THERE'S a lot to be said for a cloudless sky, the sun reflecting off the warm crystalline waters of an azure sea and a slow walk along a pristine white sand beach that stretches invitingly into the distance - it merely confirms that you've arrived in paradise. Yes, mornings are magical in the Maldives, a series of 1,200 picture-perfect coral island atolls in the Indian Ocean, about 600 km off the southwestern tip of India.

More specifically, welcome to Club Med Kani, whose vision of paradise was rudely interrupted just over a year ago when the resort - and the whole country, most of which lies below sea level - was swamped by massive waves generated by an underwater earthquake. The islands suffered varying degrees of damage - out of 87 resorts in the country, about 20 closed for repairs, including Kani, which re-opened less than a month ago after a year-long makeover.

Club Med became the first international chain in the Maldives when it opened on another island (Faru) 30 years ago. Tourism is now a major industry and airport expansion plans dictated a switch to Kani, which epitomises the modern Club Med credo - a friendly, upscale and multicultural village atmosphere. They take their fun fairly seriously at Club Med, working hard to create a conducive atmosphere run by a community of enthusiastic GOs (Gracious Organisers) from all over the world, who are primarily responsible for organising social and sporting activities and entertaining guests throughout their stay.

The social centres at any Club Med are generally the pool, bars and dining areas. Activities are scheduled throughout the day and GOs double up as entertainers at night, putting on a show of some sort on most evenings. At Kani, the accommodations are located in all corners of the two-square-kilometre island, usually near a beach, at the end of sandy, tree-lined pathways or wooden piers that stretch over the water. The staff may move about on bicycles, but guests will have to rely on foot power.

While boating, diving, snorkeling and lazing around the island are greatly encouraged (the island also has a Balinese spa and what must be the nicest soccer pitch in the country), more restless types can opt to visit the capital of Male - about a 20-minute boat ride away and the only island where there is some semblance of 'city' life - for a market visit or a spot of souvenir hunting.

While there are no high-rise buildings of any kind in the resorts, Male (where about 84,000 out of a total population of 300,000 Sunni Muslims live) features buildings up to 10-storeys high. It also boasts impressively clean streets, a large modern mosque, a presidential palace and several hundred taxis (on an island about 1.8 square kilometres in size).

A tour of Male will take up a pleasant hour or two. Knowledgeable guides will talk about the colonial past and bring you up to speed with current Maldivian issues, including, if you broach the subject, the impact of the Asian tsunami. But reality intrudes only briefly. Back at Kani, it's time for pre-dinner cocktails and a dinner under the stars - at Club Med, the good times keep right on rolling.