A stay at Pullman Maldives Maamutaa
By @zowiepalliaer in collaboration with Pullman Maldives Maamutaa & Accor Hotels for the ‘Asia Like Never Before’ Campaign
Day Zero
Our dream Maldives holiday started well before we arrived at the resort. We were met at the airport in Malé by a representative from the Pullman Maldives who took us to a private lounge to wait for our next flight. We fueled up on tea, coffee and refreshments and caught a couple hours of shut-eye, all the while our Pullman rep was taking care of check-in and luggage drop. The 5-star service was already evident and we hadn’t even made it to the resort yet!
Two flights and a speed boat ride later and we finally arrived at Pullman Maldives on Maamutaa Island. It was 3am and the island was completely silent, save for the sound of lapping waves. Despite the late hour, we were given a warm welcome by the night team who checked us in and shuttled us to our villa on a buggy. They even went above and beyond to decorate our room to celebrate reaching 1 million subscribers on YouTube! We were blown away by the welcome.
Day One
We rolled out of our heavenly king-sized bed and caught our first glimpse of our Beach Villa in the daylight. It’s easy to beat jetlag when you wake up to a view of the pristine beach, palms waving in the wind and a glistening private plunge pool at your doorstep. And coffee! Coffee helps.
From our villa we hitched a ride on a buggy which took us through winding rainforest roads to the breakfast buffet. Breakfast was a vibrant spread of freshly baked pastries, traditional Maldivian dishes, sweet and savoury breakfast favourites and just about every tropical fruit under the sun. And more coffee.
In the daylight, we were finally able to see just how big the island actually was. We made our way by buggy around six restaurants and bars, beach and overwater villas, tennis courts, diving and activity centres, a spectacular sandbar and so much more. If you’re anything like us, a relaxing beach holiday is good in theory but we’re always looking for something to do. So, we were pleasantly surprised by the array of activities on offer at Pullman Maldives.
We were feeling particularly adventurous and capped our day off with a sunset fishing trip. We headed out to sea on a traditional Maldivian wooden boat with our guides and a few other guests. Forget fishing rods, we were hand-casting our lines into a swarming sea of Jackfish and within two minutes of dropping my line I was reeling up my first catch of the day. Call it beginner’s luck! An hour later and we had caught 3 fish between us which would then be prepared for our lunch in the days to come.
Day Two
Our second day in paradise started with a picture-perfect, Maldivian-style floating breakfast. We had a full spread of breakfast curries, smoothie bowls, fresh fruit and pastries, which made for some very aesthetic photos by the pool. The breakfast buffet at the main restaurant is divine, but there’s just something magical about a floating breakfast in the Maldives – bucket list moment ticked off.
We spent the rest of the day resting, recharging, and taking in every beautiful corner of our Beach Villa. If your idea of the perfect holiday is doing absolutely nothing in the privacy of your villa, there’s plenty of space for that! And with an all-inclusive minibar packed to the rafters with chips, chocolate, drinks and Nespresso coffee, you’d be excused for never wanting to leave your room.
Day Three
Our third day on the island was spent exploring by bicycle. We’d definitely recommend renting bicycles, not just for their Instagrammable appeal, but because they’re a great way to see the island at your own pace without having to call and wait for a buggy.
We explored every corner of the island, burning off our buffets as we pedalled around sandy roads and pathways. At the very tip of the island sits a pristine sandbar where we spent time basking in the sun and getting some incredible shots.
Later that afternoon we moved our things to an overwater villa where we would spend the last 2 nights of our stay. As much as we enjoyed the beach villa, we did want to experience a quintessential Maldives overwater villa. After all, did you even go to the Maldives if you didn’t stay in an overwater villa?
Day Four
Waking up in paradise takes on a whole new meaning when your bedroom doors open straight out onto the sea. The wind had picked up so we spent a lazy day appreciating our new villa and getting to know our neighbourhood.
If you happen to be hanging around the overwater villa boardwalk, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for marine life! The ebb and flow of the tide brings in curious creatures, and it’s not uncommon to see sharks and rays swimming between the villas.
Day Five
Our last day at Pullman Maldives brought tropical rain, but it also gave us the opportunity to try out the spa – after all, a trip to the Maldives wouldn’t be complete without a relaxing massage! This world-class wellness centre offers massages, facials, mani-pedis and more. We opted for a couples’ massage and I’ve got to say, it was one of the best I’ve had all year… which is saying something, given we’d just come from Thailand!
After that, it was home (bitter)sweet home. Our trip to Pullman Maldives Maamutaa Island will go down as one of our favourite destinations yet, made all the more memorable by the amazing and attentive staff that quickly became our island family. If you’re considering an all-inclusive retreat to paradise, Pullman Maldives Maamutaa Island should be at the top of your bucket list!
Written by @zowiepalliaer / Photography by @carson.moody of No Postcode, in collaboration with Pullman Maldives Maamutaa Island, Accor Hotels and The Asia Collective.
