text: Everything they say about the Maldives is true. The sea is breathtakingly cerulean blue, the sand as soft as flour. The air is so clear it feels like there might be a fourth dimension. The view from the sea plane is like a turquoise lava lamp as lagoons meet the ocean with swirls and circles of staggering beauty. And then, just as we start our descent to the little resort of Niyama, in the Dhaalu Atoll, a 40-minute seaplane flight from the capital Malé, two yellow turtles swim sturdily towards a reef. Sand as soft as flour and cerulean sea: Penny is hard pushed to find fault with her week in the Maldives . At the jetty, smiling staff give us cool towels and whisk us to our new home for a week - a superlative beachfront studio where a huge, modern sitting room looks out on to an infinity pool, a strip of brilliant white sand and that ridiculously blue sea. Look the other way and stepping stones lead through green foliage to a table and chairs while to one side is an outside shower surrounded by banana plants. Frankly, the place is bigger than my flat. It's hardly surprising the Maldives have been on the top ten of honeymoon destinations for years. You could easily spend much of your time getting all hot, bothered and arduous in the splendour of your well-appointed villa. But there is much more to do than gaze at sumptuousness. Obviously, with miles of sea to play in, you can swim, snorkel, canoe, scuba dive and sail. There is also a high-tech games room where you can learn or practice golf, shooting, tennis or whatever. Essentially, though, you're here to relax. The days unwind quietly for Penny, with snorkelling, visits to the spa and walks around the island . We take a boat about a third of a mile offshore to the sensational music venue SUBSIX, which is six metres (20ft) under the sea. As the sun sets, we have cocktails at Edge, the restaurant above. Light spills on to the man-made coral reef. Stars dapple the night sky. A slight breeze ruffles the balmy air. 'It's like the set of a Bond film,' says my rapt companion. 'We need someone stroking a white cat to say, "Here's your mojito, Mr Bond. I expect you to die. Of happiness." ' Edge's executive chef (an Aussie named Geoff Clark) serves up exquisite food. I've never had an amuse bouche which amused the bouche so thoroughly. Basil mousse, coconut caviar and a salmon square. I could have eaten the plate. Eleven hours later, it's off along the sandy paths to breakfast. Wow. The selection is amazing, from miso soup and curry to steamed vegetables, rice pudding and fruit. A sailing trip on a dhoni, an old Maldivian boat (left) is the icing on the cake. Even the fruit bats are happy(right) Actually, I'm not going to mention the food any more. Suffice to say that not only will you not starve or suffer from lack of variety, you will eat some of the most gorgeous food you've ever tasted. Meanwhile, some of us need a massage. You'd be hard pushed to find a more beautiful spa than the Lime Spa. There's driftwood and teakwood, white stepping stones and crystal clear water with floating glass globes, surrounded by lush foliage. Fruit bats hang upside down in the trees, cuckoos gently coo and a sweet reef shark bimbles along in the shallows as the sea tickles the shore. In the evening, we walk along the beach to the rooftop Fahrenheit bar and have a green coconut. Below, tiny lights sparkle in the pool while above is a canopy of stars. Bimble away: A reef shark is one of the many creatures Penny encounters during her stay in the Maldives . Clusters of paper lanterns light our way home. The days unwind quietly. We go snorkelling with Judith Hannak, the resident marine biologist. There are myriad coloured fish and also groupers and black tipped reef sharks. But the revelation is the beauty of the giant clams - bright blue, red, green and yellow ones. Stunning. 'The different colours are down to the salts and the algae,' she tells us. At dinner that night in Tribal, we sit with our feet in the sand, our way lit by candles and sconces. There's a full moon and the water gently thripples the shore. Can it get much better? Yes, it can. Yoosuf, our butler, comes to tell us that we can go out for a sail with Captain Shihan on a dhoni, an old Maldivian boat with a spacious bedroom, which is beautifully appointed with dark wood and a thatched roof. We lounge on a giant orange beanbag at the front and watch dolphins frolic and flying fish fly as the sun sets and the champagne bottle goes down. The next morning, it's all over. We fly back to Malé and westward home. Why do holidays have to end? ITC Luxury Travel (01244 355 527) offers seven nights' half board at Niyama from £2,385pp based on two adults sharing a Beach Studio, including return flights and transfers. Valid for travel completed between April 13 and September 19, 2015.
target: Mail on Sunday writer visits the resort of  Niyama, in the Dhaalu Atoll .
  Spends her days relaxing in the Lime Spa and snorkelling .
  Food at the resort is cooked by Aussie chef Geoff Clark .