All language subtitles for Amazing.Hotels.Life.Beyond.the.Lobby.S05E02.Joali.Maldives.1080p.HDTV.H264-DARKFLiX[eztv.re]_track3_eng

The pilots have got no shoes on.

I guess he's ready for a dip.

I mean, look at the different
colours of the ocean.

It's so beautiful.

It looks sort of like it's really
shallow, which is making me

a bit nervous.

We are about to touch down
somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

I have no idea where we're landing
but, for sure, it's going

to be on the water, isn't it?

This is what it feels like when
you're going to crash, isn't it?

Why would you say that
before we land?

Because we're flying into water.
What's wrong with you?

OK, brace, brace, brace!

Oh! That was...

Oh! Thank you.

Woo!

Happy?

Yeah.

There's people waiting for us.

Right off to work. Yay.

What a way to start a week
working in paradise.

We're visiting remarkable hotels
right across the world.

It's just amazing.

What a stunning, stunning room.

Look at where we are, Rob.

Gosh. Yeah.

Creating the perfect sanctuary
is all down to the hard work

of the people running
these hotels.

And we will be working
alongside them.

There's people waiting for us.

Right off to work.

There are monkeys taking
people's breakfast.

I work here. Do you mind?

Have a good day, Rob.

Yeah. Thanks, Mon.

We get ellies that come
and drink here.

Right here? Right here.

So the menu is anything
you want it to be.

Service!

I've been a chef in
the top end of hospitality

for well over 25 years,
so I know what it takes

to deliver excellence
day in and day out.

And I've stayed in hotels
right around the world.

But exactly what goes on behind the
scenes I can't wait to find out.

OK. What's your advice?

Just be you.

Whoa.

Each hotel is born of a
unique vision...

..that takes dedication, talent
and creativity to achieve.

This is it, right?

It's the ultimate.

So join us as we explore life
beyond the lobby...

..in yet more of the world's
most amazing hotels.

Wow.

Monica, marhaba to JOALI.

Warm welcome.

Enver. Nice to meet you.
Lovely to meet you, Enver.

Thank you for having us.
Enver, nice to meet you.

Pleasure to meet you. Hello, Monica.

Making us feel a little
like arriving royalty,

this is the team that Monica
and I are joining to work with

on this remote island resort
in the Maldives.

Hi. Mark. Mark.

Welcome. You look like you're going
to be making me work.

THEY LAUGH

This team runs the hotel
resort of JOALI.

Taking over the entire island
of Muravandhoo...

..it's one of 88 islands that make
up the Raa Atoll, which is one

of the 26 atolls that formed
the Republic of Maldives.

Nearly all of this country's 1,190
islands

rise fewer than five feet
above sea level.

It's a world of coral reefs, beaches
and warm welcomes to visitors.

There's so many different
departments.

My goodness, we are going
to be busy.

Sales, marine centre, sustainability.

It's like its own little
micro country.

To me... Come here.
Twirl. Twirl.

The Maldives are famous throughout
the world for being paradise...

..for guests, at least.

Once you get your coconut,
we'll get straight to work.

Yes.

We've arrived at a jetty
some distance from the island.

Welcome to Island of Joy.

My name is Titi.

I'll be your jadugar for your stay.

What's a jadugar?
Jadugar means magician.

Magician?

Magician. What tricks do you know?

We'll be doing magician
in your stay.

We will try our best
to do everything that you need

in your stay.
You make it possible.

Possible, yes. We make it possible.

That is brilliant!

Jadugars are what this hotel
calls its butlers.

You can't even see any suites there.

Yeah, you... I mean,
you can see little beach huts,

but I can't see any villas.
Oh, we... They're very well hidden.

Yes, very well hidden.

And, boy, are their skills needed,
as there's a lot packed

into this island!

This is the biggest beach
that we have.

We call it Mura Beach.

And we do have ice cream parlour
that we call La Joie.

La Joie. Yeah. I love that.

This is Mura Bar.

This is where we serve our lunch
as well.

In total, the resort has five
restaurants.

This is TUH'U restaurant.

This is another restaurant?

This is the Vandhoo.

This is the padel tennis.
Padel tennis. Padel tennis!

Yes, padel tennis. We have
a padel pro in house.

This is our JOALI Spa.

We have steam, sauna
and Turkish Hamman as well.

And we have a yoga pavilion.

If all this isn't enough, you can
even get off the island, too.

The submarine centre,
which we open from morning, nine,

until evening, six.
Diving, snorkelling and fishing.

Fantastic.

The idea here is to fit everything
a guest might possibly need

onto an island that's just one-tenth
of a square kilometre in size.

Just don't ask for a hotel room.

There aren't any.

Instead, guests get a whole villa.

Even me.

Here you go, Rob.
This is your villa. This is me?

Villa number five. OK.

Rob's villa!

I've been assigned a beachside villa
surrounded by natural forest.

Welcome to your home.

Thanks, Titi.

So there's wow factor
and then there's WOW factor.

The height of the ceiling makes
it so airy.

The first thing you see
is that beautiful piece of art

with the infinity pool.

This is a bit like a marriage between
a 1920s Great Gatsby party,

but a desert island paradise.

And ordinarily, those things
wouldn't work.

It would be like having
a herring pizza or something.

But somehow...

