Don’t go to the Maldives.
Just kidding. Definitely, absolutely, 100% go to the Maldives!
The epitome of crystal clear water, reefs teaming with vibrant fish and sea turtles, incredible surf, and resorts with thousands of those gorgeous little villas that sit right over the water that you see on “book your tropical honeymoon” ads.
Incredible hardly scratches the surface when you try to describe this absolutely stunning chain of atolls and islands. It’s breathtaking, magnificent, spectacular… truly otherworldly.
We had the opportunity to work and stay at The Ritz Carlton, Fari Islands on the North Male Atoll for 10 days. Were we dreaming? I’m still unsure.
The Fari Islands RC is a wellness-inspired resort, with a focus on eco-sustainability. Every detail, from the location of morning yoga in the Zen Garden at sunrise to the throw pillows in the open-air lobby, in true RC fashion, is meticulously executed.
The Location
When we say that the Maldives is a trek from the US, we’re not exaggerating. After the longest travel day of your life (keep reading for the juicy details), you’ll land, do the customs thing, then hop on a ferry to your island.
The Fari Islands is a four-island man-made archipelago, about an hour from the Velana International Airport by boat. The RC ferry was chic and beautiful, as one would expect, but we hardly noticed - we couldn’t keep our eyes off the water.
We were met by hotel staff upon arrival with a warm welcome. Our host buggied us to our villa in a golf cart, and gave us a quick tour of the tiny island on the way.
The Weather, What To Bring, What To Wear
Ladies + Gents, it is HOT in the Maldives! We’re not talking hot like my hot husband, we’re talking mid-80s, sunny, and a bit humid. We packed for our photoshoot, BUT, if we were going on a non-work vacay, we would have stuck to light, airy fabrics, light neutral tones to reflect the sun, and LOTS of swimwear + coverups. There was not one second where a jacket or jumper was needed (except on the plane).
While I’m a firm believer that the sun and salt water are wonderful for your skin, hair, nails, body, and brain, it’s no secret that sun+salt can damage even the strongest locks and the freshest skin. Mix that with travel, and you’re in need of some serious skin TLC, my friend.
The RC featured incredible product by Bamford in the suites + in the spa — they even do a signature Bamford massage that lasts 180 incredible minutes. I highly recommend it! I did, however, do a full-blown Sephora haul and bring much more than just the essentials — sunscreen, serums, cleanser, skincare, sheet masks, scrubs, and waterproof makeup all made it into my bag. If you know me, you know I’m not a big makeup person… Until this trip I didn’t know the difference between foundation and setting powder, LMAO… so I called my dear friend and go-to-HMU Artist, Helen Grace Henning. She gave me an hour-long skincare + makeup tutorial for tropical climates, as well as a shopping list (if you want the digs, the list and all links are below… life saver!) We got stuff for Colin too.
Go put a Travel Plug Adapter in your shopping cart and hit purchase immediately. Also, don’t bring any styling tools that can short out - we blew out a few curling irons and blowdryers while we were there. Don’t get the cheap one either. Here’s the one we travel with from Target/Amazon.
The Villa
There are 100 villas on the property - some are beachfront and some are the quintessential Maldivian overwater villas that you see on IG. The first thing we did after our host gave us our tour was jump off of our private deck into the water and take a dip in our in-suite infinity pool.
Every room has floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors for indoor-outdoor living. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves lapping up against the rocks was like having a noise machine from heaven. Not gonna lie, we didn’t use the king-sized soaking tub once, but we put the outdoor shower to use daily. Who doesn’t love an outdoor shower?
In between shoots, we would fall asleep on the oversized lounge sofa on the lanai… I watched more than a few sunrises from that spot too - or we would nap in our over-the-water hammock.
Every villa also comes with its own bikes, which we put to frequent use. We biked everywhere, but, it’s not saying much because the island is about a mile from end-to-end.
The Food
Being a wellness-first property, nutrition and healthy options were everywhere. From fresh pressed juice (if you don’t know how we feel about juice, read this and learn why you should save your money instead of spending $10 on that bottled sugar bomb) & mocktails, to organic, raw nuts, to fresh caught fish, the food was delicious.
