And gong goes to…
The Grammy for ‘Best Meditative Inspiration’ goes to…[drumroll]…Gili Lankanfushi. Nominated by Sakis of ‘Dreaming of Maldives’. He featured these ambient instruments in a recent post complete with a video so you can enjoy their soothing tones.
From multiple golf simulators, to many multiple rolf stimulators. Holiday Island’s sister resort Sun Island features the largest of the spa in the Villa properties – 105 different treatments in their phone-book-thick menu. The Starbucks of Spas.
I also love the word ‘Araamu’ in the spa name. It is the Maldivian word for ‘Total Relaxation. They say that Eskimos have a hundred different word for ‘snow’, and the Japanese have a hundred words for ‘rice’, so I guess it is only natural that the Maldivians would have different words for ‘relaxation’.
For a quiet place to relax as big as a pond, Lily Beach has a sofa nearly as big as a king size bed. It is adjacent to the bed itselfcreating sort of an extended indolence zone in its Water Villa Suite.
‘Water Lily’
If you like floating flowers in pools of water, then Nika’s spa is an aquatic wonderland of lily pads and other ornamental pond greenery. Nika gives a new slant to the concept of an ‘over water’ spa.
Usually you have a relaxing float in the Jacuzzi, but at The Rania Experience your float can float.
Whatever floats in your boat!
I’m always intrigued by the inviting perches found on Maldives resorts for sitting and chilling in the warm ocean breezes. The most classic is the ‘hammock’ which has even found its way out to the middle of the lagoon. Swings off more elaborate styles and designs are a regular feature.
I was particular taken by the stylish ‘birds nest’ seats on Lily Beach. Dangling from a single line, gives is a 360 degree motion (versus conventional swings and hammocks that a limited to side-to-side action). Crammed with soft pillows, the seat swing was a place I could definitely spend hours on end.
The ‘bird’ modelling here is the gracious sales manager Agata Sobczak who welcomed me on our visit.
If on the other hand, you want to shun the sun, then LUX* Maldives’ ‘Sombrilla’ could be just the thing. I know most people go all the way to the Maldives primarily *for* the sun. Hence the ‘Sunny Side of Life’ slogan. But people with light skin or other heat or UV sensitivities actually find the abundance of sunshine a bit of an inconvenience. And sometimes, you do just want a bit of cool and shade.
Unlike the permanent palm frond umbrella spread around most resorts, the Sombrilla can be set up wherever you like including right up close to the alluring gentle waters…
“A first in the Indian Ocean, our sombrillas allow you to wander along the beach to find a secluded sport and yet still enjoy the shade. Part tent, part parasol, the sombrilla is a colourful canopy that’s simple to erect using light poles, pegs and ropes, which all stow away conveniently into a small bag. Manufactured from 100% cotton and 95% UV protective, they’ve been made for us by the Australian sun protection specialists, Hollie & Harrie, and they’re available in a vibrant spectrum of island light colours.”
If your ‘dreaming of Maldives’ gets interrupted while you are dreaming IN the Maldives, the Niyama can still keep you from toss and turning and provide a relaxation treatment to help you out. Or you can try to burn off some off that restless energy at their gym..
“A first in the Maldives, LIME Spa at NIYAMA will be open 24 hours. Treatments will utilise and infuse indigenous holistic components from around the globe to create unique experiences. LIME will include his and her beauty salons, a contemplation garden and Quench, the juice bar. Each of these areas will be designed to heighten guests’ relaxation, allowing them to enjoy the tranquillity and space around them. PUMP the 24 hour gym will be equipped with state of the art gym equipment for those looking to maintain their routine or try something new.”
To some a 24-hour spa might seem a bit pointless, but I can imagine many scenarios where it would be a godsend. For starters, many people visit the Maldivse from far and wide. Very far…which can mean big time jet lag. You can’t sleep, but what can do you? The other scenario is a very real danger that my wife Lori and I have been hit with a number of times…over-relaxation. Yes, I know some of you would find this malady inconceivable and have a virtually genetic immunity to it. But, a number of times my wife and I have woken up at crazy hours unable to sleep and the sense was that we had just over done the relaxation. Between the sleeping in, lounging on the beach, and dozing by the pool, we just could manage any more shut-eye in the day (or night).
The aqueous surround bath experience goes even further with Anantara Kihavah’s bath pavilion. Sort of a temple to floating relaxation.
The ‘Best’ keeps getting better. And I’ve had to revamp the ‘Best Of’ page a bit more to accommodate all of the accumulating resort highlights. For starters, I have split the page into two tabbed pages since there are simply so many ‘Best Ofs’ to list. I have broken the groups in ‘Activity’ and ‘Infrastructure’.
While I was making those changes and updating the page, I added a few other breakout tags. I’ve split out the following…