Surf's up at Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort, Maldives
For skilled windsurf and kite-surfing enthusiasts, May through to October is the best time to visit the Maldives as the conditions are perfect for watersports with strong winds and warm sunshine.
Housing one of the only registered kite-surfing schools in the Maldives, the four-star deluxe Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort is the ideal destination from which to enjoy a watersports holiday. What’s more, book a week of kite-surfing or windsurfing during this period and receive a free daily stand-up paddle boarding session worth US$126 per person.
Olhuveli is located on the edge of the South Malé Atoll and benefits from constant winds, which are especially good for kite-surfing, windsurfing and sailing. Stand-up paddle boarding is a new phenomenon among watersports. Made popular by glamorous stars including Jennifer Aniston and Cindy Crawford, this laid-back, body sculpting sport is perfectly suited to the naturally shallow, sandy bottom lagoon at Olhuveli.
The multi-lingual team at the resort’s Water Sports World are on hand to give guidance and lessons on all water-based activities. This season they launched a weather station to monitor wind speed, wind direction, rain, temperature and barometric pressure, which will assist with collating data in order to help watersports enthusiasts plan which time of year to visit. Future plans include a webcam, which will stream live footage straight from part of the lagoon - ideal for those who wish to show family and friends at home how well they have mastered their craft!
Bookable in resort, one week’s unlimited windsurfing costs US$273 per person, while a week’s unlimited kite-surfing costs US$324 per person. Valid 1 May – 31 October 2011, prices are for seven consecutive days and include one hour a day of stand-up paddle boarding, taxes and service charge. Minimum skills of windsurfing and kite-surfing are required to be eligible for this offer. Basic instruction on stand-up paddle boarding will be given.
The summer monsoon period is also a good time for spectacular sunsets in the Maldives as from May to October the high humidity combined with the cloudy skies offers the best natural shows. As the skies turn dark, the contrast with the turquoise-blue sea is a sight worth seeing.
In addition to first-class accommodation, Olhuveli boasts an award-winning beach, selection of restaurants and bars, two large pools, separate children’s pool, dive school, Sun Spa, floodlit tennis and volleyball.
Stay seven nights in a deluxe room and pay for six at Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort from £1,399 per person from 15 May until 20 July (saving £190 per person) and £1,439 per person in September (saving £210 per person). Available through Destinology (destinology.co.uk), the price includes flights from Gatwick with British Airways, accommodation on a full-board basis, resort transfers, taxes and surcharges.