PureandCure review: Kim's visit to Wellbeing Island JOALI BEING Maldives

Seaplane to Wellbeing Paradis Maldives

The flight to the island takes about 40 minutes, but with views this stunning, I wouldn’t mind if it lasted longer. From my window, I watch lagoons and islands float by in a turquoise sea. In all my travels, I’ve rarely encountered a place that so perfectly captures the essence of ‘paradise.’ It feels like I’ve stepped into a movie scene.

Luxury Wellbeing Villa with private butler

Upon arrival, we’re greeted by a welcoming team offering a refreshing drink. While the drink is delightful, my attention is captured by the breathtaking entrance. One of the team members, Nabbe, introduces himself as my personal villa butler, or ‘jadugar.’ He shows me to my villa and explains its many high-tech features. I graciously decline his offer to unpack my bag, as the view is too inviting. I settle into a chair on the seaside terrace, and all my worries fade away. Life feels incredibly beautiful!

FLOW-restaurant at JOALI BEING

Feeling completely relaxed and quite hungry, I head over to the FLOW restaurant. This place is unique, featuring three distinct dining experiences all in one. Whether you’re into vegan, vegetarian, seafood, or meat dishes, everything is made with the freshest ingredients. Dining here is an absolute pleasure—I can taste the passion and care in every bite.

Waking up in heaven at JOALI BEING

At JOALI BEING, there’s no need for an alarm clock. The curtains gently open at the time I choose on the iPad, revealing a breathtaking sea view as soon as I wake up. Pure bliss! After a delicious breakfast—packed with healthy options and irresistible croissants—I hop on my bike to explore the island. A thoughtful touch: my name is engraved on the bike’s nameplate. Each villa comes with its own bike, making it the perfect way to get around the island.

Yoga and more holistic and wellbeing activities and workshops in JOALI BEING

My first stop is the water sports center, and I’m blown away by the wide range of activities and excursions on offer. If you can think of it, they’ve got it. One standout feature is the turtle sanctuary, where they care for turtles that wash ashore and need time to heal. From there, I bike over to the yoga pavilion, which boasts stunning panoramic views of the sea. I’ll have to remember to sign up for the morning class.

The Spa in JOALI BEING: paradise for Body, Mind & Skin

Next up is the wellness center, where I meet my butler, Nabbe, to review the schedule for the day. I’m given a tour of this beautiful facility, which centers around four key pillars: mind, skin, microbiome, and energy. During a personal consultation, I answer questions about my lifestyle, sleep, eating habits, and other areas. After our conversation, the doctor and I decide that the main focus of my stay will be calming my mind.

The Best: Four Pillar Massage at JOALI BEING

The great thing about this is that I can head straight to the Four Pillar Massage, the wellness center’s signature treatment. But before that, I relax with a personalized herbal tea from the AKTAR herb center, a calming mix of basil, lavender, and lemongrass. They even give me a little package to take home. The massage begins with a foot scrub and bath on the terrace of a charming villa, which doubles as the treatment room. As the massage continues, I can feel all the tension draining from my body.

Sound path

In a state of complete relaxation, I pedal my way through the tropical plants toward my seaside villa. Suddenly, I hear music, soon followed by another instrument. To my surprise, I’ve stumbled upon the sound path. With each step or pedal, soothing sounds from various instruments fill the air. What a lovely and unexpected experience!

Making my own parfume

Another pleasant surprise awaits at the AKTAR herb center: the perfume-making workshop. Rows of scents are laid out before me. My task is to sniff and decide if I find each one pleasant, very pleasant, or not to my liking. Citrus? Very pleasant. Geranium? Not my preference. Ultimately, I select sweet orange, black pepper, grapefruit, Patchouli, and Neroli, blending these fragrances to create my own personal perfume. Its name? "Happy!" inspired by my mood.

interested to go to JOALI BEING?

After another phenomenal dinner and a night of deep, restful sleep, I wake up refreshed and ready at the yoga pavilion the next morning. During a relaxing class, I gracefully move through different poses, accompanied by the soothing sound of the ocean waves. Sadly, this beautiful experience is almost over for me. After the class, I board the seaplane back to Male, bidding farewell to this paradise. The warm JOALI BEING team waves me off enthusiastically. It's a bittersweet feeling. I hope to be welcomed back by them again someday.

Kim

Kim has been part of the PureandCure Team since 2012 and is currently our Operation Manager. She travels around the globe inspecting the PureandCure Health & Wellbeing Hotels, Spas, and Retreats, sharing her experiences and observations in her blogs.