By Nicola Adam
Copyright scotsman
I’d landed on the other side of the world at a holiday destination so romantic, it’s literally called Love Island. No, really. In the Maldivian language of Dhivehi, ‘Lobi’ means love and ‘Gili’ means island so OBLU SELECT Lobigili is 100% authentic – it’s even couples only.
It’s hard to believe it’s real, this postcard of a place with it’s lapping turquoise waters, white sand roads and beaches and dreamy wooden villas standing proudly above the Indian ocean filled with turtles, stingrays and shoals of glittering fish. Discreet swings and benches with a view for two are placed amid the tropical greenery and it’s so quiet, you could almost be entirely alone, apart from the smiling, welcoming, team of staff who can never do enough to help.
It’s so luxury romance-coded that even the golf buggies, the only form of transportation other than a bike or your own two feet, are pink. The discreet and smiling staff are dressed in a smart pink. And on the impossibly beautiful golden sandy beach is placed the outline of a heart – for romantic selfies.
Of course romance is all very well on a desert island in the middle of the ocean but what you need from a castaway escape is a home from home with all its comforts but elevated into luxury. It does not disappoint. It’s no easy feat to create this type of destination on such a small island when most supplies and materials are a boat or a plane away. Yet, somehow, like magic, OBLU SELECT Lobigili has everything your heart desires in a warm and barefoot paradise with every whim catered for.
Nicola Adam
We arrive at our particular Maldivian home by buggy after a musical arrival involving a saxophonist, cold champagne and a romantic red rose at the island’s pink-roofed central bar. It’s worth noting Lobigili is perfect for those not keen to take a seaplane as this island is just 15 minutes from Malé International Airport by speedboat making transfers painless.
Our sunset-view water villa rests quite literally over the ocean with endless views to the backdrop of lapping water and the occasional seabird. The cool of the main villa with its king size bed with a view contrasts with the warmth of the inside/outside bathroom with shower, standalone bath and epic view down to the maritime wildlife swimming busily by. There is a dressing room outside the enormous bathroom with generous wardrobes and mirrors and a fridge which is restocked daily with cold drinks.
Outside, glass doors lead to our private deck, complete with plunge pool where you can opt for a floating breakfast as part of your stay (for the ’gram). Two loungers and a soft sofa area are carefully screened to ensure total privacy unless an occasional boat passes by.
From the deck, steps lead down straight into the ocean where you can swim or snorkel with Nemo and his fishy friends to your hearts content, if you are confident to do so. The strength of the ocean and the sun reminds you this may be paradise – but it’s also an island near the equator south west of India. There’s a reason they insist on guests wearing life vests.
All guests at the contemporary adult exclusive 5-star resort stay on the Lobi Plan which means everything is taken care of once you arrive in paradise. Also included for all guests is all non-motorised watersports such as kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkelling, as well as one excursion such as sunset fishing. There’s also a unbelievable (and fully air con) overwater gym with views to die for for the energetic types – I just wandered in for a look.
So there is no purse needed and no credit card unless you add extra treats or experiences, with unlimited signature cocktails, premium spirits, and wines available. We snorkelled and we enjoyed a fishing cruise with sunsets and dolphins playfully swimming past. It takes some getting used to be being pampered in paradise but, don’t worry, we managed.
This may be a smaller Maldivian island but it has it’s own idyllic dreamy spa called ELE | NA. We found ourselves – with a touching amount of elaborate ceremony – massaged, scrubbed in coffee grains, showered then popped into a warm bath and served with warm mint tea. My hitherto spa-avoiding husband had no chance but to shed his inhibitions and relax and I definitely heard snoring. Who said romance is dead?
Of course food is a major deal here and the choices incredible. The complimentary dining experiences include ONLY BLU – the Maldives’ largest under ocean restaurant – where you can feast on a selection of signature dishes with wine pairings surrounded by spectacular reef life at 6.8 metres below sea level. Not forgetting the sharks that shoot past, grinning, as you enjoy your dinner. It’s a memory moment made for romance.
The main restaurant on the island is Ylang-Ylang which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a indoor/outdoor buffet-style environment with sand under foot. The selection of food is truly astonishing with live cooking stations amid every food offering you could wish for and multiple specials – it’s like a hundred restaurants in one. If you are staying for four nights or more, you will also be able to eat at the island’s other two dining options free of charge – the Gaadiya food truck plus the aforementioned ONLY BLU. You’ll not go hungry or need to eat the same thing twice.
If all this is not romantic enough, honeymooners and lovebirds can also choose to make their trip extra special with a vow renewal ceremony, a private full moon cruise, private beachside movie nights with champagne and canapes or a romantic couples’ photoshoot. We watched as an adorable couple floated around the island in ethereal white, starting their joint lives in the very epitome of paradise. Being of the slightly more time-served and grizzled variety, we were happy to just be there, soaking up the love island of dreams.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
OBLU SELECT Lobigili was awarded #1 Luxury Hotel in the World and #2 Hotel in the World in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2024Adults-only Lobigili island offers a rich house reef just a short swim from the eastern shore and some of the best dive and snorkelling sites in the North Malé Atoll just a short boat trip away. You can njoy complimentary use of snorkelling equipment throughout your stay. There is also a PADI and SSI Certified Dive School & Watersports Centre.OBLU Select Lobigili be booked from £501 per night in October, staying in a Nest Water Villa with speedboat transfers, food & beverage, spa treatments and speciality dining included as part of the Lobi Plan. Pricing correct at time of publication, see Plan. T&CS for details.More information HERE