An Arjuna awardee swimmer travels to the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa and Landaa Giraavaru
For me, travel is an education that is never really finished, and the best adventures are led by passion and purpose. I once calculated that over a lifetime of training, I’ve swum a cumulative distance greater than the circumference of the earth! My deep connection to the water makes the Maldives one of my favourite destinations, and every visit to this tropical paradise reveals something new about its culture and natural riches. The first glimpse of the iridescent blue ocean is unforgettably powerful. Fringed with white surf, the waves of the ocean move as though beckoning you to explore the many treasures concealed within and on its emerald islands. On this visit, I stay with Four Seasons Resorts Maldives at Kuda Huraa and Landaa Giraavaru, which turns out to be an elevated experience of mindful luxury.
One of the very first luxury resorts to open in the Maldives, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, is laid out like a charming Maldivian village, a garden paradise with flaming pink bougainvillaea popping brightly against a pastel sky. Large sliding windows in my beautifully appointed overwater villa allow me to dive from my bedroom straight into the infinity pool and descend the steps directly into the warm crystal lagoon, dotted with reef fish and corals. Food-loving families bond over island and Asian-inspired specialties at the award-winning Café Huraa by the resort’s infinity pool and the ocean beyond, or enjoy alfresco dining and the day’s fresh catch at the Reef Club. My favourite was Baraabaru, rated as one of the best tables in the Maldives. This restaurant is known for its homestyle Indian delights. I enjoyed a thali meal that included delectably fresh lobster while watching reef sharks and angelfish swim in the crystal-clear lagoon below. The Island Spa sits serenely on its own island, a short dhoni ride away from Kuda Huraa. With a menu of ocean-inspired treatments enhanced by the expertise of visiting osteopaths, reiki masters, and hypnotherapy masters, among others, the focus on wellness is comprehensive. Didier Jardin, the GM, tells me that the waves around Kuda Huraa have wowed some of the world’s greatest surfing talent, from Kelly Slater to Tom Curren, who visited as part of the resort’s annual Surfing Champions Trophy. The resort is once again preparing to welcome international wave-riders to its thrilling local breaks, tailored sessions with expert Tropicsurf coaches, bespoke surf cruises, and extraordinary seaplane ‘surfaris.’ I enjoy surfing for the very first time and experiencing the beauty of the underwater world by snorkelling on the reef and scuba diving in the deep blue beyond.
Four Seasons’ delightful little seaplane called the Flying Boxfish, in its yellow livery with black spots, takes me from Kuda Huraa to the palm-tree-fringed pathway leading to the Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru, a lovely, raw UNESCO Biosphere Reserve wilderness in Baa Atoll. Spread across 44 acres of lush jungle, flanked by pristine white beaches, dramatic sandbanks, and one of the country’s largest natural lagoons, it’s the perfect place to rejuvenate mind and body. My water villa is new, luxurious, and spacious, stilted over the lagoon with spectacular views of the 12-meter lap pool, deck, and ocean beyond, and unforgettable sunsets. For me, this visit is a yatra into wellness at AyurMa, their wellness centre that merges personal and planetary wellbeing. I begin with a Nadi reading and am assigned therapies that suit my body type. With Ayurvedic labelling on the menus of the resort’s award-winning restaurants, it’s an education on dishes that suit you and are delicious as well! The focus on sustainability is evident in the collaboration with Michelin-distinguished chef Gaetano Travato, who travels to the Maldives twice a year to train a new generation of chefs at the Blu Beach Club. I try his delightful menu, offered at the resort by his protegees when he is not in residence himself. It employs an innovative mix of Tuscan and Maldivian ingredients. With the atoll’s shallow corals devastated by El Nino events in 1998 and 2016, Landaa’s dedicated Marine Savers team has played a vital role in restoring the surrounding oceanic ecosystem, working with Reefscapers and The Manta Trust to forge ground-breaking conservation initiatives in areas including coral propagation and manta ray research.
A turtle rehabilitation centre cares for injured Olive Ridley, Green, and Hawksbill turtles to prepare them for release in the wild. No matter which way you look at this resort at Landaa Giraavaru, the mindful awareness of the interconnectedness of humanity and nature is evident.
Rehan Poncha is an Olympian swimmer and Arjuna awardee. A prolific traveller and foodie, his journeys have taken him from racing the World Championship in Rome to swimming with mantas in the Maldives and many points in between. Rehan blogs at TravelwithRehan.in.