If you prefer more leisurely seaside activity (or lack thereof), you don’t get much more relaxed than a spa treatment. And you don’t get much closer to the water, without actually being over it, than Malahini Kuda Bandos’ Alize Spa. Their treatment room opens completely to the beachfront just a few feet from the water’s edge. But there is no compromise in privacy as that section of the beach is covered with green foliage. As you settle down to your treatment, dappled green light filters into the room while you listen to the gentle lapping of the water on the sand (a soundscape that you don’t get in the fancy overwater spas).
Best of the Maldives: Massage Workshop – Amilla Fushi
If World Gin Day got the better of you, and in fact all such celebrations seem to leave you worse for wear, you might want to take enrol in Amilla Fushi’s massage workshop. Nearly all resorts these days can give you a massage, but Amilla will teach you how to massage. The one-hour session is complimentary.
Give me a fish…
Best of the Maldives: Tok Sen – Amilla Fushi / Anantara
สวัสดีปีใหม่
Happy Thai New Year! And what a year it has been for Thai visitors to the Maldives. Thailand is the fastest growing country of origin for Maldives visitors with a 233% growth (!) making it the 5th highest Asian source (while being only the 10th largest Asian nation). Amari, Anantara, Centara and Dusit Thani are all Thai based properties with multiple properties in the Maldives.
For a truly Thai treat, Anantara and Amilla Fushi both offer the distinctively Thai Tok Sen Thai therapy…
- Tok Sen Ancient Thai Therapy, which originates from Buddhist Monks, creates healing vibrations through rhythmic pressure on Thai acu-points applied with a special wooden tapper to relax stiff bodies, providing pain relief and deep release for the body and mind.
Lori had some of this work on her feet years ago when we were visiting Prague. It about sent her to the ceiling. If there was a Mohs hardness scale for massage treatments, it would look something like this (going from softest to hardest)…
- Reiki
- Aromatherapy
- Relaxation
- Swedish
- Shiatsu
- Sports Massage
- Deep Tissue
- Hot Stone
- Tok Sen
So for those really tough knots from a particularly enthusiastic new years celebration, ask for some Tok Sen.
Best of the Maldives: Wellness Villa – Amilla Fushi
Amilla Fushi takes villa innovation a beyond architecture and design to entirely new concept with its Wellness Tree House. The villa is more than accommodation, but better described as an entire experience centred around well-being:
- “The one bedroom Wellness Tree House by Bodyism at Amilla combines a secluded spa, fitness and healthy eating experience in the treetops so that your entire wellbeing is holistically cared for.”
Refreshing the body and spirit isn’t confined to a few appointments at a spa, but instead is woven into nearly every part of your stay. The villa package includes trainer who visits and all of the sodas and energy drinks and junk food are removed from the room and replaced with healthy ones.
Also, with its rare tree house setting, certainly the most uplifting stay in the Maldives.
Best of the Maldives: Most Treatment Rooms – Sun Siyam Irufushi
You have to use Google Maps satellite imagery to see the entire expanse of spa treatment rooms at Sun Siyam Irufushi which features more than any other resort with 20 pavilions in its wellness complex. They are all connected with sinuous water-lined paths snake across the palm-shaded estate.
Best of the Maldives: Mens Grooming – One & Only Reethi Rah
Holidays are when you often take a break from the hassle of personal grooming. Sometime you even go the whole time neglecting it returning with the ‘holiday beard’. But if you are in the need of a bit of holiday man-scaping, then One & Only Reethi Rah’s “Barber and Blade” spa provides a classic grooming and shaving studio with treatments as soothing as the Maldives ocean breezes…
- “Appointments take place within the private rooms dedicated to gentlemen’s grooming equipped with sleek leather barber chairs, specially designed for One&Only Reethi Rah by Anderson/Miller Ltd. The studio allows guests to feel comfortable and relaxed whilst a dedicated team of grooming experts are on hand to provide a bespoke grooming routine – ensuring that all gentlemen look and feel their best. Barber and Blade exclusively offers Gentlemen’s Tonic products…The treatment menu features basic shaves to beard designs, colouring services and four signature grooming experiences, including the 70-minute Ultimate One&Only Wet Shave.”
The barber shave is a bit of a dying art in with the advent of advanced razors, but they remain one of the few decadent “beauty” treatments men get to enjoy. No matter how many blades you have on your Mach X razor, you will never get as close as a trained professional who is not having to negotiate through a mirror. Furthermore, one of the keys to a close and comfortable shave is the preparation – steaming towel and creamy balm to soften the skin and whiskers. Something few men shaving take enough time to do. And having the hot towel on your face in a chair is as relaxing as it is soothing.
I treated all my groomsmen to a classic shave on my wedding day and we had as much fun (and looked as almost as smart) as the bridesmaids who enjoyed the beauty parlor. And on our recent trip sailing in the Greek isles, we came upon an old school barber offering shaves and it was one of the decadent high points of the holiday sitting in the chair being pampered while listening to the sounds of the bustling port town outside.
Shear luxury.
Best of the Maldives: Couples Scrub – Ayada
After all that beach posing, every power couple will want to power wash in style before tonight’s big New Year’s Eve celebrations. Fortunately, Ayada offers a special couples scrub spa treatment. Couples massages are pretty commonplace, but a couples scrub I haven’t seen as elaborately done as at Ayada. Complete with Esta brand cleansers.
Best of the Maldives: Value Treetop Spa – Dusit Thani
If you prefer relaxing on top of a palm tree – rather than under it or *on* it – then Dusit Thani’s treetop Devarana Spa is perched just right for you…
“The spa encompasses six deluxe treatment pods which sit elevated amongst the island’s palm trees and for those who prefer to keep their feet firmly on the ground; the spa has also developed two stunning ground level treatment rooms. Manicure and pedicure-dedicated area, private outdoor pool, steam and sauna are exclusively available for spa guests.”
Eight treatment rooms are found in the 6 treetop pods nettled atop of the tropical lushness. All treatments guaranteed to leave to feeling floating on air.
Best of the Maldives: Yoga Finish – Thudufushi
I always have thought that the best part of yoga was “Savasana” (ie. “Corpse Pose”). Completely relaxing at the end of a hard session with the aroma of some essential oil. That was until I did a session at Thudufushi.
Lori and I did a session there (offered daily for free). Lori has gotten me into doing yoga in a private session each week. I’ve always preferred “lazy yoga”, aka Thai Massage, where the focus of the treatment is on muscle stretching (in a variety of contorted moves), but you just lie back and relax. My joints have always been a bit tight with all my weight training for sports and now getting older. But Lori insists I practice the yoga because she “doesn’t want to be putting my shoes and socks on for me in my old(er) age”.
Thudufushi holds their yoga sessions right outside their Serena Spa. And at the end of each session, the therapists come out and provide a final, soothing bit of stretching and massaging. Above, spa therapists Nantin and Narcy are working on Lori and Claudia Galeazzi , our yoga instructor.
Namazzzzzste!
Best of the Maldives: Mud Bath – Taj Exotica
Mud Pack Day! Yes, I’m not messing with you…it really is. So a skin-soothing shout out to Taj Exotica who have one of the most extensive mud pack treatment on offer at its Jiva Grande Spa. Something dirty to pack into your next Maldivian holiday.
