Nova Maldives brings together a collection of island experiences centred on wellbeing, relaxation and personal discovery, encouraging guests to slow down and find enjoyment in the smaller moments of a holiday. Reflecting the growing interest in restorative travel, the resort brings together wellness activities, marine encounters, cultural experiences and culinary offerings that allow guests to shape their stay around their individual interests.
The concept draws on the emerging travel trend of ‘Headspace Holidays’ and ‘Wellth trips’, highlighted in KAYAK’s global travel forecast, where the value of a holiday is increasingly associated with rest and personal wellbeing. At Nova Maldives, guests can create their own combination of experiences, from gentle morning activities to immersive ocean adventures and moments of relaxation.
Wellness and Everyday Island Moments
Guests can begin their day with barefoot walks along the island’s shoreline or join group yoga sessions, including Inner Strength, Hatha Yoga and Surya Namaskar. The resort also offers opportunities to explore its house reef, where guests can snorkel alongside marine life, including baby reef sharks. Breakfast experiences range from floating breakfasts served in private villas to the buffet selection at Soul Kitchen, which includes Maldivian-inspired small bites, fresh juices and smoothies.
At Solasta Spa, traditional Maldivian treatments provide another way to experience island wellbeing. Options include Ruhgalu Herbal Bolus Therapy, which uses heated herbal poultices, the Kaashi Naashi Ritual featuring warm coconut oil and shells, and the Unbuli Veyo Island Healing Ritual, combining herbal leaf compresses with a full-body massage.
Marine Exploration and Maldivian Culture
The surrounding waters offer opportunities for marine exploration, including whale shark encounters within the South Ari Marine Protected Area. Diving experiences take guests to sites such as Broken Rock, Kudhi Maa wreck and Madivaru Rangali’s Manta Point, known for manta ray encounters.
Guests can also experience local traditions through the resort’s Friday gatherings at Holhuashi, held beneath a banyan tree. The programme brings together Maldivian food stalls, bodu beru performances, Basmagu-Dhivehi language classes and coconut harvesting demonstrations. Culinary activities further introduce guests to local ingredients, with hands-on cooking sessions featuring breadfruit, green mango, plantain, cassava, coconut and other produce.
Experiences Beyond the Shoreline
Nova Maldives also offers opportunities for guests to contribute to the surrounding marine environment through coral planting and guided reef clean-ups with the resort’s marine team. Guests can plant their own coral frame on the house reef, with the option to give it a name.
For a different approach to underwater exploration, the resort’s signature Wellness Diving experience combines underwater yoga, floating meditation, buoyancy and breathwork with house reef exploration. The programme also includes the opportunity to pursue a PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty certification. Other wellness experiences include guided sound baths using singing bowls, gongs, chimes and ocean drums, as well as crystal Reiki healing sessions.
Private excursions provide further opportunities to enjoy the island’s surroundings, including boat trips to secluded sandbanks for sunset experiences and private evenings beneath the night sky.
Dining and Evenings at Nova
Dining forms another part of the resort’s experiences, with Mizu offering overwater dining through a selection of five multi-course menus. The restaurant’s offerings include sushi, temaki, teppanyaki, seaweed-based dishes and vegetarian options, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients from the farm and ocean.
Evenings can conclude at Wink Bar, where live acoustic and jazz performances accompany a selection of classic and contemporary cocktails. Among the drinks available are the Peach & Rosemary Blossom, made with bourbon whisky, peach and rosemary, and the Espresso Martini.
Guests can tailor their stay at Nova Maldives through the resort’s range of experiences, with villas available from £314 per night on a Full Board basis.