If buyouts are truly the best, if only, way to visit the Maldives in the near future, choosing the “perfect” property is an already Herculean feat. Between the overwater villas, sensational spas and beaches so beautiful you’ll think they were created by a Hollywood CGI team, it’s nearly impossible to select one of these without wondering if the lagoon is blue-greener on the other side.
A perfect example of this “problem”—one we’d all love to face, I’m sure—is presented in the new resort buyout packages offered by Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas for its two amazing Maldivian properties. Recognizing a need for ultra-luxurious options in booking destination weddings, anniversaries, honeymoons, or other milestone events, Anantara has made its Kihavah and Dhigu resorts available for exclusive rentals, but how do you choose between them when they’re both so breathtaking?
When you look at the offerings next to each other, you might just be best off flipping a coin.
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas
First, we head to the Baa Atoll, where Anantara Kihavah exists as a luxurious tribute to the region’s celebrated natural beauty. Guests will be drawn to the tranquility and elegance of the resort’s beach and overwater villas, but when you’re surrounded by such a stunning variety of marine life, it simply must play a prominent role in the stay, no matter how long the island belongs to your group. The Anantara Signature Experiences have been designed to lure guests into the water to snorkel with manta rays or get within an arm’s reach of the house reef, the Golden Wall, on a personal dive expedition.
But let’s not gloss over those villas. From the land-based beach pool villa to the world-famous Sunset Over Water Pool Villa, the accommodations at Anantara Kihavah exist to spoil. Each villa includes a pool—even those overwater—and they’ve been designed to deliver a sense of sophisticated peacefulness, as if each villa’s guests are the only people on the planet, even if the next villa is less than 30 feet away.
Guests can ride their own beach cruiser bikes from their villas to the daily activities, whether hitting the water for the aforementioned explorer’s experiences or tasting wine at SEA, the resort’s infamous underwater restaurant. And no day is complete without a visit to the SKY Bar, where cocktails are served while the SKY Guru shares stories of the universe while everyone gets a turn peering into the great beyond from the first overwater observatory in the Maldives. What’s so cool about this all is that these signature experiences are great for romance-minded couples and large families, as kids under 12 even have the Thiththi Boli Kids Club and a variety of water-based activities to keep them busy. The experience is both mind-blowing and all-encompassing.
However, if this is a visit focused on wellness, this property is also the right choice. This Anantara spa’s treatments not only focus on the region’s natural beauty, but they’re unlike anything guests will experience anywhere else in the Maldives. The Cocoon Medical Spa’s detoxification therapies are one of a kind, while the ancient Ayurvedic wellness treatments are custom designed by the resident Ayurvedic Master. Even if you don’t know what that means, you know you want to learn.
Anantara Dhigu Resort
Anantara Dhigu’s overwater villas are expectedly stylish, open and designed to make the marine life below a big part of the experience. But what makes them so fun, right from the booking process, is choosing between the sunrise and sunset views. That’s just a small example of the thought that has gone into making this property so distinct in its focus on delivering something for everyone by utilizing the best of everything this beautiful spot has to offer.
If Kihavah is for nature lovers or people seeking the ultimate in relaxation, then Dhigu is a resort for more active guests. That begins with the Anantara Surf School by Tropicsurf, where people of all ages and ability levels can test their courage against the region’s best waves, or simply learn how to stand up on a board for the first time. And Dhigu offers plenty in terms of exploration and enjoying the marine life, from dolphin-spotting yacht cruises and glass-bottom boat trips for younger guests to swimming with nurse sharks and free diving in the Indian Ocean.
Speaking of younger guests, Anantara Dhigu is also a great choice for families with children of all ages, as the little ones can spend the day enjoying water-based activities and other games at the kids’ club. All the while, adults can escape to the spa for variety of therapies or even head across the lagoon to sister property Anantara Veli to try the Balance Wellness by Anantara program.
Making a Decision with Confidence
As with all properties in the Maldives right now, the responsibility for providing and maintaining a safe, healthy experience for guests is of utmost importance to Anantara, hence the buyout packages, which are certainly expensive, but have been conceived with the goal of maximum social distancing.
Additionally, Anantara launched the Stay with Peace of Mind program in April to assure guests that appropriate health and hygiene measures were being implemented and followed at all of the company’s 41 properties. At Anantara Kihavah and Dhigu, guests can expect to witness enhanced levels of sanitation in all areas of these resorts, while a dedicated Guest Guardian will be actively overseeing these efforts, from private transfers at the airport to disinfecting hotel key cards.
