OUR STAY AT THE NIYAMA PRIVATE ISLANDS

Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well! We are currently on our way from our second resort which we visited on this trip in the Maldives, the 5-star property called Niyama Private Islands. In today's post I would like to summarize the beautiful stay we had and also give you a little idea of what to expect shall you book a stay at the Niyama Private Islands. 

Krásné odpoledne všem! Doufám, že se všichni máte fantasticky. Dneska již odlétáme z našeho druhého rezortu na Maledivách, 5-i hvězdičkového luxusního hotelu Niyama Private Islands, ve kterém jsme strávili nádherný týden. Dnes bych Vám hotel ráda představila, shrnula náš pobyt a samozřejmě hotel také ohodnotila.

ABOUT NIYAMA PRIVATE ISLANDS

Niyama Private Islands, as the name already says, is a luxurious, 5-star property located on two islands connected by a bridge and belongs to one of the biggest islands in the Maldives. The islands itself are called "Chill" and "Play": at Chill it is all about relaxation: you can enjoy a treatment in the spa, get a drink in the Fahrenheit Bar, lay at the pool or chill in your own villa. At Play on the other hand you are supposed to get playful: this is the place to surf, discover the treetops in Nest or get along with the Jamaican beats in the Surf Shack bar. The hotel is calling itself the "Nature's Playground" which is pretty accurate. From Male you can reach Niyama within approx. 45 minutes flying south with a seaplane which is operated by Manta Air. On the islands, there is a total of 134 villas located both on land and water, 10 dining facilities and bars, a spa, 2 main pools, a gym, local stores, photography studio and also a water sports and diving center. The resort is also one of the few ones in the Maldives where you can hit the waves and surf - which I think makes Niyama Private Islands even more special. 

Jak už to vyplývá z názvu hotelu, Niyama Private Islands se skládá ze dvou ostrovů propojených mostem a tím pádem také patří k jednomu z největších rezortů na Maledivách. Ostrovy se jmenují "Chill" - ten je tedy celý o odpočinku - a "Play" - který je zase naopak určený pro nejrůznější dobrodružství. Hotel se nachází jižně od Male a dostanete se do něj hydroplánem Manta Air, přičemž let trvá cca. 45 minut. Na obou ostrovech se nachází celkem 134 vil jak na souši, tak na moři, 10 restaurací a barů, 2 hlavní (společné) bazény, spa, posilovna, centrum pro vodní sporty a centrum pro potápění. Niyama patří k jedněm z mála rezortů na Maledivách, kde se také i surfovat. 

ROOMS & ACOMMODATION

During our stay we had the change to call the "Water Pool Villa" our home for 7 nights. Our villa had about 175 square meters which I think was more than enough for us. Once you entered the villa, there was a wardrobe area which was basically a little walk-in closet. On the front of the villa was a bedroom together with the working area, TV, lounge area and also minibar in which you could enjoy complimentary water, coffee, tea, popcorn, fruits and even ice-cream: all of these items were restocked on a daily basis. On the left side of the room there was a spacious bathroom with a walk-in outside shower from which you could watch the ocean, two sinks with a mirrors, a toilet and also a free standing bathtub which could fit 2 people. From both rooms you could enter the patio area with a private pool, a dining table with 2 chairs,  2 sun beds and also direct access into the ocean. We booked our stay on a half board basis which I think was more than enough for us.

Během našeho pobytu jsme byli ubytovaní ve vile kategorie Water Pool Villa, která měla cca. 175 metrů čtverečních. Po příchodu do pokoje se člověk ocitl v prostorné šatně s 2 šatními skříněmi, která byla částečně oddělená od ložnice. Její součástí byla velká postel s nočními stolky, pracovní stůl s židlí, televize, menší sedačka se stolečkem a také minibar, kde bylo součástí pobytu (denně a zdarma) doplňováno ovoce, voda, káva, čaj, popcorn a také domácí zmrzlina. V pravé části pokoje byla pak koupelna s 2 umyvadly se zrcadlem, oddělená toaleta, venkovní sprcha a také volně stojící vana. Pokoj byl zařízený ve světlých tónech a mám pocit, že jsme ho celý ani nemohli využít.

