Summer Island resort is 34km, or 45 minute boat ride from Male. It's wonderfully landscaped, with lush tropical garden like settings blending into the beach. There are plenty of secluded spots to find some isolation, as well as some scintillating gathering places at which you can eat, drink, be merry and enjoy some relaxing live music in the evenings. The resort also just installed the world's largest 3D printed reef (yes, it's a 3D printed coral reef) which you can no doubt start checking out soon.
Summer Island is a ‘barefoot’ resort, meaning guests are encouraged to walk around barefoot. Even staff dress in loose linens and flip flops, putting you even more at ease.
Rooms
All of their rooms offer up an open air design. If you’re with family and feel like splurging, you could maybe think of getting the Summer House. It's a compact yet really spacious bungalow built on a secluded private beach.
The two floored house offers up some choice privacy for a family getaway. There are two bedrooms and even a little kitchen if you really want to do your own thing. Ah, and it comes with its own swimming pool. We didn’t stay here, but went for a bit of a walk through, and boy, did we wish we could relax for a few days in this luxurious little corner of the atolls, chilling like millionaires.
Over the course of two days we first stayed in a Premium Beach Villa and then went on to stay in an ultra luxurious Water Villa.
The Premium Beach Villa is a spacious dream. A huge room opens up onto your own little private beach. You’ve got your reclining chairs and other beach furniture on the porch, a huge, king-sized comfortable bed, and even a little garden outside that you can call your own.
One of the outstanding features of the room is the bathroom. Large, spacious and partly open to the elements (no one can peep in, don’t worry). The best feature of it all, had to be our own private jacuzzi bathtub (Yes, you heard that right!).
We thought the Premium Beach Villas were pretty amazing. You might have thought you’ve made it with the jacuzzi bathtub, but you aint really lived until you’re able to chill on your porch (get mildly tipsy, baked, read or do whatever else that pleases you) and simply dive off of it into the ocean when you feel like taking a dip.
The water is luxuriously cool and hits you like heaven, making the humid heat in the Dives not just bearable, but even welcoming. Every villa has little float that you can hold onto as you drift around in the sea, protecting you from the conniving currents seeking to kidnap you out into the deep seas.
Things to do
Normally you wouldn’t come on a holiday like this to do things. I mean, the point for most people who come here is to do exactly the opposite, while feeling as pampered and relaxed as possible. In Sumer Island, you can do exactly nothing and have the time of your life. Just turn up for your meals at the restaurant and enjoy the fantastic international cuisine (with a touch of Maldivian flavor, and dare I say with a light Sri Lankan influence also) and wander around at your will.
One thing you might like to do is to pop into the infinity pool. We recommend this at sunset especially. You can even share the space with the occational seagull in less-crowded moments. There are also games you can play. The hotel has some pretty on-point facilities for table-tennis, pool/billiards and foosball, which seem to be the go-to non-water based sporting activities for resort-goers in the Maldives. There’s also a gym for more rigorous workouts.
If you’re here for a few days, you must try the spa. It occupies its own little wing along the beachfront. I got a full body massage. When it hits the right frequency a good massage can leave you tranquil for hours and that’s what happened to me that day. What’s more, I spent the time getting it mostly staring through a glass floor right into the ocean, while little schools of fish swam about exclusively for my personal entertainment.
The resort also offers diving lessons, diving sessions, snorkelling, boat rides at sunset and customized experiences such as private candlelit meals on the beach. We took a boat ride on a traditional Maldivian skiff, broke open fake champaign, had snacks while the sun set, and took in the scenery in a silence punctured only by the sounds of lapping waves.
Conclusion
Summer Island offers up a flawless luxury experience at a price that is pretty competitive when compared to other places in the Maldives. Their proximity to the main Island of Male is a special advantage – allowing you to take the occasional trip into the city for a change of scene.
