By Kavita Mistry 
It is the bluest of blues I have ever seen. Not the rich turquoise of the Andaman Sea that brings thrill-seeking holidayers to the beaches of Thailand. Or the deep sapphire of the Mediterranean, characteristic of destinations like Santorini or the Amalfi Coast. Here, in the tiny archipelago of Maldives, the Indian Ocean unveils its full spectrum of rarefied blues.
And it is this calming view I keep returning to during my 72 hours at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, a 25-minute private speedboat transfer from Malé International Airport. Set on a meticulously manicured garden island overlooking a lagoon, within the North Malé Atoll, the 12-acre property feels like a world unto itself.
A water villa with private pool at Four Seasons Resort Maldives, Kuda Huraa.
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Special Arrangement
Housing 96 waterfront villas (including 38 overwater ones), all designed in the traditional style of a Maldivian village home, every detail here whispers exclusivity: from hand-carved wooden furnishings to soaring thatched ceilings and infinity pools that seem to dissolve into the lagoon. A setting that may well rival the fictional escapism of The White Lotus.
Sea therapy
Throughout history, there are examples of people, from English novelist Virginia Woolf to French painters Monet and Cezanne, seeking out the sea as a place for rejuvenation, but more importantly, for recovery and healing. DH Lawrence, author and prolific letter-writer, is known to have often retreated to the Mediterranean coast after suffering a bout of tuberculosis when he was 40. “I shall stay here as long as I can breathe — the light, the air — they are better than any doctor,” he wrote to his friend and fellow writer Alduous Huxley in the late 1920s.
The Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa
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Special Arrangement
No doubt, wellness remains an integral part of the offerings at beach destinations in the 21st Century. At the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, a dedicated islet across the lagoon, The Island Spa, becomes a sanctuary away from the holiday buzz of the main resort area. The idea is to develop wellness independent of the vacation segment, says Anand Prayaga, who recently took charge as spa director and is overseeing efforts to redefine holistic wellness for the ultra-luxury traveller.
Inside a villa at the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa.
“The goal is for each guest to leave not only feeling relaxed, but also more balanced, empowered, and inspired to continue their healing journey beyond the spa,” says Prayaga, who hails from Kerala and brings with him 17 years of experience in naturopathy. Practices such as gentle detox, lifestyle modifications, stress management techniques, and the use of food as medicine will form an integral part of the new healing approach at The Island Spa, he says.
With a little help from technology
Offering a peek into the bespoke wellness regimen, which will be launched this December, Prayaga first guides me through a Visbody scan, a physical analysis performed using 3D body scanning technology to capture both external body shape and internal composition. “It assesses posture and joint mobility, and measures body fat, muscle distribution, hydration, and spinal alignment. This helps us design personalised wellness, nutrition, and fitness plans while allowing you to track real progress,” says Prayaga, monitoring my parameters on a screen as I stand on a slowly rotating platform.
An ice bath at The Island Spa.
Next is a non-invasive mineral and heavy metal test via the palm (Oligoscan) followed by an iris analysis using an iridoscope or iris photograph. “Variations such as rings, spots, or colour changes in the iris may suggest areas of stress, inflammation, or weakness,” Prayaga tells me.
Yoga by the beach at The Island Spa, Kuda Huraa
While these techniques do not diagnose diseases and are no substitute for clinical or lab tests, “They can be used in naturopathy to identify tendencies and guide lifestyle or nutrition recommendations”, he clarifies. Based on the results, the spa’s naturopaths will then recommend a care protocol that may include mud therapy, heliotherapy, sound healing, ice bath, yoga, massages, and so on.
Mindful healing
At the end of the 30-minute consultation, I return to the spa’s waiting area where a glass of chilled ginger tea awaits me. I take a few sips and look around the soothing white and beige interiors before being joined by a spa therapist for the next step in my wellness routine: the Islander massage.
Inside the healing tent that uses a blend of Reiki and sound healing at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa.
Phubi from Bhutan leads me to an overwater spa suite with panoramic sea views. The floor has glass panels through which flashes of marine life are revealed. A graceful oriental sweetlips, in black and white stripes with yellow fins, glides by as I drift into a meditative state.
Dhoni’, a traditional Maldivian boat, that takes guests from the main resort area to The Island Spa at Four Seasons Resort Kuda Huraa.
Later, on my way back to the resort in a dhoni, a traditional Maldivian boat reimagined in teak and linen and adorned with fresh spider lilies and honeysuckle, I realise that luxury is not about extravagance; it’s about access — to Nature at its most pristine and to wellness at its most mindful.
The writer was at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa on the invitation of the resort.
julie.m.v@thehindu.co.in