This destination is what dreams are made of, a bucket list experience that includes a private island in the magnificent Maldives, not to mention the most expensive cocktails imaginable. Let Baroque Travel tempt you
Looking to create a world “beyond luxury”, this exquisite private island retreat in one of the world’s most idyllic settings is just that. Velaa Private Island is an exclusive boutique getaway, one of the most luxurious in the area, a unique destination that epitomizes the very best of the Maldives islands. Located in the spectacular Noonu Atoll, 187km north of Male, this exceptional luxury treat offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Designed and decorated with every possible luxury in mind, Velaa Private Island offers a small selection of ultra-luxurious private retreats, each individual and extraordinarily beautiful. Owned exclusively by businessman Jiri Smejc, the island is his true passion, a destination built to make all his own dreams of what luxury and privacy signify come true.
At Velaa Private Island, guests are treated like royalty. No request is too small, and the endless activities and facilities mean that every single day is a new adventure. Home to generations of sea turtles, Velaa Private Island has been designed around these sea creatures’ magnificent shells. The architecture of each villa was created by Czech architect Petr Kolar, offering a small selection of exquisite villas set over the water that resemble a turtle’s head, while the rest of the island form its body.
Every villa is contemporary, intimate, with traditional Maldivian influences. The emphasis is on luxury and pampering, and, of course, unique, bucket list experiences. One of these is encompassed in Velaas’ stunning cocktail menu that features the rarest, most expensive concoctions available in the archipelago. According to a recent article in Forbes Magazine, these unique tipples are served at the retreat’s stunning poolside bar, with breathtaking ocean views a part of the experience, these unique cocktails are enjoyed while listening to music offered by the bar’s private DJ.
They are quite delicious, of course, and most decidedly expensive. With a vintage theme that pays tribute to delectable cocktails, the menu includes drinks created from the finest ports, cognacs and armagnacs in the world (we’re talking Salon Champagne 1988, which sells at almost US$2,000 a bottle), Vieil Armagnac (a mere US$6,530 per bottle) and Guy Lheraud cognac (this nectar starts at $1,600 per bottle and the price escalates from there). Prices on the menu average US$1,230 and more.
We can think of nothing more exotic, exclusive and luxe than spending a holiday in the sun in this idyllic, plush location, sipping on a vintage cocktail that brings back memories of days long gone. Our tipple of choice? The Belle Époque, created by the mixologists to commemorate the time of peace and prosperity after the First World War. It is created from a rare Guy Lheraud cognac, Vieil-Armagnac “Baron Legrand” 1888 vintage and a sultry Dom Perignon Cuvee Rose 1982.