Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas
A Baa Atoll island with an underwater restaurant and an observatory on the same beach.
Kihavah Huravalhi lies in Baa Atoll, inside the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, reached by seaplane. One resort occupies the island, which is long and heavily planted with a house reef running its length. Hanifaru Bay is within reach in season.
Around eighty villas and residences make up the property. Its two signatures sit at opposite ends of the light spectrum: SEA, an underwater restaurant and wine cellar five metres down, and an observatory with a telescope and a resident astronomer — a combination no other property in this register attempts.
Below the water and above the sky. An undersea dining room and a working observatory on the same island is a genuinely unusual pairing.
A house reef along the whole island. The reef runs the length of Kihavah rather than facing one side, which is the practical reason divers rate it.
Who it is not for
Kihavah is wrong for guests wanting a small property at eighty villas. It is wrong for travellers seeking restraint, since the property leans on spectacle. And it is wrong for those on a short trip, given the seaplane schedule. And it is wrong for guests who want an adults-only atmosphere, since families are welcome throughout. Those wanting Baa Atoll at smaller scale should look at Milaidhoo or The Nautilus.
Sources
- anantara.com — around eighty villas and residences, Kihavah Huravalhi, Baa Atoll, SEA underwater restaurant
- UNESCO — Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve designation. Villa count unverified.
Booking
Private Island Resorts arranges each stay on request, quoting the rates available for the island and dates. No benefit should be assumed unless it is confirmed in writing for the individual reservation.
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