Latest news with #SixSensesLaamu
Emirates Woman
22-04-2025
- Emirates Woman
Take the wellness plunge with 8 of these resorts in The Maldives
Begin the year by experiencing a wellness deep-dive at some of the most sophisticated resorts in the Maldives. With an overwhelming work schedule, long hours in front of the screen or a back-to-back itinerary of events, finding the time to breathe and take a break, doesn't come easy – especially if you live in bustling metropolitan cities. An idyllic wellness escape to reset ready for 2025 is a must for new year to balance body and mind. Joali Being Bodufushi This property offers you personalised wellbeing programmes. From the minute you enter, this wellness sanctuary focuses on finding out which aspect of yourself from the Mind, Microbiome, Skin and Energy needs attention. Home to a total of 68 guest villas, consisting of 33 beach villas and 35 water villas, each accommodation comes with its own private infinity pool. Guided by a team of wellbeing experts, culinary maestros, herbalists, tea sommeliers, and personal trainers, among others, guests can fully immerse in the island's elemental therapies and healing experiences. Inspired by the joy of spice markets is Aktar, also known as the herbology centre to treat any ailments naturally. For an immersive wellbeing experience, Areka provides recreation facilities with alternative healing treatments. The Hero Experience For healing through water, the Watsu therapy takes place in the Kaashi and focuses on the art of letting go with the therapist who stretches you through free-flowing exercises. All you have to do is trust the process. For more information visit Six Senses Laamu Surrounded by beautiful coral reefs, the accommodation options include a mix of overwater and beach villas. Prioritizing privacy and seclusion, this resort is situated in the Laamu Atoll, a 25-minute speedboat ride from Velana International. Visitors can discover their dosha with Ayurveda and enjoy nourishing local Maldives spa treatments and restorative facials. Each post-treatment relaxation session ends with a gut-cleansing smoothie at the juice bar to top up the experience. From the meals you relish to the way you sleep and the earth beneath your feet, wellness is seamlessly integrated into your overall Six Senses experience. The Hero Experience Through a non-invasive wellness screening process, guests can book a consultation with the experts to understand what their body needs and then avail of a personalised spa treatment to cater to their specific needs. Through biohacking, the team at the resort can optimise the body's natural processes to recover quicker, helping the guest to look their best and make the most of their brief stay at the resort. The hacks feature compression therapy, pain relief and instant tension release. For more information visit Cheval Blanc Randheli From a series of specially crafted experiences to exploring the marine-life-rich waters, this rejuvenating resort focuses on a results-driven renewal with three bespoke wellness journeys. The first is a Well-being Journey that encourages gentle restoration through healing activities; the second is a Detox and Fitness Journey which sheds light on de-stressing and blends healthy dieting with diverse spa, fitness and sports practices; and the third is the Family Well-being Journey for the full family to accomplish their goals together through spa lessons and a teamwork culinary session. The Hero Experience Try the Moon Salutation Yoga for a soul-nourishing session at the Spa Yoga pavilion surrounded by the shimmering waters of Noonu Atoll. The session is followed by a Carte Blanche dining experience in the privacy of your villa. For more information visit Baros Maldives One of the oldest resorts in the Maldives, guests here can put wellness at the forefront with experiences such as a complimentary morning yoga class on The Lighthouse Deck. The waves will lap gently on the sandbank shore as you stretch and breathe. The Serenity Spa therapists can expertly tailor a series of treatments to suit individual guests to deliver maximum benefit during their holiday at Baros Maldives. For soothing one's mind and spirit, private yoga and meditation sessions can be arranged in the air-conditioned spa pavilion, on the guest's villa deck, on the Lighthouse Deck or at sunrise and sunset on a sandbank. The Hero Experience The property's resident yoga therapist takes guests on a yoga journey with advanced poses on the deck, where they are surrounded by crystal-clear water. For more information visit Finolhu This property is situated in the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives. The resort's Wellness Centre allows guests to enjoy a refreshing yoga session or an invigorating workout in an oceanfront setting amidst lush surroundings. With activities such as the semi-submarine, visitors can enjoy this experience to witness nature first-hand. Whether guests are staying as couples, family, or a group of friends, Finolhu is designed as an island playground with a choice of immersive experiences for everyone. The Hero Experience Cool down by sweating with the Hydrotherapy that instantly cleans the skin and ensures you feel relaxed. The facilities at Fehi Spa after an intense workout help to reduce muscle soreness the next day, with the plunge pool hydrotherapy an absolute must-try. For more information visit Anantara Kihavah Madives Villas This state-of-the-art resort works on healing from the inside out through the healing properties of indigenous