Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas
Anantara Kihavah Maldives VillasTwo of the most renowned archipelagos in the world live separate lives in the Indian Ocean, one anchored to Southeast Asia and the other to Africa. They relate but will never line up. The 1,190 reef-ringed coral islands of the Maldives represent a vast submarine mountain range, with emerging peaks scattered over 35,000 square miles of the ocean’s blueness. Chart west and south to Seychelles, a heady mix of 115 young, low-lying coralline islets and older, boulder-strewn marvels.The natural world, though differently in each location, puts on its best, no-holds-barred performances. Diurnal skies and unmistakably blue water worlds encircle the softest, bone-whitesand beaches and lush interiors covered in native foliage and coconut forests. When resort developers learned about this beauty, they continually took action to match the mood. Nearly every top player in the world has tested their mettle at one or more iconic resorts. Each location offers a unique modern fantasy, with amenities of your dreams and never-before-seen design elements above, below, and beyond the water.
Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas
Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas
Thanks to the renovation of a well-liked Bill Bensley-designed property on Mahé’s southwest coast in the Inner Seychelles, Asia-based Anantara is now making waves in Africa. The 30-acre resort will change its name to Anantara Maia Villas in 2020 and spans both the mountain and the beach. It has 30 villas that are completely integrated into the surrounding environment thanks to open-air design. Each 2,691 square foot, thatched-roof masterpiece has an infinity pool, an outdoor bathtub with an ocean view, a large terrace, and an outdoor bar.
The resort’s Beyond All-Inclusive policy means that the nightly rate includes all meals, some activities, and a personal villa host who is responsible for attending to all of your needs while you’re away (i.e., he or she will be servicing your villa and your villa alone). The policy, as the name suggests, goes beyond unlimited food and drink; it’s an invitation to indulge whenever and however you like. You can ask your host for dinner reservations or to have impromptu meals in your villa, on the beach, in the wine cellar, or outside under the stars. Additionally, it includes unlimited non-motorized water sports and group yoga or qigong sessions. The 17 luxury villas offer daily private yoga, unlimited scuba diving (for certified divers), and a daily 60-minute signature massage to guests staying for at least three nights. anantara.com
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas
The Baa Atoll, the height of Maldivian beauty, is formally recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve because of its glistening lazuline waters and biodiverse coral reefs. There are a number of resorts within this coveted area, but none is more alluring than Anantara Kihavah. Each of the 80 rooms on the property, which has a mix of beach villas and overwater bungalows, is a lavish production of indoor-outdoor space. Particularly noteworthy is the clever design of Kihavah’s overwater bungalow, which replaces a traditional living space with a large infinity pool and provides direct water access from all sides via sliding doors.Some of the best amenities in the Maldives are of the highest caliber. The island is home to the country’s first Muay Thai boxing ring, where a local professional boxer offers instruction for all skill levels. Six overwater treatment suites at the Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas Spa create the impression that you are floating in the water thanks to floor to ceiling glass walls. Enter a different world at the underwater restaurant SEA, where you can eat and drink amidst Moorish idols, grouper, and blacktip reef sharks as well as wild, swimming clown fish. Mirrored walls and ceilings outside the glass enclosure heighten the surreal scenes. The largest telescope and observatory in the entire Indian Ocean are available for use above water at the astronomy-themed rooftop bar SKY (see “Night Lights” on page 131). Then, enjoy a cocktail while lying flat on a circular couch that faces the sky and let your thoughts wander to a fictional galaxy far, far away—or just appreciate the one you’re in right now.
Kudadoo Maldives Private Island
Kudadoo Maldives Private Island
Go to Kudadoo if you’ve traveled well and think you’ve had the best hospitality the world has to offer. This cutting-edge, ultra-luxe experience is the real deal, made possible by meticulous eco-chic design, a perfect setting, extravagant amenities, and an unmatched Anything, Anytime, Anywhere policy, which means nothing is off-limits—or expensive.
The Lhaviyani Atoll property, designed by Yuji Yamazaki, has 15 residences and is an example of eco-chic, modern Japanese style. The Retreat, a bi-level, open-air, overwater pagoda with 984 solar panels on top, sits at the center of Kudadoo and provides all of the resort’s power. Ocean cross breezes keep the striking, understated building cool, which ironically houses the most extravagant attractions: a top-notch wine and cheese cellar, a chic international restaurant, a sophisticated live music lounge, an infinity-edge pool, a cutting-edge fitness center, and the Sulha Spa.
The 15 floating residences, the smallest of which is 3,300 square feet, are each further examples of Yamazaki’s architectural skill. The wood-framed homes are surrounded on three sides by lattice-style screens for maximum privacy. Retractable glass doors on the fourth side open to reveal a large, multi-tiered sundeck with a private infinity pool, a glass-bottom dining area, swinging daybeds, and a ladder leading to the ocean.
If you want a more traditional start to the day while adopting the Anything, Anytime, Anywhere philosophy, you could have breakfast at The Retreat. A castaway meal of croissants and Champagne served on a sandbar (dubbed Dream Island) or a vegan detox brunch served on the beach can also be ordered. You can choose the location and the time of the meal, and a 21-page digital breakfast menu serves as a guide. Almost any food item you can think of is also fair game.
Plan for restful or busy days after that. All activities are private and free, and staff members at the resort include spa therapists, personal trainers, yoga instructors, and meditation masters. Activities include snorkeling with giant mantas alongside a marine biologist, unlimited spa and beauty treatments, private fitness training, boxing, and vinyasa and hatha yoga sessions.
