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Anantara Kihavah Maldives introduces Cocoon Medical Spa, new wellness offerings
Anantara Spa at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas has announced the addition of new wellness offerings, including a Cocoon Medical Spa, two Ayurveda retreat programmes and a Deluxe Spa Pool Villa.
For guests who wish to maintain a stress free and balanced lifestyle or for those who need inspiration to start a new pathway towards self-healing, Anantara Spa offers a variety of wellness journeys, each custom designed to the guests’ specific needs.
Cocoon Medical Spa
The first upscale medical spa in the Maldives launched in November. Rejuvenate the body from the inside out with innovative new therapies that detoxify and cleanse. Cocoon Medical Spa provides the highest level of aesthetic and wellness treatments performed by a medical professional in a refined over water setting. Cutting-edge therapies can help with weight loss and skin problems to reveal a happier, healthier you.
Senior Aesthetic and Wellness Nurse Nur Laili has been providing hands-on artistry and expertise in the areas of beauty, wellness and anti-aging for over a decade. With a driving passion to help others achieve a higher level of self-confidence, she is devoted to empowering others to look and feel their absolute best.
“We offer state-of-the-art, quality treatments in a luxurious, relaxing setting to help you present your best and most vibrant self, ” Nur was quoted in a statement, as saying.
Nur takes pride in helping her patients achieve their desired results with customised treatment plans and individual attention. Whether guests require a Vitamin IV Infusion after a long flight for an energy boost, or wish to turn back time and erase scars and fine lines through Dermapen Needling, one of the most popular anti-aging treatments in the world, Nur has the expertise and knowledge to formalise a programme specifically tailored to each guest.
Cocoon Medical Spa’s trained staff and highly innovative treatments allows guests to achieve the results they desire without sacrificing the relaxation they deserve.
Ayurvedic Retreat Programmes
The newly devised Ayurveda retreats at Anantara Kihavah feature a tailored combination of treatments and exercise, as well as diet and lifestyle modifications to bring balance to our vital energies – or doshas. Ayurveda, a 5000-year old natural science, teaches us to live with insight and balance and bring about a comprehensive wellness approach into our lifestyles. Heading the Ayurveda team at Kihavah is Kerala native Sharath Ram, an all-round practitioner with over a decade’s experience across South Asia and the Middle East.
Nurture unique wellbeing with a choice of two specialist programmes curated by Sharath – Longevity and Detoxifying. The Longevity programme targets the everyday toxins that overload our liver and immune system, and lead to illnesses and allergies. Whereas the Detoxifying programme is designed to rejuvenate the body, strengthen the immune system and restore a naturally vibrant glow through addressing the damaging effects of modern life stresses.
Whether guests wish to dedicate three, five or seven days to holistic health, each programme is designed to help guests blossom by combining a private lifestyle consultation and therapeutic treatments with restorative yoga, breathing, meditation and herbal steams.
Sharath offers a private one-on-one consultation to establish guests’ body type in addition to the state of their physical and mental health. Following the consultation, guests will receive a specially recommended combination of treatments and private yoga sessions that have been tailored based on their individual requirements.
Deluxe Spa Pool Villa
Anantara Kihavah reveals an exclusive Deluxe Spa Pool Villa – the first of its kind in the Maldives – that gives travellers the ultimate relaxation spa experience with a dedicated spa therapist and unlimited daily spa treatments.
Deluxe Spa Pool Villa guests will be pampered by the villa’s spa therapist devoted solely to their relaxation and rejuvenation needs. Without leaving the privacy of their villa, guests can now enjoy limitless personalised spa treatments, meditation practices and private water aerobics every day from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm – another first in Kihavah’s expansive repertoire as a luxury leader.
The enhanced villa features an indoor, en-suite spa room. Guests can also enjoy their treatments outside on the private poolside terrace, as they are lulled by the sounds of the ocean. Anantara’s award-winning spa menu offers more than 25 signature treatments for guests to choose from. Consultations with luxury spa experts are provided before arrival ensuring a bespoke experience.
Anantara’s signature treatments are also available including the deep tissue and hot stone massages, reviving facials, and invigorating body scrubs and wraps. Essential manicures and pedicures complete the spa journey.
Following any spa treatment or for refreshment throughout the day, guests are invited to indulge their inner epicure with the exclusive, nourishing Spa Cuisine menu, available in the villa’s private dining sala.
In addition to the en-suite spa room, the upgraded 382sqm Deluxe Spa Pool Villa offers guests a larger 128sqm swimming pool complete with poolside hammock, an expansive outdoor deck and dining sala, lush gardens teeming with indigenous plant life and oceanfront beach access creating their own island oasis escape.
Designed by Maldivian architects Group X Design Associates, Anantara Kihavah offers the luxury of solitude against the world’s most stunning backdrop. Natural materials and motifs inspired by Maldivian heritage fuse to create laid-back luxury. With underwater dining, overwater stargazing, and swimming with mantas and turtles, photo ops abound in dazzling Indian Ocean hues.
Anantara Kihavah is just 35 minutes by seaplane from the main Velana International Airport. Following the scenic flight, guests arrive to a picture-perfect setting surrounded by the jewel-coloured waters and uninhabited islands of the majestic Indian Ocean.
Comprising 74 one-bedroom villas, four two-bedroom residences and a three-bedroom residence, each hideaway boasts large personal infinity-edge pools, dining pavilions, expansive wooden sundecks and ample lounging areas complete with swinging daybeds, hammocks and sun loungers. All villas feature his and hers walk-in wardrobes, rain showers, outdoor showers and over-sized bathtubs big enough for two. Sunken glass bottom bathtubs in the over water villas offer a mesmerising view of the sparkling ocean, both below and beyond the adjacent infinity-edge pool.
