Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas

Dining: Where the Ocean Becomes Your Table

Anantara Kihavah’s dining isn’t just about food—it’s about setting. SEA, the resort’s underwater restaurant, is one of only a handful in the world where the walls are the ocean itself. Picture sipping a glass of wine while a hawksbill turtle glides past your table, or cutting into a Maldivian lobster medallion as a school of parrotfish flickers in the blue beyond the glass. The restaurant’s wine cellar, the first underwater in the world, holds bottles spanning nine decades, paired by a resident sommelier who’ll guide you through a tasting even if you can’t tell a Bordeaux from a Beaujolais.

For something less aquatic but no less memorable, FIRE delivers teppanyaki and grilled specialties on the beach, where the sand between your toes is as much a part of the meal as the miso-glazed black cod. SKY, the overwater bar and observatory, serves Asian-inspired tapas with a side of constellations—order the lychee martini and watch the stars come out. And if you’re traveling with kids, the floating breakfast in your villa pool (champagne optional) is the kind of Instagram moment that makes other parents jealous.

• SEA: Underwater fine dining with a wine cellar 6 meters below the surface
• FIRE: Beachside teppanyaki and grilled seafood under the stars
• SKY: Overwater bar and observatory with stargazing sessions
• SALT: Asian fusion with a focus on fresh, local ingredients
• Manzaru: All-day dining with a gin bar featuring 100+ varieties

The Spa: Overwater Pavilions and Underwater Serenity

The spa at Anantara Kihavah doesn’t just overlook the ocean—it floats above it. Six overwater treatment suites, connected by a jetty, let you drift into relaxation with the sound of waves lapping beneath you. The signature Anantara massage blends Thai techniques with Maldivian coconut oil, but the real showstopper is the Cocoon Medical Spa. Here, you can book a detoxifying facial or an immunity-boosting IV drip, all while watching reef sharks patrol the lagoon through the glass floor.

After your treatment, the relaxation area offers two pools—one cold, one naturally heated—where you can alternate between them like a human metronome. Yoga and meditation sessions are held in an overwater pavilion, and if you’re feeling adventurous, try aerial yoga at sunrise. The resort’s wellness program, Balance by Anantara, tailors everything from your diet to your daily activities, so you leave feeling like you’ve pressed reset on life.

• Six overwater treatment suites with private soak tubs
• Cocoon Medical Spa: IV drips, facials, and detox therapies
• Dual relaxation pools (cold and heated) with lagoon views
• Aerial yoga and SUP yoga sessions over the water
• Personalized wellness consultations and nutrition plans

Marine Adventures: From House Reef to Hanifaru Bay

The house reef at Anantara Kihavah is one of the best in the Maldives—not just for its accessibility (you can snorkel straight from the beach), but for its sheer vibrancy. Turtles, eagle rays, and reef sharks are regulars, and the resort’s coral nurseries, where guests can adopt a coral rope, mean the reef is getting healthier by the season. For divers, the resort’s PADI-certified dive center offers everything from beginner courses to advanced drift dives, with sites like the Kihavah Caves and Maaga Thila just a short boat ride away.

But the real bucket-list experience? Hanifaru Bay, a 30-minute speedboat trip from the resort. Between May and November, plankton blooms turn this marine-protected lagoon into a feeding frenzy for manta rays and whale sharks. Snorkeling here feels like being inside a nature documentary—hundreds of mantas somersaulting in formation, their wings spanning wider than a car. The resort’s marine biologists lead the excursions, ensuring you get close enough to feel the water move as they pass, but never so close you disrupt their rhythm.

• House reef snorkeling: Turtles, reef sharks, and eagle rays from the beach
• Hanifaru Bay: Manta ray and whale shark snorkeling (May–November)
• Coral adoption program: Help regenerate the reef by adopting a coral rope
• PADI dive center: Courses, drift dives, and night dives available
• Dolphin cruises: Sunset excursions with guaranteed sightings

Kids and Teens: A Club That Doesn’t Feel Like Daycare

The Thiththi Boli Kids’ Club at Anantara Kihavah is proof that family-friendly doesn’t have to mean plastic toys and sticky floors. For younger kids (ages 4–12), the club offers treasure hunts, Maldivian drumming lessons, and marine biology sessions where they learn to identify reef fish before they’ve learned to swim. The resort’s Kids Marine Biology Program takes it a step further, teaching older children (8+) to snorkel and introducing them to the basics of coral conservation.

Teens aren’t left out, either. The resort’s recreation area has life-sized chess, beach volleyball, and a trampoline park, but the real draw is the water sports. Seabobs, jet skis, and parasailing are all on offer, and the staff will happily teach them to wakeboard or windsurf. For families, the two-bedroom beach pool residences give everyone space to spread out, while the cinema under the stars (complete with popcorn and blankets) is a strong way to end the day.

• Thiththi Boli Kids’ Club: Arts, crafts, and marine biology for ages 4–12
• Kids Marine Biology Program: Snorkeling and reef education for ages 8+
• Teen activities: Seabobs, jet skis, and beach volleyball
• Cooking classes: Maldivian and international cuisine
• Private cinema: Classic movies under the stars with floating daybeds

Stargazing: The Maldives’ Only Overwater Observatory

Thanks to its remote location and lack of light pollution, Baa Atoll is one of the best places on Earth to see the night sky. Anantara Kihavah’s SKY observatory, perched over the lagoon, is home to one of the most powerful telescopes in the region. The resort’s resident “Sky Guru” leads sessions that feel equal parts astronomy lesson and cocktail hour—sip champagne while learning to spot Jupiter’s moons or the Southern Cross. For couples, it’s a romantic alternative to the usual beachside dinner; for families, it’s a chance to spark a lifelong love of science.

If you’re visiting during a meteor shower, the resort will set up loungers on the beach and serve hot chocolate while you watch the sky put on a show. And if you’re really lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the bioluminescent plankton that turns the lagoon into a starry mirror at night.

• Overwater observatory with a high-powered telescope
• Stargazing sessions with a resident Sky Guru
• Meteor shower viewings with beachside loungers and hot chocolate
• Bioluminescent plankton: Night swims in a glowing lagoon
• Astrophotography: Capture the Milky Way with resort-provided cameras

Beyond the Resort: Excursions That Feel Like Privileges

Anantara Kihavah’s location in Baa Atoll means you’re never far from an adventure. The resort’s excursions are designed to make you feel like you’ve stumbled upon a secret—whether it’s a private sandbank picnic with a chef and butler, a sunset dhoni cruise with a Maldivian fisherman, or a day trip to a nearby uninhabited island where the only footprints in the sand are your own.

For something truly unique, book the “Underwater Wine Tasting” with the resort’s wine guru. You’ll sample vintages from different regions while seated at a table in the shallows, with fish nibbling at your toes. Or try the “Dine Around the World” experience, where the resort’s chefs recreate dishes from your favorite destinations — Italian risotto on the beach or Japanese sushi in the underwater restaurant.

• Private sandbank picnics: Chef-prepared meals on a deserted island
• Sunset dhoni cruises: Traditional Maldivian boat with cocktails
• Underwater wine tasting: Sip and swim with the resort’s sommelier
• Dine Around the World: Multi-course meals inspired by global cuisines
• Fishing expeditions: Catch your dinner and have it grilled on the beach