Maldives is perfect for newlyweds with white sand and serene views

SIPPING champagne in the middle of the ocean as the sun sets is as picture-perfect as a holiday can get.

All we can hear are the gentle waves lapping against the boat and the clink of our flutes.

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Looking around, it’s not hard to see why the Maldives was ranked the number one destination for British honeymooners last year.

With soft white sands and serene views, every holiday snap looks like a postcard.

Throughout the pandemic, hoteliers have been quietly working away and almost 20 swanky new resorts have opened across the lush islands.

One of the newcomers, VARU by Atmosphere resort, is an all-inclusive paradise that can only be reached by speedboat.

It also features an infinity pool that appears to drop straight into the ocean a few feet below.

At the Elena spa, guests can unwind with an “overwater” treatment — so named because of the glass-panelled floor that looks straight into the ocean.

I watch from the massage table as tropical fish swim peacefully beneath me, all while my head and back are gently pummelled.

From snorkelling tours along colourful reefs to sunset boat trips and secluded villas, the resort really is the perfect spot for complete escapism.

There are 108 rooms, but the star attraction are the water villas with pools.

They are a dream for couples after some alone time, surrounded by nothing but miles and miles of turquoise sea.

Each features dark wooden interiors — a typically Maldivian design — with deep-blue furnishings, plus a private infinity pool and a ladder that leads directly from the outdoor deck into the water.

If you can drag yourself away from your intimate hideout, the island has four restaurants and two bars to choose from, all included in the price.

Lime & Chili has all-day dining.

Nu is an overwater restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine.

There is a-la-carte beach dining at Charcoal, while Kaage is a speciality Maldivian restaurant.

Anyone who falls head over heels for the food can learn how to whip up their favourite dishes during regular demonstrations.

I made deep-fried tuna cutlets, samosas and tuna curries along with mas huni — a shredded coconut, tuna and onion dish typically eaten for breakfast.

Expect to see coconut and tuna on almost every menu, as these are the few ingredients that don’t have to be imported.

If you’re after more than just a few blissful days sipping wine in romantic restaurants and soaking up the sun from a deck in the Indian Ocean, then the larger, ultra all-inclusive Atmosphere Kanifushi resort has everything for active couples.

I arrive there by seaplane, flown by a barefooted pilot who is as mellow as the resort itself, and the only way to get around is by buggy.

Here you can take a dolphin tour where, if lucky, you’ll spot huge pods of them chasing boats through the water.

Or book a snorkelling trip where you’ll swim alongside giant but gentle manta rays.

I am here to see the island’s turtle conservation, though.

Atoll Marine Centre is a rescue centre for turtles injured by boats or discarded fishing nets, with the hope of rehabilitating them to return to the sea

It is there I fall in love with Donatella, who splashes visitors with her fins but sadly can never be released into the wild due to a shell deformity making her almost bent in half.

The Maldives has strict rules when it comes to fishing nets and pollution — making the soft sands seem untouched.

And when you stare out from the hidden deck of your overwater villa, it’s just you, the ocean and the fish that swim in it.

No wonder it is a lovers’ paradise.

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