The Maldives, open since mid-July, are one of the most naturally socially distanced destinations one could visit. Factor in that the resorts are limited to one hotel on an island and this slice of Indian Ocean paradise looks particularly appealing in our current world situation.
Soneva Jani – Indian Ocean perfection miles from anywhere.
Our pick here is Soneva Jani which has just 24 over-water villas, each one opening onto its own stretch of sparkling lagoon. They’ve all got private pools and some even have a slide from the top floor straight into the lagoon – hours of fun for children and adults alike! There are all sorts of other fun touches including retractable roofs, opening at the press of a button, to reveal starry night skies. Five restaurants, an observatory NASA would be proud of, and a beachfront silent cinema (guests are provided with Bluetooth headphones) provide plenty of evening entertainment.
One of the luxurous over water villas at Soneva Jani – complete with a private water slide!
Spend your days snorkelling around the house reef, diving in the rich marine sites nearby, or simply relaxing in this tropical idyll.
Cinema Paradiso at Soneva Jani
For a ‘fly and flop’ holiday we can’t think of anywhere better.
What Next?
Please talk to us if you’d like to know more about travelling to the Maldives. We have the latest advice to hand and will be able to guide you through the possibilities. Chatting to people by phone or email is what we do best. We listen, we explain, we answer all sorts of questions even those you didn’t know to ask, and finally we make suggestions. If this is your first time to Africa or your twenty first, we have a team standing by to help make the planning easy and the journey the best ever.
Lucinda joined the Aardvark team in 2010, fresh from a several years working at a remote bush camp in Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley – a position she found after her passion for Africa was sparked by a charity climb up Kilimanjaro and a Kenyan safari - organised, coincidentally, by Aardvark.
Lucinda grew up in the Wiltshire countryside and was most often found on a horse with dogs in tow. She joined the Aardvark team in 2010, fresh from several years working at a remote bush camp in Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley – a position she found after her passion for Africa was sparked by a charity climb up Kilimanjaro and a Kenyan safari - organised, coincidentally, by Aardvark. Unable to drag herself away, the initial five month position eventually spanned four years and stints working for two of the best safari companies in Zambia. It only came to an end when a 15kg sausage fruit fell on her wrist, resulting in an injury that required surgery back in the UK.
As well as visiting some of the more remote areas of Zambia, her travels around the continent include Mozambique, Malawi, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
Prior to Africa and Aardvark, Lucinda completed a degree in History of Art, spending a year at a Rome university where, in her spare time she worked as a city guide leading six to seven hour tours of the Vatican City, walks of the historical city centre, and tours of the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Returning to Rome after graduating, she spent a further 18 months leading and developing tours around this ancient city and the surrounding areas. Other employment in her wonderfully peripatetic career includes working on a magazine and a spell as an estate agent.
Away from the office Lucinda is a keen photographer and enjoys long walks across Salisbury Plain with her dog. She's passionate about wildlife (bar snakes), conservation, and being in wide open countryside. She loves the opportunities that Africa provides to indulge in these passions. Having run safari camps she has a good insight into Africa and the people who come to visit, and what it takes to make a camp truly great.
Favourite African experience
There are so many but these would be a start: Watching nearly a thousand pelican flying through the pink streaked sunset sky in Liuwa Plains, Zambia; an incredible rhino conservation experience at Kwandwe in South Africa; spending time with the endangered mountain gorillas; reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro; and lying in bed at night listening to the hippos in the river and the local lions roaring.
Favourite animal
Impossible to answer – I am as happy watching elephants at a waterhole or a leopard up a tree with its kill as I am marvelling at a flock of carmine bee-eaters. Apart from snakes, I will admire any African wildlife for hours on end.
Favourite three camps
Mchenja in the South Luangwa will always have a special place in my heart as the first camp I ran. It has a stunning position, a wonderful team of staff and fabulous wildlife all around, and quite often inside, camp.
Tanda Tula in the Kruger, an authentic tented camp with amazing guides in the heart of excellent wildlife viewing territory
Tswalu – a completely unique area with stunning landscapes and great wildlife viewing, with some rarer species like the elusive Aardvark.
Can I have just one more? Lamai Serengeti nestled among rocky kopjes is a stunning lodge with incredible views over the Serengeti and in a prime position for excellent wildlife viewing.
African countries visited
Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Tropical islands visited
Maldives, Seychelles, Zanzibar.
On arranging holidays
I am lucky enough to have a job which is essentially about making people happy. We strive to ensure that, through our knowledge, we can plan and put together superb holidays. What makes a perfect safari will depend completely on the person I am are arranging it for - a simple dome tent works for some while a room with a private plunge pool would be better for others. There are some key essential ingredients; excellent guiding, great wildlife and few other people in the same area, but really it’s all about getting to know what you want. I particularly enjoy hearing about the trips I’ve arranged when my clients return, it’s a great buzz when we manage to exceed expectations.
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