Featured
Yoko Kawaguchi to lead holistic wellness residency at Vakkaru Maldives
Vakkaru Maldives has announced the residency of acclaimed holistic practitioner Yoko Kawaguchi at Merana Spa, taking place from 17 March to 30 April 2026. The residency forms part of the resort’s ongoing focus on wellness, restoration and mindful living.
Grounded in Japanese healing traditions, Kawaguchi’s therapeutic philosophy centres on personalised care designed to calm the nervous system, release emotional tension and support the body’s natural restorative functions. Her integrative approach combines auriculotherapy (ear reflexology), aromatherapy, Reiki energy healing and targeted massage techniques to create treatments tailored to individual needs.
Guests may select from a range of core therapies offered during the residency. Highlights include the Tranquil Mind Ritual, which blends scalp massage, ear reflexology and energy work to ease tension and encourage emotional clarity. The Aroma Reiki Healing Touch treatment combines aromatherapy back massage with carefully selected essential oils and Usui Reiki to address both physical and emotional blockages. Auriculotherapy sessions focus on stimulating reflex points in the ears to support hormonal balance, immunity, nervous system regulation and overall wellbeing, with optional ear seeds available to extend the benefits beyond the treatment.
Alongside individual sessions, Kawaguchi will offer complimentary consultations and a programme of group wellness experiences. These include guided Reiki self-healing meditation and ear stretching massage sessions designed to promote relaxation and mental clarity, providing guests with simple techniques to support their wellbeing during and after their stay.
Hosted within the serene surroundings of Merana Spa, the residency offers guests an opportunity to pause, reset and engage in a deeper wellness journey, aligned with Vakkaru Maldives’ philosophy of understated luxury and holistic balance.
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Ancient banyan tree anchors spiritual experiences at Machchafushi Island Resort
Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa, part of The Centara Collection, offers an island experience shaped by the rhythm of the ocean in the heart of South Ari Atoll. While the resort is widely recognised for its celebrated dive sites, award-winning house reef and rich marine life, another presence quietly anchors the spirit of the island.
Within the peaceful grounds of SPA Cenvaree stands a centuries-old banyan tree known locally as the Ummeedhu Tree, meaning Wish Fulfilment. With its expansive canopy and cascading aerial roots, the tree is regarded as more than a natural landmark. It is a symbol of continuity and reflection, standing as a silent witness to the island’s past and present.
Long before the island became a resort destination, the banyan tree stood rooted in the sands of Machchafushi. Today, the resort honours it as the spiritual heart of the island, inviting guests to pause beneath its branches and engage in moments of reflection and reconnection.
This connection is expressed through the Sacred Thread Ceremony, a contemplative ritual designed to offer guests a personal and meaningful experience. The ceremony begins with a quiet walk through the spa gardens, encouraging stillness and intention. Guests select a delicate golden leaf to represent a personal wish—whether for love, wellbeing, success, abundance or inner peace—and hold it alongside a wish card while visualising that intention fulfilled. The golden leaf is then tied to the banyan’s ancient branches, symbolising the offering of the wish to the tree’s enduring presence. The leaf remains there, carrying the quiet energy of the intention until the guest’s return.
Beyond the banyan, the island continues its natural rhythm. The surrounding waters form part of one of the Maldives’ most significant marine environments, known for year-round whale shark encounters and an extensive house reef that stretches beyond the shoreline. Yet amid the movement of the sea and the vibrancy of coral life, it is often the stillness beneath the banyan tree that leaves the most lasting impression.
Sustainability and heritage are integral to life on Machchafushi Island. Located within the South Ari Marine Protected Area, the island is committed to safeguarding both its marine ecosystems and its cultural identity. The banyan tree stands as a reminder that preservation extends beyond the natural environment to include traditions, stories and the deeper connections between people and place.
At Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa, each day unfolds with moments shaped by nature and intention. From golden sunrises over the lagoon to wishes entrusted to ancient branches, experiences on the island are designed not only to be remembered, but to take root.
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City Iftar experience curated at JEN Maldives by Shangri-La
JEN Maldives by Shangri-La is welcoming the holy month of Ramadan with a series of Iftar evenings at Lime Restaurant, inviting guests to gather in the spirit of reflection, gratitude and togetherness.
Recognising Ramadan as a time that brings families, friends and communities closer, the hotel has curated an Iftar experience designed to go beyond dining. The focus is on creating a welcoming environment where traditions are observed, conversations unfold naturally and shared moments are celebrated around the table.
Located in the heart of Malé, Lime Restaurant provides a warm and contemporary setting suited to a range of gatherings, from colleagues reconnecting after work to families and friends breaking fast together. Each evening reflects the generosity associated with Ramadan, featuring carefully prepared dishes, live cooking stations and a selection of sweet treats that balance traditional flavours with creative touches.
Iftar at JEN Maldives by Shangri-La is shaped by attentive service and thoughtful hospitality. Guests are welcomed into an atmosphere that blends comfort with understated elegance, allowing space for reflection while enjoying a relaxed dining experience. The hotel’s culinary and service teams work closely to ensure consistency, quality and authenticity throughout the season.
Whether for intimate gatherings or larger group celebrations, the venue offers flexibility supported by a culinary programme rooted in care and attention to detail. The Ramadan offering is designed to ensure guests feel at ease while enjoying a distinctive Iftar experience in the capital.
Throughout the holy month, JEN Maldives by Shangri-La invites guests to come together at Lime Restaurant to experience evenings defined by flavour, generosity and meaningful connection, in keeping with the true spirit of Ramadan.
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