White sandy beaches, water the shade of paraíba tourmalines and pristine sealife… factor in the best possible service, ayurvedic doctors and supreme privacy on your own island in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and you’ve truly found your Maldivian paradise.
Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru in the north of the Maldives has plenty to offer—collaborations with Michelin-starred chefs, a health and wellness haven with an expert team of ayurvedic doctors and yoga therapists, endless watersport activities (including ocean conservation experiences).
There’s also a marine discovery centre whose endeavours include their Manta Ray Project (an initiative born of the resort’s closeness to the famous Hanifaru Bay) and a Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre with a team of marine biologists in residence, and a personalised five-star service between the spacious 103 private villas, all of which have private pools.
But for those who consider privacy to be an integral part of their Maldivian paradise, Four Seasons Private Island at Voavah, Baa Atoll, comes with a personal dive centre and gym, the private “Ocean of Consciousness Spa”, plus the 19-metre yacht Voavah Summer that belongs entirely to the individual guest for the duration of their stay.
The island and resort even have their own time zone, one hour ahead of the Maldives capital Malé, so that even more pleasure can be packed into any given day. That said, this is a place where you can even zoom out of time zones altogether and live in accordance with the rhythms of nature. Because the credo, here, is “An island without limits”.
In regard to how to spend your time, the sky—one which here stretches into an azure horizon—is the limit. You are the architect of your own experience, and decide whether to use this island as a sanctuary—a retreat for yourself individually or with family and friends. It’s perfect for those very special anniversaries and weddings, restrictedaccess launches and uber-exclusive events (perhaps consider creating your very own Coachella by flying in big-name acts).
Here, it’s all about unleashing your imagination when it comes to what you want to do with this piece of utopia. The extraordinary, eternally creative hospitality-driven mentality of the Four Seasons team is also here to make your dreams a reality and create the most memorable moments imaginable.
Even those passing by on a personal yacht are welcomed for a spontaneous stay if the resort is available (this has happened in the past), thanks to the flexibility of the team that permanently take care of the island.
Most visitors, though, reach the island via a short private seaplane ride from either the private jet terminal at Maafaru International Airport or a 40-minute flight from Malé International Airport, both taking passengers over turquoise waters and beautiful atolls directly to your hideaway.
Four Seasons Maldives has two superlative private seaplanes—Boxfish and Triggerfish, which are named after two iconic fishes found in the waters surrounding the resort. The Four Seasons experience begins as soon as you take to the air and apply oshibori to forehead. The eight-seater Triggerfish offers a more private jet-style experience, with its comfortable leather armrest seats in a 1:1 configuration giving both style and comfort.
Before boarding, you can access the Island Café lounge at the new seaplane terminal at Malé airport or fly fully under the radar by being escorted behind-the-scenes to your seaplane. A personal Four Seasons representative is always at your side, and always one step ahead of your personal needs.
The privacy and limitless service continue on the island, which is located on the remote northern Baa Atoll: a spot with no neighbours, let alone paparazzi. Declared the Maldives’s first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2011 and home to the world’s largest known population of manta rays, as well as one of its richest coral reef systems, this is home to dolphins, hawksbill and green turtles, with rays also being regular visitors.
Another bonus—one valued by celebrities and other notable visitors—is that the island can accommodate up to six personal staff that are travelling with guests. The five-hectare hideaway has seven luxurious bedrooms including a three-bedroom beach villa, two-bedroom water villa, and the main beach villa with two Mezzanine Suites that can accommodate up to 22 visitors.
Each villa is on a remote location on the island, so that even when you are enjoying this paradise with family and friends, you have guaranteed privacy.
As Four Seasons supervisor Ayya says, “Even if the party should be a bit louder, the local community around on other islands are okay with it.” This relates to the unique approach of General Manager Armando Kraenzlin (who is also the Regional Vice President overseeing Four Seasons Resorts Bali and Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai): “It’s all about ensuring that our natural surroundings and communities benefit as much from our presence as we do from theirs,” he says.
