Designed as a nature immersive wellbeing retreat island, the first of its kind in the Maldives, JOALI BEING offers completely personalized and results-driven transformative programmes, with the ultimate aim for guests to return home feeling renewed, uplifted and inspired, with a new sense of ‘weightlessness’. The retreat will offer an array of finest wellbeing facilities and unique transformational spaces, including hydrotherapy, movement, and sound healing experiences.

The Picture-Perfect Setting

JOALI BEING resides on the secluded natural island of Bodufushi in Raa Atoll, an easy seaplane flight away from Male International Airport, with the option of a private transfer. The retreat is home to a total of 68 private exquisite beach and water villas, each with their very own personal butler or “Jadugar”, meaning ‘skilled magician’ in Dhivehi. Each accommodation come with private pools and a variety of special inclusions, such as customized mini-bar setups, tuned meditative balancing musical instruments, wellbeing games and more. JOALI BEING also features unique four-bedroom fully equipped exclusive overwater villa with a magnificent uninterrupted ocean view, a wellbeing room, and a movement room.

With the island’s wild forest remaining untouched, JOALI BEING has been built using Biophilic design principles, a scientific system of integrating architecture and design with nature, aiming to achieve harmony by eliminating negative vibrations and enhancing the energy flow of the island. The architectural concept of the retreat was guided by an architect Cuneyt Bukulmez from Atolye4N Architectural Design Studio and an interior design studio Autoban – both also led the design concept of JOALI Muravandhoo island.

Nature immersive wellbeing offerings

THE PILLARS:

JOALI BEING aims to provide guests with a transformational wellbeing experience centered around four pillars of wellbeing: Mind, Skin, Microbiome and Energy. Following an in depth consultation with a personal wellbeing consultant upon arrival, JOALI BEING offers each guest an individualized journey, fusing both traditional and modern methods to illuminate a path to transcendence, self-discovery and renewal.  

The community of wellbeing experts approaches this task with passion, integrity and empathy, crafting Immersion Programmes based on the Four Pillars for each guest. The retreat’s programming can be tailored to areas such as strength and vitality, mental clarity and wellbeing, hormonal balance, women’s health, digestive and weight rebalance, restorative sleep, as well as movement and alignment for good Health and Immunity.

THE EXPERTS: 

With a dedicated in-house team of naturopaths, therapists, movement specialists and nutritionists, each guest can work closely with their personal wellbeing consultants to ensure they achieve a sense of “weightlessness” – a feeling of joy, freedom and lightness. To develop the Four Pillars of Wellbeing, JOALI BEING partnered with Professor Gerry Bodeker of Oxford, a Harvard-trained expert on traditional and integrative medicine and wellness who chairs the Mental Wellness Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute. 

THE SPECIALIST SPACES: 

With wellbeing in the heart of the retreat, JOALI BEING is a collection of transformational spaces which are spread around the island.

AREKA opens doors to fully immersive wellbeing  experiences, beneficial scientific therapies and diagnostic services, learning programmes, specialised therapeutic and alternative healing treatments, as well as expansive fitness facilities and an over-water meditation deck. There are 39 thoughtfully designed treatment rooms and transformational spaces which include the Hydrotherapy Hall: A Sensory Deprivation Room, a Russian Banya, water therapies, salt inhalation room, hammam; Pilates studio, Ocean Sala, and an intelligent Movement Analysis tool. The guests of JOALI BEING can also experience the unique benefits of the Sound Therapy Hall and the Discovery Sound Path, created in collaboration with the retreat’s sound healing visionary and consultant.

AKTAR is JOALI BEING’s herbology centre, inspired by the rich heritage of healing through the power of   herbs. Guests can address concerns around Mind, Skin, Microbiome and Energy with the resident herbalist, who specialises in preparing natural remedies using herbs, spices and essential oils. With a curated library and a calendar of interactive workshops, guests can discover the benefits of herbal teas and learn to make natural body creams, face masks and massage oils. The AKTAR shop also offers a handpicked selection of dried herbs, oils and natural cosmetics for purchase.

The Culinary Arts 

Culinary arts at JOALI BEING focus on an Earth-to Table initiative, promising ingredient traceability and offering fresh, locally harvested foods that support small farmers and are sustainably sourced. All food and drink options at JOALI BEING have been expertly curated with the help of the retreat’s nutritionists, offering a selection of flavours and cuisines with healthy yet indulgent dining options. If desired by guests, personalised nutrition sessions and co-created menu recommendations are available. 

JOALI BEING is home to a large, open-plan and interactive dining space, known as FLOW, which features signature kitchens. Plantae, offering vegetarian cuisine; Su, serving ocean-to-table pescatarian fare; and   B’Well, featuring a signature JOALI BEING menu, including a selection of Earth-to-Table meal. 

Mojo is the island’s tropical beach sanctuary, located on a three-layered sundeck, and offering an ideal lunch and sundowner spot by the pool. It is also home to SAI, the tea lounge, where guests can explore an incredible range of brews and join tea ceremonies and learning sessions hosted by the resident tea sommelier. 

Guests at JOALI BEING can also enjoy interactive nutritional cooking classes at the retreat’s Culinary Learning Centre, which will offer fully equipped kitchen spaces for each participant.

Conservation and sustainability 

JOALI BEING will be home to one of turtle conservation sanctuaries in the Maldives, as well as a Reef Restoration Project and coral nursery. The brand is collaborating with EarthCheck on impactful long-term sustainability initiatives. The sustainability infrastructure of the island includes a desalinating water bottling plant, a rainwater harvesting, and greywater recycling system, a glass crusher and recycler, a 1750 food waste composter, and plant waste shredder for fertilizing, and a biological wastewater treatment plant for safe discharge. 

More about JOALI BEING 

Launching in late 2021, JOALI BEING invites wellbeing seekers to reconnect with themselves and with the beauty of nature. Based on the belief that understanding is the key to creating and sustaining wellbeing, the island’s Learning Centre offers a series of educational workshops and experiential classes with wellbeing experts, culinary maestros, and herbalists. 

This distinctive wellbeing retreat is home to a total of 68 exclusive guest villas with pools, consisting of 34 beach villas and 34 water villas. With eleven categories to choose from, guests can opt for one-, two-, three- or four-bedroom accommodations. JOALI BEING features unique transformational spaces that allow guests to immerse in elemental therapies and healing experiences. Nature is at the centre of life at JOALI BEING, with the retreat being completely committed to nature immersive and responsible travel – the pathway to true “weightlessness”.