The food was also pretty pricey. But understandably so: They ship everything in fresh, and have next to zero farming capabilities, so they’re outsourcing everything. However, it was easy to stay healthy and there were a ton of incredible options from the restaurants to in-room dining - it was all fantastic.
La Locanda would host a beautiful buffet every day - Italian inspired, with all the bells & whistles. Colin would go in on eggs, protein, and fresh fruit. I’d stack up mixed greens & herbs, smoked salmon, avocado, and all the lychee I could get my hands on.
The Beach Shack This is your typical beach food - fish tacos, salads, and fresh fish. You’re looking at $100 per person, no booze.
Eau Bar was a stunning backdrop to have a meal, and watch the sunset while being serenaded by the nightly bodu beru drum ceremony while they lit a fire ring over the reflective infinity pool.
We were invited to Summer Pavilion on our last night but opted to take the night off and rest after 10 long, action packed days in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Summer Pavilion is a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant originally based in Singapore, and the Fari Islands location is their flagship.
Activities
Staying active on the island amidst early morning call times, jet lag, and juggling work in obscure time zones wasn’t the challenge that we had anticipated.
Jet lag can absolutely dominate and ruin any trip. We are all too familiar with the exhaustion of hopping around a map and visiting different time zones, so to combat it, we have a system to get rid of jet lag. Below is a summary, but here is our blog on jet lag.
Hydrate & stock up on electrolytes: Drink extra . You just flew. You’re dehydrated.
Get your body in the elements as soon as possible: we jumped in the water as soon as we could. Ladies, get that head under too and wash your hair later. Get as much natural sunlight as possible: make time get outside, in the sun
Go barefoot: just like the ocean, the ground has the same healing benefits. Put your feet on dirt, grass, even paved concrete, but make sure you go barefoot for a little while
Watch the sunset: this helps your circadian rhythm reset and gets you on the local time zone faster
Eat at the local times: you might be starving 2 hours before dinner, but don’t give in. Eat at the same time the locals eat. Sleep at the same time the locals sleep.
Eat simple, eat green: you’ve just traveled hours and hours, and your body has been sitting in a pressurized compression tube. You’re most likely over-salted, dehydrated, low in electrolytes, and pumped up on carbs and bad oils. Don’t get me started on boozing while flying either. Opt for a big salad and a ton of veggies to help you reset your digestive system faster.
Blue light Blocking Glasses: a must anywhere, anytime, but definitely for jet lag
No screens past sun set: it’s tempting to stare at your phone when you’re winding down, but it’s a killer for your circadian rhythm. Put the phone down, turn the TV off, and do something else. Other ideas: take a bubble bath, do some light stretching, read a book, have some sex, take a PM walk and look at the stars — anything but a screen.
Put your feet up the wall: get your legs and feet above your heart for 10-15min. Fluid gets trapped in your joints and muscles when you fly, which is why you get bloated and swollen.
Back to activities. We ran the island from end to end (its about an mile), biked every day, and swam every day, we also got in 30-60min of strength, and yoga daily. The training center on property was all time.
The snorkeling & diving off the island was a blast. Absolutely spectacular. We took a boat to a reef about 15min off property and saw everything from iridescent, enormous fish to sea turtles - it was truly special! If you’re into scuba, you can go through your certification on property. We didn’t have enough time to squeeze that experience in, but judging from our snorkel & free dive day, we missed out!
The Gym was/is Colin’s dream gym. The Gym is perfectly curated, with every piece of equipment, every weight, and every machine that any athlete could possibly want. I posted up in the yoga room every day, did my Pilates & BURN workouts, and put the steam room to good use.
We also did yoga in the Zen Garden, lead by none other than the GM himself.
If you have kids, they’ve got a ton of activities for kids, day care, and an entire water playground for kids.
The beach. Let’s talk about it. This atoll is man made, meaning, they brought in the sand. It’s bright white, but it’s not soft, like you would expect. In fact, it’s quite uncomfortable to go barefoot and the beach feels cement. Stick to the lounge chairs and water activities.
The Travel Day
The travel day(s) to get to the Fari Islands is an adventure in itself. We flew from Charleston to JFK, JFK to Doha, Doha to Male. Including layovers you’re looking at nearly 40 hours. Prepping ahead of time is highly recommended.
