Elite Traveler Fall 2023

elite traveler FALL2023 123

change of scenery. The massage I have here is obviously brilliant (Velaa doesn’t do anything by halves), but it’s di ff erent — it’s more about blissful relaxation, soundtracked by the waves lapping below, than the dosha-calming and far more intensive Ayurvedic treatments I’ve become accustomed to back at Eveylaa. I also have regular catch-ups with Dr Kumar. Sometimes he’s just checking in to see how I feel post-treatment and to hear how I’m getting on. On other occasions, I’m scheduled for an emotional well-being session, where I’m guided through a Smriti session — a therapeutic meditation intended to uncover underlying mental obstacles. Like Shirodhara, the e ff ect is almost trancelike, with patients encouraged to delve into their innermost thoughts and bring them to the surface to help unpack and combat them, resulting in a calmer, more tranquil state of mind. It’s an intense experience to begin with, but with time and regular sessions (which Dr Kumar teaches guests to practice alone at home), it becomes simpler and more approachable. And so, in line with that very fi rst bit of advice Dr Kumar gave me and, on top of my regular massages and Smriti sessions, I do eat a lot. Over my four days, I make the absolute most of Velaa’s vast dining options: There’s an evening of Euro-meets-Asia fi ne dining at the overwater Aragu restaurant; a theatrical Teppanyaki experience at Tavaru (which sits at the top of the highest building on any resort island in the Maldives); and all-day snacks, sandwiches and salads at the beach-front Athiri. Accompanying all of this are bottles of champagne and rich, delicious desserts. Even the more health-conscious Faiy, which overlooks the golf course, still serves fi ne wines and indulgent desserts. Am I really on a health retreat? The crux of what Dr Kumar, Eveylaa Wellbeing and the wider Wellbeing Village at Velaa, are trying to do is create a health retreat with a di ff erence — one that invokes meaningful lifestyle changes that are actually possible to sustain at home. Radical detox retreats that cut alcohol, ban ca ff eine and demonize sugar might have some immediate e ff ects, but they’re hard to maintain and, most important, they’re not much fun. “To some people, well-being is a glass of wine after work,” Velaa’s general manager Wayne Milgate tells me over dinner on the island one evening. He’s completely right — the idea of wellness means something di ff erent to everyone, and stripping people of their pleasures can only do so much. “You do look well,” announced my skeptical boyfriend over our fi nal lunch. Mission accomplished, I suppose. By Kim Ayling From $3,000 per night; Ayurvedic treatments from $395 per person. Contact reservations@velaaisland. com, +960 656 5000, velaaprivateisland.com

Photos Velaa Private Island