plants and fruits. With restorative facials and vitamin IV infusions, including other detoxification therapies, its luxurious water villa spa goes back in time to rely on 5,000-year-old natural Ayurvedic healing techniques. From holistic treatments to a customised rejuvenation journey with the resident Ayurvedic Master, visitors here can elevate their wellness experience at the resort's stunning overwater Maldives spa. The Hero Experience Try the Kativasthi which is a unique spinal herbal bath where a small natural paster reservoir is created on the lower back with the bare skin acting as its base. The medicated oil remains there for 45 minutes and is used to treat chronic or acute back pains including spinal disorders, lumbar spondylosis, sciatica and osteoporosis. For more information visit Soneva Soul This transformative wellness concept uses uplifting ancient healing wisdom coupled with the latest in science and innovation to connect the mind and soul. The resort's experienced therapists create a personalised wellness experience that empowers each guest to achieve long-term wellness goals. With its nature-inspired design, the island's wellness sanctuaries blend integrative medicine and complementary therapies to promote true healing and attempt to release visitors from unexplained stress and chronic illnesses. The Hero Experience The Medicinal Herbal Bath layers guests with both fresh and dry elements to boost their mood, calm the mind, soothe sore muscles, open pores, soften skin and promote a restful sleep. For more information visit Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island Situated in the heart of Olhahali Island, this picturesque resort stands out for its Mediterranean chic design. Guests can take their pick with the therapeutic spa treatments or access the 24-hour fitness centre with captivating views of the crystal waves. Located just an hour by speedboat, or 15 minutes by seaplane, from Velana International, this property set in a beautiful archipelago is curated with calming interiors and lush green vegetation all around for nature to play its part in your wellness journey. The Hero Experience For an elevated wellbeing experience, opt for the Tibetan Crystal Healing Massage that allows the power of the Tibetan Singing Bowl and Healing Crystals to take root. As the treatment focuses on the vibrational sound that aids the vital energy to achieve a deeper sense of relaxation, the crystals interact with the body's energy field, creating balance and alignment. For more information visit /stay/maldives/jumeirah-maldives The Alignment Issue with FitnGlam – Download Now – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram Images: Supplied
New York Times
24-02-2025
- New York Times
Your Resort's ‘Perfect' Beach Is a Lie
Let's buck the trend, a local marine biologist suggested. In 2018, as the Maldives, a nation of nearly 1,200 islands in the Arabian Sea, continued its transformation into a luxury tourist destination, the country's handbook for resort developers called sea grass meadows in the country's shallow lagoons 'aesthetically unappealing,' suggesting that it was 'very important from the tourist perspective that the growth of sea grasses is eliminated.' Resorts on the islands were known to smother their meadows with sprawling sheets of plastic laid across the ocean floor in order to offer visitors aquamarine waters with endless sandy bottoms. Never mind that sea grass meadows are vital ecosystems for marine life and nearby coral reefs, or that they capture carbon in significant amounts from the atmosphere. But at the 94-villa Six Senses Laamu resort, one Maldivian biologist wanted to 'make a statement,' as Philippa Roe, the brand's manager for regenerative impact, recalled. Instead of killing off sea grass, the resort encouraged it to thrive, Ms. Roe said, and now has a lagoon with 'different hues of green and dark blue, rather just a plain monotone crystal.' The sea grass has become a draw that gives the resort a leg up over others in the area, she said, as it attracts marine wildlife to the waters surrounding the resort's over-water bungalows, where guests can see stingrays, sharks and turtles from the sun loungers on their decks. The 'perfect' tropical beach hardly needs to be described; it's on the Instagram post, in the pages of a travel magazine: Fine white sand, coconut palm trees overhead, a gently sloping beach and unobstructed views out to sea. But in many cases — and especially at tourist destinations — that beach is entirely manufactured. Now, a number of beach resorts around the world are embracing beachscapes in their more natural states. Planting or preserving native vegetation, especially between the shoreline and buildings, and focusing on a healthy overall ecosystem, strengthens natural defenses against the changing climate and provides habitat to native species, all while transforming travelers' assumptions about what kind of tropical beach is worthy of a week's vacation. At the 20-bungalow Playa Viva resort on Mexico's Pacific Coast, a native beachscape has been part of the property's ethos since it opened in 2008. The resort has de-emphasized ocean views from the bungalows, instead framing sightlines to the sea with some of the 10 or so native plants that Playa Viva uses as a foundation for its grounds. Among them is the versatile sea grape with its robust root system, twisting branches and large round leaves that can be pruned as bushes, shrubs or trees. The dose of vegetation between each bungalow and the sand provides privacy and serves as a first line of defense for Playa Viva's buildings on a coast that sees its share of big storms. 'The conscious design was something I thought added to the experience,' said Alexandra Avila, a 37-year-old marketing executive from Miami who booked a three-night trip specifically because of how Playa Viva had been designed and built. Two other resorts in development in the region have since hired Amanda Harris, the permaculture specialist responsible for designing much of Playa Viva's landscaping, to consult on their own native beachscapes. 'The thing each of these projects have in common is immersing guests in the luxury of nature while creating resilient ecosystems,' Ms. Harris said. In the sea In tropical and subtropical climates, seaside developers have been replicating the artificial beach since the European seaside-resort model gave way to a tropical one in the middle of the last century. Out with the intricate ecosystems — mangroves, sea grass and shade-giving trees, especially — and in with the version guests expected: an image brought on by a newfound fascination with Polynesian scenery in the wake of World War II, namely those coconut palms and often, the white sand beach itself. Across the globe, the result has often been devastating for shorelines' defenses against the sea. 'If you have a beach that was once, let's say, mangroves and you clear it out, turn it into sand and plant some coconut palms, you've lost tons of structure, really complex, interwoven structure,' said Scott F. Jones, a coastal ecologist at the University of North Florida. 'Your storm surge protection essentially vanishes, and your resilience to sea level rise goes down a whole lot, too.' Scientists estimate that 35 percent of the world's mangrove forests were lost by the end of the 20th century, while its sea grasses have declined by 29 percent. Both ecosystems are sustainability powerhouses; in addition to providing localized protection and biodiversity, they capture carbon in significant amounts from the atmosphere. Mangroves sequester around 10 times more carbon than mature tropical forests, while sea grass can pull in up to 15 times as much. Compared to them, the coconut palm provides little benefit. The Six Senses Laamu resort in the Maldives has started a campaign with the Blue Marine Foundation to get other resorts in the country to allow their sea grass to flourish. A quarter of them have since committed to preserving at least 80 percent of their sea grass. In the most recent version of the country's handbook for resort developers, released in 2023, the language calling sea grass 'aesthetically unappealing' has been removed. On the land Onshore, the coconut palm is almost ubiquitous, and it does offer some benefits. Coconuts are exquisite natural containers of water and food, with fibers that can be used for rope and woven goods. But on modern shorelines, these trees do little to prevent sand erosion or block wind and they provide scant shade, an increasingly valuable commodity in a warming world. They are also nonnative to many of the world's most popular beach destinations. When Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the Americas, on an island today that is part of the Bahamas, there were no coconut palms in the Caribbean. Europeans would bring them later. At the Song Saa Private Island resort in Cambodia, the few palm trees blend into diverse vegetation that has been regenerated from the ground up, after the small island on which it sits was previously cleared for a fishing operation. The resort replanted and regrew everything, including mangroves, using samples from nearby islands. The 24 rooms were then constructed around the regenerated landscape instead of the other way around. Song Saa's owner, Melita Koulmandas, is particularly passionate about the area's mangrove forests. 'These forests are vital to the surrounding ecosystems, as they are one of the most effective carbon-capture ecosystems on earth, plus they stop erosion of the coastlines,' she said. Such efforts can sometimes become part of a larger preservation project. Iberostar, the Spanish hotel brand that runs more than 85 coastal resorts around the world, has since 2017 turned native vegetation into policy. It has planted more than 16,000 mangroves across its properties as part of a larger sustainability project. In one example of many, its Iberostar Selection Albufera Resort on the Spanish island of Mallorca, which opened in 2023, prioritized native vegetation that requires little water, reducing the property's overall water use. Other efforts are less voluntary, with some resorts restoring native vegetation not by choice but by law. In early 2024, the Sandpiper Bay Resort in Port St Lucie, Fla., was ordered to plant 2,800 mangrove trees on its property after cutting down nearly 1,000 of them without a permit. Wyndham, which owns the resort, did not return requests for comment. Amanda Harris, the permaculture specialist at Playa Viva, notes that diverse vegetation can serve multiple purposes in addition to shoreline protection. It creates privacy between the rooms, shade for guests in a hot climate, and a more interesting overall aesthetic, which, as she put it, invites visitors 'to step into nature, to flow between the natural and built world.' The ocean is just part of the equation. 'It doesn't have to be this panoramic view,' she said, adding that it can be 'what we call windows of sight onto the beach.' Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation.