I just want to lie on that massive
bed and go...

HE EXHALES

HE EXHALES SOFTLY

See, look, I'm even breathing
differently.

The perimeter of the small island
has space for just

24 beach-front villas,

But by building a jetty along
a natural sandbar,

another 49 villas float
over the water.

And one of them is mine.

Wow. This is amazing.

This is gorgeous.

The wood here, the panelling
with the carving through it,

it's just absolutely stunning.

I love the colour scheme.

It's very neutral.

And then this beautiful blue
just sort of jumps out.

They are cleverly designed so my
neighbours on either side

won't ever see me enjoying
my saltwater swimming pool,

terraces or loungers.

My word.

A hammock over the water.

Woo!

Yay!

This is my spot.

Look at all the fish there.

Literally, you could just sit here
and catch your dinner.

Rob?

Champagne, please, Rob.

There's an outdoor shower over there
and this perfect resin bath.

And you could imagine yourself
in this private little nested space

getting in the bath.

Goodness knows the clunk it took
to get it here.

But you don't notice the sound
of the clunk.

You only hear the harmony
of all the materials working

with each other.

This isn't very elegant!

You know what, I think Monica
can do the hard work.

I could just be the bath tester.

On the other side of my villa...

..I have a non-bathroom garden.

This is so private.

You're surrounded by planting, like
you're on your own private island,

and you've got to adventure
through all of these bushes.

I mean, you could stand here
and be totally naked

and nobody would know.
Not that I would do that.

Here it is.

You've got your own little bit
of the beach that's totally yours.

This is your private piece
of paradise.

That's what people pay for.

This is not one of the Maldives'
more affordable resorts.

The beach villas average
3,200 US dollars a night

and the overwater villas
slightly less, at 2,800 US dollars.

But ours come with a different
kind of price attached -

to work with the teams who
deliver this resort.

Why do you need my measurements?

Our tailor will be making
a uniform for you.

I get a bespoke outfit?

Yes. You will get our uniform.

Handmade? Yes. Handmade.

Nothing off the rack for us here.

Perfect.

JOALI is one of over 160 island
resorts across the Maldives.

Competition between them
to attract tourists is fierce,

and having opened in 2018, this is
a relative newcomer.

Cheers.

So welcome to paradise, Mon.

We're hoping to discover what
it takes to create and deliver

this experience out in the middle
of the ocean.

I mean, there are lots of hotels
in the Maldives, but this seems

to be about reachable perfection.

I'm curious how they manage
to bring supplies to an island -

the produce, shampoo, toilet paper,
you know, all of that.

The jadugars, who are butlers,

I wonder sort of where they live
and whether or not

behind the stage set, you know,
it is as joyous as it seems.

I can't wait to get stuck in and
discover all the little secrets

from running this place.

Since we have arrived, we've both
noticed a particular greeting -

marhaba.

Marhaba.

It's a warm greeting adopted
and used everywhere by the resort.

So you say "marhaba" to everybody.
Marhaba.

What does it mean?

Welcome. Welcome?

Yeah. OK.

And do I have to...? And I have
to smile at everybody?

Yes, please. If you can.

Even if I don't like them?

You will like everybody over here.

Everybody are very nice here.

Perfecting "marhaba" is only one
skill I'm going to need to work here.

Jetties with overwater villas
are a Maldivian specialty.

They come in all shapes and sizes,

springing out from just about
every resort.

They're an ingenious solution for
having little landmass to build on.

JOALI's is the longest
in the country,

with its villas raised on concrete
posts two-and-a-half metres

above the waves.

I'm reporting for my first job
at a villa...

..in a swimsuit and flippers.

Hi. Hi. How are you?

Marhaba. I'm Rob. What's your name?

Hi. My name is Hussain.

Hi, Hussain.

So I've been told I'm cleaning.

What are we cleaning, Hussain?

In the rooms, it's the ladder
we need to clean

because the ladder is slippy.

Ah, right, so we need to clean it
so it's not slippery.

Yeah, that's why I need to clean.

Every water villa has its own set
of steps directly down to the sea.

What happens if we bump
into the guests?

We do this without guests
seeing this.

Don't be heard. Don't be seen.
Got you.

Thank you.

We're starting in a villa
that doesn't have guests today.

But the plan is to slip
through the water,

like a villain from a novel,

from villa to villa.

We're getting rid of the algae
like that?

Yeah. How many villas have
we got to do?

Every day, we clean 15 or 20 rooms.

We've got 15 or 20 rooms
to do today? Yeah. Yeah.

OK. We'd better get started. Yeah.

Hussain has been with JOALI for
over four years and is one of

two full-time ladder-cleaners
at the resort.

This is what he spends his day
doing, waging a constant battle

against marine algae, which grows
fast in the sunlight.

So I thought this job was a bit
silly, I'm cleaning stairs,

but there's quite a lot
of algae on it,

which is slippery for the guests.
So I get why they do it.

It is a truly brilliant job because
there's fish life everywhere,

so it's like cleaning the bottom
of an aquarium.

I really like this job.

Only 14 more villas to go.

The current's really strong.

The ocean around us is literally
full of life.

Hussain does his job in the company
of pufferfish and even, apparently,

the occasional manta ray.

But the currents are
surprisingly strong,

and it's physically demanding.

