COMO Maalifushi

How many perfect places can there be? And isn’t it a bit suspicious that so many of them seem to bear the COMO name? At this high level there’s very little to separate one purveyor of high-end perfection from another, save a personal preference for one brand’s aesthetic over another. At COMO Maalifushi, on yet another speck of an island in the Maldives, you’re made to feel as if bodily wellness and spiritual relaxation are the most fashionable things on the planet — and come to think of it, maybe they are.

The dry-land offerings are diverse, all of them mixing high polish and hand-made rough edges in perfect measure; the simple Garden Rooms are, let’s face it, quite luxe enough for most mortal couples. To upgrade to one of the Beach Suites or Villas, to say nothing of the Beach House, is to vastly increase one’s living space, and the COMO Residence, a two-story, four-bedroom affair, is practically a resort unto itself.

Also practically a resort unto itself is Maalifushi’s selection of overwater offerings. Suites and villas alike come with private pools, for those moments when wading directly into the Indian Ocean is, for whatever reason, not in the cards. And the overwater COMO Villas add to their expansive spaces the added convenience of butler service (also available in the top-end on-land offerings).

The key to it all, though, as with any COMO property, is the Shambhala spa, part of a family that’s quite rightly regarded as among the world’s finest. Add three restaurants which are frankly better than they need to be, along with a whole raft (no pun intended) of waterborne activities and excursions, and you’ve got yourself an island escape that you won’t soon forget.

How to get there: Seaplane transfers are required for stays at COMO Maalifushi. You will be met at Malé International Airport and transferred to the resort. Round-trip transfer costs are as follows, inclusive of taxes, not included in room/package rates: $750 for adults, $375 for children aged 2–11, free of charge for infants under 2 years of age.