When guests at Anantara Maldives gather around the soft glow of candlelight for an evening of mystic storytelling, it is the Island Chief himself who takes them on a unique journey through the region’s rich tapestry of history and folklore. In a solemn tone Chief Didi recounts intriguing tales of legends and heroes. When the sun rises the next morning, he’s also the first one up, ensuring the beach is spotless for another day in paradise!

Born in the far south on Addu Atoll near Gan, where the British military base was located and Didi worked as a young man, he set sail for the capital Male in 1976 to seek new opportunities. The journey took three days, with the passengers surviving on ‘garudhiya’ (Maldivian fish soup), rice, fish and coconuts. This was during the time when tourism started to develop in the region and Didi worked a number of different jobs, mostly labouring.

News broke of a new resort being built at the lagoon with its four islands where Anantara is now located, and in no time Didi was part of the building crew – and never left. That was 22 years ago…

“Once the resort was completed, I worked my way through the ranks. First as a waiter, then as a room attendant, and all the way to Island Chief. Here in the Maldives, every island or small lagoon of islands has a chief. It’s his job to oversee daily life; to make sure everyone is happy and to solve problems. I look after the island as if it’s my own home, and do whatever it takes to ensure the welfare of its people and visitors. That’s a job I will never get bored of!

I get up at dawn, and right away do a tour of the island to check that everything is okay. I enjoy working with the staff to ensure they’re also proud of their island. Chatting to guests is such a pleasure too – especially when they return, because that means they had a really meaningful experience here the first time around.