Cocoa Island,

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A PARADISE ESCAPE

What at first appears to be a flotilla of dhoni fishermen's boats moored up to an offshore walkway are in fact the lavish water villas of Cocoa Island. A tiny strip of land flanked on one side by the best dive site in the Maldives and aquamarine shallows on the other, this haven of barefoot-chic has just 33 suites and villas, creating a sense of glorious seclusion.

DIRECT ACCESS TO THE SEA

Reached via wooden walkways over the lagoon, the water suites are uncluttered, cool and styled with chic décor, with views of the beautiful seascape tempting guests from their wide platform bed and into the warm Maldivian waters. Four one-bedroom villas and a two-bedroom villa sit on the tiny island's eastern shore, whilst a further two bedroom villa is perched on the end of a private jetty facing west.

A SANCTUARY OF WELL-BEING

The fabulous COMO Shambhala Retreat is a sanctuary of mind and body; massage, yoga and Ayurvedic treatments are offered in splendid open-air pavilions. Gourmets are equally well catered for, with splendid, light Indian and Sri Lankan dishes prepared at the Ufaa restaurant. On Cocoa Island, languid days spent on the fine, white sand beach pass by in a haze of extreme tranquillity, making this island retreat relaxing even by Maldivian standards.