We arrived by speedboat from Malé and were welcomed by a host of smiling staff armed with cold towels and refreshing welcome drinks, then chaperoned through a bamboo-swathed tunnel and along a sandy path to our beach villa, which was complete with not one but two private pools and a stretch of silky sand that leads to the ocean. On our first night, we were led to a private table in a sunken alcove in the sand, directly in front of a chef who prepped a Sri Lankan tasting menu under a starlit sky. There's a reason why Huvafen Fushi's returning guest rate is so high.