If you want to build your appetite or beef up the Swiss Family Robinson way, Amilla puts the ‘jungle’ into ‘jungle gym’ by putting its gym into the jungle. I’ve seen a some of these charmingly natural fitness devices in other resorts, but not the coconut weight machine.
For those full-on carne connoisseurs out there, Jumeirah Maldives has its own dry beef ager at its signature Beach Rouge steakhouse restaurant. Just right for to be accompanies by some suitably aged vintage claret.
Many people are reducing their consumption of meat for a variety of reasons, but one of the most prominent is their concern over the ethics of the meat production on both the animals and the planet. While some have completely eliminated meat from their diet, for others going completely cold turkey (or cow?) is a bit too challenging. As a part of their ethos to help guests take step to great sustainability, Amilla is offering a range of ethical meats on its menus:
It’s never difficult to find a veggie option in the Maldives with its shared culinary heritage with the Indian subcontinent and the general popularity of well-being options among the destination’s guests. But the newly opened Joali Being has a set a new bar for a spectacular vegetarian eatery, Plantae:
For vegetarians used to having a few “V” options at the bottom of the menu, Joali elevates meat-free dining to a sort of culinary cathedral.
How did you celebrate Valentines this week? A decadent spa day? A sumptuous meal? How about both in one? SAii Lagoon’s Len Be Well spa have coupled a spa-dining combo for couples. You have savour both tactile and tasty sensations in a treatment that enhances the body inside and out.
One of Maldives Complete’s initial objectives was to help people sort through the myriad resort options. Options which have only expanded with the resort growth and the profusion of diverse room types. It’s almost like Maldives Complete is a “resort concierge” (or “room concierge”). When we first started visiting the destination in the 90s, spas were an anomaly, but now they are standard fare. And spas at the luxury properties have as many bewildering choice of treatments as the Maldives has resorts. So Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi has introduced its own “Wellness Concierge”:
In the early years, the “spa” was relegated to some small rooms in sequestered in the middle of the island. With the rise of wellness tourism, resorts brought the spas front and centre to the main stage of the destination – over water. Now, an over-water spa common fare among the five-star Maldives properties. And yet, within the spas themselves, the massages are the main event and most of the treatments rooms are designed and reserved for the treatments. The spas will often feature beauty treatments – eg. facials, manicures, pedicures – but they are most often found near the entrance with a limited ocean view. But, the Jumeirah Maldives spa gives the aestheticians the same pride of place as the masseuses with an over-water room with floor-to-ceiling windows on 3 sides. Good looking out for those getting their looks good.
I’ve realized with this post that I need an “Over Water” tag for all those over water treats (but keeping the overwater villa features separate).
Floating breakfasts have gone from being never seen before to don’t miss. But what if you are not a big breakfast person (or just like a particularly leisurely lie-in on holiday)? Well, Kandima has introduced the floating lunch. Now that’s a “liquid lunch”!
I’d actually been on the lookout for something like this my latest “Not Yet Seen” draft when I came upon an outdoor sauna pod doing Christmas shopping. Not a sauna, but a steam bath at Soneva Jani with a bonus twist of being perched on the deck of one of their water villas. The room was sensibly designed with two large floor-to-ceiling walls facing the turquoise vista of the lagoon (I didn’t get to try it out to see how much the steamed glass affected the view). Still, I love the idea of relaxing in the soothing heat coming from something other than rays of sunshine while still taking in the outdoor scenery (as opposed to being sequestered away in some nook of a spa facility).
Steamy room with a view!
A steam bath is a common feature at resort spas to double-down on the soothing heat of the tropics with a pore-opening, muscle relaxing, sinus-clearing session. And for the devotees of such healthy humidity, Kudafushi offers a personal steam bath a several of its villas. We always enjoy a hot shower as the end of a day of sun and sand and salt, but it is easier to linger in a steam bath than a running shower to relax and cleanse even deeper.