If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (USD662.35), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
You probably don’t need convincing to go to the Maldives – you know the drill: waters with surreal hues, atolls scattered like leopard spots, gleaming white sands… But, Six Senses Kanuhura gives us far more than half-a-dozen persuasive arguments for pitching up at one of their thatched villas – with modish Mediterranean-style interiors – set over sand or reef-rich lagoon. Say, one of the Maldives' best-loved stretches of shore, two private islands guests can be castaway on, kids’ clubs with nature-focused activities, a spa with an Alchemy Bar and Biohacking Lounge, wellness programmes that go deep into sleep or detoxing, uncompromising commitment to sustainability, free ice-cream… Whether you’re just-married or arriving with multiple generations, it’s a tempting prospect, with one of the Maldives’ largest beaches and showstopping sunsets.
Smith Extra
Get this when you book through us:
A 30-minute spa treatment for each guest (choose from a ‘tension soother’, head massage or ‘relaxed feet’ treatment)
Noon, but flexible up until 6pm, for 50 per cent of the room rate. Earliest check-in, 2pm.
Prices
Double rooms from £675.87 ($845), including tax at 27.6 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional room tax of $6.00 per person per night on check-out.
More details
Rates usually include breakfast (a buffet and some à la carte items) and one activity a day (depending on what's on when you visit).
Also
Unfortunately, the topography of this island stay makes it unsuitable for guests with mobility issues.
At the hotel
Two private islands (one reserved for one couple or family at a time); beaches; spa with nail salon, alchemy bar and biohacking lounge; fitness studio; yoga pavilion; Earth lab; gardens (including one dedicated to orchids); hydroponic farm; dive and watersports centres; free kids’ and teens’ clubs; boutique; bikes to borrow for free; courts for tennis and squash; football pitch; open-air cinema; boutique. In rooms: personal villa host.
Our favourite rooms
Hideaways have traditional thatch roofing, but otherwise the style is more mod-Maldivian, using local and sustainable materials. What will sway your choice like mosquito netting in an Indian Ocean breeze will be whether you’re a loved-up twosome or full-on family; some villas are sprawling, with huge decks for socialising and raised look-outs, and can sleep up to six adults and three kids. Would you like sand underfoot or uninterrupted ocean vistas? We find the latter from the overwater villas a touch more romantic, and keep in mind that all but the Beach Villas have a private pool. Whichever you choose, you’ll snooze nice and ‘zzz’-sy – the hotel has worked with sleep doctor Michael J Breus to develop programmes and aids: handmade mattresses, temp-regulating pillows, and duvets, sleep-tracking devices, a jet-lag-monitoring app, sound-therapy machines, pamper kits, and snacks and drinks to help you drift off.
Poolside
The hotel has two pools. The showpiece is at the Point, where the circular infinity pool (393 square-metres) is set at the tip of the beach (for optimum views); it’s close to the bar and tapas restaurant, and shaded day-beds for two are set out across its outer rim, facing sunset. And there’s a second, freeform pool set by casual restaurant Sip & Sand, with plentiful lounging space.
Spa
Six Senses Kanuhura continues the brand’s dedication to well-rounded self care. Mix up your own lotions and potions using the natural goodies in the Alchemy Bar, go on a chakra-balancing sound journey, practice breathwork and meditation, try yogic cleansing or aerial yoga, or simply stretching on the sand. The Biohacking Lounge levels up wellness with compression therapy, vibrational pain relief, electromagnetic mats, red-light and LED face masks and more. Partake in focused sleep or detox programmes, or simply relax in one of eight treatment suites (including one for couples and one extra-tricked-out VIP cabin). Each treatment starts with a spin through a hot and cold pool circuit, after which you can be wrapped in coconut and papaya; have your face layered with 24-karat gold; be massaged any which way. And finish off with a mani-pedi. There’s a high-spec gym with inspiring tropical views too, and personal trainers to put you through your paces on request.
Packing tips
Water, water everywhere, and not a heart will sink – with two pools, private swimming spots for nearly all villas, and the whole Indian Ocean at your disposal, you’ll need more than one trusty swimsuit. You can’t bring alcohol into the Maldives, so it’s bottoms-up for drinks on the plane.
Also
If you can’t bear the thought of snoozing on anything less than Six Senses’ organic cotton bedding, you can buy them in the on-site boutique.
Children
Little castaways will love it here, with endless distractions at clubs for kids and teens, huge villas to house all relatives, endless sands to play on, tropical sea life to discover, and nanny and babysitting services (charged).
