A Visit to 5 Luxury Spas in the Maldives

ANANTARA VELI MALDIVES RESORT

Location: South Male Atoll. Accessible by a 30 minute speedboat from Male airport.
Spa Fact: Awarded as the 'Leading Wellness and Spa Resort' and Leading Wellness And Spa Brand Chain” by the Maldives Matato Awards 2015.
Best for: In-house Ayurvedic doctor.

All four of the Anantara Maldives resorts are focused on health and wellness. This year they launched their Balance series that invites guests to put themselves on a path of wellness while being a world away from home. They offer healthy cooking classes, meditation and yoga classes, treatments with visiting practitioners and nutritious balance wellness juices on the menu.



I sampled their wellness program which included a consultation with their in-house Ayurvedic doctor followed by a traditional ayurvedic massage called Abyhanga, a deep pressure massage using medicated oils that focus on the head, neck, shoulders and back to effectively release knots and tightness in the muscles where we tend to store the most stress and tension. It's a therapy which is highly helpful for insomnia and induces sound sleep for those who have sleep irregularities and travel a lot like myself. Private yoga classes are offered with guest teachers, having practiced for 10 years I hadn't actually tried Strala yoga before which focuses on an overall concept of moving with ease and incorporates eastern influences of tai chi and shiatsu. After yoga I took a healthy Japanese cooking class in the Spice Spoons cooking school and reaped the rewards by eating it afterwards.



VELASSARU MALDIVES

Location: South Male Atoll. Accessible by a 25 minute speedboat from Male airport.
Spa Fact: The Spa at Velassaru unveiled its new menu in April this year including the new signature massage and couples retreat ritual and body treatment.
Best for: Overwater spa palace and ocean setting.

The spectacular Velassaru overwater spa is like a Spa Palace built on stilts that takes in the breathtaking views of the Indian ocean. Its ten treatment rooms, pool and yoga pavilion are all perched on stilts. This is THE place to indulge in a massage. I went for the totally relaxing Indian head massage on the first day and the next day experienced my longest massage ever -- two and a half hours! It began with a foot cleansing and aromatic inhalation ritual, and then an exfoliating body scrub followed by their signature Velassaru massage - warm homemade coconut oil is applied, then ‘hands on' rolling movements and wooden massage pestles (made from the islands coconuts and palm wood) are used to release tension from the shoulders and spine and stimulate positive energy. After the treatment there's the incredible hydropool for even more blissful relaxation.



KANDOLHU MALDIVES

Location: Hidden in the North Ari Atoll of the Maldives, reached in 25 minutes by seaplane from Male airport then a 10 minute speedboat.
Spa Fact: The Varu Spa uses organic marine-based treatments provided by VOYA, the first genuinely organic seaweed-based cosmetic products in the world.
Best for: Feeling like you're living on your own island. Robinson Crusoe eat your heart out!

Varu means ‘energy' in the local language Dhivehi and forms the basis of every person, creating emotional responses and movement. When this energy is unbalanced or met with resistance due to stress, it can leave us feeling anxious and fatigued. The focus at the Varu Spa is to realign and unite the mind, body and spirit by helping to rebalance and strengthen this energy. Their signature two hour Coral Voyage treatment is highly recommended and really unique. Beginning with a body brush, then a full head to toe body massage that's inspired by the movements of the sea and a marine eye treatment that uses layered seaweed compressed on to the skin. As they say, the results speak for themselves and the proof is immediately visible plumper and radiant skin.



THE RESIDENCE MALDIVES

Location: Falhumaafushi island, on one of the largest and deepest atolls in The Maldives. Reached by a 70 minute domestic flight from Male to Kooddoo airport, then a 7 minute speedboat transfer.
Spa Fact: The first and only Spa by Clarins in the Maldivian archipelago.
Best for: Overall 'retreat' style wellness itinerary.

The wellness program began from the moment of arrival with a wellness consultation to help tailor the itinerary of yoga, spa and healthy food on the menu and select my favorite detox juice that could be served with every meal. The 3 days consisted of a more retreat style program, starting each day with a private in villa one hour yoga class, 30 minutes of pranayama (breathing exercises) and meditation. The room came with a pair of yoga mats so I could do my own practice as well.

The only Clarins Spa in the Maldives, the setting is simply breathtaking and serene. I felt totally zen before I even set foot in the water-villa treatment room! My spa treatments included a 30 minute neck and shoulder massage and a ‘Vital Light' facial with pioneer plants, a super luxurious treatment that restores the luminosity and vitality of the skin. I was lucky enough to be there during International Yoga Day and got to celebrate it with a full moon yoga class on the incredible yoga deck.



SHANGRI-LA VILLINGILLI RESORT AND SPA

Location: Located south of the equator on Villingili Island, on the southernmost tip of Addu Atoll. We took a 70 minute domestic flight to Gan then a seven minute speedboat to Villingili.
Spa Fact: The CHI spa is located in its own spa village and offers new five-day Ayurvedic programs.
Best for: Out of this world authentic spa treatments.

The treatments I had at the CHI spa were hands down the best spa experience of my life. The therapists deserve a hundred stars! On the first day I experienced the Kandu Boli Ritual, a treatment that's exclusive to this resort. My therapist used cowrie shells to draw energy from the sea and pour warm Maldivian coconut oil made by the local community on to my body, face and scalp. The most unexpected part is when the therapists begins to chant as the shells were held over my ears. This massage hits the spot on many levels and is really quite magical. On the second day I tried the Shirodhara and Ayurvedic Massage which was absolutely divine. The first part of the massage was given outside by the ocean, listening to the waves. No need for spa music out here, this is the real thing!

Shirodhara is an ancient Ayurvedic therapy where warm oil is poured in a continuous stream over the forehead or ‘ajna marma', an area where nerves are highly concentrated. The pressure of the oil onto the forehead creates a vibration and penetrates into the nervous system. The gentle pressure and soothing warmth of the oil allow the body, mind and nervous system to experience a deep state of rest, similar to meditation.



Links for further information and booking:
https://veli-maldives.anantara.com/
https://www.velassaru.com/
https://www.kandolhu.com/
https://cenizaro.com/theresidence/maldives-fm
https://www.shangri-la.com/male/villingiliresort/