Jet skiing, flyboarding, some paddle tennis (with a pro, no less), or a wine and cheese tasting in the cellar of The Retreat, where unlimited pours of 80 wines from Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list and six different Champagnes are available. A committed butler ensures that every experience is carried out flawlessly. kudadoo.com
The Nautilus Beach & Ocean Houses Maldives
Zeytoun Lounge and Restaurant, Nautilus Maldives
The Nautilus Beach and Ocean Houses Maldives
This independent, Maldivian-owned resort is located in the Baa Atoll and offers expansive accommodations with vibrant, boho-chic interiors. The Nautilus is a small, intimate resort with just 26 overwater and beach houses that emphasizes a highly customized, barefoot luxury experience. Visitors enjoy spontaneous experiences planned on a whim, unscheduled meals, and vacations free of dress codes and schedules. A pre-sleep volcanic stone healing massage in the Solasta Spa at midnight or an in-villa, poolside breakfast at two o’clock in the afternoon are both possibilities thanks to this flexibility. thenautilusmaldives.com
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles & Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island
The Four Seasons Resort Seychelles in Mahé rises from the ancient granitic landscape that makes the beaches of the Seychelles exceptional on Earth. The mountainside property, which has 67 treetop villas and suites as well as 27 residences, is surrounded by the rare, natural grandeur that was created by the 75-million-year-old supercontinent Gondwana. While enormous, Flintstone-like boulders are wedged between the white sands and turquoise waters of Petite Anse Bay, an ancient, tropical broadleaf forest can be seen peeking through rippled granite slabs.
In the villas, where interiors draw on sophisticated, Creole-French influences, take in views from private infinity pools, lounge decks, outdoor showers, open-air reading pavilions, and floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Le Syel Spa, which is located at the top of the resort, is anchored by a glass-enclosed welcome and relaxation lounge and has a rooftop meditation deck on top. At Kannel restaurant on the beach level, choose your daily catch by hand. Later, look forward to sampling the cuisine and drinks at one of the resort’s other five dining establishments.
Visit the sister resort Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island, located 35 minutes away by plane, for a private island experience in the unspoiled, far-flung southern regions of the nation. The low-lying, palm-studded island initially makes one think of the Caribbean or the Bahamas, but the Seychellois landscape turns out to be very different from that. The fact that Aldabra tortoises outnumber people is evidence of the island’s prehistoric origins.
Nine glorious miles of extra coastline allow for the possibility of complete seclusion and private beach activities among only 71 freestanding villas, suites, and residences. Take part in one or all of the more than 70 organized activities available, such as yoga on the airstrip, deep sea fishing, snorkeling, tortoise feeding, and more. Every modest villa has a pool, so you can simply relax and enjoy the good life on the island there. Visit the Circle of Connection Spa and treat yourself to restorative excursions. At the island’s imposing lighthouse, which serves as a lookout point, bar, and restaurant, you can also take in the most beautiful sunsets. Expect to completely disconnect from the world outside of Desroches Island, which is a solitary speck in the Indian Ocean, whatever you decide to do (or not do) there. fourseasons.com
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
Velaa Private Island, Maldives
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
The Ritz-Carlton’s debut property in the Maldives, set to open in June 2021 in the North Malé atoll, is the futuristic idea of the late Kerry Hill, the Australian design icon responsible for many of Asia’s top resorts, including the majority of Aman resorts. The resort, which is made up of 100 circular wooden villas placed along the beach and over the water, is modeled after the sun and its spherical formation. Also included are a massive 360-degree Eau infinity pool and the Circle of Life spa, a nine-room overwater facility with a ring shape. Each of the spherical villas features an extra-large in-room soaking tub and an integrated sundeck that is bordered by a curved infinity pool in an effort to honor the abundance and presence of water. ritzcarlton.com
Velaa Private Island, Maldives
Velaa is the best option for anyone concerned that they might get bored in paradise because it has the most extravagant amenities in the Maldives. A nine-hole golf course with instruction provided by PGA professionals is located in the center of the island and was created by José Mara Olazábal. The largest kids’ water park in the Maldives is located nearby at Lha Velaa Kids Club. The big kid toys are waiting on the water: tandem Jetovators, Flyboards, and hoverboards. Explore a coed hot-and-cold hydrotherapy circuit at the two-story spa while taking in the ocean views from the cantilevered hot tub, which is complemented by the only snow room in the nation. Aragu, a fine dining establishment, serves the finest ingredients from around the world in the evening. Alternately, enjoy a live-action teppanyaki dinner on the third-floor rooftop of the Tavaru Tower, and then tour its prized tenant, a 6,000-bottle wine collection with a focus on rare finds.
The Sunrise Water Pool Villa stands out among Velaa’s 47 one-bedroom villas, two-bedroom houses, and four-bedroom homes because it has a glass porthole in the living room floor, a circular bathtub with mood lighting that faces the ocean, and an overwater infinity-edge pool that is part of a tiered sundeck. Velaa continues to be a favorite with families despite the fact that the majority of Maldives properties cater to lovers. This is because of its extensive selection of multi-bedroom accommodations and its all-ages, extravagant offerings. velaaprivateisland.com
Mango House Seychelles
With Mango House Seychelles, a stunning, boutique resort with 41 sea-facing rooms and suites, LXR Hotels & Resorts by Hilton is redefining casual luxury in the Indian Ocean. Mango House Seychelles was the former home of Italian photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri. While the bohemian atmosphere and modern, earth-tone guest rooms scream Saint Bart’s, the small details are distinctly Seychellois, from kimonos printed with artwork by Seychelles artist Michael Adams to the fiery national cuisine at Creole restaurant Moutya, prepared using traditional techniques like hot coals and steamed husks. Staff members frequently adhere to this efficient, affable strategy, greeting visitors as if they were visiting old friends in a private residence. hilton.com