Best for
Really we can’t see even the tiniest baby grumbling too much at the prospect of a trip here; but the fun really starts from three up, when kids can attend the on-site club.
Recommended rooms
Aside from the entry-level Beach Villas, Deluxe Beach Villas, Beach Retreats and Water Villas, hideaways here have plenty of space for the whole gang. Keep in mind that most family-sized villas have private pools where little ones must be supervised.
Activities
There’s a lot for kids to do here. And parents will be thrilled to learn that the Grow With Six Senses Children’s Club (for three to 11 year-olds) and Island Hideout for tweens and teens are both free. Activities include arts and crafts, treasure-hunting, beach and pool games, and mini yoga, plus pastimes involving local culture, ocean life and connecting with nature on the island; while the teens have a games room. But whole-family days could involve guided snorkelling and gentle watersports, biking about the island, dive lessons (for ages eight and up), easy cookery lessons after foraging in the kitchen garden, island picnics and PG film screenings under the stars. And, the spa has a menu of mini massages, facials, foot-mapping and mani-pedis, too.
Swimming pool
Of the two pools, the one by Sip & Sand is best suited to smalls, but it’s unsupervised. And, if you have a private pool, the hotel can supply a cover or gates.
Meals
We imagine you’ll make multiple stops for free ice-cream and sweet treats at Scoops, whatever age you are, but there are varied (and healthier) options at most of the resort’s restaurants. Kids under five eat free from the children’s menu, and kids aged six to 11 eat full price from the children’s menu or half price (for a half portion) from the regular menu. The hotel has highchairs and child-sized cutlery too.
Babysitting
Babysitting and nanny services are available on request, at a charge.
No need to pack
You may need more niche baby kit, but if you’re missing anything just ask your personal villa host to help.
Sustainability efforts
At all their luxury properties, the Six Senses group have set a high standard for sustainability. Kanuhura is no exception; the property was constructed using local and natural materials to thatch-topped traditional Maldivian style, water is conserved where possible and bottled onsite, plastics are kept to the utmost minimum, the kitchen works closely with local fishermen and growers and liberally picks from the organic garden on-island. And this relationship with the community is a two-way street, through hiring, training and education programmes, or providing infrastructure, medical and sanitation resources where needed, while neighbourhood knowledge is passed along for guests’ benefit. Any new plantings are non-invasive, cleaning products are all-natural, and the Earth Lab hosts workshops to inspire cleaner, greener ways to live. Funding from 0.5 per cent of revenue, all proceeds from soft-toy sales, and 50 per cent of bottled water sales is funnelled back into environmental programming. And even the mattress materials are sourced from certified organic coconut and rubber plantations.
Dining ‘room’? No, kick off your shoes and sit on the sand for friendly barbecues, or romantic dinners for two by candlelight.
Dress Code
Sarong? It’s good. Maybe dress it up for dinners at the Point or drinks at Sunset Point.
Hotel restaurant
Six Senses Kanuhura is bountiful indeed, with six eateries to spread out over your stay. The Market is a casual, breezy space for breakfasts of pancakes piled with fresh fruit, zingy juices and rich coffee; which serves global dishes, from Italian to Indian, come evening, and themed buffets. Follow the aroma of freshly-cut herbs and wafts of baking sourdough from the pizza oven to Bottega, for nights of trad Italian cookery, aperitivi and Mediterranean wines. At Sip & Sand, chefs rake fresh catches and local meats across charcoal, slice and dice sushi and sashimi, and fry up tempura; it’s open for most of the day, but the sunset views here are spectacular, and the live cookery shows fun to watch. Demolish a whole grilled reef fish (or a Maldivian-spiced curry, interesting salad, more edibles from the sea…) at Drift, which is stationed on the shore of private island Jehunuhura, and is exclusive to whoever staff have sailed out there for lunch that day. And, travel briefly to Spain at the Point – an eatery serving tapas and more substantial mains set around the architectural dream of a circular pool at the tip of the island’s main beach. To finish, head to Scoops for dangerously free ice-cream and sorbets, plus cakes, cookies and juices at extra cost if you're still hungry.
Hotel bar
Six Senses Kanuhura’s official bars are Sip & Sand, for relaxed cocktail sipping in an open-air pavilion, and Sunset Point is the more sophisticated drinking spot which has earnt its instructional name. The latter looks out over the Lhaviyani Atoll and has DJs after-dark. But, whether you want far-flung wines or even a shot of sake, most eateries here have considered drinks lists.
