What is your criteria for the perfect beach holiday? Well my must haves include a monochrome fine sand beach (yes black is cool like at Alila Villas Soori Bali), clear aqua-marine waters, and of course a luxurious villa with the full works, and food of course. The Jumeirah resorts in the Maldives crosses all the boxes and my stay at the Jumeirah Vittaveli resort was nothing short of perfect. 

Jumeirah Vittaveli is located a short 20-minute speed boat ride from Malé, which makes it a convenient destination. While a sea plane ride is part of the quintessential Maldivian experience, i find it over hyped and honestly unnecessary, since you can get the same piece of clear blue ocean with gorgeous views practically anywhere in Maldives. Ok granted that not all house reefs are great but JV's reefs were quite amazing. Plus, it saved us a lot of time and pain and we got to spend more time exploring the gorgeous island.

From their Bolifushi location, JV offers 43 beach villas and suites, 46 lagoon villas and suites, with four restaurants and a beach side cocktail bar. All villas come with their own swimming pool and direct access to the beach or lagoon, perfect for snorkeling trips any time you fancy (snorkeling gear provided for free). Connect with high speed complimentary Wi-Fi around the island, or be a couch potato with the free on-demand movies on your Apple TV. Disconnect by exploring the outdoors on the Vittaveli bicycles parked right outside your doorsteps or out at/under the sea with the myriad of water sports available.

Expect great hospitality regardless of the accommodation you pick. Each villa has its own dedicated host who will ensure that your activities and meals run smoothly. The welcome snacks were a nice touch, bubbly included! We were greeted by smiles and engaging conversations everywhere we went and it was really comfortable. 

The romantic and gorgeous Maldives has been touted as a honeymoon spot since... well i'm of age to know what romance is. Yes it's the perfect setting for romance, but also a great destination for city folks like us to de-stress and recharge on the pearl string of island atolls in the Indian Ocean. And i thought it would be even more so perfect as a wellness destination, with plenty of yoga involved, and healthy delicious cuisine as well (you just can't take the yogi out of me). 

It was fate that brought me and Ayurva Traveller, together, just when i was planning my Maldivian holiday. Ayurva Traveller specializes in wellness holidays in exotic destinations such as Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan (all on my travel list) and founder Nilusha shares the same travel philosophy as i do. It also helps that there is a variety of resorts (all on my list as well), with different packages and experiences that are exclusive to them. 

We took a three day wellness package with Detox Spa Treatment at Jumeirah Vittaveli, a sophisticated and lux resort in the Southern Atoll. What i liked about the resort is that they also offer a host of fitness activities like yoga, Muay Tai, circuit training, meditation etc. which complements the spa-focused wellness package that Ayurva Traveller offers.

A little more on our 3d wellness package, it includes 3 x 1h spa treatments at the Talise Spa i.e. body scrub, lymphatic drainage massage, and cellulite massage.

The Over Water treatment suite at the Talise Spa is an oasis of tranquility and luxury. We were also treated to fresh juices as part of our treatments. 

A private wellness activity (choice of Yoga/Pilates/Tai chi or personal training) was also included in our package. The session could be conducted anywhere to your liking. We would have chosen the beach but unfortunately it was pouring when we scheduled for our class.

The open yoga pavilion is a good spot for yoga as well and we could hear and smell the crashing waves as we engaged our core muscles during Pilates class. Raina gave us a challenging core workout, catering to both S and my needs (she had a good balance of tough stuff). 

Call me spoilt but i've also come to expect yoga mats in my hotels and JV provides that in our villa! Yay to sunrise and sunset yoga any time of day!

Of course, living well is like 70% diet and 30% exercise (though we can always exercise more) and we made sure we put in some goodness into our tummies. 

Jumeirah is starting to go big on the wellness aspect and that shows in their f&b and private dining options. We had a private breakfast which revolves around the special Talise Nutrition recipes planned by the Jumeirah team of nutritionists in Dubai. 

The same goodness can be experienced at the breakfast buffet at Samsara in fact but it's always nice to have a bit of privacy. 

Make sure you get some of the delicious oatmeal porridge with honeycomb and the homemade muesli (love it). I can not resist the Mango smoothie (more like lassi) and the Ayurvedic water tasted like chai latte without any of that caffeine or milk! 

Fresh juices with tropical fruits can be prepared on demand as well. 

It's the first time i felt so relaxed in a while. It must be the Maldivian air. I'm so coming back again. Maybe a different package at another luxury resort? ;)

For more information on Ayurva Traveller and Jumeirah Vittaveli, check out their respective websites. 

Will be updating on the accommodation options at Jumeirah Vittaveli, as well as a full food review of their f&b offerings! Stay tuned!