DINING & BARS

As mentioned there is a huge variety when it comes dining in the Niyama Private Islands. On the "Chill" island you will find the main restaurant is called Epicure and you can enjoy here daily breakfast, lunch and dinner, served in a buffet style. Next to the restaurant is located the main pool with a bar on the side called Dune which is serving small bites and drinks. Right above you will find a bar called Fahrenheit in which you can enjoy a drink or two while overlooking the resort from above. There is also located a restaurant called Tribal which we visited on our first night. This restaurant is specializing in African, Central and South American flavours. For our dinner  we had a special set menu on which we could enjoy typical African breads, starter platter with seafood dishes, followed by a seafood course (grilled lobster, shrimps, etc.) and a meat course (different types of meat including lamb, beef or chicken). As I am a pescatarian it wasn't problem to switch my main course to a seafood/fish dish. The atmosphere of the Tribal is also very nice: it is located in the middle of the island "jungle", it has an open kitchen, there were many candles and also a live music. On the "Play" island you can find Blu which during our time on the island was opened for dinner only. This is another buffet style restaurant which is located half inside and half outside. Here we came for a Mediterranian night and enjoyed a large selection of seafood salads, freshly grilled fish and seafood and other great dishes. Another concept to be found on the "Play" island is Nest which is located in the middle of a jungle surrounding the island's Banyan Trees. This avant-garde Asian restaurant can be enjoyed in the treetops which has an unforgettable atmosphere. I started off with some sashimi which tasted very well and was presented in a beautiful way. For our mains we shared a seafood platter with my boyfriend - there were lobsters, oysters, shrimps, calamaris and reef fish - with fried rice and salads as side dishes. This was such a great dish which we shared yet it made it so full that there was no space for dessert. Near the surfing area you will find Jamaica-inspired bar The Surf Shack where you can enjoy a cocktail with one of their 30 rums they are offering. This is the perfect spot to watch the sunset and also listen to some Jamaican beats played by their DJ. On the water you can pay a visit to Edge, a modern Indian Ocean cuisine. Under the Edge there is an underwater restaurant called Subsix which is located 6 meters under the water. Here you can book a 4 course lunch which for me personally was one of the best experiences we did in Niyama. I loved watching all the fish and what's happening below the ocean while enjoying our lunch!

Co se restaurací a barů týče, v Niyamě máte opravdu velký výběr - na ostrově "Chill" najdete hlavní restauraci Epicure, kde se denně servíruje snídaně, oběd i večeře, a to ve stylu bufetu. Z její blízkosti se nachází také jeden ze společných bazénů a také plážový bar Dune, který nabízí lehké občerstvení a nejrůznější drinky. V budově Epicure se v prvním patře také nachází bar Fahrenheit, ze kterého máte krásný výhled na pláž a moře. Na ostrově Chill můžete zajít i do restaurace Tribal, která je umístěná do džungle ostrova a nabízí pokrmy z africké, středo- a jihoamerické kuchyně. Na ostrově "Play" pak najdete restauraci Blu, která je situovaná napůl venku a napůl vevnitř a soustředí se na středomořskou kuchyni. Nedaleko ní najdete i Nest, která je umístěná do koruny stromů a je zážitkem jak pro oko, tak i chuťové buňky. Perfektní místo na západ slunce je bar Surf Shack, který je inspirovaný Jamajkou a nabízí cocktaily z více jak 30 nejrůznějších rumů. Na širém moři si můžete zabookovat stůl v Edge, kde na menu najdete moderní indické pokrmy a pod ní také podmořskou restauraci Subsix, která se nachází 6 metrů pod mořskou hladinou a momentálně si v ní můžete zarezervovat stůl na oběd. 

ACTIVITIES

As mentioned before, there is a lot of things you can do at Niyama. If you are into sports, you can enjoy surfing, yoga sessions, play tennis, go diving or snorkeling. If you would like to relax, you can make a booking in their Spa and enjoy one of the many treatments they offer: I booked myself a relaxing massage which was exactly what I needed in order to clear my mind. The treatment rooms are located facing the ocena, so you get a nice view as well. Additionally, you can also book one of their many excursions - from snorkeling safari over sunset fishing to lucky dolphin spotting which we decided to do - and we got really lucky! There is always a lot to do at Niyama Private Islands!

V Niyamě se opravdu nudit nebudete. Pokud patříte mezi sportovní nadšence, můžete si jít zasurfovat, zacvičit si na ranní józe, zahrát si tennis, jít šnorchlovat nebo se potápět. Naopak pro ty z Vás, co si chtějí odpočinout, je perfektní spa, které jsem já vyzkoušela a mohu jen doporučit. Já jsem si zabookovala klasickou masáž, při které jsem mohla prostě jen "vypnout". Doporučuji také se vydat na jednu z exkurzí, které se v Niyamě nabízí: šnorchlovací safari, plavbu při západu slunce nebo například "Lucky Dolphin Cruise", na které jsme byli my a delfínů jsme viděli opravdu hodně!

* in barter collaboration with Niyama Private Islands

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