image sourceHong Kong Tatler

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Resort has opened the world's first-ever underwater hotel residence. Innovation lies in the heart of Rangali Island. The Hilton's Conrad Maldives Rangali Island resort has not done the incredible innovation for the first time. The resort was the first who have perched villas on stilts above the water, the credit for the first underwater restaurant was bagged by them only and now again they have surprised the customers by providing first underwater Villa. Its name is Muraka. The name Muraka means coral in the local language of Maldives (Dhivehi). If you can afford the luxury, then just check into your world of dreams underwater. It has opened in November 2018. From November it has opened for public booking.Charges - $50, 000 per night for a stay which costs INR 36.67Lakhs per night per person. But these charges are exclusive of taxes. The only catch is that one has to book it for a minimum of four nights.We should thank a ton to Ahmed Saleem. He is the architect of the Muraka. The Muraka is well connected to the rest of the resort including the Ithaa - by jetty. The underwater restaurant is a five-star restaurant named Ithaa.The difficult process of building Muraka was completed in Singapore and then it was transported to the Maldives. The transportation was done via specialized ship and submerged near a reef without damage. Ten concrete piles hold it stable so it doesn't shift during bad weather. The whole structure was lowered into the water and supported by the help of concrete pylons which would eventually help to keep it steady from rough waves or high tides. It was nailed with pylons so that it cannot be shifted with high tides and rough waves cannot damage the Muraka. The weight of the lower level of the underwater villa is around 600 ton.How to reach - you might have started planning at the back of your mind to check in Worlds first underwater villa. So you might be curious about how to reach Muraka. Guests can reach Muraka via two options. The first one is you can reach Muraka via private seaplane to a private jetty and the second option you can opt is via speedboat from the main resort. The speedboat can be retained by the guests for their use till their stay. The location away from the main resort offers serious privacy.

image source-The Wordrobe

Features of Muraka

If you want to enjoy the dream accommodation in the Indian Ocean, then Muraka will definitely keep all the promises of incredible underwater stay. Muraka is located more than 16 feet under the sea level, in the middle of the Indian ocean. It has glass walls. In common Muraka is a two-level aquarium, where guests can sleep asleep seeing the fish swimming their overhead and have breathed taking morning in the swaying arms of corals. The two-level underwater villa is made up of steels, concrete, and acrylic. At a time the villa can accommodate nine guests with an upper-level view of Indian Ocean.The top floor of the Villa is situated above the water. The upper floor of Muraka will give the guests an uber luxurious experience. The upper level of the Muraka includes a gym, butlers quarter, kitchen and a gym with an on-call fitness trainer. The top floor of the villa also has a relaxation deck for a sunbath. The upper section of the villa comprises of two bedrooms. The main attraction of the bedroom is additional bathrooms equipped with all modern facilities and a bathtub facing the ocean. The bathroom will give you can experience that you are living your dream or a fairy tale. Each luxury suite is having own chef and two jet skis. The other luxury indulgences on the upper level apart from the integrated space from living, dining, entertaining, and sleeping, there is a deck which is primarily meant for the guests to enjoy watching sunsets and the deck is completed with an infinity-edge pool.The second level of the villa is underwater. So here the guests can use a spiral staircase or elevator to get down below the waves. The domed ceiling and the expansive windows offer panoramic views of deep blue. The underwater comprises of a master bedroom. The bedroom is equipped with king size bed. The bedroom offers a 180-degree view of aquatic life. The uninterrupted view of beneath the Indian Ocean is a lifetime experience. Even if you are washing your hands or taking a shower you can see the fishes swim by. Sleep with the fish, drink coffee with the coral, and some lucky residents might even glimpse turtles, stingrays, or even sharks staring disapprovingly through the glass.The Muraka is all about unique experiences. It offers four itineraries, personalized to different types of travelers: "The Wanderers," focused on culture; "The Flavors," focused on food; "The Soul," focused on wellness; and "The Thrill," focused on adventure. The suite comes with a 24 hours daily room service. Everything else from massage therapists to facialists to trainers can be arranged and included in the (hefty) price tag.

image source-CNN.com

Of course, once in a lifetime experiences comes with a big fat pocket investment. The price tag vacation in the Worlds first underwater villa is expensive. But it is more than just an underwater accommodation. The entire villa is designed with keeping the local ecosystem in mind. The Muraka promises a unique experience which is not available anywhere else in the world. So this vacation check into the Worlds first underwater Villa with a curved ceiling, wide windows, and fish peep show bathroom make for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone with mermaid dreams.