Raffles has its own distinct font for its bath decorating to make its sudsy welcome even clearer (thanks Paola).
Best of the Maldives: Spa Softness – Ritz-Carlton Maldives
A spa treatment, especially in the Maldives, isn’t just about the targeted part of the body, but is also an immersive experience of relaxation and comfort. With massages, I do sort of appreciate a lovely location, but frankly when you are face down with your eyes closed, there is not much opportunity to enjoy them. So for massage treatments, the sensory luxury is all about touch – the feel of the plush table and of course the expert therapists.
Ritz Carlton Maldives’ spa simply exudes sensual softness in every details. You change into super silk soft robes. The face rest not only featured a spongy cushion, but also it was covered with an ultra soft chamois. The same chamois texture that covered the entire bed. And Dankaj, my masseur, provide a treatment that was fluid and tender while being firm enough to coax the tight muscles out of their tension (I find male masseurs to often be too mechanical and firm) with just the right pressure like the right amount of chili in a curry.
Best of the Maldives: Kindness – Nika
- “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” —Anne Herbert
Anne Herbert’s quote above seems to capture the ethos of Nika’s “kind island” initiative:
- “NIKA ISLAND will be the first kind island in the Maldives…An island not subject to the ravages of time, nor to the dynamics of massive tourism that are redefining the Maldives. A land that embraces the value of kindness by translating it into concrete social projects that benefit the ecosystem itself: an ambitious alchemical experiment with simply unrepeatable contours. International Kindness Movement is a network that to date has reached 300,000 participants and spreads kindness, restoring the highest human, spiritual, cultural, environmental and social values to the territory in which it operates, through the promotion of a healthy and conscious lifestyle.”
Nika is becoming an Ambassador of Kindness as a part of the International Kindness Movement which describes them in their charter as follows:
- “The Ambassadors of Kindness are: Friendly, Understanding, Positive, Kind, Inspirational, Grateful, Compassionate, Resilient, Passionate, Patient, Empathetic, Respectful, Determined, Forgiving, Humble, Honest, Courageous. As an Ambassador of Kindness, you will be undertaking to support the ongoing kindness campaign. Whilst it is about the promotion of events leading up to World Kindness Week in November, it’s also about engaging the whole village to create a better environment within the greater community by promoting the good work that is being done in all sectors of the Village.”
Some of this might seem rather obvious and superfluous (isn’t every resort going to be “kind”), but I think that just mission statements and campaigns can inspire and focus organisations to make that extra effort and take those extra initiatives to walk the walk.
My kind of island!
Best of the Maldives: Freedom Tree – Cora Cora
Another variation of the wish tree is Cora Cora’s “Freedom Tree”. Not only do you write you wish to hang on a special walking tree for them to be lofted away by the Maldives ocean breezes, but you can also choose one of 4 colours each associated with one of the following sentiments:
- Yellow = “Luck is believing you are lucky”
- Teal = “It is health that is wealth”
- Blue = “Some people are worth waiting for”
- Red = “All we need is love”
Best of the Maldives: Box Fish Seaplane – Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru
Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru adds another creature to the school of flying fish is the Maldives skies introducing its boxfish styled seaplane (to join the whale shark, yellowfin tuna, shark, and parrot fish).
Best of the Maldives: Kids Zip Line – Soneva Jani
Photo credit – Haneen @haneensiddiq
Another “Finally Seen”, in fact one of my earliest. Coincidentally, Lori gave me a 60th birthday gift of a trip to Belize partly motivated by its similarity to the Maldives. One of the activities on the agenda was a zipline through the rain forest. Soneva Jani’s now offers that high flying thrill for kids at its “The Den” facility.
Zipitty doodah day!
Best of the Maldives: Rope Climbing – Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Ropes courses are a classic team building activity in the corporate world, and for those budding executives, Ritz Carlton Maldives’ “Ritz Kids Club” offers and indoor and outdoor net-protected rope climbing (and clambering) frame. With the number of these “Climbing” features going higher and higher, I’ve added a tag for them with this post.
Best of the Maldives: Obstacle Course – Emerald
For all the budding young Gladiators looking to burn all the excess energy of from the excitement of arriving in paradise, Emerald’s Dolphin Kids Club offers a fun obstacle course to scamper through for hours on end so when Mom and Dad pick them up they are all spent and ready to sit calmly during cocktail hour.
Best of the Maldives: SAii Lagoon / Hard Rock – Map Table
Best of the Maldives: Underwater Dry Treasure Hunt – OBLU Ailafushi / Lobigili
The underwater, well, everything in the Maldives is so amazing that every visit should feature as much of it as possible. I love underwater facilities, but I especially like when the resorts expand their use to for other things so as many people can enjoy the underwater experience as possible. OBLU Ailafushi and OBLU Lobigili are using their underwater restaurants as a marine classroom. And part of their coral-life curriculum is a fun treasure hunt for different species of marine life. And the activity is not just for guests, but the properties also invite local Maldivian school children over to enjoy and benefit from this unique classroom experience.
- “The Educational Marine Tour sensitises school children between the ages of 5 to 12 years about marine life. They identify fish and corals, connecting with the country’s fragile ecosystem. This initiative attempts to educate future generations who may decide to have a career in hospitality. Every month the resort will invite students from different schools in Malé for the program.”
Two of my favourite things to enjoy in the Maldives – underwater and treasure hunts!
