Forget undersea restaurants. Dig a little deeper and live in an undersea residence
Falling asleep under a blanket of stars is, dare I say, one of the most romantic things a couple can do. But what about underwater, you ask? Well, now that is possible at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. The best part? Leave your mask and snorkel behind; for holding of breath isn’t required (cue to let out a sigh of relief).
Now, Conrad Maldives is just one of the four resorts on the Maldives that’s home to undersea restaurants (the others being 5.8 at Hurawalhi Island Resort, Anantara Kihavah, and Niyama Private Island. Not keen to be a mere frontrunner, it has dug a little deeper (yes, literally), constructing what’s believed to be the world’s first undersea residence.
When completed — the residence is expected to debut at the end of this year — the three-bedroom Muraka (meaning coral in Dhivehi, the language of Maldivians) will sit across two levels. You’ll enter from the upper level, which is furnished with two bedrooms, each with ensuite bathrooms. Social areas include a gym, living room and kitchen. Then, there’s an expansive sun deck (and an infinity pool) perfect for sunbathing, sipping cocktails and throwing a cosy dinner party.
Connecting both levels is a spiral staircase that leads to the undersea bedroom floor. It sits five metres below sea level and houses a king-sized bedroom, living area and bathroom. This level isn’t as eerily silent as you’d imagine, but don’t expect to hear the crashing of ocean waves, that’s for sure. And while nobody’s really an ace at sleeping underwater, we imagine you’ll fall asleep faster than expected (well, unless you’re enamoured by marine life).
Muraka can accommodate up to nine guests, but this means just one of the three couples staying there will get to call the lone underwater bedroom home. Well, that’s unless everyone’s agreeable to playing bedroom musical chairs.
It’ll take a while before coral and marine life start thriving by the residence’s glass panels, so don’t be too bummed out if you’re not the first occupant. While the early bird catches the worm, in this case, it certainly won’t be catching a glimpse of what’s making its rounds underwater.
If you’re a fan of everything underwater…Norway will also open its first underwater restaurant in 2019.