And it really feels like this
is the world of the fish,

and we are imposing
ourselves into it.

My first job is also connected
to the sea.

Kapil, how are you?

I'm good. How are you today?

I'm helping Chef Kapil
with a delivery.

Our local fisherman just
called me that

he caught some nice lobster today.

So it's like a local fisherman?
Local fishermen will come every day.

Do they call you and say,
"We've got lobsters"?

I'm the only customer for them,
actually.

So I buy from them,
whatever they catch.

So sometimes they bring me
30 pieces, sometimes 40 pieces,

sometimes 50 pieces. I love that.
I love that. Yes. Let's do this.

Out of sight,
on a hotel service jetty,

there's a small fishing boat
tied up.

Can you show us the fresh catch?

They're enormous!

One of those is for me.

Sure.
HE LAUGHS

That's beautiful.

Usually caught by hand while
free diving,

this is a 40kg haul
of fresh lobsters.

Being so connected with the sea,

historically, the Maldives' economy
was based almost entirely

on what the sea provided,

with valuable cowrie shells

and wind-dried tuna being
principal exports.

It was only from 1973,
when commercial travel by air

to these remote islands became
possible,

that any tourism emerged at all.

Today, this industry expects to
welcome up to two million guests

a year, providing a third
of the country's economy.

And its fishermen are clearly
benefiting, too.

I mean, as a chef, this is a dream,
isn't it?

Actually, yeah, it's true.
It's very difficult to get fresh...

I mean, you can get cheaper
from Male, which is frozen,

but here we know that in the morning
they went and they catch...

Absolutely, yeah. ..today,
so it's perfectly fresh.

Happy days.

Don't drop it, Monica.

Lordy, that's heavy.

It is easy to see how seafood
is going to be as fresh here

as it could be anywhere.

Dinner's ready!

But the low-lying small islands
of the Maldives

have virtually no agricultural land
for grazing of cattle and sheep.

However, the hotel likes to also
offer steak and ribs.

How are you getting beef here?

Yeah, actually, we can get
some items locally,

but not everything what our client
needs is available in the market.

So we just need to make sure
that we get the best product

from best supplier in the world.

So what we do is, for all the meats,
red meat, chicken and all,

we have a supplier in Australia.

We are supplied once a week.

So if you miss something,
you miss for a week.

I mean, you can't just call up,
like I do,

for a second delivery,
can you? Yes. No, you can't. No.

It's beautiful being amongst
the fish, and it's certainly

a good form of exercise, trying
to keep up with Hussain.

Well, Hussain. I mean, that's a
beautiful job, but it's pretty tough.

Yeah. Yeah. I can't believe
you've got to do 15 of them.

That current is strong.
Yeah. It is strong.

Yeah. That's right.
And you're a really good swimmer.

Yeah. Thank you.

It's been such a delight to
swim with you today.

I don't think I can do seven
more villas.

I think I'd be exhausted.
I need to sleep.

I'm glad your first day this way.

Oh, yeah, it's my first day.
Yeah. Yeah. OK. Thanks, Hussain.

He's a Maldivian that really
loves swimming.

People here either embrace the water

or they're a little bit
fearful of it.

You know, and Hussain's sort of
love of it is...

It's really quite special to be
alongside.

It gives me an indication of
the sort of attention to detail

in the hotel.

That attention to detail is
crucial everywhere...

And the lobster is almost there.
Yeah. This one's lovely.

..because every year across
the Maldives...

Look at that.

..around ten new luxury resorts
are being opened.

Truffle.

This creates a competitive market,

and making sure your resort
stands out from the crowd...

Oh. And we are done. Beautiful.

..is an increasingly difficult job.

Service!

And this resort is the very first
Maldivian venture for

a Turkish chain
of family holiday hotels.

Hi, Monica. Good morning.

How are you? Morning, Hakan.
How are you? How are you?

Very good. Very good.

It is an amazing morning.

Hakan is the managing director
of this company

and has been involved from the start
in turning a wild Maldivian island

into what we find here today.

You've come out of a company that's
based in Turkey. Am I right?

Yes. This is the first international
investment of us out of Turkey.

And this investment meant
starting from scratch

with a completely wild island that
had nowhere to safely land on.

Muravandhoo is the name
of this island in locals.

And at that time, there was no
access to the island for speedboats.

Oh, goodness.

But it was looking so amazing.

It is like a green pot in the middle
of the ocean.

In second visit, we made a trip
on the island with a seaplane on,

and we immediately said that,
yes, this is our island.

We made our negotiations
and finalised the lease.

You're leasing the island?
You didn't buy the island?

Leasing, yes. Leasing, OK.

Only you can lease islands,
in Maldivian law, for 49 years.

Wait a minute. So, after the second
visit, you hadn't even

been on the island yet, you decided
you were going to lease the island?

Exactly. Bold.

That's a huge risk,
you didn't think?

It was a risk,

but, er, the life is full of risks.

The challenge was to turn a wild
island without shelter

or fresh water
into 21st-century luxury.

There was nothing, and everything
was so natural, so beautiful.

And our target was to keep
this beauty as it is.

We visited all luxury properties
in Maldives.

We wanted to see all benchmarks -

what they are doing right,
what they are doing wrong.

They are all well-known chains.

