It's a long way to the Maldives, but for the ultimate spa experience in private-island luxury, One&Only Reethi Rah makes the 20-plus-hour flight from New York to the middle of the Indian Ocean worth every second.

Upon entering the immense, 100,000-square-foot spa run by E'SPA, the internationally renowned UK-based spa specialists, you'll set off on a physical, mental and spiritual journey. The towering columns and elegant, carved-wood ceilings of the reception act as a grand temple that invites guests to slough off stress and allows peace to set in through use of stone, water and flowers (look for the One&Only orchid that was engineered solely for the island).

You begin the spa experience with a cup of ginger tea and a well-being consultation with an E'SPA specialist. Take advantage of the spa's Personal Lifestyle and Wellness Journeys. These unique three-, five- and seven-day experiences combine fitness, spa treatments, holistic healings and healthy-eating guidelines with an overall focus on your goals, whether body detoxing, weight loss, anti-stress or immune boosting.

For those who don't want to spend their whole Maldivian time in the spa, great single-treatment and signature one-day journeys are available. Try the Energy Equalizer with Volcanic Hot Stones for hands-on polarity balancing or the Reethi Rah Sun Ritual, an exfoliating salt-and-oil preparation applied by way of a full-body massage that prepares skin for suntanning. Those who just want to be pampered will enjoy the One-Day Indulgence: yoga, Balinese massage, Re-hydrator Facial and a spa-cuisine lunch followed by a holistic foot-and-leg treatment designed by pedicurist foot god, Bastien Gonzalez.

Treatments take place in eight stand-alone oceanfront bungalows (complete with garden showers) that provide thatched-roof castaway comfort, but romantics should book the over-water couples' spa suites with their daybeds, dining areas and sundecks. Check in early to have ample time to explore the swirling vitality pools and crystal steam rooms, or to douse your head in ice fountains and cool off in Lifestyle showers that create a refreshing burst of cool-mint mist or tropical rainfall.