A German couple is holidaying at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef for the 30th time, returning to the Maldives for a grand welcome.

Harns Guard Richter and his wife Bärbel Richter have visited the Maldives a total of 37 times, and on one of their visits the couple went to Sun Aqua Vilu Reef for the first time in 2002. They immediately fell in love with the resort, opting to stay there on every single visit to the Maldives since then.

The team at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef now affectionally call Harns and Bärbel as “Mama and Papa”.

As the couple arrived in the Maldives on Tuesday for the 37th time, they were surprised and taken aback when they saw the grand welcome the resort has prepared for them at the airport. Parent company The Sun Siyam Resorts’ Executive Director Zuleykha Manik and a team from its travel agency Sun Travels greeted the couple at the airport.

Later on, the team at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef welcomed their Mama and Papa with traditional dances as they arrived in the island for the 30th time.

“They give us a surprise every time, but we never thought they would greet us at the airport in such a grand way. To us, they are like our own children,” Bärbel told Sun Online newspaper.

“Vilu Reef offers just the right balance between luxury and Maldivian culture. That’s why we love the place so much.”

Harns and Bärbel will stay in Sun Aqua Vilu Reef for 20 days this time, but that is not enough for them! They are already planning to return to the Maldives — more specifically to their second home of Sun Aqua Vilu Reef — in December for the festive season.

Sun Aqua Vilu Reef is a palm fringed paradise-like island located in South Nilandhe atoll, a mere 35-minute seaplane flight away from the main Velana International Airport.

Hidden amongst the foliage are 62 shell shaped bungalows, (14 Beach Villas, 18 Deluxe Beach Villas, 10 Jacuzzi Deluxe Beach Villas, five Deluxe Beach Villas with Pool, and 15 Sun Aqua Pool Villas) with lava-stone pools, whirlpool bathtubs, private sundecks and day swing beds. A further 41 Water Villas (20 Reef Villas, nine Sunset Reef Villas, six Aqua Villas with plunge pools, five Aqua Suites with private swimming pool and a Grand Reef Suite) complete the accommodation offering with a select few even hiding inviting overwater hammocks.

Guests can be selective at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef and explore the spice and warmth of home style Maldivian cuisine, feast on gourmet organic and free-range produce grown on the resorts private Farm Island, sink their teeth into freshly caught, barbecued seafood or dine under the stars with private dining experiences.

A major focus, the Sun Aqua Spa at the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef consists of six private treatment pavilions each with open air flower baths, open showers, a hydrotherapy area and double treatment beds. On offer is also a salon, manicure/pedicure and a beautiful relaxation area. Encompassing the Five Element Theory — Wood, Fire, Metal, Earth and Water — the spa will offer a lengthy menu of Ayurvedic wellness rituals, pampering beauty therapies and massage techniques from around the world. It also offers a selection of signature therapies to help renew body and mind, including a rich scrub of coconut or coffee, a herbal Udavarthanam detox or a relaxing, fragrant flower bath.