But we wanted to create something

which is unknown
in most of Maldives' islands.

Most of investors are cutting trees
and planting...

..like curated or manicured islands,

and it doesn't look really natural.

We tried to keep almost all
of the trees.

Only some trees
we need to replace.

So how long did it take
to build from start to finish?

It took two years.

Logistic-wise, it is the most
challenging part of the world.

I generally tell my friends
that it is like going to the moon

and making something.

The aim was to fit in
everything needed

but keep the island's nature
feeling untouched.

Tricky.

Literally, any kind of resort
could have been created here,

so how does a new brand
choose what to do?

We were just looking at the name
and what kind of a philosophy

or soul we can bring it.

Duygu, head of marketing,
worked with Hakan

to create a vision
for the resort.

There is a great story
that I would like to mention.

There was a local man who was living
as a fisherman,

and he was doing nothing here.

Alone, doing just fishing,
having a coconut,

and he was so happy.

He was always smiling.
And it just reminded us

that it's so simple.
To find luxury is so simple.

You just need to find the inner joy.

It's the philosophy of
joy of living.

It's kind of a conscious
commitment to be happy.

A conscious commitment
to being happy sounds like

a 1960s hippie philosophy, but it
became the blueprint

to creating this hotel's USP.

You know, the reason why we started
for this journey

to, er, tell a story
about nature,

and we use art
as a tool to describe this,

how important to live in that
kind of environment,

and how we can survive, how we can
let and sustain this nature.

That's why we came up
with art-immersive direction.

We wanted to let people experience
it, rather than seeing it.

These are unexpectedly
grand concepts

for any business to aspire to.

The resort calls itself the world's
first art-immersive hotel,

and curious structures
have been placed everywhere.

These are the art.

Unlike a gallery painting
that you shouldn't touch,

guests are encouraged to use them.

There's giant manta rays...

..and unexpected places to sit...

..and objects inspired
by the island's wildlife.

They were created by international
artists,

often with the assistance
from local craftspeople.

There are 18 commissioned art
structures, and they're surprisingly

refreshing to come across amidst

the more expected restaurants
and bars.

Whilst these rather conceptual
aims are important,

I have an appointment to keep
at the even more essential

business end of the resort.

So, Aman, where are we going now?

We are going to the supply jetty,
which is loading and unloading,

even the transfer jetty.

So we're loading and unloading
all the stuff for the island?

This is Joali International Port!

LAUGHING: We can call that!

Aman and his team of ten are
working away quietly,

unloading a huge delivery boat.

See, it's not all glamour
working at a hotel like this.

This is where everything gets
on and off the island,

from champagne to toilet rolls.

How often do you need a delivery
like this?

Delivery, actually, it's Saturday
and Monday it's coming. Supply.

If the person ordering this gets
it wrong,

the guests will have no toilet roll.

Yeah. You think about the list
of things you need

to run this place... Uh-huh.
..and it's endless. Yeah.

We are running the small country
in here.

Yeah, people here having a luxury
experience,

they don't want to hear
the sound of stuff arriving.

They just want it to magically
appear.

When we're driving the buggy,

also, we are driving very carefully
because we don't want to make

any noise and those things.

Is this why you're
going so slowly? Yeah.

Crossing the perimeter road
into the centre...

In case a guest is coming,
riding the bicycle.

So slow! We have to be very slowly
to drive the buggy.

Our supplies are sorted
into one of 18 storerooms.

This is the entry point
to a different world entirely.

Backstage here, there's all this
muscle and manpower and noise,

but at the front of house,
you don't hear anything.

Quite, yeah. That's unbelievable.

This is really what makes
the magic work.

The pristine beaches around
the perimeter...

..are in stark contrast
to what's hidden back here

in the resort's service area.

There are electricity generators,
like great beasts,

running off imported fuel.

Carpentry workshops with power tools

making elegant, new guest furniture.

Dirty great trucks.

And all the rubbish before it gets
shipped off the island.

There, you've got your perfect
paradise hotel,

but to make that work,
to make the whole theatre work,

you need your backstage area.

And it's like a mini city there,
where people are sneaking

things in and out without the guests
seeing anything at all.

It has a curious fairy-tale quality
about it - people beavering away

backstage with clunk and muscle

to make everything gentle and quiet
at the front.

It really is extraordinary.

This central area also houses
a guest kitchen...

..and it's the home base of
the jadugars.

As the resort butlers,
they're one of the few staff

who actually meet guests
face to face.

And today, I'm joining their team...

..with my freshly tailored
uniform shirt.

Marhaba. Hey, marhaba.

We have to be very smartly
dressed, like a professional.

Perhaps you can put the...

Oh, is that...? OK.
Yeah, the button on.

Shiaz is JOALI's
front office manager...

Yeah, that's much better.

..and has been learning his craft
as a butler for 21 years.

It is part of our profession
to read and learn the guest.

Each jadugar is assigned
to no more than five villas

at any one time.

The process starts way before
the guest arrives to the island.

The minute we have the name
of the guest in the system,

where we start looking for
every possible way to identify

the preference, the background
of the guest...

So you google people? Yes.

..based on the background
of the person. Uh-huh.

For example, if somebody is a CEO...
Yeah.

..his expected level of service
will be there,

which means really, really, really
high attention to detail. OK.

