The Maldives is one of the most beautiful yet ecologically vulnerable regions in the world. But you have to see it to believe it and—hopefully—do more to preserve it
Once defined by kitschy thatched-roof villas, extravagant country club-style facilities and tiki drinks, resorts in the Maldives are now dialling it back to proudly show off—and ultimately protect—the archipelago’s spectacular but vulnerable wildlife.
Keeping things simple with chic villas, a handful of restaurants and an expert-led dive and watersports centre, hotels like Alila Kothaifaru aren’t trying too hard—such properties don’t have to. The resort sits on a private island surrounded by a vibrant house reef—just as many waterfront resorts around the world have private beaches, many dive resorts have unique access to certain reefs—in the Raa Atoll.
Designed by Singapore-based Studiogoto, the 80-villa resort’s minimalist aesthetic was intended to create the impression that each building disappears into the island’s natural landscape. The hope is, so will its guests; a visit to this island is less of an escape than an immersion.
Large windows in the beachfront villas frame a scene of tropical flora, placing guests in the heart of oversized palm leaves and brilliant hibiscus flowers where colourful birds and lizards come to feed. When designing the island, Studiogoto made a point of preserving 70 per cent of its existing vegetation.
Outside each of the stilted overwater villas, an overflowing infinity pool blends seamlessly into the panoramic stretch of turquoise ocean. In these waters, it’s not rare that you’ll spot pods of dolphins, spotted rays, sea turtles and friendly reef sharks.
Getting up close and personal with nature is certainly a draw for visiting the Maldives; but that easy proximity also happens to be one of the region’s biggest threats. Here, nature-based tourism creates something of a paradox. While its economy relies heavily on tourism, the industry is frequently blamed for exacerbating the environmental crisis—resorts create high energy and resource demands and turn out excess waste, while the runaway development of resort islands has had a devastating effect on coral reefs and marine life.
Of the 1,200 islands scattered across the Maldives’ sun-kissed atolls, 80 per cent sit at an elevation of less than one metre above sea level. As sea levels continue to rise, these picturesque islands are facing the very real threat of becoming uninhabitable by 2050, according to reports from Nasa.
While that’s not exactly good news, it has pushed the Maldives to become a global leader in change and innovation when it comes to fighting climate change and protecting the oceans.
“We are the perfect place [to do this] as our country is only made up of 1 per cent land. The other 99 per cent is covered by sea,” says Shaahina Ali, director of Parley Maldives, the regional leg of non-profit environmental organisation Parley for the Oceans. “Parley is working to address these problems by implementing the Parley AIR [Avoid, Intercept, Redesign] programme, collaborating with island communities. We support and set up a framework for these communities [to prevent] recyclable plastics from ending up in the ocean or landfill, instead transporting them to Parley’s facility in [the Maldivian capital] Malé.”
See also: These five-star hotels are making a positive impact on their local communities
