Welcome to the Turquoise Travel Diaries, a collection of interviews, stories, and excerpts from our fabulous team, as they travel around the world. Here at Turquoise, we pride ourselves on unrivaled knowledge of the destinations in which we specialise, so that we can provide honest, expert advice to all our guests and fellow travellers. This week, our Maldives specialist Emilie has returned from an incredible research trip to the land cashmere soft sand beaches, over water bungalows and 5 star gourmet cuisine. She shares with us her top three experiences…
Velassaru
When looking at Velassaru, you would never guess that there are seven fantastic dining options hidden between the palm trees of this paradise island. Not only are there seven restaurants, but the food here is seriously something to write home about. Thankfully, I was there with enough time to enjoy both lunch & dinner!
One of the restaurants, Turquoise, is a fantastic lunchtime option at Velassaru. It provides a relaxed yet intimate setting – we enjoyed one of their tables on the beach, with our toes in the sand, looking out across the Indian Ocean. The flavours here are Asian-influenced and I chose Maldivian ahi tuna and crispy noodles. When you find yourself on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, it seems crazy not to make the most of the beautiful, fresh tuna… and this did not disappoint!
For dinner, we were lucky enough to dine at Etesian – the menu here has recently been revamped and now it celebrates the flavours of Latin America. The starters ranged from grilled octopus to a duck quesadilla to deep-fried provoleta cheese. For me, it was all about the main course, grilled beef tenderloin churrasco – beef tenderloin, with vine tomatoes, grilled long green onion served with chimichurri sauce. It was absolutely incredible and my mouth is still watering just thinking about it. There is also an on-site sommelier to help you pair your wine with your food perfectly.
If you stay at Velassaru on a bed and breakfast basis, you must eat here at least once. It’s not to be missed!
Six Senses Laamu
Generally speaking, Six Senses always put on a pretty impressive breakfast spread, but Six Senses Laamu is on another level. The breakfast buffet at Longitude is split into different sections: your cooked foods, a pancake station, cereal bar, fresh fruits, a whole station dedicated to Maldivian cuisine and an entire room of cold meats and cheese. It’s a foodie’s heaven and it’s only breakfast time!
Not only do you have all of this to choose from, you will also have a menu at the table from which you can order a variety of delicious smoothies, fruit juices and of course eggs. I would highly recommend the pomegranate and berry smoothie, along with the eggs Florentine – the poached eggs were cooked to perfection!
Ayada Maldives
Ocean Breeze at Ayada is exactly as the name suggests, located on stilts over the stunning turquoise water with a fresh breeze flowing through the beautiful white drapes. The setting is perfection! This dining option is open for both lunch and dinner and serves seasonal dishes such as grilled seafood, homemade pastas and beautifully cooked steaks.
For me, the star of the show was the starter – seared sesame tuna. The tuna was lightly seared, beautifully pink in the middle, crusted with black and white sesame seeds and served with guacamole and a fresh tomato salsa on top.
While Ocean Breeze is not included in the half-board option, guests on this package will receive a 25% discount here. It’s totally worth it, in my opinion!
