Is This The Maldives’ Most Indulgent Island Escape?

At The Nautilus, nothing is off-limits: breakfast at 4am, last-minute plan changes, or a midnight Negroni – every whim is met with a smile on this tiny, ultra-private resort where time really does stand still. Lucy Cleland gives her verdict.

Review: The Nautilus In The Maldives

It can be tricky for a Brit to get with the concept ‘Time Stands Still’ – we’re indoctrinated to follow a schedule, get palpitations if we’re running late and, boy, do we love a queue. But, Nautilus, which opened in 2019 and is the personal project of Maldivian hospitality entrepreneur Dr Maniku, wants you to get off the clock. He wanted to create a place where rules and regulations were ditched on arrival and to which he himself would retire to (he sadly died before fulfilling that dream).

What, no rushing to make breakfast before 10.30am to save being left with the deflated pastry basket and a ravaged fruit platter? What, you can really cancel your kayaking with five minutes to spare without being charged? Or switch your hot stone massage to an hour later? Yes, really. Wow.

While this freedom can blow the mind of guests who really can – and should – take the opportunity to deregulate themselves from the daily grind (when, really, do we ever get to do this?), it also takes a specially trained cohort of staff to be fully adaptable at all times of day or night. It is not unusual, I’m told, for breakfast to be ordered to the room at 4am (jetlag, religious reasons – or just because, ‘why the hell not’) – and the live singer doesn’t leave the bar until the last Negroni is drunk.

While I didn’t put it to the test (breakfast for me remains firmly in the 7am to 10am camp – because I already want to be planning lunch), I had no doubt that such demands would be met seamlessly. From the moment we arrived at Malé airport, we renounced all responsibility. Customs and immigration forms were filled in and carousel luggage collected; we were ushered into the private Nautilus lounge to await the 35 minute seaplane journey to one of the smallest private islands across the whole Maldives, which spans some 871 kilometres from north to south and includes around 1,190 coral islands of which 188 are inhabited and 170 are tourist islands.

To give you an idea of Nautilus’ tiny size, my round-the-island walk clocked up just 700 paces on my step counter. But don’t let that put you off; in fact, the size belies the extraordinary range of things you can do here.

What To Do

Located in the Baa Atholl, a UNESCO protected area famed for its Manta Rays (the best time to see them is in May or June), the marine life and ocean activities are a main draw to this particular region. Helmed by Paula, a Spanish marine biologist with a palpable love of everything she does (she doubles as a yogi), the watersports and dive centre has everything you could wish for; there are toys like banana boats and jetskis, kayaks and paddleboards for calmer recreation – and, of course, scuba diving and guided snorkelling expeditions. Just beyond the shallow reef you can spot turtles, rays, parrot fish and smaller varieties of shark – just a two minute swim from your house.

For activities on dry land, the world’s fastest growing sport, padel tennis, has landed in this particular corner of the Maldives and a futsal pitch (small soccer field) dominates the centre of the island – where organised kids’ matches are played at 5pm. Table tennis, a superbly kitted-out gym and a first-class spa complete the roster.

The Accomodation

There are just 26 houses – either on the beach or constructed over the ocean (a transparent viewing deck in the floor means you can catch an eagle ray or a nurse shark swimming underneath), ranging from 350 sqm one bedroom houses to a very roomy 950 sqm three-bedroom residence – all with pools, naturally.

The Service

In the middle of the island is where all the operations take place (not that you’d know, it’s all jungle-covered) with 150 staff on site to cater for the guests, each of which are in the care of a house master. Unlike the traditional butler role, a Nautilus house master – ours was the exceptional Jaleel – is your one-stop contact throughout your stay, arranging everything from spa treatments and dinner reservations to booking activities and even serving on boat trips or beach picnics.

What you really notice though about Nautilus is the little touches that make it feel that they’re really looking after you; fresh fruit platters are replenished and left in the fridge each day; a Esski of cold drinks is placed by the entrance to the padel court; all soft drinks in the minibar are free (my inbuilt ‘don’t touch the minibar’ radar can relax); you can get a couple of items washed and ironed for free each day too (unbelievably helpful); you can order any dish from any menu wherever you’re eating – whether it’s in our favourite, pan Asian Ocaso, or Mediterranean inspired Zhetoun. It is this stripping back of expectation and a hard-to-put-your-finger-on-it cosiness and intimacy that makes Nautilus a special find: not splashy, not showy, but quietly classy and confident.

How To Book

Seven nights at The Nautilus Maldives starts from £14,789 B&B in an Ocean House with Private Pool between May and September inclusive of return standard seaplane transfers for two. Find out more at thenautilusmaldives.com