Last orders
The Market serves from 7.30am to 10.30am and 7.30pm to 10.30pm, Bottega from 7.30pm to 10.30pm, Sip & Sand from noon to 5pm and 7.30pm to 10.30pm, and Drift from noon to 3pm. And drinks flow at Sunset Point till 11pm.
Room service
A range of Maldivian to Mediterranean dishes can be ordered direct-to-villa around the clock.
You need a transfer to reach this hotel. For approximate costs, see location information
Six Senses Kanuhura’s trio of islands is set at the north tip of the Lhaviyani Atoll, the picture of Maldivian tropical beauty, with slicks of sand amid blue-green waters that look like a lucky godly paint spill.
Planes
Fly into Malé’s Velana International Airport; from there, the hotel’s just a short (40-minute) but very scenic seaplane ride away (US670 a guest, plus tax and a service charge), over deep-blue ocean, neon lagoons and teeny islands. Flights are from sunrise to sunset (exact times are released 6pm the day before); occasionally they may need to make a pit-stop at another destination en route. And, you don’t necessarily need to worry about checking bags – the hotel offers a luggage service (for an extra charge) where you can send cases in advance and have them ready and waiting in your villa. If you choose to carry with you, keep in mind that checked luggage must be under 20 kilogrammes, hand luggage under five kilogrammes, and extras such as surfboards must be cleared before the flight and may be subject to an extra charge. The hotel also has a meet-and-greet service (based at counter C9 in Velana’s arrivals hall).
Worth getting out of bed for
Yes, there’s a sense of being marooned at Six Senses Kanuhura (rescue? Oh, no, we’re good, thanks…), but you won’t be spending your time foraging for food or constructing a shelter out of palm fronds… The island’s edged with a coral-sand beach that ranks highly among the Maldives' sunbathing spots, even with tough local competition, and the luminous lagoon provides hours of natural entertainment. From November to April, the reefs come alive with turtles, neon-flecked schools of fish and reef sharks; October to December is manta-ray season, and you can hop on the hotel’s speedboat for the 10-minute ride to see them frolicking at Fushifaru Thila; from February to March, the white-tailed tropic bird known as ‘dhandifulhu dhooni’ nests nearby; and from August to September, turtles nest on the sand, so hatchlings emerge from April to May or October to November – the resident marine biologist will alert you when the babies start to emerge. You can dive with reef sharks in the Kuredu Express channel, snorkel with green and hawksbill turtles (kit is free to borrow), or cruise out at sunset to spy dolphins, with drinks and canapés. If you want the full lost-at-sea experience – with lunch, and wine – hotel staff will happily cast you away on the two neighbouring islands: Masleggihuraa and Jehunuhura (one is fully private for just one couple or family at a time). Hit the watersports centre to arrange kayaking, catamaran sailing, windsurfing, and stand-up paddleboarding; borrow bikes to cycle the circumference of the island; play tennis on two floodlit courts (partners and coaches available on request); get competitive on the squash and volleyball courts, on the football pitch, or over a game of table-tennis; fish for your supper early in the morning or at sunset; or learn how to cook it – and more – yourself at a cookery class. Or go green with a stroll in the orchid garden, a spot of forest-bathing and a trip to the Earth Lab, to learn about local wildlife and Six Senses’ conservation efforts. Then you can sit back and relax with popcorn at the hotel’s open-air cinema.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this set of paradise isles in the Lhaviyani Atoll and readied themselves for returning to the ‘real world’, a full account of their sand-dusted seclusion will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Six Senses Kanuhura in the Maldives…
Set across three islets (two private for ultra-secluded experiences) in the wildly beautiful Lhaviyani Atoll, Six Senses Kanuhura is a microcosmic paradise of eco-progressiveness; deep-cut spa spoiling, involving biohacking, intensive sleep programmes and more; lots to do for your little darlings in two dedicated clubs; and free ice-cream on tap… There’s one of the largest beaches in the Maldives, six restaurants for tasty to-ing and fro-ing, scenic rims dotted with day-beds for sundowners (which are quite the show round here), and huge thatched villas set on the sand or over the lagoon – both brimming with marine life. And days pass in a sand-dusted whirl of watersports, dive lessons, fragrant massages, lotion and potion making, competitive sports, meditating among greenery and film screenings under the stars. This set of isles is a holy trinity of Maldivian holiday happiness.
