Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas

Besides enjoying sun, sand and aquamarine sea at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, candice chan also cleanses her inner spirit, swims with turtles, picks up Muay Thai, locates her zodiac constellation with an astronomer and dines underwater

ACCESSIBLE ONLY via a half-hour seaplane transfer from the Maldivian capital of Male, Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas is located on the fringe of Hanifaru Bay, a Unesco World Biosphere Reserve. The resort comprises 80 private pool villas ranging from one-bedroom accommodations to a sprawling 30,000-squarefoot four-bedroom residence, with each opening out to sweeping views of the Indian Ocean.

While rest and relaxation come easy in paradise, the resort also offers a host of unusual activities to leave a lifetime of memories. The most difficult part of my stay? Checking out after four heavenly days on the island.

Clean slate

We’ve all heard of detox getaways – but what about a holiday that cleanses spiritually? With a roster of visiting wellness practitioners offering holistic treatments from watsu to hypnotherapy, one’s perspective on life can take on a whole new dimension. My shamanic reiki healing session with therapist Katrina Valente, for example, banishes my inner demons with a combination of colour therapy, tarot reading and Access Bars (a holistic technique using touch that’s said to dispel negative energy accumulated over several lifetimes). Of course, there’s always the option of sticking to a good ol’ dietary cleanse through a raw plant-based diet, in this case prepared by resident Wellness Chef Eric Lecras: think kombucha, jamu and kefir – all the essentials for a healthy digestive system.

Twinkle twinkle little star

Although Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas’ remote location allows for a star-spangled night sky free from other distracting lights, not all stars shine as brightly or conspicuously as

Sirius or Rigel. Without sky guru Shameem and his research-grade 16-inch Meade LX200 telescope, I wouldn’t have been able to locate my zodiac constellation, Pisces, a fairly large cluster of faintly lit stars. With the custombuilt Ash Dome observatory, the Maldives’ first, located on an open roof bar perched atop the susurrating waves, some guests

have been moved enough by their surroundings to buy the opportunity to christen a star. Or so I’m told.

Something’s fishy

Almost all Maldivian resorts offer access to top-notch snorkelling sites. However, not all can boast their very own house reef in a Unesco-protected biosphere. With the reef (locally referred to by divers as the Golden Wall) barely 50 metres away from the beach where the property’s PADI dive centre is located, we soon spot local species of fish, crustaceans and echinoderms hidden among the widespread colonies of soft corals. Hang around long enough and you’re able to swim alongside the turtles and black-tipped reef sharks that frequent the area.

Fight club

Although trading fun in the sun for pure grit and hard work doesn’t sound like my idea of paradise, the promise of learning some selfdefence Muay Thai moves (while relieving some of that no-exercise guilt) is incentive enough to give it a go. Anantara Kihavah is the only property in Maldives with its own boxing ring, where a certified instructor teaches you how to master the science of eight limbs with pad and mitt work. Three sessions later, I’m presented with a certificate and a professionally shot photograph of my killer stance. Take that!

Underwater universe

Submerged below the surface of the atoll’s waters is Sea, an underwater restaurant housing one of the world’s few submarine wine cellars. The octagonal-shaped transparent bubble stretches out into the reef for a 360-degree view of life in the deep blue. Colourful reef residents such as triggerfish and clownfish swim around us as we pick through our three-course lunch of Maldivian tuna, lobster and Wagyu beef. But night is when the big boys come out to play: groupers, hinds and sharks – even the occasional hammerhead – snoop around furtively, attracted by the restaurant’s bright lights.