Review: Velaa Private Island (Maldives)

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I lately loved an AMAZING vacation within the Maldives. You’ll be able to learn my journey studies right here:

In the present day: Overview of Velaa Non-public Island (Maldives)

Location: Google maps
Lodge web site: Velaa Non-public Island
Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when reserving by way of Virtuoso

Born from a love for the Maldives, Velaa Non-public Island is the eagerness challenge of a pair, Radka and Jiří Šmejc, to create one of many world’s most luxurious personal island resorts and a personal residence. Embedded within the breathtaking surroundings of the Maldives’ northern Noonu Atoll, Velaa Non-public Island meets the very best requirements of consolation, exclusivity and privateness, creating an unparalleled and lavish island expertise. The personal island, designed by the Czech architect Petr Kolar, has 43 villas and 4 personal homes and resembles a sea turtle seen from the air. Visitors are served by a personal butler. The property has three eating places beneath the culinary path of Gaushan de Silva, a high-end spa, and a golf course designed by golf legend José Maria Olazábal.

Velaa Non-public Island options in my prime 10 record of one of the best luxurious resorts within the Maldives.

Have you ever ever stayed at Velaa Non-public Island? In that case, what was your expertise? Go away a remark.

On this evaluate (extra information and photographs under my Youtube clip & slideshow):

PROS & THINGS I LIKE

Velaa Non-public Island could be reached by seaplane from the Maldives’ capital Malé. Customary transfers are booked (by way of the resort) on a 15 seater public seaplane, operated by Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA). Alternatively, a personal constitution could be organized on a Velaa-branded 9 seater luxurious seaplane. All friends (whether or not flying by way of TMA or Velaa’s personal airplane) have entry to the resort’s small however comfy personal lounge at Male airport, whereas ready for the seaplane switch. Be aware that friends touring to Maldives by way of personal jet can decide to land at Maafaru Worldwide Airport (as a substitute of Male), from the place it’s a handy 35 minute over-water switch with one of many resort’s velocity boats. Learn my evaluate of the seaplane switch to Velaa Non-public Island right here.

Completely unique and making certain full privateness for all its friends, Velaa Non-public Island is tucked away within the distant Noonu Atoll in the direction of the northwestern fringe of the Maldives archipelago. The Noonu Atoll is a playground for the wealthy and well-known for the reason that web site is residence to 3 of probably the most luxurious resorts within the Maldives: Soneva Jani, Cheval Blanc, and Velaa Non-public Island. The seaplane flight from Male to Velaa – which takes about 45 minutes – takes friends throughout the North Male Atoll and the southern a part of the Noonu Atoll, probably the most stunning stretches of surroundings within the Maldives. The journey presents jaw-dropping views of a deep blue ocean interspersed by tiny palm islands surrounded by ridiculously clear lagoons and sugar white seashores.

Lower than 20 hectares in measurement, Velaa Non-public Island is among the smaller islands within the Maldives (you’ll be able to stroll across the island in lower than half-hour), however can be ranks among the many most stunningly stunning islands within the archipelago. The island has an virtually excellent round form; it options lush tropical foliage at its middle and is totally encircled by a blinding white, powdered-sugary tender sand seashore and a turquoise lagoon. Velaa Non-public Island shares its identify and its residence with generations of sea turtles which have inhabited the island for numerous years (Velaa means “turtle” in Dhivehi, the native Maldivian language). From a broader aerial view, the island’s form even resembles a turtle: the round overwater villa boardwalk resembles a turtle’s head with the island and jetties representing the turtle’s physique and flippers.

There are various personal islands in Maldives, however solely only a few of them are actually privately owned by one individual. Velaa Non-public Island is such a case. The proprietor, Jiri Smejc, has spent numerous weeks in Maldives each on holidays and whereas taking his enterprise journeys from Europe to Asia. The islands turned his true ardour: lots of them being stunning, however every of them coming quick on some a part of the customer expertise he valued. That’s why he determined to construct Velaa Non-public Island: an island assembly his concepts what an expensive personal resort needs to be, and an island preserving an actual privateness for its friends however on the similar time versatile sufficient to offer variety of first-class enjoyment alternatives. In any case, the proprietor is the one who spends most time on the island and desires to get pleasure from it for years, not just for per week or two.

Conceptualized by famend Czech architect, Petr Kolář, the resort’s elegant design fuses up to date luxurious with intimate Maldivian nuances. An array of luxe supplies had been used to construct the communal areas and villas, equivalent to stone pavements from the desert in Jordan, flowerpots from Indonesia, luxurious wooden paneling from Borneo, and artisan patio furnishings from Italy. When designing the buildings, important architect Petr Kolář was guided by two tenets that had been agreed with the proprietor. The primary was “well mannered luxurious” and denotes a pleasing reasonably than imposing type of luxurious. The second was “Maldivian contact”, indicating the preservation of a sure native character. The latter could be seen within the turtle define that’s the resort signature, within the design of the villas, and using palm leaves as a roof protecting.

