One couple is living the dream in the Maldives.

Over the last year, we've all dreamed of flying away to anywhere tropical and lying flat out on a beach. Instead we've had to watch other people, mainly influencers do it on Instagram. This next story is probably the best holiday of a lifetime story we've heard. A Canadian couple basically moved to the Maldives to live and work remotely during the pandemic. Restaurateur Neal Van Beers and his partner, Charmaine Sanchez, decided when the snow arrived in their hometown of Vancouver they needed to get away. They had always dreamed of living in gorgeous location by the beach so they made their dream a reality. They booked in to stay at a luxury resort in the Maldives for a cool €25,000. Van Beers came across the unlimited package at the Anantara Veli resort after reading about it online. He told Insider "I knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity." He had stayed in the resort before so he was familiar with the place. The exclusive package allows two people to stay "as often as you please in one of the resort's luxury overwater bungalows until December 23, 2021." It includes "daily breakfast, transportation, and discounts on dining and the spa." The couple followed all the guidelines to make their trip a Covid compliant and safe as possible. They both took a PCR test, where both tested negative, before flying as required by government guidance. Their luggage was disinfected several times on their journey over and when they arrived at the hotel. The resort's website says they have "taken extra measures to reflect the advice and guidance of the World Health Organization, Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the local authority".