Three underwater experiences for the adventurous traveller

Sleeping with the fishes in the Great Barrier Reef; fine dining under the Indian Ocean; and snorkelling among artworks in the Med.

Reefsuites is a pair of underwater hotel rooms anchored inside Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, says Lee Cobaj in The Times. “My room… comes with your standard en suite, a comfortable king-size bed and simple but stylish decor… Less ordinary is the wall of windows looking out into an ocean with more than 1,500 species of tropical fish.” 

During the day, natural light casts everything in an otherworldly but instantly soothing blue. “I press my nose to the glass and gawp at a confetti of frilly damselfish, coralfish, butterflyfish and wrasse, and stay that way, enraptured, for hours.” After dark, the daytime hues are transformed into a “psychedelic purple” thanks to lights embedded in the window frame. “Just before I nod off, a gigantic Queensland grouper skulks up to the glass to have a look at me.” Some find the “splashes and gurgles, bubblings, deep rumbles and low hums” at night “terrifying”, but “I thought them better than any sleep app… It’s Blue Planet brought vividly to life.” A$899 (£500) per person based on two sharing, cruisewhitsundays.com.

Dining with the fishes

When you’re not sleeping with the fishes, how about dining with them? Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, in the Baa Atoll island archipelago of the Maldives, has just launched a new package with a trio of exciting experiences, one of which involves dining beneath the waves at its award-winning underwater restaurant, SEA. Diners descend six metres into an oceanic world to be gawped at by the sealife while enjoying marinated tuna and lobster. 

The resort sits within a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, which means the waters are teeming with life owing to an abundance of krill and plankton that accumulates in Hanifaru Bay during the summer and autumn months. Giant manta rays come to feed annually. Curious and friendly, the rays swim within inches of snorkellers. The third experience involves stargazing while sipping champagne and nibbling on Asian-inspired tapas at Kihavah’s SKY bar, home to the most powerful telescope in the Indian Ocean. From £712 per night for two adults sharing a villa, anantara.com/en/kihavah-maldives.

Still-life aquatic

At the end of January, France’s arty Mediterranean city of Cannes unveiled six enormous sunken sculptures as part of its “underwater eco-museum”, just off shore from the island of Sainte-Marguerite. The colossal heads are inspired by the story of The Man in the Iron Mask, whose protagonist was imprisoned on the island. But they are, in fact, modelled on six Cannes residents by British artist Jason deCaires Taylor. Made from an ecological material to encourage the return of flora and fauna, the two-metre-tall, ten-tonne statues lie up to five metres below the waves, accessible to snorkellers in an area that has been set aside for swimming. Over time, the sculptures will “evolve” as they become covered with algae and corals, forming an integral part of the local marine ecosystem. cannes-destination.com.

Recommended

Share tips of the week – 2 June
Investments

Share tips of the week – 2 June

MoneyWeek’s comprehensive guide to the best of this week’s share tips from the rest of the UK's financial pages.
2 Jun 2023
Which house-price index is the best?
Property

Which house-price index is the best?

Britain is obsessed with house prices, and we have at least four house-price indices to choose from to measure the rate of increase in the value of ou…
1 Jun 2023
The top healthcare funds to buy
Investments

The top healthcare funds to buy

Increasingly rapid progress in drugs and healthcare technology makes these trusts top tips, says Max King.
1 Jun 2023
7 winners and losers in the leisure sector
Investments

7 winners and losers in the leisure sector

It’s been a wild three years for hospitality, but crisis creates opportunities, says Michael Taylor of Shifting Shares.
1 Jun 2023

Most Popular

Best savings accounts – June 2023
Savings

Best savings accounts – June 2023

Interest rates have been creeping up - we look at the best savings accounts on the market right now.
1 Jun 2023
Savings inertia - why we should all be obsessed with interest rates and savings accounts right now, says Kalpana Fitzpatrick
Savings

Savings inertia - why we should all be obsessed with interest rates and savings accounts right now, says Kalpana Fitzpatrick

Are savers still missing out on hundreds of pounds by not moving their cash for better interest rates?
30 May 2023
One day left for households to claim the £200 Alternative Fuels Payment to help with heating bills
Energy

One day left for households to claim the £200 Alternative Fuels Payment to help with heating bills

Households could be due a £200 payment if they heat their homes using alternative fuel sources and aren’t connected to the mains gas grid - but time i…
30 May 2023