Also highly recommend: booking ahead of time. The Doha Airport is stacked with incredible restaurants, beautiful lounges that include showers + sleeping quarters, and a 5-Star hotel attached to the airport, The Oryx. Book your lounge or hotel room and relax. Get a massage even. It’s worth every penny.
We like to stack up with vitamins, high fiber foods, and eat clean even when we’re flying, and found the cutest, yummiest smoothie bar at the airport, Evergreen Organics.
We went with a Milky Blues Bowl, the Five Greens Salad, the King Of Kale Salad, and the Protein Chia Pudding. Click here for our favorite travel-day tips include snacks, product, supplements, and strategies for combatting the exhaustion that come with fly days.
We posted up at the Qatar Cafe for a couple of hours for a tea/coffee and got some work done. We also walked around the airport for a little while to check out all of the art. The Lamp Bear was a crowd favorite, but Small Lies by KAWS took the cake.
Overall, if the Maldives is on your bucket list, do it! We would love to go back for a bit longer, check out some other islands and resorts, and SURF. Our call times were all over the place, so we didn’t get an opportunity to get a surf in, but there are some incredible, local surf tours & guides in the Maldives.
Thanks again to Iris & Light for the wonderful Maldivian adventure!
The HMU Shopping List
Supergoop! Daily Dose Sunscreen This is light and protection-packed! Perfect for long days in the sun, and airy enough to wear under makeup.
Supergoop! (RE)Setting Refreshing Mist Perfect for shoot days in the sun - this is a super light, setting mist with SPF40. The perfect Maldivian product.
Caudalie’s Vinoclean Make Up Removing Cleansing Oil was an “absolutely-must-get” from Miss Helen. It dissolves all types of makeup (yes, even waterproof makeup) and is made from 100% plant oils, so you don’t have to worry about anything harsh hitting your face. It’s gentle, all natural, and leaves the skin prepped for cleansing, serums, and creams before bed.
Kate Somerville Exfoliate is my go-to exfoliator. I use it 2x per week, especially after lots of different products have hit my face. Give yourself a good scrub down, leave it on for 2min, and your face is as soft and smooth as a babies butt. It coms in a Travel Size too!
Dr. Dennis Gross’s Every-Day Peel is everything to me and more. I use this system every. damn. day. He also makes one for sensitive skin - Ultra Gentle
One more thing from the Doc. Dr. Dennis Gross’s Hyaluronic Marine Oil-Free Moisture Cushion. This is a lightweight moisturizer, perfect for the tropics. It’s got Vitamin B, Japanese Algae, and Hyaluronic Acid.
SK-II Ultimate Revival Cream yuzzz, this has a high price tag, but I don’t use it unless I’m spending a ton of time in the sun, and using an SK-II Pitera Facial Treatment sheet mask to go with it. A tiny dollop does a long way when your product stacking. Consider this extra extra TLC for the skin after days and days in the salt + sun.
La Mer’s Moisturizing Soft Cream This one will dent your bank account a little bit too, but it’s worth it. I also don’t use this regularly — it’s my go-to for preventing travel ash on my face. A little dab of this after a long travel day, or a brutal day in the sun, and I feel like a new human.
For hair, we were doing a dab of Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother to keep the frizz + flyaways away while on set. Helen was using all-things-DryBar for styling + protection for hair. These were her go-to’s:
DryBar Detox Dry Shampoo (don’t leave home without this in your bag unless you’re going for that wet, oily, hair look)
I was born blonde, but, let’s get real, I get highlights. To get the gross orange tint out, I use Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Purple Shampoo + Conditioner because I like the smell… and Colin likes the smell. I also get the minis/travel sized ones because I rarely wash my hair. Gross, I know.
Body Lotion… the bane of my existence. I have yet to find one that I love. If you have recommendations, leave them in the comments or email me!
Colin’s Stuff
Colin is obsessed with stacking Kiehl’s. Here is what he was using in the Maldives (and every day).
Kiehl’s Ultra Moisturizing Creme
Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Tonic for men
Kiehl’s Creme de Corps is a crowd favorite, and Equinox has made it so Colin + I don’t ever want to live without it.