We’re Going To The Maldives!.

I’m pinching myself as I write this because I am so excited to make this announcement!

The Maldives have been a place that I have wander lusted over for years. White sand beaches, swaying palms, cerulean blue waters and year round perfect temperatures (with very little humidity) have turned the Maldives into not only my secret island crush, but also that of the world’s rich and famous.

I always longed to visit this series of 1,190 coral islands popping out of the Indian Ocean, but figured it would always remain out of my grasp – at least until I made my first million. And at the paying rate of travel blogging that could be a while!

But fate has a way of making plans for you and a couple months ago we were contacted by the Maldives resort Gili Lankanfushi. They asked if we would come to their island (yes, they own an entire island!), take in the views, partake in the activities and share the experience with our readers. We immediately said yes. Because not only was it a dream to visit the Maldives for us, we also knew this would be such an extraordinary experience to share with all of you!

Because let’s be honest – who doesn’t want to go to the Maldives???

Recently, people have been asking where we are off to next and when I tell them we are going to the Maldives the look on their face is full of shock and surprise. It’s fantastic because it mirrors just how I feel inside. Each day as we get a bit closer to the departure and I Google more images of this island wonderland, I find the voice in my head getting stronger: “We’re going to the Maldives? We’re GOING to the Maldives! Wait, are we really going to the Maldives? Yes, Beth we are Going. To. The. Maldives. On. Friday!!!  OMG!!!”

Then I pinch myself again. So yeah, you might say we are pretty excited about this upcoming adventure.

What’s more is that Gili Lankanfushi is top of the line in terms of island resorts. Here’s a brief overview of what we are looking forward to at the resort:

Our Very Own Over The Water Bungalow

We’ll be staying at an over the water villa complete with a glass floor in part of the bungalow for an immediate view to the ocean!

The villas have a Robinson Crusoe vibe and the entire resort in their words is “down to earth luxury”.  Have I died and gone to travel heaven? I think so.

Our Very Own Mr. Friday

Every villa comes with it’s very own Mr. Friday, named after Robinson Crusoe’s loyal assistant and dear friend.

“Available 24 hours a day, your Mr Friday, or Ms Friday, will be delighted to help arrange excursions, spa appointments, sunset cruises, restaurant reservations and even help pack or unpack your luggage. Parents will be pleased to know that Mr Friday can also keep the little ones entertained with storytelling and craft sessions.”

Yep, we will have our very own private butler!

After growing up with The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as my sitcom staple, I will now be able to answer the question every 14-year-old wonders: “What would I do if I had a butler?”

To be honest, probably not much. Growing up without a butler and with a mother who thought the President was coming to visit every time our family came to town, I have learned how to keep a clean house and I’m sure I would feel pretty awkward asking someone to do something for me. BUT for the sake of travel reportage I will be sure to dig deep and bring out my inner diva for some serious pampering. I have a funny feeling this could be a very easy task for Randy. Haahahaha!

Actually, what we are really hoping for is that our Mr. Friday will become a new travel friend. Aside from the pampering and ice delivery (more on that in a minute), we would love to know more about life on the islands from the perspective of a resident. Ideally, I’d love a Mr. Friday that could kick back on the roof deck with us, drink in hand and tell us stories about his life in the Maldives.

Eco Awareness, Organic Gardens & A Strong Respect For The Environment

Something that stood out to us early on when we started checking out the Gili Lankanfushi website was their deep rooted value in ecological sustainability. They don’t just talk the talk they really mean it. Not only are there organic gardens on the premises (providing the fresh fruits & veggies for their menu), but they also have Vaidotas Kirsys, the resident Marine Biologist.

Vaidas (his nickname) is also the resident guest educator. At the resort you can take classes offered by him on a variety of sustainability topics, and you can also go on guided snorkeling adventures with him. This sounds like a lot of fun because not only will he help you spot hidden underwater creatures but he can also explain what you are seeing. He uses the beauty of nature as a platform to get guests to care about the environment. As someone who feels that travel is one of the best types of education in the world, I really like that. I can’t wait to go snorkeling with him and learn more about life under the sea.

To top it off you can even have more hands-on experiences by participating in weekly marine biology activities such as coral health monitoring, underwater fish survey and reef cleaning. Sign me up please!

Activities, Activities!

They have everything from sunrise yoga to night diving, sailing, surfing and everything in between! There are so many things to do on this resort and I’m sure we’ll try to do as many as we can. I also discovered they rent lights for underwater photography – WOW. I am definitely going to try that out and Randy is dying to take a speed boat out to the break so he can hang 10 in one of the best surfs spots on earth.

Ice Delivery, the Underground Chocolate Cave or in other words: Crazy Luxury

A few weeks ago we were given an in-villa checklist asking us what type of smells we would like in our room and what type of bedding we preferred – silk, cotton or hypoallergenic. I was blown away.  I have stayed in some pretty amazing places but never anywhere that tailored the room, the bed and the shower gel to my preferred scents and fabrics. Then as I continued reading down the list they asked other questions: What type of magazines and newspapers would we like in our room? Would we like snorkel gear in our room? What type of movies would we like to watch? I was already floored at the customization but then there was a one crazy question that took it to another level:

“Would you like ice delivered to your villa? If so, what time would you like your ice delivered?”

Are you serious??!!?? Timed ice delivered to the villa?? Wow.

After further digging around their website, I discovered they also have an underground chocolate cave. A. Chocolate. Cave. For lunch, you can go to the cave for wine and chocolate pairings or you can reserve the entire cave for a private dinner. I think my mouth buds just died and went to heaven.

Gili Lankanfushi is going to be mind-blowingly luxurious and I am definitely looking forward to it!

This is the kind of trip that Pinterest travel dreams are made of, and we’re both really excited to share our experiences with you so be sure to follow along for live updates.

You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ & Pinterest and the hashtag we will be using for this trip is #Gililankanfushi – and please let us know if you have any questions we can answer while we are there. See you in paradise!

*Photos courtesy of Gili Lankanfushi. Please do not use them without their permission.