The water villa was gorgeous, with an oversized hammock over the water on the deck for you to lay around with plush pillows. Need a break from that? Sip on a glass of champagne under the humongous umbrella while you watch the sun set on the blue turquoise sea at your doorstep (literally).
Loved the bar, which opened up to reveal a Nespresso machine, capsules, bottles of alcohol, tea, glasses for all uses and the quintessential mini bar. Like a magic box, with treats in secret compartments! We all love secret compartments! I'd like a bar like that too!
The bedroom was large, with a long work desk, ipod docking station with bose speakers placed at various points in the villa and of course, floor to ceiling windows to take in the view. Connected to the bedroom via a long corridor is the bathroom, with two vanity sinks, a large bathtub (with complimentary bath salts no less!), shower and toilet, and an open air rainshower to wash all those worries away (don't worry, there's a catchment area under the shower so that your soap duds don't just wash into the sea!)
I was very tempted to try a treatment at the Chi Spa and discover which "element" I am. Turns out i'm "Fire", because (1) i love spicy food, (2) i like the colours red and white, (3) i am at my best in the evenings and (4) i don't like dry weather. The cowrie shell treatment came heavily recommended, so i thought i'd throw my cares into the Maldivian wind, and let Chi bring me to Shangri-La.
Treatment rooms were housed in individual villas, with private changing and shower areas. The session started with a consultation with my very friendly and attentive Nepalese therapist, who duly explained what it meant to be of the "Fire" element (apparently, it could be seen also in my face shape and hair). While she explained all these to me, my feet were pampered in a warm floral soak, followed by a gentle salt scrub and a coconut milk wash (Heavenly!). She then led me to the bed and covered me with a silk blanket - no jokes. On top of the silk blanket, she added a large bath towel so i layed snuggly under the layers.
A gentle face masage ensued, after which she placed a small cowrie shell on my third eye (slight above the spot between your eyes) and massaged my forehead with it. Next, she held two large cowrie shells next to my ears, and sang me a Maldivian folk lullaby while i listened to the hollow waves in the shells. At this point, i was in love and goosebumps were crawling all over me. It was out of this world!
What happened next was indescribable (best way to know what i mean, would be to try it yourself). From my shoulders, she gently pulled the silk blanket off me in one long motion, without dislodging the bath towel. The soft silk carressing my body felt like waves and hands running over me, which was erotic and comforting at the same time. I heaved a huge sigh of resignation to the higher powers, and was convinced that the session couldn't get better than that.
Hot coconut oil was used during the massage, complemented by the cool but hard surface of the cowrie shells which were used to knead my need areas. It was very interesting as the shells were less intrusive than elbows and steel thumbs, but almost as effective. At certain points during the massage, she placed a large shell in my palm, as if to assure me that the shells knew what they were doing and that they were reaching out to me (by then, they could have convinced me of anything and everything).
(Great body, but not mine.)
90 minutes went be too fast too soon, but left me relaxed, impressed and very much in love.
The evening ended with a fine grill dinner by the beach, with a glass of Australian Chardonnay. I was spa-ed out, and happy on the inside out.
I slept like a baby, naturally.
That's them swimming along us, responding to our claps and calls.
