Maldives

Paradise worth preserving (Khaleej Times)

Fringes of reefs encircle the islands, forming startling white ribbons beside a deep blue ocean. Somewhere, among the 1,000 or so islands of the Maldives, lies the sandy isle of Reethi Rah, home to the One&Only Resort.

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Paradise worth preserving (Khaleej Times)

Dining with the Fishes

What’s better than soaking up the sun-spattered ambiance of the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort? How about basking in the rich reef and marine life 16 feet below sea level while dining at the Ithaa Undersea restaurant? At the resort’s most unique dining establishment, diners are placed in a glass tunnel that seats 12 and feast on Maldivian-Western cuisine (which, perhaps inhospitably, includes surf-and-turf fare) while enjoying unfettered, 180-degree fish-gazing opportunities. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner only. Reservations up to 14 days in advance are recommended.

The resort itself, which spans two islands, includes 50 water villas, 79 beach villas, and 21 spa water villas and is accessible only via a 30-minute seaplane flight  from the capital, Male.  Some 1,200 islands comprise the Maldives, located nearly 300 miles south of India and Sri Lanka.