Our latest trip to Maldives

by Jamie Gray

G’day friends,

Jamie, BT and Suzi from The Perfect Wave have just recently returned from a trip to the Maldives, visiting resorts we work with to see how ready they are for 2012 Maldives surf season that has just started. Cokes Surf Camp, Kandooma Resort and Six Senses Resort (Laamu Atoll) have already welcomed the first TPW guests this year and all are reporting very good surf conditions and regular swell since the start.

The Perfect Wave surf program at Kandooma has started running this year on April 7th, with TPW Aussie guide Rob looking after all our clients and taking them to surrounding breaks – Riptides, Foxy’s, Twin Peaks, Quarters, Lucky Joes and Kate’s – unless the choice is to surf Kandooma Right which is right out the front!

Cokes Surf Camp has undergone some renovations and looks better than ever before. With a finished second floor and a new lounge/chillout area, this must be one of the best-value camps we offer!

Six Senses Resort Laamu Atoll was our last stop and we were absolutely stunned by the quality and beauty of this place. This has to be one of the world’s most stunning surf resorts and it’s beachfront break Yin Yang is one of Maldives best right-handers. Jamie says: My first experience at Six Senses, was just that: and experience, an amazing experience. From the moment you are picked up from the airport by your personal GEM (Guest Experience Maker), it is service, service, service. With more staff than guests, you never want for anything, with friendly, happy people everywhere to ensure you want for nothing. As for the facilities, you arrive to what I can only describe as Warren Buffet’s version of Water world. The reception, bars and restaurant are all over water with comfortable lounges everywhere so you are never more than 3 metres away from being comfortable enough to not move for 3 hrs. On your way to your beach or Overwater Villa by buggy, you can only but notice the earthy feel and lush green colours of the island itself. You have guests riding around on bikes that are supplied to every guest, including pint sized ones for the kids. Already impressed by everything you wonder how good are the rooms going to be? The answer is very good. The villas are massive with the same earthy decor feel you associate with Six Senses. Quality craftsmanship everywhere and amazing outside bathrooms, so you know they are secluded and private. With your boards dropped off at watersports all you need to do is put on your boardshorts and jump on your bike to ride the 100m to the boat. Quickly you put in the fins, wax up and slap on some sunscreen before jumping in the speedboat to travel the 2 minutes over to Ying Yang’s surf break. I have surfed this wave many times and know that it isn’t for the faint hearted over 5 foot, but today it is a nice clean 2 foot, so plenty of fun had anyway. The watersports has every other activity you could want with Diving, para-sailing, wakeboarding and even surf lessons, so all the family is covered. As for the bars and restaurants, wow, they had it all. From an amazing overwater buffet restaurant to the fine dining restaurant, “Leaf” that has a new celebrity Chef arrive each week from around the world and cook you a 5 course meal you find in a Michelin star restaurant. The bars are stocked with every choice of liquor on the planet, and I know that, because I have sampled most. You have the best cheeses and cured meats from around the world hanging in the middle cool room of a walk in wine cellar that you can have a 10 person meal in. They spared no expense on this wonderful resort as you would expect from Six Senses, but I must say with the location of a first rate right hander across the channel this resort ticks all my boxes. This isn’t a place to bring the boys, but if you want to impress your wife of family, this place is amazing. The wife will be keep busy with the Spa, Yoga classes and Cooking classes. The kids have an amazing kids club and more water sports than they can handle, so you can go surfing. I really love my job.

Check out the below photo gallery for some shots of our trip: