34 AFAR SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
wander
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:^ FRANCISCONOGUEIRA,^ ADRIANGAUT,^COURTESY
OFKUDADOO^ MALDIVESPRIVATEISLAND^ RES
ORT- Kudadoo
Maldives
Private Island
by Hurawalhi
Maldives
Opened in the
Lhaviyani Atoll last
December, this all-
inclusive eco resort,
with airy rooms
framed by warm-
toned woods, has 15
Japanese-inspired
overwater villas,
plus a bi-level spa
and a restaurant.
If the endless Indian
Ocean vistas and
uncrowded serenity
don’t offer quite
enough bliss, a deep-
breathing session
in Lonu Cave, the
Maldives’ first Hima-
layan salt chamber,
can do the trick.
From $3,100. kuda
doo.com - Santa Clara 1728
Lisbon, Portugal
The six suites that
occupy an 18th-
century residence in
Lisbon’s old cultural
quarter have linen
curtains, gleaming
white subway
tiles, soothing gray
walls, natural wood
furnishings, and
precious little else
except peace and
quiet. A communal
dining table fosters
intimate conversa-
tion among guests,
and an interior
garden offers a fine
meditation space,
perfect for reflecting
on the well-loved
landmarks—such as
Santa Engrácia
Church—that lie just
minutes beyond the
front door. From
$451. silentliving.pt - Sister City NYC
New York
Guests checking in
to this Lower East
Side hotel won’t find
anything in excess.
There’s not even
art on the walls. The
first venture from
Atelier Ace—the
team behind the Ace
Hotels—focuses
on Scandinavian-
inspired spaces
where furnishings
fold up and out of
the way. The lobby
soundtrack is by
musician Julianna
Barwick, who created
a system in which a
camera on the roof
captures images—
sunlight, clouds, a
passing bird—that
trigger a mix of am-
bient sounds in real
time. From $259.
sistercitynyc.com
SIMPLE PLEASURES
Hotels around the world are
discovering that when it
comes to sparking joy in travelers,
sometimes less is more.
by Lindsay Lambert Day