!

Told ya – unreal!

All these gorg tropical pathways!

Fave room with a view!

Made the cutest local friend at the farm at Hideaway

Tropical dreams are made of these!

Shop my looks and similar looks from this post :

 

All in all, we had the most amazing stay at Hideaway Beach Resort and absolutely recommend it for families and couples alike if you are looking for an intimate yet luxurious island escape in one of the most untouched atolls in the Maldives . Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for my Travel Guide to the Maldives next week. xoxo

Jyo

 

All Drone shots and couple photos PC : Hideaway Beach Resort

**This stay was in collaboration with Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa but all thoughts and opinions are my own.