There’s just something about summer (especially a hot, indian one) that makes you want to leave your familiar realm for a week or two and start living in a distant one. Perhaps it’s the memories of the vacations taken during the school summer holidays or the Sufjan Stevens summer aesthetics trending all over social media.
No surprises here that one of the best destinations we can recommend for the same is the maldives. With B-town celebs frequenting it an india being the top source country for tourists in the maldives, the island nation remains one of the most popular choices for indian travellers, despite similar options all across the indian ocean. And while lots of luxury properties have been popping up to meet the demand, we decided to visit two properties — Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, to indulge ourselves in a summer getaway. Here is a list of experiences we had there that will give you a reason to visit the resor ts before checking maldives off your bucket list.
The first property we visited was Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa. A vibrant garden island with the char m of a traditional Maldivian village, this resort provides a cosy and intimate space where rooms, restaurants and all the other facilities are just within the reach of one’s hands. We checked in to a water villa in the afternoon and after a quiet but memorable pre-cocktail dinner party and dinner, tucked ourselves early to get off the jet lag.
After breakfast at Café Huraa the next morning, we visited the Marine Discovery Centre for a tour and a Coral Propagation session. For the uninitiated, coral reefs are crucial to the island nation. Because they not only provide a habitat for marine creatures but also protect the islands from water swells during storms, given that 80 percent of Maldivian land is vulnerable to rising sea levels. The resort’s marine biologist, trained by Reefscapers (their coral reef conservation programme), helped us build our own coral frames — transplanting corals broken naturally by storms or fish or accidentally by humans onto frames made of cables. The simple activity made us feel like we’d done our bit to protect biodiversity and that made our journey much more meaningful!
A quick tour of the property later, we found ourselves at the garden spa, where each spa experience is inspired by the healing properties of the ocean. After being given a warm foot bath while we sipped on relaxing jasmine tea, we were taken to the massage table where we were assisted to get on a giant hot water bag! As our masseuse massaged us with the in-house coconut oil, she said, “The warm, jiggly bag is supposed to remind you of your mum’s womb and how it cradled you to sleep.” Skeptical and clumsy at first, we eventually realised how healing it was once we settled our bodies on the bag and let the experience take over us.
This was followed by a light Italian lunch at the Reef Club and a short catnap done, we were ready for our surfing lessons. Having shallow water near its shores, Kuda Huraa is considered quite a surfing haven. Despite having no prior experience in surfing, we felt trained enough to hit the waters after an hour-long session with the Tropicsurf coaches. We hardly managed to stay up on the surfboard without falling — but that just speaks more about us being clumsy. Nevertheless, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience and loved the process of learning something new while on a holiday.
It was now time to get changed and hop onto the sunset safari. Pilot whales swam alongside and all of us started spotting them with childlike enthusiasm. As the boat progressed further into deep waters, the cool evening breeze caressed our bodies and souls alike. We could no longer demarcate where the waters end- ed and the clear skyline began! Soon, the play of the sunset hues took us in on a trance and by the time we circled back to the shore, we could feel the soothing powers of the ocean starting to work its magic on us.
The next morning, we travelled to the second property — Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. A glimpse at the property was enough for us to realise that it was much larger and swankier compared to the earlier property. Post a property tour, we took refuge in our beach villas, each of which seemed like a world on its own. The first things that caught our attention were cute bicycles parked at the front of each villa, the private pool and chill spots outside our room and the big, beautiful bathing area, with facilities for an indoor and an outdoor shower. The generous amount of space between two adjacent villas makes them a popular choice for couples on their honeymoon. The resort, in its entirety, is centred around holistic wellness, which we discovered in the next few days we spent there.
The next morning was all about snorkeling, which our thalassophobia made us skip. Well-fed and rested, we emerged with all our energies in the afternoon to immerse ourselves in an artificial deep-sea wonderland in the country’s first Hologram Room at the Marine Discovery Centre. This provided an interactive opportunity to swim with holograms of whales, spot seahorses and explore the life-size underwater environment with just a control wand. As we spent the scorching after noon underwater without having to go through the trouble of facing the sun, we couldn’t help but wonder how young marine science enthusiasts in tourist families might find a segue to their passion while simply vacationing!
The final day of our trip began with an energising yoga session at the break of dawn at the in-house wellness haven, AyurMa. Finishing the routine by doing suryanamaskar to the rising sun, we freshened up and went for a tour of AyurMa. Equipped and facilitated for various ayurvedic treatments, this wellness centre aspires to be the life force for wellness retreats at the property. The walk-through ended with a wellness talk, which gave us insights into understanding our health better. Just by checking our pulse, a doctor predicted our doshas, knowing what ought to help us treat our bodies with the kind of nutrition and lifestyle habits that they require.
While the spa session at the Kuda Huraa was focused on healing, the special Landaa Massage at this property revolved around relaxation. The spa centre set on the seashore and the gentle breeze beating the after noon heat had already put us in a good mood. We were asked our preference for oils based on our moods. The review of the hour-long massage session? Let’s just say, it was so calming that our masseuse had to gently wake us up from a snore-ridden sleep!
Post lunch and a blissful siesta , we dressed up and hit the beach for a cocktail party where we met fellow islanders and enjoyed tropical drinks and Maldivian short eats. Taking in the delicious sunset by the beach, we also slurped on creamy chocolate gelato and tantalising strawberry sorbet from an ice cream cart! Considering our travel the next morning, we had an early but elaborate farewell dinner at Blu.
While walking back to our rooms, we spotted a group doing a full moon meditation by the deck and joined them. Primarily focused on soothing the nerves, it also included a sound bath and by the end, it left us calm. Our urban minds felt like the world was devoid of noise — inside and out. We then retired to our rooms, took a warm bath, sipped some chamomile tea and leaped into bed. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore out- side lulled us to sleep and pretty soon, snores were the only demarcation between our bodies and logs of wood!
While at Kuda Huraa, we usually had our breakfast from Cafe Huraa, which offered an exten- sive spread of pan-Asian cuisine. Offering al fresco dining by a lagoon, Reef Club offers Italian cuisine — their wood-fired pizzas and seafood pasta are to die for! Inspired by Kerala architecture, Baraabaru houses Indian delicacies that never compromise authenticity and are delectable.
Cafe Haraa – Asparagus & Morels, Coconut Ice Cream
Baraabaru – Corn Kebab, Crab Masala
Reef Club – Margarita, Calamari Fritti
Al Barakat – Truffle Hummus, Tuna Tataki with Kaffir Lime
Blu – Burrata Salad, Calamari Pizza
Cafe Landaa – Kale & Goat Cheese Frittata, Mango-Vanilla Jam
INR 1,80,000 onwards.
Email: prattusa@newindianexpress.com
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