Anantara Maldives Resorts: Offering an Oasis of Health, Wellness, and Discovery

The Maldives are a name synonymous with luxury. Nestled in the Indian Ocean, these islands and atolls are spread across some of the most impressive coral reefs in the world, and are a natural haven for marine life including sea turtles, manta rays, and gentle whale sharks. But the animals aren’t the only ones finding sanctuary. Beneath an unpretentious façade, a number of Maldives resorts are making their guests’ physical and mental well-being a top priority, offering a wide range of health, spa, and fitness options, all in the peerless surrounds of the Maldives.

Among the standouts is Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas. Anantara Kihavah offers 79 beach and over water pool villas, spread over a variety of sizes and price points. All have access to the resort’s facilities, which include six dining options including Anantara Kihavah’s award-winning underwater restaurant, a fully equipped fitness centre including tennis court, volleyball, badminton, and swimming pool, a range of water sports to take full advantage of Baa Atoll’s natural assets, a children’s club, a cooking school, an overwater spa, and yoga and meditation classes. There is even a resident doctor on staff at the resort.

For many guests, health and wellness are a major part of the Anantara Kihavah experience. Working from principles rooted in Ayurveda, a 5,000 year old science devoted to harmonizing the mind, body, and spirit, Anantara crafts wellness programs lasting 3, 5, or 7 days, depending on the guest’s budget and individual needs. Many Anantara packages include a consultation with one of the resort’s onsite wellness specialists, who can create a personalized program involving classes, exercise, and meals to help realize each guest’s particular goals, whether they be increased fitness, detoxing, weight loss, stress reduction, rejuvenation, or just peace of mind.

Yoga plays a major role in Anantara’s wellness mission. As experienced instructors guide participants through breathing techniques and gentle poses, the focus is firmly on inner awareness and peace, all while building flexibility, strength, and balance. Guests who are shy about their balance or skills on the mat can even book a private class with an instructor, focused on how to best reach their personal goals.

A stay at Anantara Kihavah can stretch the mind as well as the muscles and spirit. With very little light pollution to spoil the Indian Ocean skies, Anantara Kihavah stands out among Maldives resorts with its star gazing program. With guidance from in-house astronomer or ‘Sky Guru’ Ali Shameem, guests are invited to look to the stars for inspiration, taking in views of the stellar bodies that pass over the Maldives skies.

Suggested Itinerary:
11-Day Maldives Escape incl. Airfare

If you’d prefer a show closer to earth, take a front row seat in the dining area at Plates restaurant for Anantara Kihavah’s Theatre Kitchen. Under the supervision of an Executive Chef, the resort’s chefs prepare an innovative feast with tremendous artistic flair, alternating between Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Italian menus. The result is always a mouth-watering experience, from fresh lobster tacos, to Middle Eastern mixed grills, and everything in between. This is dinner and a show unlike any other, with Anantara Kihavah’s resident wine expert on hand to suggest perfect pairings.

Though the program has ended for 2017, another of Anantara’s great drawcards is its Guest Chef Program, which invites Michelin-starred chefs from around the world to showcase new creations at Naladhu, another of Anantara’s numerous Maldives resorts. Served in “The Living Room,” an open beachfront restaurant, with perfectly paired wines retrieved from a glass door wine cellar, guests in 2017 sampled new creations from chefs with Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Anantara Kihavah is one of a number of Maldives resorts available as part of Goway’s 11-Day Maldives Escape. Prices vary according to the resort chosen, but start at just $3339 US or $5169 CA for a stay at the Anantara Veli Resort & Spa in low season. A choice of seven different 5-star Maldives resorts is available at varying price points, and all packages includes return airfare from North America (ex: New York City or Toronto), inter-island transfers from Male, seven nights’ accommodation, and daily breakfast.