Travel+Leisure India & South Asia experiences Hilton’s newest property in Maldives—Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa, where the journey of self rediscovery swims in abundance. By Adila Matra
A couple of months ago, Hilton invited a few experts from various fields to experience its newest property in the Maldives—Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa. There were customised itineraries for each of the guests—a wellness expert, beverage expert, chef, photographer, and well, me. The idea was to highlight the various sensorial experience offered at the property- touch, sound, sight, taste, taste, and smell. We were the sensory whisperers. And so, I spent my maiden flight to the Maldives pondering what I am an expert of. When the turquoise waters of the island nation began gleaming at a distance, I still hadn’t found an answer.
Exploring Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa
Stay
Located a 20-minute boat ride away from Malé Airport, Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa, fortunately, brought relief to my taxed brain. The overwater villa with pool pushed the existential crisis into a corner of my head. Over the next three nights, I immersed in all the new and unconventional experiences the resort offers.
Experience
While my diver companions went on an underwater adventure to play with sea turtles and reef sharks, I got my first-ever snorkelling lesson from the in-house instructor, Ali, near my water villa. As thrilled as I was at the sight of butterfly fish and lobsters flitting below me, the real rush came from conquering the fear of water and sea creatures.
Quite emboldened by this mini adventure, I made my way to the resort’s Sub Oceanic Watersports Center for glass kayaking. In less than 10 minutes, I was paddling to the centre of the sea, and being followed by shoals of Maldivian fish who later parked themselves under the glass floor of the kayak.
Dine
I also attended a gin tasting session with beverage expert Karina Aggarwal at the seafood restaurant Origin, by the end of which I learned to say if the drink was light, malty, or dry. Like Aggarwal rightly put it, “A good intro for those who love their gin but don’t know enough about it.”
At Habitat, the high-ceiling restaurant that juts out into the sea, we had an authentic Maldivian dinner—banana blossom stir fry, egg and tuna cutlets, chicken curry with kanamadhu nuts, and steamed rice with pandan leaves—that turned out to be the best meal of my stay.
At night, I sat on the suspended hammock in my villa, watching the water below lapping against the stilts. A sting ray glided across silently. In a few minutes a white reeftip shark followed course, unfazed by the spectator above it.
As I was leaving the next day, the resident marine biologist asked us what the best part of the stay was. Wellness expert Namrata Purohit said, “I loved the dives, I found it very relaxing and therapeutic.” “Sunsets,” I lied. The best part was definitely rediscovering myself.
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