And then we can see what
kind of company is he running,

or what kind of clients
they are attracting.

Based on that, we can make
a call before they arrive.

And this quiet assessment
doesn't stop.

After they arrive, the first
conversation is where a butler

will get the chance to speak
to the guest directly

during the check-in.

You have three to five minutes
to have a private conversation

with your guests.

So the jadugars need to have
real emotional intelligence?

True. Very true.
And instinct? Yes.

This strikes me as a true art
of a butler

in the real old-fashioned sense.

One of the main things jadugars
are responsible for

is delivering in-villa dining,

where guests can order anything
24/7.

How many people want this service?

Well, approximately
between 70 to 85% of guests

would like to have their lunch
in the villa.

People like to stay cool.
This is the hottest time of the day.

Also, this is the time to enjoy
your villa.

Titi, who herself hails
from the Maldives,

is preparing
an in-villa lunch order.

That's so heavy, you're so strong.

You will be strong as well.

Yes, very nice.

So, the cloth is not there
for the wine.

I'll quickly get it. The cloth?
Yes, I'll get it. Not a good start.

I think room service food is never
as good as a restaurant,

but they really mean it here.

I mean, the attention to detail
is extraordinary.

It takes a lot of work.

You've got to do it
very, very, very quickly.

Now, this is where things
get even more remarkable.

Whilst the beach villas
are pretty close by,

these guests are in
an overwater villa

that's over a kilometre away,

and the aim is to deliver
magic in minutes.

Perfect.

Smile. Yes, with a smile.

Good job.

Marhaba. Marhaba.

Guests Molti and Mona

are on their first visit
to JOALI from Germany.

First, set their table
and check the order.

So, we've got a Greek salad
and mixed leaves,

exotic fruits and a lovely
bottle of Whispering Angel

for you today.

Phew! Correct.

Glad I'm not being sent back to make

a two-kilometre round trip
to the kitchen.

You are doing that very well.

It's practice.

I love my job.

MOLTI CHUCKLES

Pouring the water went very well.

Wine should be a breeze.

Tiny bit to taste it.

Mm! Yeah? OK.

Thanks.

Titi is watching me like a hawk,
but I'm pretty sure I'm nailing it.

So, is it the view or the food
that you really like here?

I mean, how important
is the quality of the food?

Very important. Yeah, it is.

That's actually what we like,
to come to this place,

also to enjoy good food.
Do enjoy your meal.

We'll be here for anything
you may need. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much. Marhaba.

They seem really nice.

Yeah, they're really nice.

But there is a certain standard
that we have to follow

while we are serving the lunch. OK.
What did I get wrong?

So, while you serve the wine...
Uh-huh?

..we have to give first the host

a tiny bit of wine,
just to taste it.

I did that. You did it, but the
second pouring should be

the other person. OK.

Yes, and then you have seen they
have already started their meal.

Yeah. You should not start
a conversation

because they have already started.

So we have to serve quickly
and let them enjoy,

otherwise the quality of the food
will go wrong.

She's not pulling her punches
but now I'm staff,

I'm seeing a different side
to the job.

That level of noticing takes a lot.

Did you always want to be
a jadugar?

Yes. I've loved to be a jadugar
since long back.

And was everybody in your family
supportive of this?

Cos it's a tough job. Yes.
Actually not.

My dad was not happy with the...

..that I'm coming to a resort,

because we serve alcohol here,

especially being a girl and coming
to a resort at that time.

Now, in this generation,

slowly, slowly it is coming
to a community.

It's a very hard job being
away from family

and working in an island.

But since you love your job,
you will do your job well.

So are your parents proud of you?

Yes, they are very proud of me.

How many female jadugars are there?
In this island?

Yeah. Er, Maldivian, it's only me.

It's difficult.

It's very challenging to work
this kind of industry.

But when you try to do something
which you like to do,

you can make it happen.

For guests, the island feels
luxuriously deserted.

Its huge golden beaches
are all your own.

The feeling of privacy is wonderful.

But this is something of
an illusion.

At maximum occupancy,

for every one villa here,
there are six members of staff...

..nearly all of them living unseen
in the centre of the island.

It wouldn't be fair to say
that this is a hidden secret.

In fact, general manager Enver
will proudly give any visitor

a tour of the service area.

It's just most guests
come to relax,

and leave unaware how busy
it is back here.

This is the entrance
of the staff quarters I share.

372 permanent and 70 casual staff
live here,

most only going home
once or twice a year.

I'm really hoping they get
a good deal.

This is, in our staff village,
our staff accommodations, actually.

You will see three of them
in the front

for our junior, senior employees,
different apartments.

So if you're more senior,
you get a better apartment?

As you go senior, you do have
single accommodations.

Depending on the level,

there are different types
of accommodations,

but the maximum you go up to,
three share,

which is actually very convenient
for the island life.

Staff facilities are all separate
from guest facilities.

Their meals are cooked by their
own chefs and served in the canteen.

They have their own laundry
and maintenance teams.

For days off, there's a staff beach
by the service jetty,

and more options back here.

That's chill-out,
our staff recreation area.

Staff plays table tennis, billiard,

foosball, and even karaoke
once a week.

And right up there, we do have
staff fitness centre

and also staff bar.
The most popular place.

Do you go to karaoke?
I'm terrible in singing, actually.

