Barefoot sustainable luxury in the maldives : Six Senses laamu
The Maldives is one of our favorite places in the world and we recently just got back from our third trip to the destination. This time we stayed at the beautiful Six Senses Laamu, a property thats been super high on my bucketlist for the longest time!
If you know a thing or two about the Maldives you would know that most atolls differ in terms of their water, marine life and overall vibe. I can tell you straight off the bat that this is my favorite resort in the Maldives so far and the location is simply spectacular.
Six Senses Laamu is located in a remote unspoiled atoll in the South of the Maldives and is the only resort in that atoll too! The resort is a is a short domestic flight away from Male International airport. The resort sits on Olhuveli island in Laamu atoll – an idyllic palm fringed paradise with the most stunning blue waters, and incredible house reef with tons of marine life in and around the island and an authentic charm.
SUSTAINABILITY
Aside from its spectacular tucked away location, like every Six Senses property, sustainable practices are at the core of every facet in their property from the food, to amenities to activities and more. They have a sustainability tour which we took while we were on property. It was so insightful to learn more of the inner workings of the resort and how they incorporate sustainability into so many aspects of the resort. Some of their incredible sustainable initiatives Six Senses Laamu undertakes include :
- They have an entire facility dedicated to education and immersive marine conservation experiences. This space called SHELL or The Sea Hub of Environmental Learning in Laamu (SHELL) is also home to our Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI). Some of the very inspiring projects the MUI works on include protection of the manta rays with Manta trust ( they have 138 resident manta rays! ), conservation and protection of the sea turtles with the Oliver Ridley project ( 670+ resident sea turtles! ), 10 million square feet of seagrass meadows protected through the #ProtectMaldivesSeagrass campaign, Coral protection and so much more!
- they grow most of their own produce.
- Education initiatives for the local community
- Sustainable fishing
- They help maintain a plastic free Laamu atoll
- Access to free drinking water to the local communities
GETTING HERE :
You would have to fly to the local airport in Laamu atoll from Male via a domestic flight and then take a short speedboat ride. The resort will arrange all your transfers once you have a reservation with them. What I also LOVED about this resort is its barefoot, and your shoes are whisked away in a bag upon your arrival. It was so refreshing to be barefoot literally everywhere on the resort, it made us feel so grounded literally.
STAY
We loved that they have so many diverse villa accommodations – from beach villas to overwater villas to family style villas on the beach. Every villa also comes with their own butler or GEM ( guest experience manager).
We stayed in a one bedroom Laamu Water Villa with Pool and let me tell you this was one of the most stunning villas we have ever stayed in! These private pool hideaways are located at the end of the jetties and are the furthest away from the main island. The villa features a spacious lofty bedroom with panoramic views of the ocean all around. The deck is stunning with a private infinity pool, sun loungers and a glass bottom dining table! The Laamu water villas also feature a glass overwater bathtub with glorious views to the ocean and an outdoor rain shower. For a unique panoramic view of the Indian Ocean, sapphire seascape or for catching an unforgettable sunset, you can just climb to the treetop deck which features a comfortable seating area.
In and around the Laamu water villa with pool
We also had a chance to check out their biggest villa on property The Retreat which is a massive 4 bedroom beachfront residence with direct access to the turquoise lagoon and represents the best option for large families or groups of friends traveling together. The private infinity pool blends naturally with the horizon and it is absolutely stunning!
The Retreat
Another villa option we checked out was a Two Bedroom Lagoon Beach Villa with Pool. This two-bedroom pool villa in the Maldives is hidden between the lush tropical vegetation facing the ocean and is ideal for large families or friends traveling together. It comprises two beach villas, each with its own spacious bedroom and outdoor bathroom, in-between there is a shared dining and living area.
Two bedroom lagoon beach villa
AROUND THE RESORT
The resort is sprawled around the stunning Olhuveli island and each villa also gets their own bikes to explore around. There are plenty of beach areas to enjoy both on the lagoon side or the ocean side. The resort also has a main pool area, spa, gym, tennis courts, boutique, library and more right on property.
Pool and beach area
ACTIVITIES
Most people think that coming to the Maldives means there aren’t a ton of activities to do, but on the contrary there is so much to do. You can make your holiday as busy or as light as you wish. Six Senses Laamu has tons of activities and experiences both on and off property some of them are :
- snorkeling, diving and surfing
- sandbank or private island picnics
- local island visits
- dolphin sunset cruises
- sailing and other watersports
- classes like make your own chocolate, cooking class, cocktail class etc.
- sustainability tour and more!
- wellness and spa
Some of the activities we did that we absolutely would recommend are the sustainability tour, the dolphin sunset cruise and a sandbank picnic.
We also really loved visiting the spa for a couples massage as well as a private yoga session.
Spa room
The sandbank picnic is what dreams are made of! The resort will drop you off on this deserted sandbank in the middle of the Indian Ocean for the ultimate Robinson Crusoe kinda experience. An experience perfect for families or a romantic Maldives getaway for couples. The water and sand here was out of this world !
Sandbank dreams are made of these!
DINING
From Maldivian specialties to international favorites, Six Senses Laamu have a few restaurants and dining options to provide immense variety and out-of-the-ordinary spaces and dining experiences. Our culinary experience overall at this property was seriously out of this world! I kid you not, every meal was just so incredible.
The resort has several dining options to choose from daily. Their main restaurant Longitude is an international over the water restaurant where the daily sumptuous breakfast buffet is served. Dinners are themed nights from around the world with a focus on South Asia, we loved their mediterranean Souk night.
Leaf is their adults-only sublime restaurant that offers a 4 course Mediterranean gourmet cuisine with a farm to fork twist using ingredients grown in their organic gardens and neighboring islands.
They also have 2 casual bars – Chill bar by the main Overwater area and Sip Sip Bar by the pool. Don’t miss out on their delicious sourdough pizzas here, the perfect poolside meal with a cold coco!
The property also has a chocolate and icecream shop right on property where they serve free ice cream daily. With over 48 uniue flavors to choose from don’t be surprised if you would be making multiple pitstops here throughout your stay here!
Aside from the above the resort also has different weekly Destination Dining experiences that your GEM would be happy to assist with if you are interested.
We had such a memorable stay at Six Senses Laamu , its easily one of my favorite resorts we have ever stayed at and I can’y wait to be back!
Check out my TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE MALDIVES for all things you need to know to plan a trip to the Maldives.
Thanks for stopping by! xoxo
Jyo
Disclaimer : This stay was in collaboration with Six Senses Laamu , but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
