Subsix

At the uber fancy PER AQUUM Niyama resort in Maldives, tourists frolic between two private islands. They have lots of dining choices, but by far the most unique is Subsix, a gourmet restaurant six (hence the name) meters (about 20 feet) beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean.

In order to even see Subsix, visitors must come by speedboat. It’s a 40 minute trip from the capital, Malé, or a 15 minute one from Niyama Resort’s islands. The entrance to the restaurant is inconspicuous, just a mysterious pair of doors atop a short dock. Once there, they descend three stories beneath the waves into the “clam-shaped” bar. The building (constructed on land then sunk below the waves) sits central to a thriving coral reef. Sea anemone chairs and soft blue light invite the diners into the ocean world, not to mention the Hawkbill turtles, eels, and parrotfish swimming just beyond the glass.