Last year I celebrated my birthday in the mountains in Nainital and I had a wonderful 2016 travelling to as many as 10 places which included my first high altitude trek in the Himalayas and my first trip abroad among others.
This time I got to spend it in Sun Island Resort and Spa which apart from being a literal paradise also turned out to be the biggest resort in the Maldives.
The day started with a dive to one of the dive sites called KUDAHDHOO BEYRU which DiveOceanus was able to arrange when I had expressed the desire to do scuba diving on my birthday. Apart from being a birthday dive, it was also my last open water dive in the course structure of PADI Open Water Diver Certification and now only an examination stands between me and the certificate.
When I was trying to soak in the beauty of the underwater world of Maldives, I further got information about a spa appointment in ARAAMU Spa at 5 PM, which was a surprise in itself. The real surprise was when I got informed that I will be getting one of the signature treatments "THEYO DHEMUN - A Local Traditional Maldivian Massage" - an ARAAMU special full body massage .
As I stepped into the gates of the compound, my mind automatically became calmer seeing the greenery and beauty of the unique wooden architecture.
My masseuse was from Bali, Indonesia who further informed me about the treatment and duration which was 50 min. Those 50 minutes were so relaxing and rejuvenating specially after the morning dive.The techniques used included short firm strokes with the thumbs, pressure points working along the meridians and pressure strokes using the heel of the hand and the way the masseuse applied mild pressure with her hands and elbows, was enough to relax my muscles and the slow music of birds chirping, waves crashing, playing in the background put my mind into a deep state of relaxation.
Just when I was thinking how awesome the day went and went for dinner, I was surprised to find my dinner table at Maaniya Restaurant decorated with flowers along with a cake with Happy Birthday written on it. The fact that I was missing my family and friends was compensated by this sweet little gesture. It is small things like these which make the experience at Sun Island Resort and Spa, memorable and unforgettable.
It turned out that it was also Chinese New Year on my birthday and 2017 is the year of the rooster. Apparently I was also born in the year of the rooster. The Main Bar was all decorated to welcome the New Year and after enjoying a birthday beer, I enjoyed a long walk on the wooden bridge enjoying the cool breeze and the clear skies with stars glowing all over before calling it a day and heading back to my room.
My birthday in 2017 is going to be a special memory forever, thanks to the lovely hospitality of everyone at Sun Island Resort and Spa, Maldives. It is highly recommended to plan a trip here to the Maldives specially during your birthday or anniversary. The staff at Sun Island Resort and Spa, Maldives will make sure you have a marvelous experience and remember the occasion for the rest of your life.
First published at Eat, Travel, Live and REPEAT.