As general manager,
this staff village feels

even more complex for Enver to run
than the guest experience

he's also responsible for.

All they want to do is relax
and eat.

So, you've got all of this stuff
on the island.

What's your day like?

First start is all about taking
pictures to start the day,

finding out what is
not in the right place,

before I head to my daily
8.30am morning meeting.

At the end of the day,
after the guest finishes at 10.30,

when the last restaurant closes,

you still have the bar open,

but you have to come back
and entertain our in-house guests,

which is our employees.

We know the hotel has a philosophy

of a conscious commitment
to being happy.

I'm intrigued to see how this plays
out back here.

The atmosphere in these staff areas
does feel relaxed,

and I've not seen anyone being
anything less than

lovely to each other.

I've been invited to work
with a team whose job it is,

literally, to set up staff parties.

Hi. Hi.

Whose birthday is it?

Oh, we're celebrating the host
birthday for the month of January.

So everybody who has a birthday
in January,

this is their joint birthday
celebration? Yes.

How important is this to the staff?

Of course, we want to make them
feel that they're

part of our family, JOALI family.
Yeah.

And, since they're all working here,
they're away from home,

so we'd like to make it something
extra-special for their birthday.

Could you hold the ladder?
Yeah, sure.

Setting up birthday parties?

Possible best-job-on-the-island
contender.

Mocktails shaken and poured ready.

I can't actually work out
who has a birthday.

# Happy birthday, dear January babies

# Happy birthday to you... #

But the vibe
is infectious,

and everyone is definitely being
conscious to be happy.

CHEERING

When you're on a small island
like this,

there's no way of getting off.

You've got to get along
with each other,

and so, I suppose, to become part
of each other's family,

it's really important
that you resolve any conflicts

very, very quickly.

And I suppose that's part
of the strategy.

You know, when Enver said
that this is a family,

I think he meant it.

Happy birthday.

The main population of the Maldives
live on 185 islands

spread throughout the atolls.

One of the closest
to this resort is Ungoofaaru.

And today, there's a trip organised
for hotel staff to visit.

Nawaf, marhaba. How are you?

I'm good. I'm excited to spend
the day with you.

Nawaf, the sustainability
manager,

me and other hotel staff have just
under five miles of sea to cover

to reach the small island town.

Very few tourists make a trip
away from the resort

to where local Maldivians live.

It's home to 2,000 people,

with medical facilities,

mosque, and the local school,

who we have an appointment with.

With 10% of the Maldivian
population working in tourism,

the hotel team regularly meets
with students to help those

looking for a career in the resorts.

So how's the talk going?

THEY LAUGH

If you were to work in an hotel,
what do you think you'd like to do?

Maintenance. Maintenance?

How was it for you, to come out
here and talk to the students?

It's a very lovely experience
to understand,

like what they are expecting

and what they would love to
learn from us.

Only a few of Joali's staff
are actually from this island,

but Aswan, who works
in housekeeping, is.

Hello!

Hi, Aswan. How are you?

OK. You get a day off and we come
to annoy you. Yeah, yeah.

This is my family
and this is my home.

He gets to pop home to his family

much more frequently than
most staff.

And I've been invited to lunch.

And this. Thank you.

Mm! It's very flavourful.
Oh, my goodness !

Oh, wow!

So, Aswan, I mean, you're clearly
working in the hotel, in tourism.

What do the rest of the family do?

My wife is doing a pre-school
and my brother a hospital.

My sister working in the school.

So Aswan is quite lucky to have
family so close to the resort.

For most of the other hosts

who are from different parts
of the Maldives,

we visit our home, like, about
two months a year.

I'm intrigued as to what Aswan's
family think

of the country's
rapidly increasing tourism.

SHE GIVES OPINION

She mentioned there's been a lot
of positive changes

within the community
since tourism started,

especially when it comes to
employment,

as well as the general
financial wellbeing

of locals in these islands as well.

SHE GIVES OPINION

So, you noticed, when we are
coming in, they are building,

there's some construction
work going on.

They were able to afford to build
their own house

and build it up from the ground up,
basically,

through the finances, from the funds
which they've generated

in this employment,

From working in the resort?
In JOALI, yes. In JOALI.

You must be so proud, yeah.

It's nice for me to actually get to
see this side of tourism,

as opposed to always being on
the resort side, isn't it? Yeah.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

I have had the best day.

For the first time, I visited
the Maldives and I get to spend time

with the local Maldivians,
eating the local food,

seeing the positive impact
that tourism has on an economy

like this, on this small island
and the people here.

According to the World Bank,
largely due to tourism,

the country has a strong economic
growth potential,

with poverty slowly reducing.

But there are other threats
to the Maldives.

The Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change warns that,

by the end of the century,
sea levels globally could rise

by half a metre or more,

and the Maldives' low-lying islands
face serious risks from flooding

and coastal erosion.

And other effects of a more extreme
climate are also being felt.

In 2016, sea temperatures
rose to such an extent

that many of the famous and abundant
coral reefs died,

an event known as coral bleaching.

We are going to go to the jetty.

We are going to meet Shamim
there, a senior marine biologist.

The reefs around the resort
island were badly affected.

But the teams here have been trying
to rescue and nurture what remains.

We're bringing this coral reef
back to life.

