Bathala

Famed for its rare underwater beauty, the Republic of Maldives has gained immense popularity as a diving destination with its abundance and variety of underwater life. All resorts in the Maldives have professional diving schools, often with multilingual instructors. With very few exceptions, almost all resort islands have a ‘house reef’ literally a stone’s throw away, allowing for convenient day and night dives all year round.



Surrounded by pristine white beaches and coral reefs, Bathala is probably the best dive resort in the Maldives. It offers easy access to many famous reefs or thila, including the protected marine reserves of Maaya Thila and Fish Head. Apart from fabulous corals and the strange creatures that live among them, the list of resident marine species round Bathala includes barracuda, turtles, rays, Napoleon wrasse and several varieties of shark.

But you don’t have to be a diver to enjoy Bathala. This remote tropical island getaway is full of serenity and its own uncomplicated charm, ideal for the Robinson Crusoe in you. Bathala is perfect for pure relaxation, a place to lie back in a hammock with a book, watch the moon rise and the sun set, sunbathe, stroll, snorkel or just spend a few quiet, uninterrupted days and nights with someone special.

Excursions off Bathala Island Resort include diving excursions, night dives and boat dives. The house reef is wonderful for snorkeling and diving. Guests can easily swim to the reef edge, which drops sharply to about 28m.





Accommodation

Bathala Island Resort offers accommodation built around a typical diver’s schedule: morning dive, lunch, afternoon dive, relax on the beach, have a beer or two at the bar before dinner and maybe a little music and relaxation afterwards.

Facilities are kept simple to suit the pace and character of island life. Highlights include restaurant theme nights, indoor games.

Room facilities:
• 46 A/C rustic cabaña-style cottages
• Private outdoor showers with hot & cold water
• 24-hour fresh water supply
• Minibar in all rooms

Hotel facilities:
• Restaurant
• Dive School offering PADI and CMAS certification with personalised instruction in English, German or Italian
• Gift shop
• Bar & coffee shop

Underwater

For divers and lovers of the undersea world, Bathala remains the finest dive resort in Maldives. Its location on the edge of Ari Atoll makes it the perfect base for exploring the dozens of excellent dive sites nearby.

On this tiny island with its Robinson Crusoe atmosphere, a beautiful house reef, populated by hundreds of exotic species from tiny, luminous wrasse and gaudy parrotfish to black-cheeked morays, stingrays and sharks, is just a few steps away from the beach. Gentle currents and clear visibility make the water around the house reef ideal for novice divers. It is also a perfect location for night dives.

Further out, but still within easy reach, are a host of excellent dive spots. The main atoll reef, Bathala Thila, offers magnificent corals and is haunted by giant Napoleon wrasse and white-tipped reef shark. It is just a five-minute boat ride from the resort. Also nearby are Maaga Thila, or ‘shark point’ and the famous reefs of Fish Head, where tame Napoleon wrasse welcome divers to their home, and Maaya Thila, with its sharks, eagle rays, turtles, barracuda and stonefish. Still farther away (a two-hour excursion by boat) is Maalhos Thila, a completely unspoilt reef whose corals were not affected by the El Niño bleaching of 2002. These are just the best-known spots; in all, Bathala boasts 32 nearby dive sites.

Bathala is also a good place in Maldives to see manta rays from November to April. The dive school at Bathala offers both
CMAS and PADI courses and certification with German, English and Italian-speaking instructors. Attention is personalised,
with lessons in groups of 2-3 divers, and the instructors will accompany any dive at no extra cost. More experienced divers
will find that the instructors at Bathala are kindred spirits, fellow enthusiasts who love both diving and the underwater paradise that is Maldives.

Perhaps the best testimonial for Bathala comes from the community of divers that has grown up around the resort, many of whom keep returning year after year. Some of our guests have returned to Bathala as often as 18 times!


Contacts

Bathala Island Resort
Telephone: +960 6660587

Fax: +960 6660558
E-mail: front@bathala.com.mv
Reservations
Telephone: +960 6640375
Fax: +960 660379
E-mail: reserve@bathala.com.mv

Four Seasons - Kudahura

Whisked by private speedboat from Malé, discover the charm of a Maldivian village on a private coral island in the turquoise sea. Palm-thatched pavilions and bungalows line the white sand, or rise above the crystal water. A spa on an island of its own offers soothing Asian secrets. Sunrise, sunshine and sunset paint the endless sky.

We also invite you to experience Four Seasons Explorer cruises as an exciting land-and-sea complement to your stay at one or both of our Maldivian resorts.

" ...Four Seasons Kuda Huraa means 'small village' but none of the Four Seasons world-famous luxury and service is sacrificed. The pool is classic Four Seasons. The Island Spa lives up to its name, reached by quaint, small dhoni (a traditional wooden boat)."

The Washington Times, May 31, 2008





Overview

Thatched beach pavilions and bungalows line the white sand beach at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, while water bungalows are built on stilts over the lagoon. The Royal Beach Villa offers lavish, one-of-a-kind accommodations for guests. From their thatched roofs and timber latticework to the beautiful white stone walls, all the architectural details are constructed by local craftsmen using indigenous materials and techniques that date back centuries, to reflect a true sense of the Maldives.

Enhance your resort stay with a cruise on the Four Seasons Explorer, a private three-deck, 11-cabin catamaran that takes guests island-hopping, stargazing and diving in Four Seasons style. Our Maldivian resort at Landaa Giraavaru also makes an exciting complement to your experience on Kuda Huraa and your Four Seasons Explorer cruise.


