Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, "It lived up to the dream and then some!"

There’s no shortage of amazing five-star luxury resorts in the Maldives, but few offer an experience quite like the Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort.

With each passing second, you feel lighter. As if the weight of the world is being bumped from your shoulders every time the speed boat hits a wave on its way to Anantara Dhigu. Minutes earlier I had stepped off Air Asia X at the international airport in the Maldivian capital of Male and felt the country’s land under my toes for the first time. But where you’d usually expect to see a taxi rank, instead there’s a line of speed boats.

My adventure, it was quickly evident, was to begin straight away.

The Maldives is instantly intoxicating. The smell of salt, warmth of the sun and incredibly vivid colours instantly sooth your soul. Anantara Dhigu is one of the easier to reach resorts in the Maldives. The sub-30-minute speed boat transfer has you at the jetty, being waved onto the private island by smiling staff, in no time.

It’s everything I thought it would be. The postcard. The Insta reel. And I’ve scored an overwater villa to boot.

Anantara Island Chain

The Anantara Maldives layout is an interesting one. Where many resorts in the country lay claim to a singular island as their private getaway, Anantara is more of its own mini atoll. It’s made up of a five islands archipelago that circles a sheltered inner reef an are linked together by a free ferry service.

Bushi Island is reserved for the staff that service the other islands, but is notable to guests for the famed surf break Nonyas (aka Quarters) that peels around its edge. I had a blast out there catching long right-handers down the reef.

Naladhu is a private gated island for the super-rich and famous; I am neither, so was unable to see inside. Anantara Veli is an adults-only resort island, in that kids can only visit at restricted times. It too has a good surf break off its edge, as well as a great bar overlooking the ocean and Origami, a fantastic Japanese restaurant that’ll live long in my memory.

Then we have the biggest of the lot in Anantara Dhigu, which is the family-friendly resort where I was lucky enough to stay. But since you can freely travel across the water to experience the facilities in Veli, as well as the delicious Baan Huraa Thai restaurant at the jetty outside Naladhu, they remain a part of the overall experience.

The fifth destination is aptly named Snorkel Island and is purely there for adventure and relaxation. Together the five islands bring a sense of wonder and scale you don’t get elsewhere, as well as being able to service the different needs of demographics directly.

Anantara Dhigu Overwater Villa

If you’re anything like me, your love affair with the Maldives began with images of the overwater villas. Opulent, luxurious, spacious and peaceful, they don’t as much put the world at your feet as let you dangle your legs in it. The overwater villas at the Anantara Dhigu are outstanding, whether you opt of a sunrise of sunset outlook.

My room was home to a single king size bed, but it’s as big as a Sydney flat. Its long floor-to-ceiling windowed doors frames the ocean beyond, while its tall roof reaches up towards the sun in such a way to evoke traditional island huts. The overwater villa at Anantara Dhigu feels opulent and modern, with just the right amount of rustic charm.

Home away from home

The generous living space is split into three sections by pseudo walls that give structure without compromising the sense of space. The large comfortable bed sits in the centre, where the view to the ocean is best. To one side is the entrance foyer, where you’ll find a large kitchen-like bench with a fridge and ample space for belongings to charge. A small dining table sits here, too, and my package included a bowl of fruit and chilled bottle of champagne on arrival.

On the other side of the bed is a walk-in wardrobe of sorts, with more than enough space for two to stowaway luggage and clothes. This leads into a large walkthrough bathroom with a huge, beautiful mirror and then into an open-plan bathroom. The centrepiece, a large bath perched in such a fashion as to give 180-degrees of ocean views. At the base of the toilet, a windowed porthole allows you to watch the ocean ebb and flow while you get about your business. The fantastic shower sits next to a door that leads out to the deck, from where you can circle back into the bedroom.

The deck itself has private entry into the stunning aqua ocean, as well as two sun lounges protected by a large umbrella. But the highlight is, of course, the infinity pool. Some of the most enjoyable moments of my stay were just leaning against the pool’s edge mostly submerged, a glass of champagne in hand, watching sharks, stingrays and fish go past as a sunset stunned.

I was expecting so much from my overwater villa experience at the Anantara Dhigu, yet somehow it lived up to the dream and then some!

Anantara Dhigu restaurants are great

While the Anantara Dhigu Resort may sit on the biggest of the five islands, it is in truth relatively small. This is good! With the provided pushbike, getting from the end of the overwater villas to any of the facilities is quick and enjoyable. Especially thanks to the tall jungle canopy, that casts a relieving shadow over the paths.

The main pool is a gem. Large and rectangular in shape, it looks out over the ocean on the sunset side of the island. The restaurant here, Aqua, offers delicious lunch and dinner meals. But you’ll also find kids activities like beach soccer, giant chess, hammocks and water sports. The nearby Sea.Fire.Salt restaurant offers find dining seafood, perched over the ocean’s waves.

Food, in general, is delicious. Breakfasts unfold in the Fushi Cafe, a generous buffet positioned on the sunrise side of the island. The pastry selection a particular highlight for adults and kids alike.

Anantara Dhigu Facilities

All guests, regardless of age, will enjoy the snorkelling off the villas and beaches, as well as Snorkel Island – of course. It’s not a resort I’d say has a great house reef, but it would still be the envy of most places on earth. Snorkels are free, as are non-motorised motorsports. Plus, you can step it up to jetskis, parasailing and the like if you have the available funds.

I was lucky enough to surf Quarters, with a boat heading out from the resort to the break a couple of times a day. It’s a great wave for beginners and intermediate.

Special mention must also go to the spa, which sits out over the water and offers numerous relaxing spaces to just chill and be mindful. I also had a massage, which was delightful, and I lingered for a good hour afterwards because the spa’s design, which maximises shade and the breeze, as well as its little ocean-facing pools, were so nice.

Further exploration will uncover a gym, volleyball net, boxing ring, basketball and tennis courts, and more. There’s tours every day offering exciting experiences, like nurse shark swimming, to indulge in for an added cost. Add that to the joy of just playing in the incredible white sands and aqua waves, and you really won’t be left wanting.

Amazing memories

As the Anantara Dhigu disappeared into the spray of the speed boat’s engines, disappearing into memory on the return to Male, I could only think of how I wish I had had longer. But the sense of peace I had experienced stayed with me.

The Anantara Dhigu has a lot going for it. Excellent facilities, fantastic rooms, top food, lovely staff, a relatively easy transfer from Male and a natural wonder for an archipelago that is easy to get around and well protected from the sun. It’s not cheap, but nothing is in the Maldives.

If kids aren’t your go, then perhaps eyeball the Anantara Veli, but the little ones never got on my nerves and I can’t imagine anyone would be anything but chuffed with their Anantara Dhigu experience. A truly lovely stay.