I'm going to be picking
up some coral.

Is that what it's called? Yes.

So we're going to be picking up some
fragments of opportunity.

What did you call them? Fragments...
Fragments of opportunity.

I'm going in there for fragments
of opportunity.

I thought I'd come in a self-help
book, Monica. Yes.

Can you bring me back some
of that opportunity?

They're going to rebuild this reef.
They're rebirthing it.

They're regrowing it. I'm so excited.

We're part of an actual project
to bring something back to life.

Amazing. Yeah.
OK, guys. So let's go.

Let's meet Shamim. He's waiting for
us. OK. Here we go.

The strong El Nino effect in 2016
saw sea temperatures rise

by a few degrees across
the Maldives.

And that was enough to kill off
90% of the coral in some areas.

The reefs were badly affected.

But some small pieces survived.

It's a good dive.
Amazing underwater.

More importantly,
look what you brought back.

How do we know if it's alive or dead?

So, basically,
all of this brown part,

you can see also these kind of,
like, bumps.

These are the polyps. Yeah.

So this part of... Well, this is
covered in coral. It's alive.

But this part here, it kind of
looks more like a rock, maybe.

It doesn't have any tissue on it.
Ah! Yeah.

So this is the tissue. These are the
fragments of opportunity. Yes.

We are trying to get these little
pieces that are about to die

and just give them the second
chance, so this is why.

These living pieces are attached
to metal frames.

How many of these have you planted?

We have around 12.
And you can see the growth. Yes.

Will I see that?
Yes, you will see that.

Oh, how exciting!

And these frames are taken
back out into the sea.

The team choose sites where
the water is more likely

to be optimum for their growth,
catching cooler currents

that are full of nutrients.

Is that Mon over there?
Yeah, she's there, yeah.

Yeah. So they planted the corals

and now they move the frames
inside the lagoon, OK?

So the garden where Monica's swimming
is the garden of opportunity.

Exactly, yeah.

So, after a few months, you can see
all the beautiful marine life

slowly come back.

The ones that have had some time
here are slowly starting to regrow.

It's a long way from being
a new reef, but it's a start,

and something many resorts across
the Maldives are also doing.

Many different types of fish -
butterflyfish, parrotfish,

and sometimes you can see
a stingray hiding

and sleeping under the frames, OK?

So let's say it's like a shelter
for marine life.

So it's beautiful.

Monica's out there finishing
this job.

You know, the fact that there's
a job here

where you can give
just something back

and rebuild what was lost,

you know, it's a really kind of
extraordinary thing to do.

Only time will tell whether these
small-scale human interventions

will help take a step in the right
direction to reverse the damage

this ecosystem has suffered.

Since opening in 2018, the Turkish
team behind this resort

have been busy.

They've taken on the lease
of another island seven miles away.

Called "Being", they claim
this is to be the Maldives' first

wellbeing island, and its concept
is even more radical

than the original resort's conscious
commitment to happiness.

Each of the 230 guests who stay
in villas are expected to follow

an individualised programme
of treatments, therapies,

experiences and cuisine

that, and I quote, "Illuminates
a path to transcendence,

"self-discovery and renewal."

It's being marketed to tourists
who want more than a holiday.

They want their health and spirit
restored by the brand.

It's kind of niche marketing.

A pleasure to welcome you,
Mrs Monica, Mr Rob.

Welcome to JOALI Being.
Please come in.

And we've come to have a look.

Firstly, we welcome you through
what we call our Gate of Zero,

which is our grounding spot
on the resort,

and where all our guests begin their
journey from being to becoming.

Gate Zero. Any advice on how to go
from being to becoming?

From the Gate of Zero, any negative
issues, worries or stresses

that you may have in
your day-to-day lives,

leave everything behind,
because you'll be in the great hands

of our team at JOALI Being

as you start your journey
of transformation with us here.

Leave everything behind?

Hang on, we're nearly through
Gate Zero.

From becoming to being.

From being to becoming.

I don't think I'll be very good
at this.

Just don't talk.

Smile and be Zen.

Excellent. Yeah.

And now we're, what, in Gate Zero?

I feel like we're walking
into heaven.

Waaah!

The architecture is described
as following the principles

of biophilic design, with the aim
of achieving harmony by eliminating

negative vibrations, and improving
the island's energetic flow.

However it is justified,

the design is utterly stunning.

There's yoga studios, called here
"transformational spaces",

hydrotherapy pools, cryo-chambers
for cold therapy,

the biggest gym in the Maldives,
apparently,

and house restaurants where dishes
are personalised

solely for your digestive wellbeing.

I'm sure we would need a week
here to get

the full transformative effect.

But we have an afternoon.

Guests arriving don't jump in
the pool with a bottle of champers.

If you can, please take a seat.
Sure, thank you.

They attend an integrated lifestyle
assessment consultation.

The main purpose of the consult is
to determine the wellness journey.

So what I will be doing
in the session is

I'll be asking you some questions.

It will give me some background
information

regarding your current health.

It's a first for me to arrive
in a resort

and have to have
a medical consultation.

It's exciting. OK.

I'm curious where I'm at.

So let's get started.

My assessment is performed by
Didi, one of two qualified

wellbeing consultants on the island,
and uses a bio-resonance device

that will read the energy produced
by living cells in my body.

