Author: Neel Achary

OZEN LIFE MAADHOO Redefines Wellness Travel with Personalised Archetype-Led Journeys at ELE|NA Elements of Nature

Personalised Wellness Archetypes, Elemental Healing, and Conscious Luxury at ELE|NA Elements of Nature

Apr 07: Wellness travel today is no longer about one-size-fits-all spa rituals. It is about intention, individuality, and experiences that respond intuitively to who you are. At OZEN LIFE MAADHOO, this philosophy comes to life through a deeply personalised approach to well-being, one that recognises that every guest’s journey is distinct.

At the heart of this evolution lies ELE|NA Elements of Nature, where bespoke experiences are thoughtfully crafted around defined wellness archetypes. Rather than offering standardised treatments, OZEN LIFE MAADHOO exemplifies its dedication to personalised wellbeing by tailoring each journey to individual needs, whether guests seek restoration, vitality, balance, or transformation.

Wellbeing at ELE | NA Elements of Nature extends far beyond the spa. Guests are invited to explore a range of restorative healing modalities including sound healing sessions using a combination of handpans and Tibetan bowls, energy healing therapies, breathwork, meditation, and mindful movement practices designed to restore balance between body and mind.

Education is also a central part of the experience. Through engaging wellness and sustainability workshops, guests gain practical knowledge they can integrate into everyday life, from conscious living practices to holistic self-care rituals. These sessions empower individuals to deepen their understanding of wellbeing while reconnecting with simple, meaningful habits that support long-term health.

In collaboration with the resort’s culinary team, a dedicated wellness menu blends Ayurvedic wisdom with expert culinary craftsmanship. Emphasising nourishment, sustainability, and conscious sourcing, each dish is thoughtfully designed to support the guest’s healing journey, ensuring that restoration continues well beyond the treatment room.

Guests experience these offerings within serene overwater treatment rooms where skilled therapists deliver deeply personalised care using carefully selected products aligned with holistic wellbeing principles.

“Today’s discerning traveller seeks more than relaxation; they seek alignment,” said Mei P. Pun, General Manager of OZEN LIFE MAADHOO. “At OZEN LIFE MAADHOO, wellness is deeply personal. Through ELE|NA Elements of Nature’s archetype-led journeys, elemental therapies, and mindful culinary collaborations, we offer a destination where luxury and well-being exist in complete harmony—allowing our guests to reconnect with themselves in a truly meaningful way.”

Complementing this immersive philosophy is the resort’s signature INDULGENCE™ Plan an all-encompassing holiday plan, which seamlessly integrates wellness experiences, curated dining, and island discoveries into one effortless journey. Designed to remove logistical distractions, it allows guests to fully surrender to restoration where every detail is considered and every moment intentional.

In this serene enclave of the Maldives, wellness is not a programme, it is a way of being. OZEN LIFE MAADHOO invites travellers to experience a sanctuary where personalised care, elemental balance, and refined island luxury redefine what it means to truly travel for well-being.

Seeti 2.0 puts Meghalaya on the global culinary map through deep cultural immersion

Shillong, April 6, 2026: Seeti 2.0, a never-before-seen five-day culinary immersion initiative, brought together around 50 chefs, creators, and storytellers for an experience designed to go beyond conventional food tourism in Meghalaya. Unlike typical food festivals, Seeti 2.0 focused on deep cultural engagement, with participants experiencing Meghalaya through its communities, landscapes and traditions.

Seeti Movement is a platform for people in the food industry to come together at different locations and experience not only the space, but also celebrate the generosity of feeders. The guests give back to each other or to the environment. Rooted in a pillar of generosity, it seeks to reawaken the spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava, fostering a culture of respect, openness, and shared value. Rather than fleeting engagement, it builds lasting ideas, collaborations, and intellectual capital beyond the event itself.

“This year, Seeti 2.0 Meghalaya Experience decided to do things differently. Keeping our mission in mind, we explored how we could work in the North East and introduce it to our storytellers, so they can carry the food, craft, and culture of Meghalaya forward. We wanted to understand what we could give to Meghalaya, and what we could introduce to the rest of the world as well. This year, Seeti 2.0 Tables in the Clouds not only focused on the food of India and the food industry, but also directly invited local chefs to curate experiences, and to share and participate in our panel discussions,” said Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, Co-Founder of the Seeti Movement.

The Seeti 2.0 Meghalaya experience was preceded by nearly a year of on-ground research and curation, with the team mapping Meghalaya’s landscapes, communities and food systems to identify locations and narratives that best represent the state’s diversity. This translated into carefully designed experiences set in unique and context-rich environments, from curated meals following the visit to the sacred forest, to immersive sessions at tea estates overlooking Umiam Lake, allowing participants to engage with the cultural and ecological significance of each setting rather than viewing them as standalone destinations. The programme was also structured around the cultural identities of Meghalaya’s Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities.

“Designed as a cultural platform rather than a conventional food event, Seeti focused on creating deeper connections between our Storytellers and local contexts. In many food-led events, the deeper conversation gets lost if it is only about food. We wanted each experience to reflect something iconically rooted in the place. A key aspect of the initiative was its emphasis on participation over observation, allowing visitors to experience food within its cultural and social context. People begin to feel a sense of ownership when they experience something meaningful, whether it is an experience at the sacred forest, a tea estate or a community meal,” said Sid Mewara, Co-Founder of the Seeti Movement.

