Maldives: 'My ultimate escape with my daughter and friend to heaven on earth'

Desperate to go, I texted my best friend Kate: “Fancy a bezzymoon in the Maldives?” She replied in a nanosecond: “Errrrr yes!” (I mean, who wouldn’t?) as did my 16-year-old daughter Ruby - anything to escape revision for her upcoming GCSEs.

The choice of where to stay is overwhelming: there are more than 160 resorts.

We settled on the Ozen Collection (theozencollection.com), an ultra-luxury brand which has two private islands just 20 minutes apart, allowing for an easy transfer during our six-night stay.

We arrived at the first one, Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, where General Manager Monica and her team greeted us with rose petals, Maldivian Boduberu drumming, and fresh coconuts to sip. Renowned for its refined elegance, the island resort is set in a pristine lagoon in South Malé Atoll.

Lush grounds feature native trees, coconut palms, and orchid-lined paths. Managed with metronomic efficiency, its high staff-to-guest ratio (two to one) ensures guests are impeccably cared for, with flawless service.

The resort has 90 private villas, including beachfront villas and over-water villas, many with direct slides into the sea. For those seeking ultimate indulgence, there’s the no-expense-spared Royal Reserve Residence.

Our beachfront, sunrise-facing Earth Pool Villa boasted soaring ceilings, an open-air bathtub, a private pool, and a deck.

Beautifully designed and extremely comfortable, it offered plenty of indoor and outdoor space, a covered dining/lounge area, a complimentary maxi-bar replenished daily, and direct access to powdery white sands and cerulean, blue waters. From bed to beach in less than 15 steps (I counted!).

The resort includes an over-water gym and spa, shops, a library, five specialty restaurants and bars, and one of the largest kids’ clubs in the Maldives.

Best Dives, the resort’s water sports centre, is run by British-born Trevor, who helped get us kitted out with snorkel gear.

Bolifushi’s reef is in pristine condition. Ozen’s all-inclusive offering is exceptional. It includes champagnes, over 100 wine labels, beer and spirits (last year it scooped a top award: best all-inclusive wine and spirits list in Asia).

It also generously includes dine-around experiences, wellness sessions like sunrise yoga, and cinema under the stars.

Dinner on the first night was at Saffron, where we enjoyed a tasting menu celebrating India’s culinary heritage.

The next morning, we joined the all-inclusive Turtle Quest snorkelling experience, exploring vibrant coral reefs and spotting sea turtles. Just magical.

Bolifushi’s ELE|NA Elements of Nature Spa, along with its sister location at Ozen Life Maadhoo, is the first in the Maldives to achieve Gold accreditation for sustainability by the Sustainable Wellness Organisation.

Each guest has a complimentary treatment during a stay.

We lunched most days at Sangu Beach, enjoying fresh fish and salads. Evenings brought superb Levantine and Moroccan cuisine. By the end of our stay, we realised we had found the holy grail: holiday heaven and were already pricing up a return trip.

Day four arrived and we transferred by private speedboat to Bolifushi’s lively sister island, Ozen Life Maadhoo, and were warmly welcomed by General Manager Elisabeth and her team.

Spanning 1.2 kilometres in length and 300 metres in width, the resort is geared for families and friends, has its own tennis court, spa, gym, hydroponic farm, orchid garden, and dive centre and even two resident turtles who are often seen by guests as they snorkel.

With 94 villas in five categories, we chose an overwater Wind Villa with an outside jacuzzi and direct steps into the lagoon. Interiors were sophisticated with subtle Maldivian touches, with incredibly comfortable beds and bathrooms featuring freestanding bathtubs and rain showers.

Our all-inclusive package included gourmet dining, dine-around experiences, champagne, over 80 wine labels, beer, spirits, soft drinks, afternoon tea, wellness sessions, non-motorised water sports, daily complimentary snorkelling and fishing trips, and a sunset cruise.

When it comes to food and drink, guests can choose from six restaurants and two bars.

At Maadhoo, our spa treatments were in standalone overwater treatment rooms with glass floors offering mesmerising views of the marine life below. Ruby, face down mid-massage, couldn’t believe her eyes when a manta ray swam by.

One of our highlights was spending time with the resort’s marine biologists and learning about its coral reefs. We adopted a coral spider frame to help propagate coral and watched it planted in a nearby reef.

It is labelled ‘The Boyle Family,’ and we will receive bi-annual photo updates showing how the coral is thriving—a special experience that deepened our connection to the Maldives.

For our last night we dined at M6m, the resort’s underwater fine dining restaurant, surrounded by marine life.

We feasted on scallops and lobster, paired with wine, while enjoying a unique view of blacktip sharks and fish swimming six metres below sea level.

Our stay in the Maldives flew by, leaving us with a profound appreciation of what has to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Ozen Life Maadhoo: Seven nights from £4279 per person / Ozen Reserve Bolifushi: Seven nights all-inclusive accommodation from £5778 with Virgin Atlantic Holidays includes flights direct from London Heathrow to Male and speedboat transfers www.virginatlantic.com/holidays