After I start, it will scan the body
from head to toe.

It will pick up if
there's any area of weakness.

The whole process takes
about three minutes. OK.

And after three minutes, it will
create a report for me.

The system which is coming up as
stressed for you is your lymphatics.

Mm-hm. So we normally see this
when there is water retention.

Yes. But I think it comes
with the climate. Yeah.

So I would actually recommend
you use our complimentary sauna. OK.

The dry heat actually helps to get
rid of extra moisture in the body.

Brilliant.

Once guests are assessed,
they're given a programme

of treatments to follow,

maybe Watsu weightless massages or
aromatherapy in the herbology centre.

I've been invited to help
treatment specialist Ning.

I was told people come here to relax.

What are we doing here?
What's this treatment?

We call this sound bath meditation.

A sound bath meditation uses
sonic vibration

to reduce stress and anxiety.

GONG TONE REVERBERATES

Do you feel the vibration? Yeah.

Do you want to try? Please.

The stronger you hit it, the more
healing comes.

Yes, more healing comes.

NOTE REVERBERATES

Marhaba. Do take a space.

Apparently, some of my bathers
are staff

who've come for half an hour
of my healing noises.

Is this your first sound bath?
Oh, no. Oh, sorry.

But I can't tell who are staff
and who aren't.

CHIMES REVERBERATE

I think it's going well.

Slowly open your eyes.

And how do you feel?

I feel very relaxed and centred
and calm.

Could you tell that this was
my first time?

Yes, I can, because I heard
some sounds while you were walking.

So I need to work on that.

Yes.

I need to be more light-footed.

How do you feel after your gong bath?

I slept. You fell asleep.

Fell asleep. You also fell asleep.

Obviously, I wasn't that
heavy-footed.

As jobs go, that's a lovely one.

As a customer - don't get me wrong -
it's not my artisanal cup of tea.

But I do get why people do it.

Whether there's anything to it or not
is not for me to say,

if people walked away feeling
delighted by it.

Such a difference. Arriving at
JOALI, it was this huge happiness

to be, you know, like,
almost a holiday vibe.

It's a gorgeous resort.

Here, equally gorgeous,
but so tranquil.

Yeah. It's very calm.

The wellness industry is estimated
to be worth

over 800 billion US dollars
globally,

so, although not for every
traveller, tapping into this market

might be a smart decision to stand
out amongst other Maldives resorts.

You've totally Zenned out.

I feel like you're really into this.

I should be more curious
and more open-minded.

Back on the main island, our time
in the Maldives is coming to an end.

But Titi isn't letting us go
quite yet.

So we'll be doing a beautiful dinner
set out for our repeat guests today.

These guests have been offered
a sunset dinner

somewhere quite unexpected...

We're going to build a hut
out here? I don't know. Blimey!

..on a remote sandbank that's only
just above water at low tide.

There's a barbecue over there.

I'm going to go and get
it afterwards.

Can you hurry up in the front?
This is a bit heavy.

And everything has to be taken
by boat.

How can you tell me to hurry up?
You're sitting like...

You're sitting like a queen
over there. You said it.

The sandbar is so low, it's
invisible until the boats are close.

There, OK.

14 members of the hotel team
have come, from chefs to jadugars...

..and guys who just seem to like
carrying heavy things.

You can have a picnic
on a desert island.

This is it, right? It's the ultimate.

Even nature itself has to be
smoothed out.

Take sand from there and put
it here,

because this side looks deeper.

Oh, you want it level. You don't
want, like, a little path up?

Just level it, Rob. Yeah, OK.

I think I need a spade.

What a wonderful greeting!

Sandbank...

Half the hotel furniture
out here...and us,

nice cold towels and some champagne.

Marhaba. How are you? Welcome.
Oh, welcome.

Thank you. Would you like a face
towel?

Good. Very good. Do take a glass.
Cheers! Please, this way.

Vladimir and Elena are celebrating
their wedding anniversary.

I'm sorry. Yes? You have to say
marhaba. I did.

Shaking hands, we don't do
shake hands.

We say marhaba. Some guests,
they prefer not to touch.

Honestly, it's like I've learned
nothing from being here.

Well done, Monica.
You did a great job.

Thank you. Very nice.

Oh... I knew it.

Just a little top-up. Yeah, just a...

We don't want the glasses
to fly away.

Quite a barbecue going on for you.

Thanks. We already checked
all the menu,

so it looks great. It looks OK?
You're happy with the menu?

Yes, it looks great. OK.

What more would you want as a guest?

It's just beautiful.

The sun is setting.

We really have brought half
of the hotel's furniture out here

and it is top-notch service,

and they've provided
something quite special.

I'm just sitting here now that
we're coming to the end of it,

listening to that ocean behind me,

thinking how much I'm going
to miss it.

You can't be on an island
in the middle of an ocean,

living together... Right. ..day in,
day out and not get on.

That doesn't work.

And it's all down to, I believe,
loving what you do

and loving those that you do it
with.

Creating impressive and beautiful
infrastructure in the middle

of the Indian Ocean is undoubtedly
an achievement.

Sustaining harmony both
within the staff workforce

and with the fragile environment
around them

is the challenge going forward.

I'm tired but it's been joyful.

There are worse places to work,
aren't there?

Cheers.