The heart of the island is the main beach villa, which has open spaces featuring various wooden artworks and crystal-stone chandeliers, reached via a lush, narrow jungle road with an entrance subtly marked with a stone emblazoned with the welcoming words, “Four Seasons Private Island Maldives”.
From there on, you take your journey to the main kitchen and living room, step out to a vast main swimming pool, or head to the library or gym.
The Ocean of Consciousness Spa, as well as the other villas, are just a short (barefoot) walk away, through the island’s lavish natural splendour. Each villa—whether on the beach, overwater or in a panoramic mezzanine suite in the main villa—has its own individual charm, although all share some basic comely traits: light colour palettes, natural materials, dark-wooden floors, high ceilings, al fresco living rooms, generously sized pools with loungers and hammocks, and incredible ocean views.
It’s tricky to pick out highlights of this private island—the competition is fierce— but the infinity sunset pool plunging into the endlessness of the Indian Ocean is one of a kind. If you’re lucky, dolphins will also enter your field of vision as you watch the sunset in intense shades of orange, rose and violet.
The activities on the island are as endless, from an impressive selection of watersports to discovering the beauty of nature or relaxing at the Ocean of Consciousness Spa. Perched over a lagoon, the private spa offers bespoke treatments by multi-award-winning therapists while embracing the magnitude of the ocean, thanks to its open pavilion structure.
The signature crystal-bowl sound healing experience immerses participants in waves of vibrations that sync you with the waves of the ocean via the glass floor beneath and open walls surrounding you. Alternatively, only a 20-minute speedboat ride away, is the award-winning health and wellness haven “AyurMa” (Sanskrit for “Mother of Life”) at the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru Resort, which is on the site of a former coconut plantation.
Drawing on four pillars—planetary wellbeing, ayurveda, yoga therapy and wellness—AyurMa’s expert team of ayurvedic doctors, naturopaths and yoga therapists create bespoke therapeutic programs, from a nourishing massage and a wellness ritual to 7-, 14- or 21-day panchakarma. Two more unmissable experiences at AyurMa on Landaa Giraavaru are the om pathway and antigravity yoga sessions.
Wandering along the om trail, flanked by Tibetan flags fluttering in the wind, you’ll be surrounded by a 432 hertz om chant whose frequency is said to resonate with nature’s rhythms, causing participants to immediately unwind. Consider experiencing this in tandem with a private anti-gravity yoga session with one of the Christopher Harrison-trained instructors at the open pavilion in the island’s jungle centre. Hammocks give the yoga experience a new dimension, creating a magical feeling of being airborne and weightless. Your session complete, you can return to your quarters along jungle passageways lit up with lanterns and filled with the smell of incense.
This Four Seasons Maldives Resort and Private Island’s underlying philosophy of endless possibilities and freed imagination continues with its culinary offerings. The private island has no restaurants—you choose what to eat and where. That may be a picnic lunch on a sandbank, or take a cruise to another beautiful uninhabited island with your personal yacht, and catch your own sashimi to be enjoyed at a beach barbecue with locally sourced ingredients like yellowfin tuna and vegetables from the island gardens. Enjoy star gazing moments—perhaps take over as chef yourself.
Whatever you fancy, the team is ready to make it happen. If you prefer a change of scenery, Landaa Giraavaru has a variety of restaurants: either Italian cuisine at the beachfront Blu Bar overlooking the lagoon, Arabian cuisine at Al Barakat (including the signature dish “Ayurvedic mezza plate” while surrounded by lanterns for that One Thousand and One Nights feeling), or Asian and local food at Café Landaa.
Whether incredible culinary offerings, wellbeing credentials or stunning island geography are your priority, Four Seasons Resort at Landaa Giraavaru and Four Seasons Private Island at Voavah tick all the boxes. It’s a place where compromise is simply not on the agenda. Be prepared for an existential shift: this is an experience that will never leave you or be absent from future daydreams—until you go back.
