Cocoa Island

If Robinson Crusoe had hung out with Kevin McCloud and Giorgio Armani instead of Man Friday, his desert-island dwelling would probably have looked a lot like Cocoa Island by Como hotel: beautifully designed, this resort in the Maldives is the embodiment of understated elegance. Resembling a collection of Keralan boathouses, the individual over-water villas have soothing white-on-white interiors and teak flooring to create an ambience of laid-back romance. The scuba diving here is terrific, and after an afternoon of reef watching you can soothe away any aches and pains in the world-class Como Shambhala spa. At one end of the island is a powdered spit sculpted by theeevening tides. The beach is elegant, fringed with wild sea grapes, hibiscus and palms. Across the ocean local fishing boats glide like birds. These dhoni boats have inspired Cocoas villas, each connected by wooden walkways and built above the shallow waters.Villas overhang the lagoons cobalt shallows, the sand as soft as velvet underfoot. It is a place that reflects the Maldives soul, the view from the wide platform beds directly out on to the sea. Interiors are quietly contemporary with a nod to local style, the high-roofed suites soaking up light as it floods through living spaces.