Crystal emerald water, lush tropical vegetation and a rainbow of reef fish await at Nova Maldives, Editor in Chief Michelle Giglio reports
It’s not often in life you get to fulfil a dream you thought was out of reach. When a special birthday was coming up for me, my partner asked where I would like to go if it could be anywhere in the world. “The Maldives,” I said without hesitation. So he went and booked flights and the most incredible resort, Nova Maldives.
The Maldives is a picture-perfect collection of around 1,200 islands located in the Indian Ocean to the west of Sri Lanka. Nova is located within the South Ari Atoll, a 30-minute sea plane flight from capital Male during which you can fully appreciate the extraordinary colours of this ancient archipelago. As we approached Nova, a shimmering turquoise sea circled by the whitest of sands greeted us. It truly is a tropical paradise.
Maldivian-owned Pulse Hotels and Resorts took over the island, named Vakarufalhi, just three years ago. Pulse has turned Nova into a top luxury destination, complete with everything you need when you are having a romantic getaway. Rooms are serviced twice a day and outfitted with top of the range furnishings, and staff are so caring they are known as ‘Soulmates.’ This is where you come to be nurtured and pampered away from all the hustle and bustle of Sydney.
The best aspect of Nova is that it has its own house reef, which means you can spend hours snorkelling from right outside your villa.
The first thing I did on arrival was throw on a bikini, descend the stairs of our water villa, and snorkel 20 metres out to the reef. I was greeted with a display of tropical fish so vast my mind exploded. I spent hours during our stay snorkelling over the reef watching blue and yellow emperor angelfish chase each other, laughing as the orange and green parrotfish jabbed coral with their noses to release food, and marvelling at the black tip reef shark prowling the sea bed.
The island houses 76 villas, with many located over the water, and others blended perfectly into the natural vegetation. Some have a jacuzzi or pool, and all have king-size beds and high- speed internet. Ours faced the sunrise, and it was worth getting up early to experience the magnificence of the Maldivian sky at dawn. Smoky pink-orange rays streaked with tips of deep yellow danced across the horizon, and we prolonged the experience with a swim in the gorgeous infinity pool.
There are so many activities to do at Nova, including snorkelling, scuba diving, kayaking and parasailing – or have a relaxing massage and organic facial in the spa. Given we are quite active people, we signed up for excursions to see the manta rays and whale sharks. Being in the south, there is a much higher chance of seeing these animals all year round, than in the northern islands where they migrate in the cooler months.
Our first outing was to see the manta ray, the gentle giants of the ray family which can have a wingspan of up to four metres in the Maldives. While these large rays with their massive mouths and side eyes can seem quite terrifying, they pose absolutely no danger to humans and do not have a sting (though we also saw their venemous spotted eagle ray cousins!). Mantas have a few rituals, including ‘cleaning’ where they put on a display, a bit like ballet, where they swim back and forth, flushing out their gills.
It does require some effort to find mantas and whale sharks in the water – they are animals after all, free to go where they please. But luckily Nova has an incredible group of water guides, who have all grown up on one of the Maldives’ 187 inhabited islands. Do what these guys say, and you will truly experience the magic of the Maldives.
On one of our jumps into the crystal sea, I was closest to the manta and as it executed a graceful turn, it swam right under me! While my heart was pounding from the proximity, I had nothing to be scared of, and it was such a special experience to get so close.
The whale sharks were much more elusive, and sadly we did not spot them. But there were always other things to see, including the inquisitive hawksbill turtle, and Clark’s clownfish playing hide and seek in their anemone protector.
For the adventurous, Nova is a PADI-certified dive site, which accommodates beginners to advanced. My partner had not dived for a while and was able to do a refresher course to prepare for a longer outing. From 13 to 20 July, Nova will host a special dive event with PADI, with guided dives and a focus on conservation activities.
All that snorkelling requires energy, and the main eatery Soul Kitchen is a delectable experience for your all-inclusive three meals a day. The buffet has an incredible range of freshly cooked food, with dinners often themed (Italian and French just two examples). Steaming and hot in the pots, you can try chicken or fish curries, Asian-inspired soups and lamb roast. But the chefs are also there on the grill ready to cook you up a storm if you prefer. Spicy vegetarian stir fries, flaming calamari, juicy beef rump and succulent fresh fish will be paired with your favourite sauce and condiments for a tasty lunch or dinner. At breakfast, enjoy fresh crepes made to order and eggs any way you like, and down it with coffee prepared in a giant red Italian San Remo machine, or freshly-squeezed orange juice.
For a special treat, you can dine at one of Nova’s two specialty restaurants, Flames Grill House or Mizu, a fun teppanyaki over-water eatery. I was lucky enough to have the charismatic executive chef, Soba Hassan, prepare me a special three-course birthday meal at Flames. Soba is in charge of 26 kitchen staff who do an incredible job feeding high quality meals to over 150 guests every day. Our candlelit dinner was right on the beach, with the waves lapping gently nearby. A delicately-flavoured lobster carpaccio with shaved fennel started the culinary journey, followed by a tasty celeriac soup scented with truffle oil. All the meat is imported weekly and I was delighted to eat Australian wagyu beef tenderloin which had arrived vacuum sealed, not frozen, and was as succulent and tasty as if I was eating at a top-tier Sydney restaurant. Soba had prepared a light and delicate traditional sago pudding for dessert, made from palm plants, and sweetened with Maldivian coconut honey. There was also an extensive variety of wines, cocktails and champagne to pair with our meal.
Later on we enjoyed the lively band in the Wink bar, which starts after a DJ set by the pool where you can get pre-dinner cocktails at the Solis bar and watch the sunset.
Most of the 190 Soulmates at the resort are Maldivian, and from the moment you land, staff are focussed on building relationships with guests. This extends to cultural immersion, and every Friday, Soulmates gather under a large Banyan tree for the Holhuashi, where guests can learn about Maldivian history, heritage, customs and language.
Saying goodbye to the friends we had made – from the Soulmates, to couples from Germany, Italy and beyond – was such a challenge. But the memories of Nova Maldives are there to stay forever.
Michelle Giglio’s trip was self-funded, but Nova treated her to a complimentary whale shark experience and dinner at Flames.
Nova is offering a special promotional rate for NL readers: Simply enter ‘NSH15’ when booking. Available until August 2026.
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