Footloose in the Maldives: Two takes on island luxury

MALE, Maldives -- Our holiday begins cinematically: aboard a private yacht gliding across choppy seas, snacks and drinks in hand, with the airport fading into the distance. An hour later, we step ashore at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, in North Male Atoll. The deep notes of a sangu (conch shell) ring through the sea breeze -- a nod to an old Maldivian custom of announcing visitors.