Elegantly positioned to miss enchanting vistas of a cerulean ocean, Velaa Non-public Island is comprised of 43 personal villas, 18 of that are constructed over-water (sleeping from 1 to 10 friends). This features a Romantic Pool Residence which may solely be reached by boat, permitting much more exclusivity. Throughout my vacation, my lodging was upgraded to a phenomenal Dawn Water Pool Villa. Designed alongside an prolonged jetty with peaceable ocean views, this one-bedroom villa had a personal pool and expansive solar deck with alfresco eating space, daybeds, and steps extending immediately into the ocean. The separate lounge featured a viewing window set into the ground, while the ensuite lavatory provided his and her vanities together with a big, standalone round bathtub. Clarins toiletries are supplied.

Moreover the 43 seashore and overwater villas, Velaa Non-public Island additionally boasts 4 personal residences, which are perfect for friends who search absolute privateness, additional care and utter discretion. One of many residences is known as NIKA. Designed by award-winning inside designer, Patricia Urquiola, NIKA is a classy house that remembers the encompassing nature. In her design, Urquiola performed with the defining traces between inside and exterior areas. Lighting and textile components contribute to forge a brighter and intimate ambiance, the place friends are invited to retreat and revel in a minimalist, but refined atmosphere. Customized made furnishings items embrace the three Craaft lamps, that are completely made out of white translucent beads.

For the epicurean, Velaa Non-public Island boasts extraordinary culinary experiences with venues that rank among the many greatest within the Maldives and an in depth wine cellar with an unique wine choice from across the globe. There are hree eating places, providing a fusion of each worldwide and Maldivian delicacies:
- Constructed overwater, Aragu is the resort’s signature restaurant, serving up to date European delicacies with an Asian twist. The overwater venue can be residence to the CRU Champagne Lounge, the place friends can savor a few of the world’s most interesting and rarest champagnes beneath the steering of skilled sommeliers.
- Athiri is the resort’s beachfront all-day eating restaurant, serving artistic international delicacies from everywhere in the world. Cooks from 14 nationalities use the best imported and native substances to serve a menu of genuine, residence fashion meals. A wood-fired oven presents freshly made pizzas, a signature of Athiri, served all through the day. Every morning, Athiri additionally hosts a lavish breakfast buffet. Subsequent to Athiri is Avi, the poolside bar.
- Overlooking your complete island, an intimate Teppanyaki restaurant – known as Tavaru – stands atop a three-story-tall, ivory-white construction, which homes an in depth wine cellar with greater than eight hundred bins (from boutique wineries to grand marques). Tavaru presents unique Japanese tasting menus, and combines a grand theatric present with culinary delights such because the Teriyari Black Cod and Kagoshima A5 Tenderloin.

Constructed over the clear waters of the lagoon, Velaa Non-public Island’s glorious wellness middle presents a world of experience and excellence the place cutting-edge know-how meets the ancestral artwork of contact. A complete vary of signature spa therapies is on the market, together with custom-made facials with refined European know-how and conventional Asian therapeutic massage and physique therapies. Providing a synergy of therapies and merchandise, the spa options six secluded double remedy rooms, the one ‘snow room’ within the Maldives, in addition to an out of doors leisure lounge with Jacuzzi. Sourced from the world’s main wellness specialists equivalent to Dr Burgener Switzerland and KOTOSHINA from Japan, the most recent anti-aging applied sciences are blended with uncommon and helpful substances to advertise new ranges of pores and skin vitality and mobile well being.

Velaa Non-public Island is the one ultra-luxury resort on the Maldives that options its personal golf course. Velaa Golf Academy by Olazábal is a novel {golfing} expertise that stretches over seven holes and 9 tees however presents quite a few combos. The golf course is designed by José María Olazábal, famend for his quick sport mastery, and managed by Troon, the chief in upscale golf course administration. Velaa boasts a studio providing one-on-one tuition with PGA professionals. The academy additionally holds swing evaluation software program with the most recent know-how and is provided with a state-of-the-art Trackman simulator to boost {the golfing} expertise. A placing inexperienced and tailored tuition packages make the Velaa Golf Academy an expertise for the entire household to get pleasure from.

From shore to shore and sundown to dawn, Velaa Non-public Island presents a variety of amenities, actions, and excursions:
- In entrance of Athiri Restaurant is a gigantic beachfront swimming pool. It’s at all times quiet right here since most friends desire to lounge subsequent to their personal pool villa.
- The property options a wonderful water sports activities middle, which presents a few of the latest hi-tech water sport toys and tools, from flyboarding and hoverboarding, to electrical foil surf boards and the most recent tandem jetovator, in addition to an entire vary of thrilling towables for youngsters and households to get pleasure from.
- Excursions embrace massive sport fishing, snorkeling journeys round an untouched reef, an genuine Maldivian Batheli boat cruise, having fun with a lavish lunch on a abandoned island, or dolphin watching at sundown.
- Sports activities and health amenities embrace the Maldives solely lined tennis court docket, in addition to an out of doors padel court docket, squash court docket, climbing wall, a state-of-the-art ‘Technogym’ and even a soccer pitch. Private yoga and meditation periods are held within the elevated yoga pavilion, a personal backyard or on the seashore.

