insideKENT Magazine Issue 89 - August 2019 | Page 155

perfection personified. Our own two-bedroom water villa with pool is without doubt my favourite hotel room, EVER! Our on-call golf buggy took us along the water villa jetty depositing us at the end of our private walkway entrance where the main door opened to reveal a huge patio area perfect for washing off sandy toes and for depositing snorkels and flippers before the floor-to-ceiling glass doors opened into the large, airy and modern living space. Sofas, record players, widescreen TVs, WiFi, full-size bar, separate kitchen with American fridge and microwave, and a guest bathroom. To the left was the master bedroom – king-size bed with views from the patio doors to the pool deck and ocean beyond, as well as a separate dressing area and a huge outdoor bathroom with enclosed and outdoor showers, bath, WC and double vanity. To the right, a mirror image layout; huge bedroom with ample space for a cot, the kids’ own dressing area and outdoor bathroom. And of course there was the main event, the huge sliding doors that peel back to reveal a totally private outside deck with infinity pool, swing seat, loungers, dining table and steps straight into the ocean. I’d have stayed on that deck forever – and would have done if not for the lure of the rest of the island to explore and the fact it was nearly dinner time… Underpinning everything at Finolhu is a real sense of fun, high standards and flawless personalised service. Food is superb from the sumptuous world buffets of the main Baa Baa Beach Diner (where the waiting staff had learned the children’s names within an hour) to the pre-bookable à la carte offerings of The Baa Haa Grill that serves delicious North- African-inspired hot stone cooked BBQ meats and mezze featuring fresh hummus and flatbread with a plethora of spices. The barefoot, desert island Crab Shack – a 20 min sandbank stroll or 5-minute boat trip away – offers views back to the main island, as well as the freshest tastiest fish. And sophisticated over-water fine dining is covered by Asian restaurant, Kanusan...the slow-cooked braised beef cheek with asparagus, mushrooms and shallot-scented truffle teriyaki sauce is to die for. everything from baking to reef arts and crafts and storytime. It also has its own pool and offers babysitting services, which we took full advantage of as we headed to the award-winning spa. The playful reference to its atoll location plays out through the sheep statues which decorate the Baa Baa Beach Diner to the shisha-smoking sheep of the Beach Bar – much to the delight of my toddler as ‘baa baas’ are his favourite animal bar none! Finolhu [email protected] www.finolhu.com Mermaids in the pool, fire eaters for the evening entertainment, record players in the villa, campervan cocktails or glow-in-the-dark paint party evenings – Finohlu has you covered! Grab a snorkel, mask and flippers from the dive shop and head off the beach to explore the reef, join one of the organised dive trips from the dive centre, or join the sunset dolphin cruise to fully appreciate this unique marine habitat. The Balinese-inspired sanctuary left us more relaxed than ever as our couple’s massage smoothed away any last elements of pre-holiday tension. My youngest daughter, having hugged about 20 members of staff and receiving a personalised send off from most of the kids’ club staff, cried when we had to leave – I think inside we all did. finolhumv FinolhuMaldives finolhu_maldives Kuoni (01227 463800 or www.kuoni.co.uk ) offers seven nights all-inclusive at Finolhu in a Lagoon Villa including flights on Emirates from London Gatwick and transfers in resort. The price for selected departure on 8th September 2019 based on two adults sharing is from £3,688 per person with a saving of up to £511 per couple. To book please quote ref: 1911176. There is also the Oceaneers Club, a fabulous kids’ club whose dedicated and passionate staff cater for teenagers to toddlers from morning till night offering 155