Simply Abu Dhabi XXIX

The fresh and delectable dining here includes two restaurants and two bars serving locally-sourced ingredients from land, tree, and sea. Cowrie is the main restaurant where you can enjoy a smorgasbord of local delights with some international treats too. With the scent of Maldivian flowers lingering beneath the cavernous space topped by a thatched roof, Cowrie has everything from sashimi to porridge and Friday night is Maldivian night— the chefs prepare a feast with a stunning centrepiece, such as a whole grilled tuna from the day’s catch. At Cornus restaurant you can also dine under a thatched roof or directly on the white sandy beach. Overlooking the stunning turquoise sea, you can savour the textures, colours and flavours of the pan-Asian menu. Treat your taste buds with fresh delicacies fromChina, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Following a sandy pathway through a lush green garden you arrive at Beach Bar, the ideal spot for a sundowner. And tucked away in the lush greenery at the southwest tip of the island is Conch Bar, the resort’s Maldives Bar & Café, which serves a range of rich coffees, light lunches, Mediterranean pasta dishes, freshly-squeezed juices and long coolers. All the drinks and dishes served at both Coco PalmDhuni Kolhu and Coco Bodu Hithi are memorable, healthy and beautifully presented. The obvious ingredient here is passion, and it shows in every aspect of a visit to Coco Collection resorts. Reflecting on what makes this idyllic corner of the Earth so special, Gulguna says, “Its tropical lifestyle… the beautiful white sandy floors and the food selection. The open-air bars, the colour scheme of turquoise lagoon—the blue, pink, purple and yellow skies. The big sun and the rainbows in the mornings. “The Maldives is a very special place and the only way to understand it is to visit and experience it.”