Talking Turkey

By Angela Leenhouts

 

Ayada Maldives

Choosing to debut its first resort in the Maldives, Ankara-based Aydeniz Group is out to prove that Turkish hospitality is as much at home in the Indian Ocean as its is in the Mediteranean. Opening in November, the Ayada Maldives (ayadamaldives.com; villas from US$950) presides over Maguhdhuvaa Island, a sand-ringed hideaway in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. The 112 beach and water villas, each with private pools, sundecks, and rain showers, may seem struck from a familiar Maldivian mold, but Anatolian accents, a café serving Turkish coffee and nargilehs (water pipes), and the country’s first hammam all point to a decidedly different experience. A Mediterranean restaurant perched above the lagoon adds to the ayada’s appeal