Sirru Fen Fushi: an idyllic Maldives hideaway for eco-conscious travellers
The Maldives has always been the ultimate luxury destination for dedicated sun seekers who want to be treated like royalty. But with the archipelago's very existence under threat from climate change, it is now redefining itself as a pioneer in sustainable travel. Sirru Fen Fushi, a remote island in the Shaviyani Atoll of the Indian Ocean, is leading the way for eco-conscious travellers.
Why stay there?
With its buttery soft sand, candy coloured sunsets and glittering turquoise sea, Sirru Fen Fushi is the picture-perfect idyll that comes to mind when you imagine the Maldives. But its commitment to sustainability is what sets it apart from the pack. The resort has a sustainability lab that is a hive of eco activity. It participates in regular beach clean-ups and converts the plastic it finds in the lab into colourful items like bracelets, sports paddles and even bins.
Guests can buy these as souvenirs or take part in daily workshops to create a turtle keychain, make a bracelet out of ghost nets (discarded fishing nets that are banned in the Maldives because they're dangerous to marine life) or fashion a plastic sheet that they can take home to craft their own items. Around the island, you'll see chairs and tables made from this colourful recycled plastic with its bright splash of Jackson Pollock-esque patterns.
The resort also houses the world's first underwater museum, the Coralarium, designed by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor as part of the resort's major coral regeneration project. The 20ft metal cube juts out of the calm lagoon, a habitat for the abundant sea life that floats around it. Guests can take part in coral planting, swimming out with a fragment of coral to add to a frame that is part of the Coralarium – it's a lovely way to leave your own little mark while helping to conserve ocean life.
The resort
There's a bohemian spirit to the decor of the resort's beach and over the water villas, which combine wooden furnishings decorated with geometric patterns with rose-gold mirrors and playful elements like a giant light fitting made of rope shaped like a bulb. I stayed in a beach villa that had dizzyingly high ceilings and a massive outdoor space featuring a pool, sunbeds and a double sunbed meaning you never had to leave your space.
Personalised bikes are assigned to each guest so you can zip through the island in no time. The Onu Onu bar is the buzzy hub with a steady flow of dance music throughout the day and beach beds. The resort also features the longest infinity pool in the Maldives, measuring 200m, although it's split into sections. At the end the Coralarium stands in the distance, lit up like the island's own sparkly Eiffel Tower, bathed in different colours during the evening.
Eating and drinking
The resort takes an international approach to its cuisine with Raha Market at the heart of its culinary operation. The restaurant serves a hearty, ever rotating spread for breakfast, lunch and dinner with the option to order à la carte. For breakfast, I wolfed down plump dumplings, porridge with fuchsia pink dragon fruit slices and almond-milk yoghurt with chia seeds and mango. I enjoyed prawns with glass noodles in a zingy dressing and a fresh watermelon juice for lunch at Spice Box, its Asian food stall right on the beach.
There are other dining options if Raha Market doesn't take your fancy. At Azure, which offers Mediterranean dishes with a focus on seafood and meat, I feasted on gambas al ajillo, juicy prawns swimming in a tangy garlic sauce, and a lobster chargrilled to springy perfection with fries and salad. While at the Japanese restaurant Kata, I devoured tender octopus with garlic fried rice and the fluffiest cheesecake with berry compote and vanilla ice cream. Both Azure and Kata have beautiful outdoor seating areas perched right on top of the sea, colourful fish wiggling below.
Things to do
The resort's remote location means there is very little light pollution making it a great spot for stargazing at night. After the sun sets, stars scatter the inky night sky, a cascade of twinkling jewels. Sirru Fen Fushi offers regular stargazing sessions so you can learn the name of the shimmering constellation winking above you. They take place at the top of Kata restaurant with wicker beds in place so you can lie back as an astronomer points out the planets Mars, Venus and Jupiter as well as constellations like Orion and newly formed stars.
You get the chance to see these up close too through a powerful telescope and I gasped as I was shown the moon; it was so clear I could see every dusty crater. The Maldives has a way of humbling you with its incredible surrounding nature and the stargazing session had a similar effect. It's a fascinating way to spend an evening that makes you think about your place in the universe.
But if all that sounds a touch too strenuous, Arufen Spa has one of the largest jacuzzis in the Maldives and there's an array of wonderful massages on offer to soothe the weariest of jetlagged bodies. There are excursions available too if you can face tearing yourself away from the island; I went on a dolphin cruise on a dhoni, a traditional boat crafted from coconut wood, where I was reduced to a squealing kid as several dolphins swam alongside us, bobbing and weaving as they danced among the waves like impish synchronised swimmers.
The verdict
Sirru Fen Fushi is the perfect escape for eco-conscious travellers who want to take an active part in giving back to the nature that surrounds them. The Maldives takes green tourism seriously and the resort offers sun, sea and sustainability. What else do you need for a relaxing holiday?
Ann Lee was a guest at Sirru Fen Fushi – Private Lagoon Resort. Room rates start from £965 (exclusive of service and VAT) in a Beach Sunrise Villa on half board.
Virgin Atlantic flies direct between London Heathrow and Malé, the capital of the Maldives, with return fares from £757.