What has happened is the creation of 3 fantasy destinations over 2 islands by one impressive Conrad Resort and Spa team - 3 Maldives dreams designed and delivered to the very best of human capabilities.

The spa village

The spa is not a new idea fitted into the existing setup, as it is on most other resorts, but a separate dream destination in itself. The Spa Village sits entirely on stilts over the water and is only connected by wooden walkway to the outside world.

Each lovely, light and spacious bungalow has its own treatment room (wonderfully lit with blue spots) and an open balcony that entices you to plunge into the water below. With its own restaurant serving healthy but tasty cuisine, a gym and the main spa itself, guests can experience the spa atmosphere every minute of their holiday.

On offer are 4, 7 and 10-day packages on generous full board basis with daily lifestyle and wellness consultations and one treatment per day. For those who are not ultra spa purists the packages can be combined with a longer stay in one or even both of the other Conrad Maldives environments.

Theatre of holiday pleasures

Just across the walkway is the island of the beach villas, Rangalifinolhu. It is larger than the island of the water villas, Rangali, but that is just the beginning of the differences. The fantasy-made-real here is about new heights and new experiences in leisure, in a fun atmosphere of friendliness and activity.

Having flattened every building on the island Conrad have constructed a theatre of holiday pleasures. The Deluxe Beach Villas (44) are the largest such rooms in the country (at 300 square metres). The Beach Villas (35), with no garden or pool, are half the size but equal in luxury and spectacular interior design, with sliding glass walls to the beach in front and a fountain courtyard behind. Even the content of the minibar is new and exciting!

The Atoll Market Place is real culinary theatre where the restaurant is the kitchen and the kitchen is the restaurant. The 8 distinct show kitchens inspire you with their own sights, sounds and smells then delight you with their tastes. Yet even more theatrical than this is the now justly famous glass underwater restaurant. I was ready to be disappointed but was knocked out by its success and originality.

If that wasn't enough, there are tastings and dinners in the expansive wine cellar hosted by the chef, the sommelier and the country's only cheese specialist. This is all done in an unpretentious manner, in keeping with the atmosphere of the island as a whole and the bar, lounge and (large, infinity) pool area in particular. At this point I might mention the best lighting by far anywhere in Maldives.

Private part of paradise

Across the 500-metre bridge on Rangali Island the priorities are very different. Here it is all about one's own space and privacy, about receiving and expecting the very finest goods and services, about a sense of being elite. It is also about peace, quiet and romance.

The 5 categories of Water Villas run from gorgeous to outrageous. Increasingly large and well appointed, they are all luxurious, from their wide wooden decks facing west to the Bulgari amenities in the 'plain' Water Villas and the Philippe Starck fittings, revolving bed and the chromotherapy lighting of swimming pool in the Sunset Water Villas.

The island has its own overwater spa using even more exclusive products, a restaurant of even higher standards and views out to the open ocean (next stop East Africa) that are even finer than those on Rangalifinolhu.

The built environment and the service provided are both so faultless that it rarely comes to mind that the resort isn't, in fact, perfect. The lagoon is occasionally shallow enough to restrict swimming - particularly between the two islands, the beach is extensive but not of the finest sand, and there is no quality house reef snorkelling to speak of. These are not insignificant considerations by any means but, on the other hand, until perfection is achieved elsewhere the Conrad Maldives will do very nicely indeed.