Mewara also noted, “Many visitors arrived with a limited understanding of regional cuisines. There is a perception that it is only very spicy or non-vegetarian food, but once people experience it, they realize the depth and diversity, from vegetarian dishes to subtle flavours that can be cherished among the locals at breathtaking venues”.

The Seeti 2.0 Meghalaya programme also highlighted how local food systems are inherently sustainable. Organizers pointed to practices such as local sourcing, low carbon consumption, use of whole ingredients and community-based food systems as examples of long-standing ecological balance.

“The initiative also reinforced the importance of responsible and respectful tourism, encouraging visitors to engage with heritage spaces such as sacred forests and community-owned ecosystems. The initiative also highlighted how food can serve as an entry point into larger conversations around identity, sustainability and responsible tourism. The idea was to balance heritage and modernity, with visits to contemporary dining spaces alongside traditional settings, offering a holistic perspective on the evolving Northeastern urban culture,” said Priyadarshini.

While the on-ground programme involved around 50 participants, organizers said its impact is designed to scale through Live and post-event storytelling through its carefully selected guests, which included world-renowned chefs, hoteliers, investors, traditional media, new age content creators, and marketing professionals. Seeti 2.0 aimed to enable its guests to become its storytellers, to accelerate inbound tourism for the State.

Seeti 2.0 Meghalaya Experience was also designed to merge with Meghalaya Government’s existing food festival, Culinary Cascades, where Seeti 2.0 storytellers were again able to directly meet farm-to-table vendors and chefs, as well as hold a panel on the future of Meghalaya’s food, craft, and journey.

The founders of Seeti 2.0 also highlighted the role of Meghalaya Government’s Support in enabling the initiative, noting that proactive coordination by state agencies helped facilitate access and logistics across locations. When a state comes forward and supports an initiative like this, it allows us to build something much larger than an event. It creates an ecosystem that organically surpasses the event.

Following the success of Seeti 2.0 Meghalaya edition, the experience has emerged as a scalable model for cultural tourism in India, with organizers positioning the platform as a format that can be adapted across states by combining food, community engagement and storytelling at offbeat locations. The event also includes a long-form film documenting the experience, with participants serving as storytellers, carrying narratives to wider audiences.

Europe accounts for half of the world’s top 10 seasonal chocolate markets: Euromonitor International

London, UK – From Easter eggs in the UK and Germany to refined gifting boxes in France and Switzerland, Europe continues to dominate the seasonal chocolate industry, accounting for half of the world’s top 10 seasonal chocolate markets by value, according to market intelligence company Euromonitor International.

Among those top markets, the fastest value growth in 2025 is being recorded in Switzerland (23%), Germany (18%) and France (18%). However, this surge is largely price-driven rather than demand-led, reflecting the impact of tariffs and the passthrough of high cocoa commodity costs. Outside of Europe, the US, Japan, Canada, Brazil and Australia appear on the ranking.

Meanwhile, the global seasonal chocolate market reached USD 16 billion globally in 2025, underlining the category’s enduring importance even as consumers become more price conscious.  According to Euromonitor International’s Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyle Survey, fielded January to February 2026, 29% of global consumers tend to eat snacks during the holidays, a figure that remains unchanged from 2025.

Carl Quash III, global insights manager for snacks at Euromonitor International, said: “Despite chocolates made with costly cocoa still in market and evolving geopolitical risks, like global conflicts and SNAP food restrictions, demand for seasonal chocolate is holding up better than others because of the strong emotional and tradition-driven value assigned to it.”

Retail takes the lead as supermarkets shape Easter chocolate innovation

Supermarket retailers have emerged as some of the most dynamic innovators in the seasonal chocolate space, with retailers such as Aldi, M&S, Waitrose and Costco driving growth through curated collections, limited-edition ranges and experience-led products that tap into consumer demand for novelty and shareability.

According to Quash: “Supermarkets are uniquely positioned in that they hold large consumer reach with real-time visibility into purchasing behaviour, emerging preferences and now more tapped into social media trends – even displaying visually striking ‘Dubai-style’ chocolates and other pistachio-infused creations for example. Unlike traditional retailers, supermarkets provide scale for testing limited editions, rotating seasonal offerings and fulfilling consumer affordability demands through private labels. Retailers are also evolving to quickly reposition brand identity and create in-store experiences that feel fresh, relevant and exclusive.”

Climate change and geopolitical tensions impact the market in the coming years

While seasonal chocolate continues to show strong global growth, the underlying story is less about rising consumption and more about rising costs. Value gains across key markets are being driven primarily by higher prices linked to the ongoing cocoa supply crisis, itself exacerbated by climate change and sharp harvest decline in major producing countries. At the same time, geopolitical tensions, including trade disruptions and tariffs on key inputs such as cocoa butter, sugar and dairy are adding further pressure to already strained supply chains.

Quash added: “Behind the headline growth in Easter chocolate lies a more complex reality. Climate-related disruptions to cocoa production, combined with geopolitical pressures on trade and inputs have pushed prices higher globally, meaning consumers are often paying more for less, even as the emotional importance of seasonal chocolate remains unchanged.”

Read more insights on Chocolate Confectionery at Euromonitor’s Insights Hub to explore how global trends, pricing pressures and innovation are shaping the future of seasonal chocolate.