Best of the Maldives: Ayurvedic Dining – Sun Siyam Vilu Reef

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Vilu Reef - aruveydic dining

You can eat well at nearly all the resorts in the Maldives, but at Sun Siyam Vilu Reef you can GET well by eating. India National Day today is an opportunity to celebrate the culture of this Laccadive neighbour whose culture is found across the islands. Ayurvedic treatments can be found in many spas, but Chef Nitin has introduced ayurvedic dining at their “The Spice” restaurant. Healing cuisine is part of the Jain tradition and uses a range of ingredients to aid with certain conditions.

Chef Nitin (honored as the 2nd Best Chef in the India Chapter at the Bocuse d’Or 2012 World Chef’s Championship) pioneered his Spice Health Concept that emphasizes the overall health benefits of each component.  He described his approach, “Our special thali dinner is more than a meal; it’s a journey for your healthy intestine. We believe in using a combination of Indian and unique herb spices to boost immunity, promote gut health, and enhance overall well-being.”

Table Amenities: Journey for Your Healthy Intestine

  • Pineapple Relish: Rich in antioxidants and Bromelain enzyme, aiding in heart health and reducing inflammation.
  • Beetroot, Clove Fruit Vinegar Chutney: High in fiber, promoting the growth of good bacteria in the gut, and containing good sugars for internal healing.
  • Black Garlic Yoghurt: With prebiotic properties, stimulating appetite and contributing to gut health.

Amuse Bouche: Regenerate Your Body

  • Gluten-Free Pani Puri with 03 Different Shots
  • Tangy Green Apple and Mint Water: Rich in Vitamins A & C, acting as antioxidants to prevent cancer cell formation.
  • Beetroot and Basil Water: Anti-inflammatory properties for rejuvenation.
  • Young Turmeric Water: Antioxidant-rich, aiding the body in combating inflammation.

I enjoyed a dish made with hing asafoetida that aids digestion. Which after feasting on such much delicious food I definitely benefitted from.

Vilu Reef - ayurvedic dining 3

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Best of the Maldives: Villa Height Accessibility – Amilla

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Amilla - vanity

Amilla Maldives continues to pioneer accessibility in the Maldives with its latest accessibility feature being “height”. Lowering access to key features is not just beneficial to height-challenged individuals, but is also a major boon to wheelchair users whose own operating height is obviously lowered.

The catalogue of the villa overhaul includes the following:

  • Bathroom Vanities
    • Lowered mirrors
    • Relocated taps to side
    • Cut out under benches to allow wheelchair access
  • Showers
    • Added hand shower unit in Beach Villa
    • Added grab rails
    • Shower Chair is added depending on guest requirements
  • Mini-Bar Cabinet
    • Reduced the bench height by 23cm to enable access when in a wheelchair
    • Easier access to minibar fridge and coffee machine
  • Bedroom
    • Built a long benchtop in place of working desk to create a vanity area for guest to blow-dry hair and make-up area within the bedroom
    • Removed all rugs and benches from the bedroom

Maldives is renowned for having the world’s lowest elevation, and now Amilla have provided accessibility to match.

Amilla - shower

Amilla - room

Amilla - mini-bar cabinet

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Best of the Maldives: Biggest Lagoon – Soneva Jani

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Soneva Jani - lagoon

With their distinctive drop-offs, accessibility to shore, world-leading snorkeling and colourful marine life, Maldives house reefs have long been a criterion for guests. But the more visible and equally Maldivian lagoons also have their own allure. The azure tapestries enshrouding the islands are the first startlingly beautiful vision a visitor has of the destination as their plane starts its final descent. Some guests specifically seek out expansive lagoons for their choice of resorts. And no resort is more expansive than Soneva Jani’s Medhufaru Lagoon t 5.6 km in length. Blue for miles!

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Best of the Maldives: Staff Island – Sun Siyam Iru Veli

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Iruveli - staff island

The Maldives is famous for its “one resort, one island” set up of most properties, but Sun Siyam Iru Veli also dedicates an entire island to its staff.

The conventional location for staff quarters is sequestered in the centre of the island (to preserve the beach and ocean views for as many guests as possible). They are typically shrouded with large, claustrophobic fences to keep views of the sausage machine out of sight from the tourists (as well as to allow the staff a bit of their own privacy).

On its own plot of land, the staff enjoy their own beaches, sea views from their quarters and a more open residential area.

With two sister properties near each other, its own two garden islands, and this dedicated staff island for one, Sun Siyam has its own little mini-atoll.

Sun Siyam Iru Veli - staff island

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Best of the Maldives: Sinks – Soneva Jani

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Soneva Jani - bucket sink

I love a creative sink. I have been featuring them for a while here, and we designed our own ‘cantilever’ marble waterfall sink in our previous house. Soneva Jani provides not just another addition to my wash basin compendium, but three distinctively designed ones. A converted literal basin, a subtle carved wooden plank, and a glass bowl (which we also had in our master bedroom at home).

Soneva Jani - sink

Soneva Jani - sink 2

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Best of the Maldives: Immersive Art – Patina

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Patina - immersive art

Maldives is the ultimate immersion in paradise. Immersed in sunshine. Immersed in the aquatic wonderland. Immersed in Maldivian hospitality and attentive service. The Patina add yet another immersion for its guests: art.

  • “Global icon James Turrell is the wisdom and maverick behind our key piece, Amarta.This autonomous structure explores space and the light that inhabits it. Turrell asks that we also inhabit the space and explore our perception of form. Under the Maldivian sun, the aperture focuses our senses on the pulse and purity of nature.”
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Best of the Maldives: Ocean Sounds Villas – Ailafushi

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The gentle lapping of water ripples on the soft coral sand dominates the typical soundscape of the Maldivian seaside. Resort water villas are typically set in protected, tranquil lagoons so people can easily swim and snorkel straight from their deck and the so main sound you hear is the water sloshing around the support pylons below. But some islands are a bit more exposed to the larger swells of the open ocean produce more substantial waves. The move substantial crests not only create some of the world’s best surfing, but also can provide the more dramatic wave crashing commonplace around other coasts.

But Ailafushi water villas are situated in more open water though protected by a rocky breakwater a short distance out. As a result, a breezy day will produce a regular percussion of waves crashing just a stone’s throw from your deck. While the aquatic activity is reduced, the acoustic activity is enhanced. Lori and I love seaside rooms where you can lie in your bed and hear the sound of waves crashing below. We dozed at night on the loungers just listening to it, but you could hear it clearly inside the villa as well.

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