Whether your team took home a trophy or not, everyone can emerge from the World Cup a winner when you have some onward travel to look forward to. Let JA Resorts & Hotels celebrate your win or soften your loss with its three island escapes in the Maldives and Seychelles, where tropical enchantment promises to provide the perfect reward...
JA MANAFARU MALDIVES
Home to an estimated 1,200 coral islands, the Maldives is a picture-perfect destination of nature, azure blue waters and pristine white beaches. Finding a home in Haa Alifu Atoll, where the Arabian Sea meets the Indian Ocean, is JA Manafaru Maldives, a soulful sanctuary and lush private island resort at the most northern tip of the archipelago.
JA Manafaru’s all-new collaboration with Manta Air makes the island resort even easier to access than before, with its game-changing, first-of-its-kind airport transfer service. What this means is that guests can fly direct from Velana International Airport to Hoarafushi Domestic Airport, aboard a 15-seater plane – complete with high ceilings, air-conditioning, a restroom, all-window seats and in-flight refreshments – travelling from Male to Manafaru in just 60 minutes, with a quick 50-minute flight and 10-minute speedboat cruise.
Following your flight of fancy, you can enjoy ‘The Real Maldives’ at magical JA Manafaru, where tradition, tranquility and a pristine natural landscape await. Its remote location means its free from light pollution resulting in truly epic starry skies by night, and uninterrupted ocean views by day. Fringed with powder beaches and crystalline waters teeming with marine life, this beautiful 35-acre enclave is home to 84 beachfront and over-water villas and residences. Stretching from a one-bedroom villa to a three-bedroom residence, each has its own sundeck, dining cabana and private pool – and, in some cases, two.
Steeped in multi-cultural history, each space and experience exude an intoxicating blend of Eastern spirituality and Arabian hospitality, where your wish is their command. For something unique, dine by design on the beach, or at The Cellar, the Maldives’ first and still deepest subterranean wine cave, two and half metres beneath the sea. Or you can eat your way around the world at Kakuni, indulge in seafood at Ocean Grill, enjoy afternoon tea at White Orchid Lounge or an Italian culinary adventure at Andiamo Bistro.
The resort’s main pool is the heartbeat of the island, where guests bask, bathe, mix and mingle, while tennis courts, a movie room, beach volleyball and an outdoor games area guarantee to entertain all ages. For those wanting to take to the water, you can scuba-dive, jet-ski, seabob, windsurf, kayak, catamaran sail and much more, or search for dolphins and turtles and visit the historical island of Utheemu. When it’s time to slope off and do something more relaxing, you can read a book, play a board game and snooze under a coconut tree, or try a treatment at Calm Spa Sanctuary, which blends the principals of Ayurvedic therapy with Maldivian Asian traditions. The perfect way to unwind in paradise.
However, there’s no need to end your island escapism there. With the Seychelles winking at you from across the water, two more enchanted Indian Ocean adventures await…
JA ENCHANTED ISLAND RESORT, SEYCHELLES
Claiming the perfect position within the expansive Saint Anne National Marine Park, JA Enchanted Island Resort is one for the nature-lover and privacy-seeker. The five-star hideaway is home to just 10 exclusive villas on a private island, just a 15-minute boat ride from Mahé.
A true hidden gem, the luxury resort is perfect for those wanting peace, privacy or romance all wrapped up in a bucolic bow of lush vegetation, cerulean waters and pearl-white sand. There are plenty of reasons to hide out in your villa, such as your own private pool, a private garden with dining gazebo for intimate dinners under the stars, and direct access to the beautiful beach for an ultra-luxurious paradise experience.
When you do finally emerge, the rest of the resort will be waiting for you. The turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean are deeply enchanting, with some of the world’s most colourful marine life. There is adventure for those who seek it, with snorkelling, water sports, sunset cruises, big-game fishing, private boat tours to Praslin and La Digue, or a helicopter tour to witness this idyllic archipelago from the air. And when a sense of calm is required, you can find serenity at the hotel’s hilltop spa. Embraced by nature, this outdoor sanctuary harnesses the energy of the surrounding landscape, and offers rejuvenation and relaxation through age-old healing rituals and steam rooms.
Culinary immersions are equally important here, with the resort’s dining taking you on a journey through Creole-Seychellois cuisine at Bounty restaurant, easy-breezy poolside bites at Castaway and, for something even more special, a collection of private dining experiences. Enjoy coffee and croissants with a floating breakfast in your private pool, a lazy lunch in your villa’s terraced gazebo, an evening barbecue on the beach, or a moonlight supper under the stars. Just a little hint of what JA Enchanted Island Resort can do for you…
JA ENCHANTED WATERFRONT, SEYCHELLES
From a private island adventure to the magical mystique of Mahe, where JA Enchanted Waterfront is waiting. With a more residential feel than a hotel or resort, this beautiful beachfront destination will feel like home, whether you stay in one of its two private waterfront villas or in one of its three lodge rooms.
Designed in a contemporary Creole style, each space is filled with warmth and comfort to create your island home-away-from-home. The two-storey, three-bedroom villas have ample space for family travellers or groups of friends, with a fully-equipped kitchen with the option of self-catering, a bathtub on the terrace, a private infinity pool on the veranda, and direct access to a perched beach. The Lodge Rooms are equally comfortable, each with a contemporary Seychellois architectural approach, and overlooking either the turquoise ocean or Mahé’s mountainous landscape.
For lazy days, there’s an infinity-edge pool at The Lodge that demands nothing more than languid swims and sun-kissed snoozes, or the soulful serenity of the spa at JA Enchanted Island Resort, which is just a 15-minute boat ride away from the property’s private marina.
Located on a strip of serene beach just minutes from the heart of Mahé, JA Enchanted Waterfront Villas is close enough to all the action yet removed enough to experience the serenity of island life. Head into Victoria to explore the hustle and bustle of the capital or immerse yourself in the boutiques, restaurants and bars on Eden Island.
When it’s time to refuel head back ‘home’, where you can indulge in everything from burgers and pizza to pasta and salad at Starboard Bistro, venture to JA Enchanted Island Resort for some Creole cuisine, or book a beach picnic or private seafood supper beside the shore to create even more magical and lasting memories.