CONS & THINGS TO KNOW

Over the previous decade, Velaa Non-public Island deservedly constructed a fame as probably the most unique and splendid inns within the Maldives, making its solution to the highest phase of an already very high-end journey market. As such, it shouldn’t come as a shock {that a} keep on the resort is astronomically costly, though that doesn’t appear to discourage most friends because the resort is at all times absolutely occupied throughout excessive season. One space the place Velaa Non-public Island is very costly are its actions and excursions, for the reason that resort focuses on personal actions as a substitute of cheaper, shared actions (though that shall be to the liking of a lot of the resort’s rich clientele). Whereas some vacationers could query the resort’s worth for cash, needless to say that is the Maldives, the place journey budgets come to die.

The seaplanes at Velaa Non-public Island take off and land near the island. Additionally they dock on the arrival jetty simply in entrance of Athiri Restaurant and the primary pool. As a consequence, each time {that a} seaplane arrives or departs, there’s some noise disturbance, particularly for these friends staying within the island’s southwest nook. Nonetheless, some friends would possibly benefit from the pleasure of watching the seaplane actions. Additionally, it’s not a giant deal since there are only some seaplane arrivals and departures per day (I’d say not more than 6) and seaplane actions are restricted to sunlight hours solely (however early departures could be loud sufficient to get up some friends).

The overwater villas at Velaa Non-public Island are glorious and splendid however they’re fairly darkish on the within (with in depth use of darkish woods) they usually lack the wow issue of the overwater villas provided by a few of the resort’s newer opponents within the archipelago. Velaa Non-public Island opened virtually a decade in the past (in 2013) so many luxurious resorts that opened since then have appeared on the Maldives’ prime resorts (together with Velaa), attempting to create a room product that’s higher than the one provided by the competitors. This isn’t to say that the overwater villas at Velaa Non-public Island are a disappointment (removed from), however there’s some room for enchancment on the subject of pure lighting, decor and structure. I’m assured that the resort – which always reinvents itself – will improve its villas over time so that they rank once more among the many greatest within the Maldives.

Sadly, Velaa Non-public Island’s home reef is just not one of the best within the Maldives. In 1998, there was a worldwide bleaching occasion during which the Maldives was one of many nations most negatively affected. The reefs on this area skilled mass mortalities and a few reefs misplaced over 90% of their coral cowl, together with the reef at Velaa Non-public Island. The reef began to slowly get better however was sadly hit by one other bleaching occasion in 2016. That is when the resort determined they wished to revive their home reef and a coral restoration challenge was began, which has resulted within the return of extra coral and extra fish on the home reef (so there’s a superb likelihood the reef would possibly return to its unique state within the coming years). In the meantime, friends who wish to discover the Maldives’ well-known underwater world shouldn’t fear as Velaa Non-public Island presents snorkeling journeys to an untouched reef close by (along with glorious diving excursions).

Velaa Non-public Island is surrounded by breakwaters (to stop seashore erosion). Most friends gained’t even discover them since they’re fairly properly hidden beneath the water floor on the outer fringe of the lagoon. Throughout low tide although, some breakwaters change into seen and would possibly barely spoil the view in the direction of the horizon (however frankly, this downside is frequent within the Maldives).

MY VERDICT

Location: 10/10
Design: 9/10
Pool: 10/10
Rooms: 9/10
Meals: 9/10
Breakfast: 9/10
Spa: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Worth for cash: 9/10
Total expertise: distinctive 9/10

TIPS FOR FUTURE GUESTS & SAVE MONEY

Lower your expenses: get complimentary VIP perks when reserving by way of Virtuoso (e.g. improve, each day breakfast, early check-in, late check-out, and $150 USD meals & beverage credit score).

Lower your expenses: learn right here my ideas for getting one of the best deal at a luxurious resort like Velaa Non-public Island (and/or obtain many free perks).

Learn my ideas for getting ready your journey in time.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The very best climate within the Maldives is between January and April, which additionally means excessive season (with low availability and really costly room charges). The monsoon runs from Could to October, peaking in June. It’s price paying greater costs and sticking to the dry season as there’s nothing to do on a wet day besides drink, eat, work out or scuba dive. Particularly November and December, which are sometimes labelled as dry season months, have been very unsettled in recent times.

HOW TO GET THERE

Attending to the Velaa Non-public Island requires a 45-minute seaplane switch from Male Worldwide Airport (MLE). Test the Wikipedia web page of Male Worldwide Airport for an up to date record of airways that provide flights to Male Worldwide Airport.

PHOTOS

Beneath is a collection of 50 photographs of Velaa Non-public Island. To view extra resort photographs (together with breakfast and dinners), click on right here.