Centara Maldives offers guests a Robinson Crusoe experience

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to emulate Daniel Defoe's fictional hero, Robinson Crusoe, and be left alone on a tropical island with only the sound of the breeze rustling the coconut palms, and the waves breaking over the reef for company?

Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives is giving its guests exactly that opportunity, although the experience is not as austere as it sounds.

Under the Robinson Crusoe Excursion, which is priced at USD325 per person, guests at the resort are taken after breakfast by speedboat to a nearby uninhabited island, and left there alone on the beach.

They are then free to wander the island, exploring the interior and swimming in the clear blue waters of the lagoon.

The castaways, unlike their considerably less fortunate predecessor, do not have to forage for their own food. Left on the beach with them is a magnificent cold lunch that has been prepared by the resort's chefs and which includes steamed lobster, roast beef tenderloin, a selection of salads, fresh fruit, dessert and cheese. A bottle of cold champagne is thoughtfully included to banish any feelings of melancholy.

There is something else that the Centara Crusoes have that poor Robinson would have found more useful than Man Friday, and that is a mobile phone. When they are ready to be picked up, they call the resort and the speedboat will return.

Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives is located at the South Ari Atoll in the Republic of Maldives.

Designed in a colonial style, with whitewashed timber accommodation and meandering boardwalks, this premier-level resort is the first overseas property of Thailand's leading hotel owner and operator, Centara Hotels & Resorts.

With its choice of luxurious beachfront and over-water accommodations, and with suites and villas available, the resort is an ideal venue for honeymooners and couples seeking a romantic break, and the Robinson Crusoe Excursion provides for the ultimate in luxury solitude.

The resort features a variety of dining options on an all inclusive basis, pools, recreation activities, sports and fitness facilities, a bar and lounge with nightly entertainment, and its own spa village.

Some of the world's best snorkeling and diving sites are within easy reach and there is a house reef complete with a dedicated sunken shipwreck.

Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives is easily accessible from Male International Airport with an air transfer time of just 25 minutes or speedboat services in 85 minutes.

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