Saturdays Singer Frankie Bridge heads to the Maldives for Honeymoon

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I didn’t know I wanted to dine underwater until I saw a photograph of ‘5.8’ - the world’s largest all-glass undersea restaurant. There are now more than 100 different island resorts in the Maldives - that’s a lot of luxury - so any newcomer has to offer something extra special. The Hurawalhi Island Resort, which opened last year, has plumbed the depths to make its mark: the restaurant gets its name from the fact it is 5.8 metres - about 20ft - under the sea. Actually the trip was more than just a holiday, it was a sort of delayed honeymoon - we were married last July.

 I’ve never been anywhere where the sea is that clear and the sand is that white. Getting to the resort from Male airport was an adventure in itself as you fly the 40-minute hop on a seaplane. We had an over-water villa which offered a grandstand view of the ocean. I loved looking at the fish, but swimming with them? Not for me! Fortunately we also had our own pool which I was more at home in. Wayne, however, was in his element in the sea.

 One of his highlights was swimming with manta rays, which were massive. Small nurse sharks with black fins came into the water near our villa and I loved seeing those… from a distance! One of my highlights was going out on a boat to see dolphins. We were warned we might not see any - but they came up and started jumping all around the boat. There was a real effort to provide good, healthy meals - mainly Pan-Asian cuisine.

 There was a choice of restaurants but we usually ended up at the buffet. The exception, of course, was the six-course dinner in that fabulous underwater restaurant - although it was strange to be eating fish at the same time as you were looking out at fish swimming around the restaurant. In the evenings there was always some sort of entertainment and the guests wanted me to sing at an open-mic night, but I politely declined.

 I was there to rest, not sing Saturdays songs! The Maldives is now one of my favourite places: up there with Antigua. But what made Hurawalhi so special were the lovely and helpful staff.

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