Sunset Water Bungalow

Rising on stilts above the placid waters of the lagoon, with views that stretch across the sea, Sunset Water Bungalows offer an atmosphere of delightful seclusion. Stunningly redesigned interiors step out to a private sundeck with stairs leading down to the turquoise lagoon.

Due to the unique nature of Water Bungalows, only children 11 years of age and above are welcome.

* Sunset Water Bungalows offer a 39-square-metre (420-square-foot) sundeck. Steps lead down to the lagoon – a natural swimming pool – and a sea-level swim platform with outdoor swim shower. The sundeck is furnished with two chaises longues and a table and chairs for alfresco dining.
* In each bungalow, an entrance foyer leads to generously proportioned quarters, where picture windows frame unobstructed views of the ocean – from the comfortable seating as well as the pillow-like bed.
* The air-conditioned living area features a sofa, armchairs, plasma-screen television, DVD/CD player, an armoire with private bar, and a writing table.
* A dressing room enhances privacy and furnishes ample closet space.
* The spacious full bathroom features a twin vanity and a deep tub set beside a window overlooking the lagoon; a separate shower is accessible both from indoors and from the sundeck.

Most island resorts have their own spa. The Island Spa at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa has its own island. In this serene hideaway within a hideaway, you can feel as one with the ocean. Let the gentle rhythms of the earth soothe your senses, allowing cares and tensions to dissolve and wash away.

Sail in a wooden dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat) across the lagoon to the island. There, luxuriate in one of seven thatched spa pavilions that are positioned over the water, open to the ocean breezes and panoramic vistas of endless blue sky and sea. Each treatment pavilion features a viewing port in the deck so that guests enjoying a massage can contemplate the aquatic playground below.

Just as the Maldives is a world blend of cultures, from Indian to Arabic, the design of the Island Spa captures an authentic sense of place. Asian-inspired, innovative treatments rejuvenate in facilities complete with invigorating Vichy showers and oversized deep soaking tubs. Indigenous treatments pay tribute to the restorative power of marine nutrients and celebrate the therapeutic effects of aromatic oils and spices.

Yoga pavilion
An open-air yoga and meditation platform faces the boundless ocean, inspiring those who practise the ancient ritual to find mental, physical and emotional balance. The Resort’s resident yogi invites you to private training sessions, customised to individual liking and needs:

* Asanas – body positions
* Pranayama – breathing techniques
* Dhayan – concentration techniques
* Yoga nidra – relaxation techniques

Baraabaru

An elegant dinner at Baraabaru is a memorable affair. Guests may choose to dine in the restaurant's brightly coloured interiors, on the spectacular deck above the waters or in a private dining gazebo. The open kitchen features an open tandoori bar, where guests can watch as the chefs prepare fine Indian cuisine. The food is complemented by a wine list chosen to suit the tropics, with an emphasis on light wines and champagnes. Seats 48 indoors, 40 outdoors, 5 at the tandoori bar and 4 in the gazebo.
Specialties

The menu, which focuses on fine Indian cuisine, delivers a diverse selection of fresh local seafood, rice biriyanis (a flavourful Indian specialty served in a clay pot) and traditional Indian specialties.

A children's menu is available. Our chefs will also be delighted to prepare children's portions of any dish as requested.

Theme Nights

Kasba Night – Every Sunday, embark on a gastronomical journey to savour delicious Indian cuisine in a setting reminiscent of an Indian village.



A unique way to experience the Maldives and a wonderful complement to your land adventure at one or both of our Maldivian resorts, Four Seasons Explorer allows avid divers, water enthusiasts, nature lovers and 21st-century explorers to discover remote shores and rarely visited dive/snorkelling sites among the untouched reaches of the exotic atolls.

This 11-cabin, three-deck catamaran takes you island-hopping in inimitable Four Seasons style. Limited to 22 passengers, this private cruise experience goes far beyond the normal beach escape. With ample on-board activities and a choice of three-, four- or seven-night cruises, Four Seasons Explorer offers an unforgettable vacation for divers and non-divers alike. Children over the age of 10 years are welcome.

Please refer to the Rates and Reservations section for all-inclusive Four Seasons Explorer packages or contact the Resort directly.
Facility details

The 39-metre (128-foot) catamaran features spacious State Rooms and a beautifully appointed Explorer Suite, two sun decks with a jetted tub on the second deck, a restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining, a bar, lounge and library.

Attire: Due to the unique nature of the Explorer, a casual dress code is observed on board. Shorts and sundresses are acceptable for dinner. Guests are encouraged to be barefooted or wear rubber-soled footwear for their personal comfort.

On-board amenities include:

* DVD and music CD player, private bar, electronic safe and telephone in all rooms
* Air-conditioned restaurant with outdoor deck, serving international and local cuisine
* Video and music library
* Fully equipped PADI dive centre with Nitrox
* Sundeck with outdoor bar and whirlpool
* Stargazing telescope
* Massage by qualified therapist
* Laundry service

Four Seasons Explorer Cabins

Cabins on the Four Seasons Explorer catamaran are bright and airy. All are air-conditioned and include a full ensuite bathroom. State Rooms feature twin beds which can be converted into a king bed, while the elegant Explorer Suite offers a king bed, a living area with day bed and couch and an indoor dining area.