Moneypenny's Maldives: Bond's girl finds paradise as Naomie Harris hits the beach

By NAOMIE HARRIS
UPDATED: 18:45, 15 January 2013

Filming work keeps me away from home so much that, to be honest, I don't really like going on holiday. When I get time off, I usually prefer to stay in London near to my family and friends.

But when my family decided to go to the Maldives, I found myself caught up in their excitement and agreed to go along. I wasn't sure what sort of time we would have but it ended up being one of the best things we've ever done together.

A well-earned break: Naomie soaks up the sunshine in the Maldives

Everybody was so relaxed while we were away. We all had such a laugh together away from the normal stresses and strains of everyday life.

We stayed at the Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort. The journey involved a direct flight to the Maldivian capital Male and then a 50-minute boat ride to the resort.

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Sometimes these connections can be complicated and time-consuming – but not this time. We got straight off the plane and on to the boat. It was all slickly organised and very impressive.

It's hard to convey just what an extraordinary feeling it is to get to the Maldives. You feel as if you've been plucked from grey old Britain and dropped in the middle of paradise.

Because of work commitments, I had to travel out later than my family – my mother, stepdad, brother, 15, and 12-year-old sister. The first impression was the hot sunshine and beauty of everything – but I was also overwhelmed by the level of service.

There were four people waiting for me to get off the plane and put me on the boat. When I got to the resort I found we had two villas on stilts over the sea. The villas were things of beauty in their own right. They were finely constructed with wooden floors – all very traditional and very spacious.

And the staff worked really hard, with lots of thoughtful touches. Every day, for example, someone would arrange flowers on the bed. Lovely.

A piece of paradise: The Olhuveli resort is one of the Maldives' most picturesque hideaways

As a family, we had a marvellous time. They went to Thailand a few years ago and, at the last minute, I wasn't able to go. Holidays are always difficult for anybody in the acting profession – we have to take jobs when we can get them. When they got back, they went on and on about what a wonderful time they'd all had – I imagine they might have been trying to wind me up a little.

But it was a relief when they quickly decided that the Maldives had managed to eclipse Thailand.

'Better than Thailand!' You couldn't get better than that!

What made the holiday so special? The food was fantastic. What my dad liked was the fact that on the first day, we were assigned a table in the restaurant and that was our table for the duration of the stay. We had the same waiter who became 'our waiter' and he really took care of us and got to know all of our likes and dislikes. If you liked tea after your meal, he would remember that.

And on a warm night he would move the table outside so that we could eat under the stars by candlelight, the sea lapping away beneath our feet.

The Maldives is just so incredibly romantic. Another thing we loved about the restaurant was that every night they served a different cuisine: local Maldivian food one night, Italian the next, followed by Chinese. There was always a pasta bar and a choice of a hot-meat dish – lamb or chicken, for example – which is griddled in front of you. And there was always a salad bar.

The food was so varied with something for everyone. I particularly liked the huge spread on offer for breakfast with tons of fresh fruit and everything from rice pudding to wonderful sugary doughnuts (my brother is a big doughnut fan). My ideal breakfast is what many people would have for their lunch so this sort of choice was perfect for me. Many mornings I had chicken and vegetables.

All in the same boat: The holiday allowed Naomie to spend some time with her family

Because dinner in the evening is always a big set-piece meal, you might have expected lunch to be a light affair, but it wasn't. I usually tried to restrict myself to a salad but the buffet was vast and tempting. I have to say that I did my best not to pile on the pounds but my mum wasn't so careful: I think she was struggling to do up a couple of buttons by the end of the trip - she went on a diet as soon as she got home. Thank goodness I don’t have the problem of putting on weight like that – my brother and I have the same physique and we can eat whatever we like and not pile on the pounds.

When people heard we were going to the Maldives, some of them said: ‘Oh, there’s not much to do there, you know.’ But I think that’s one of the good things about going – you’re not under any obligation to head out to see the sights; there is no extensive itinerary packed with things you have to see or do. That sort of pressure on holiday can be quite stressful.

When you reach the island you quickly realise that there's not going to be very much going on at all. Therefore you can just completely relax and get into a different rhythm.

If you do want more excitement, there are different trips you can go on. We had fun on the banana boat ride, we went out on a catamaran and we did a dolphin excursion. We also had the chance to visit another island for what they called 'a culturally authentic experience'.

Fine dining: The resort is no place for those sticking to a diet

I didn't buy the 'Oh, I'd get bored' thing before I went and I certainly didn't while I was there. I didn't take my iPad. I did have my mobile phone but I never switched it on. My brother had his laptop so I could check my emails from time to time to make sure I wasn't missing some amazing film role.

It's a paradise but with great wi-fi – I love that.

I wasn't there for the weekly resort party held for all the guests on a deserted beach illuminated by candlelight under a canopy of twinkling stars. My mother said it was like being in a movie it was so lovely – and everybody was dressed up and glamorous.

We would love to go back because we had such a good time. It appealed to all our family. It was particularly great for the children because they could be totally independent. The island is so small you felt sure they couldn't come to any harm. This gave them an independence that they don't get at home in London.

I've been travelling quite a lot recently. I went to Kenya to film The First Grader, the true story of an 84-year-old Kenyan villager and ex-Mau Mau freedom fighter who battled for his right to be able to go to school for the first time to get the education he had been denied as a child.

I was in Kenya for about six weeks, and I loved it. We lived in lodges on a nature reserve and got to know the local community. To prepare for the film I had to learn to teach a class of children. It was great to be able to immerse myself in the local culture.

Appearing in the National Theatre in Danny Boyle's production of Frankenstein, playing Elizabeth – the monster's fiancee – made me want to travel more around Europe. Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein during a tour she and her husband, the poet Percy Shelley, were taking down the Rhine to Switzerland.

Happy days: Naomie reflects on a perfect escape

I'm not sure yet how much travel will be involved in filming the new Bond film, Skyfall. There will certainly be some exotic locations – I've heard India being mentioned – but as Miss Moneypenny I'll probably get no further than Pinewood Studios.

I'm not planning to do an awful lot of travelling this year. I have a new flat so most of my time is taken up with builders and things like choosing curtain fabric.

But if we had the chance, we would return to the Maldives in a heartbeat.

Naomie's TV and Film Credits

Sunday, 10 March 2013