There is a particular magic to arriving in the Maldives. The aircraft descends towards a necklace of islands scattered across an ocean of extraordinary blue, the horizon seemingly dissolving into sky, sea and sand. For many travellers, however, the first chapter of the holiday is traditionally a hurried one: collect the luggage, find the transfer, board a speedboat or seaplane and begin the journey towards a distant resort.
At Hulhule Island Hotel, the journey can slow down almost immediately.