Why Vakkaru should be your clients’ next Maldivian escape

“Is this a dream, mummy?” asks my three-year-old son as we’re whizzed around the island of Vakkaru on the back of a golf buggy. Yes, my toddler is deliriously tired after a lengthy overnight flight from London to Malé and very little sleep, but his question is pertinent, so idyllic are our surroundings. In fact, as he asks, I feel the need to double-check whether we’re in some dreamlike state or if this place is, in fact, as perfect as it appears. Our butler Sato laughs and confirms we’re all wide awake and have simply arrived in paradise. This almond-shaped sanctuary – a tiny speck of an island – is a short 35-minute seaplane ride from Malé and is in the Baa Atoll, a pristine Unesco Biosphere Reserve with a thrilling underwater world. Fellow guests on board our flight are well-heeled but unpretentious. I spot a Birkin handbag and Gucci trainers, but this isn’t a place for in-your-face luxury.

Instead, guests here are unassuming and discreet. That feeling of discretion continues as we arrive, with guests welcomed by their butlers and whisked to their villas for check-in. There are 111 villas dotted across this tiny isle, of which 59 are located over the lapping, azure waters of the Indian Ocean. The beach villas, meanwhile, are concealed among the island’s towering coconut trees and epic foliage, perfect for clients seeking ultimate privacy. The top accommodation – The Vakkaru Over Water Residence – sleeps 16 and is one of the biggest in the Maldives. Previously home to a coconut plantation, staff regularly tell me I won’t find another island with as impressive greenery as Vakkaru, which translates to mean coconut timber in the locally used language of Dhivehi. The 2,000-odd towering palms that fringe the sandy pathways of the island are beguiling and certainly add to the island’s magic – something newer man-made islands would no doubt aim to replicate. A walk through the island’s organic garden unveils ambitions for even more greenery, with trees planted by guests and heartwarming dedication signs beside them.