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Four Seasons Maldives

Originally published in Robb Report, August 2016

I remember my excitement as I sipped coffee at the Four Seasons airport lounge while waiting for the seaplane transfer to Baa atoll. A 45-minute scenic ride later, I arrived at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. The Landaa property is newer than the Kuda Huraa (famous for its surf culture and laid-back vibes), and has a state of the art wellness sanctuary with overwater villas, meditation pavilions, a yoga energy trail and a three-acre fully equipped medical centre. The resort has a 360-degree approach to wellness,successfully marrying the East with the West.

There is no dearth of over the top luxurious resorts and overwater villas in Maldives that make you swoon
over with breathtaking vistas. But what sets the Four Seasons at Landaa Giraavaru apart is their focus on
wellness, and their team. The property has 103 luxury villas ranging from overwater suites and bungalows to beachside cottages. Sandie Johannessen, director of the spa, believes in fusing the best of Eastern and Western philosophies of medicine to curate treatments for every client’s needs. They have panchakarma
treatment, acupuncture, stem cell remodeling, antigravity yoga and even a sleep sanctuary. My three-day
itinerary was packed from morning to night, and I still didn’t have enough time to experience everything they had to offer.

Four Seasons

I had an interesting yoga session with Les Leventhal, a Californian who moved to Bali to practise yoga, and was visiting the property for a yoga seminar. The class was unlike anything I had experienced in a yoga class.We focused on breath work and holding poses but there was room for laughter, giggles and mistakes too. Yoga with Leventhal is a vinyasa or flow yoga class that allows you to laugh, heal and let go wherever necessary. I went to bed early that night because I was exhausted from all the travelling and wanted to wake up early for an early morning dip. The Baa atoll is teeming with marine life and you can jump right in from your overwater villa into the aquamarine waters and swim among mantas, sea turtles, reef sharks and others.

The food that they offer is different in every restaurant; be it the Morocco-inspired variety at Al Barakat, the Italian fare at Blu, or the all-day dining options and lobster dinners at Cafe Landaa. They also have theme nights once a week where you can try Creole or Maldivian cuisine. The in-room dining menu is pretty comprehensive too and has something for everyone, including for vegans and those avoiding grains and gluten. I highly recommend the breakfast at Cafe Landaa, and lunch, followed by cocktails at sunset at Blu followed by Moroccan dinner at Al Barakat, in order to experience everything the resort has to offer.

I had heard hotel guests praise the antigravity yoga, and I knew I had to give it a shot. Antigravity yoga employs hammocks, enabling participants to work on their core, agility and balance. The class starts with familiarisation of the hammocks, working on the balance and ends with inversions and holding the asana. Your body feels all kinds of sore afterwards but the inversions are fun and bring that youthful, rosy glow to your face. The class is taught by Rajanish, a yogi who has trained extensively in Kerala, and has undergone training for antigravity yoga from Christopher Harrison, a pioneer in the yoga form, and also teaches Pilates-intensive mat-work. I learnt later that this process was mostly about trusting the hammocks and learning how to let go.

It was addictive, and I would definitely have booked a few more sessions if time permitted. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time to be suspended in mid-air. The endorphin surge was unparalleled, and it was the closest you could get to flying. Rajanish warned us though that while this is safe, pregnant women,and people with hypertension and heart disease should stay away.

Guests who are looking beyond cleanses and workouts to lose inches while on a holiday, can try some of the body sculpting treatments like anti-cellulite massage or stem cell remodeling treatment. The former is a 90-minute ritual, performed with strong kneading and the use of bellabaci cups (Chinese suction), that helps in fat mobilisation, releases extra fluid and reduces cellulite. The second treatment is very popular among the young women at the spa. The results are noticeable after just one sitting and you can expect to see smooth,radiant skin and a toned body. The stem cell remodeling includes a detoxifying scrub that exfoliates and targets fat mobilisation and blood circulation. This is followed by a facial and it ends with a relaxing ylang-ylang stem cell serum wrap. This detoxifying wrap helps flush out toxins and also reduces belly bloat and water retention.

Four Seasons

Four Seasons

The yoga energy trail is something I didn’t want to do alone because it seemed like the kind of activity you would do with a group that is motivating you to push harder. Exclusive to Four Seasons at Landaa Giraavaru,the yoga energy trail is a class guided by the resort’s resident yogi. The trail takes you around the island, testing your endurance, strength and flexibility. This 75-minute exercise allows you to take in fresh air, enjoy the salty sea breeze and marvel at the gorgeous Indian Ocean while you attempt different feats. There are 15 stations that are located at different areas of the resort. Mind you, you aren’t walking from station to station but jogging so your heart rate stays up and you are working up a serious sweat. “The idea is to unite the mind, body and spirit through an energetic exploration of the island via its most beautiful viewpoints: From the ‘tree pose’ overlooking the lagoon to ‘sun salutations’ on the jetty to ‘hanging firefly’ beneath the banyan tree,” explains Johannessen. I went in on a hot afternoon with a group, along with Paula Choi, resident acupuncturist, and we were spent by the time it finished, but it was a lot of fun.

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For weary travelers, workaholics and couples with young kids, sleep can be a real luxury. Here at Landaa,the team understands how important restful sleep is and they have curated a special treatment called the Om Supti Night Spa Ritual. This unique treatment has to be booked in advance and is only available for a single person or a couple at a time. It is designed to relax nerves, slow your body down and lull your mind into a deeply meditative state, paving way for improved and peaceful sleep. This unique ritual takes place in a jungle clearing at night, with the area prepared with a hanging bed. There is a three-pronged approach to this treatment. The first is the Moondrop Therapy, where seven essential oils are massaged onto the spine to balance and align the chakras and soothe irritated nerves. Next is the Vishuddha Facial, which targets the throat chakra and relieves the mind of stress, while supporting the immune system. The ritual culminates with an al fresco soak called the ‘Ila inner peace bath’ that’s infused with the goodness of sea salt, jasmine and sandalwood to promote relaxation and restful sleep. Once you book this space, you can choose to go back into your cottage or continue to sleep there until morning. I recommend you book this way ahead of time because it is highly sought after, and is an experience that you won’t forget.

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the team and the glorious azure waters of the Baa atoll when Johannessen
walked me to the yoga pavilion for a little surprise. I could see the ebullient faces of every member of the spa team before they lay me down in shavasana and covered my eyes with an eye mask. People started to sing and hum gently in unison and I could feel more people starting to sit around a circle near me. The team started to chant and it was harmonious, soulful and synchronised for all of 10 minutes. This blessing ceremony, coupled with the sea breeze and the waves crashing in the distance was the best send-off I have ever received anywhere. There are glitzy spa resorts all over the world but I haven’t found a place that cares for you right from the moment you walk in, the way the Four Seasons Landaa does. As we walked to the jetty before my speedboat arrived, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with the love and care that I had received. The four Seasons was awesome.

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Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, +960.660.0888,

www.fourseasons.com

Jia Singh

ABOUT ME

I am a Delhi-based nutritionist, food & wellness consultant and freelance features writer. I write for a variety of different magazines and websites in India and overseas on restaurants, travel, wellness and food.

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