Anantara To Debut in the Seychelles With Rebrand of Iconic Maia Luxury Resort & Spa
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas is to debut in the Seychelles in the first quarter of 2021 with the upcoming rebrand of the iconic Maia Luxury Resort & Spa.
Located on Mahé, the largest of the Seychelles islands and just a short drive from the international airport, Anantara Maia Seychelles can be found on the south west coast amongst 30 acres of forest garden, between the island's unique granite rocks and Anse Louis Beach. The award-winning resort offers 30 secluded private villas, each with a dedicated villa host available 24-hours a day for the duration of the stay.
Designed by Bill Bensley and Lek Bunnag, two of the world's most highly respected luxury resort and hotel architects, the resort is regarded as one of Bensley's favourite projects, with architecture and gardens designed to blend seamlessly with the tropical island landscape.
Anantara will be introducing an Anantara Spa with three open-air treatment rooms located in the resort's gardens. The Spa will be dedicated to rejuvenation and relaxation and, in addition to yoga and qi gong already available to guests, a wide range of new activities will be offered with a dedicated wellness focus.
Prices start from £1,941 per night including all drinks and meals anywhere. www.anantara.com/en/maia-seychelles
Newly Refurbished Villas in The Maldives
Anantara Kihavah Villas Maldives in the Baa Atoll is launching two completely renovated over water pool residences. The luxurious two-bedroom over water pool residences are among the resort's top room category and feature Kajan thatched palm roofs and Balau hardwood flooring spanning the entire length of its expansive outdoor deck, accompanied by netted hammocks suspended over water. Generously spaced at 872 sq. m (9,386 sq. ft), these over water retreats feature a fully equipped glass-ceiling encased gym, spa treatment room, and infinity swimming pool.
This follows the refurbishment of the two-, three- and four-bedrooms beach pool residences, which were completed just before the resort closed in March and have just become available. Surrounded by foliage and bougainvillea, the residences start from 829 sq. m (8,923 sq. ft) for the two-bedroom villa to 2,994 sq. m (32,227 sq. ft) for the four-bedroom villa. An outdoor Sala Thai provides shade, whilst contemporary lounge furniture sits alongside newly extended swimming pools fitted with massage jets.
Rattan details, woven straw carpets, Maldivian motifs and teak wood furniture further accents the distinctively tropical vibe of each room, while floor-to-ceiling doors offer sweeping views of the tropics. Wellbeing and fitness are also not forgotten – with each residence outfitted with its own private enclosed spa room and gym.
A two-bedroom overwater pool residence at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas costs from USD 7,200 (GBP 5,500) per night sleeping 4 adults (+ up to 4 children) including breakfast. www.anantara.com/en/kihavah-maldives
New Family Offerings in the Liwa Desert
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, located among the vast sand dunes of the Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi has made extensive luxury updates to its leisure and family offerings. The pool area has been refurbished to provide multi-zones for guests of all ages with a children's splash pad area, decadent in-water loungers and an in-water swing, new cabanas providing enhanced guest privacy and a 50-metre stretch for laps. A highlight is the sleek new swim-up bar and a new pool menu including a "Farm to Fork" pizza with ingredients from the resort's own greenhouse.
The resort has also enriched its children's offerings, with new fun-filled amenities and activities for kids. These include upgrades to the kids' club, a new soft-play zone in the pool, nutritious and delicious menu options, and complimentary activities and experiences designed to keep younger travellers engaged throughout their stay. Thrilling desert experiences for teens include dune bashing, fat biking, camel riding, archery and falcon shows.
The resort recently introduced a new desert Bedouin night camp for guests.
Families can now spend the night in Bedouin-style tents deep among the dunes of the Liwa Desert. They can choose a camel transfer to the overnight camping site or they can opt for a 4×4 drop off. They are greeted with Arabic coffee and dates followed by an authentic Emirate dinner in the Hadheera (Arabic dining area).
Prices start from £222 per room per night with breakfast. www.anantara.com/en/qasr-al-sarab-abu-dhabi
New Itineraries to Help Local Communities and Animals Affected by Drop in Tourism
Yonder, the specialist Asia tour operator, has introduced some new itineraries, which specifically help local communities and animals that are reliant on tourism and have been affected badly as a result of the pandemic. This follows requests from clients, who are looking to support countries that have lost most during the pause in tourism.
One of the itineraries features tiger conservation in India. Much of the conservation in India is privately funded and a very significant proportion of the money is derived from tourism. Yonder offers clients the chance to stay In Ranthambore National Park and work alongside an NGO called Tiger Watch, which was set up by Fateh Singh Rahore, also known as the father of Ranthambore. He recognised the need to bridge the gap between government employed rangers patrolling the tiger reserve and the local communities, who see the national park as an area that they have used for grazing the livestock and foraging in for generations. Guests can join monitoring patrols, chart tiger movements and actively engage with the local community through schools and women's cooperatives to help bring about an awareness of alternative livelihoods and the benefits of tourism.
Yonder can organise for their guests to go on safari to little visited sections of the park, which are wild and less well trodden and stay with Fateh's late family in their boutique home stay called Fateh's Retreat. They can also arrange meetings with some renowned naturalists to talk in detail about wildlife and conservation in India, including the well-known Latika Nath.
Based out of Delhi's slums, Balaknama is a bi-monthly Indian newspaper run by children who live and work on Delhi's streets. Guests can join the team for a day and learn about the issues that affect them and how they are trying to change people's perception and create an identity. All proceeds from this experience go back into their foundation.
The price for a two-week holiday in India, including Delhi, Jaipur and Ranthambore, starts from £2,600 per person with flights, a private Yonder chauffeur guide throughout and all hotels on a bed and breakfast basis.
Yonder.co.uk
New Alpine Detox in The Dolomites
Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti has introduced a five day alpine detox programme to help the body to eliminate toxins accumulated during periods of stress and bad eating habits. The resort, which has been built in an UNESCO World Heritage site in the Italian Dolomites in the ski area of Madonna di Campiglio, has a 5,000 sqm Lefay SPA, making it one of the largest spas in the entire Alpine region. Based on Lefay's award winning wellness method combining Classical Chinese Medicine with modern Western techniques, the programme will improve the function of the organs responsible for toxin elimination and turn back the body's biological clock. Treatments include detoxifying energy massages, reflexology, a body scrub with chestnut flower, alpine salt and alpine butter and a session in the salt-water lake.
The programme can be combined with some of the new alpine experiences offered by the resort, such as hiking and riding in the snow, snow shoeing and dog sledding.
The five night programme costs Euros 1,990 per person with all treatments and meals. www.lefayresorts.com
For more information or images please contact Tiggy Dean and Emma Hill at Hill & Dean PR on 020 8875 9923