The Maldives’ reputation as a honeymoon haven is well-deserved – it is a destination that requires a hefty commitment. Many Maldivian resorts cost the big bucks, are tricky to get to (add a seaplane and often a boat to your international flights) and once you arrive, that’s it. The island you land on is where you stay, there is very little movement between islands encouraged or even possible.
Choose in haste and you may regret it at your pina colada-infused leisure. But if you don’t want to be wedded to a far-off atoll, consider a casual fling at a brand-new luxury offering just a 15-minute speed boat from Male’s international airport. SO/ Maldives touts itself as a fashion-forward getaway and is part of the Ennismore group, known for properties with a unique personality.
SO/ Maldives might be best described as a disruptor, the brash new kid on the block doing the Maldives differently. A new kid on the Maldives block – the arrival pavilion at SO/ Maldives. Having slogged my way to the northernmost atolls previously, only to be stuck on a local island due to bad weather (bye bye, one very pricey night) the joy I feel when we pull up at the SO/ Maldives dock less than 30 minutes after laying my hands on my luggage in Male cannot be overstated.
The resort stretches across Emboodhoo Lagoon on Kaafu Atoll and the water is the kind of Maldives blue that makes people think you have gone filter-crazy in your holiday snaps. Black-tipped sharks carve through schools of fish.
