PRESS RELEASE November 2016
WORLD TRAVEL MARKET 2016
VISIT MALDIVES PARTNER NEWS
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas Launches Once-In-A-Lifetime Manta Ray Experience
Hot on the heels of sister resort Anantara Dhigu Maldives’
announcement in May 2016 that it was opening the first PADIaccredited freediving centre in the Maldives, Anantara Kihavah
Maldives Villas, located in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve, is now also fully licensed. This offers guests the
chance to get up-close-and-personal with manta rays at the
world’s largest natural manta feeding destination, the
protected site of Hanifaru Bay, during their annual migration across the Indian Ocean. With the
season lasting from May to November, the Anantara team works closely with the rangers who
protect Hanifaru Bay to monitor the mantas’ movements so that guests can quickly reach the site,
located just 45 minutes from the resort, maximising their chances of spotting the rays. Scuba diving
is not permitted so guests now have the choice of snorkelling or freediving. The PADI certification
offered by the water sports centre at Anantara Kihavah Villas teaches divers how to enjoy the sport
safely. For more information, visit: http://kihavah-maldives.anantara.com/.
Amari Hotels, Resorts & Spas Opens Amari Havodda Maldives
Amari unveiled the brand new Maldivian property, Amari
Havodda Maldives, on 15th January 2016. Located on one of
the most preserved atolls in the archipelago, Amari Havodda
Maldives marks the launch of the Amari brand in the Maldives,
bringing its signature warm Thai hospitality to the Indian
Ocean paradise. Guest rooms offer a modern and peaceful
environment with traditional Maldivian art, and the 120 villas
include overwater and beach options, which can both be explored with the Duo Villa Experience
Package that starts from approximately £469 ($574) per night. Before the resort was constructed,
the natural reef areas surrounding the island were identified and protected to minimise
environmental impact from the development. Guests can now experience the spectacular preserved
coral areas through guided snorkelling and diving excursions, organised by the resort’s fullyequipped Dive Centre. For more information visit: www.amari.com/havodda-maldives.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Unveils Newly Renovated Beach Villas
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is unveiling a series of
fabulous, newly enhanced beach villas. In a strategic move to
continue to attract both repeat and new guests, the resort has
invested $3.2 million in redeveloping its award-winning beach
villa product. The redevelopment has seen a full renovation of
34 beach villas and bathrooms and follows the substantial
works completed in 2014, which saw Conrad Maldives Rangali
Island develop Ranfinolhu Island, an area which houses 570 team members and is arguably one of
the leading team member accommodations in the country. The launch of the newly-renovated
beach villas is set for autumn 2016. For more information, visit: www.conradhotels3.hilton.com.
Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa, Maldives, Plans To Launch New Resort App And Upgraded Facilities
Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa plans to launch a new userfriendly website and resort app, as well as a new badminton
area, upgraded water sports facilities and a range of new
family friendly activities, all in 2017. In spring of next year, the
resort’s dive centre will also launch freediving lessons. This all
follows a very successful year, which saw the resort launch the
Penguin, the world's first semi-submarine experience, a new
tennis academy by former world number three Nikolay
Davydenko and the creation of a Seven-Day Detox Programme. A new Executive Chef was also
appointed across the resort's five dining outlets, Christoph Pentzlin, resulting in the development of
a number of menus, which offer an array of culinary delights. For more information, visit:
www.hideawaybeachmaldives.com.
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort Introduces Signature Experiences For 2017
Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort, which became part of the
Global Hotel Alliance in October 2016 and won a 2016 Travel
Weekly Gold Magellan Award in September 2016, has
introduced Signature Experiences that give an extra sense of
place, such as special Vow Renewals offerings or a BBQ dinner
with Bodu Beru music and dance. Outrigger is also planning
to bring in female artisans to produce hand-painted grass
woven mats, as the resort expands its portfolio of Signature Experiences throughout 2017. In the
New Year, the resort will also focus further on its coral regeneration programme, which will also
offer educational insights about the surrounding marine life, with swimming trips with in-house
marine biologist Caterina Fattori and evening presentations and activities. For more information,
visit: www.outrigger.com.
Local Operator Secret Paradise Supports Local Initiatives And Promotes Responsible Tourism
Secret Paradise specialises in individual and group travel for
people of all ages and abilities and the range of tours it offers
is designed to encourage guests to engage with local people
and experience the very best from the Maldives archipelago.
To assist the company’s efforts in promoting local tourism in
line with Maldives culture and beliefs, in fully respecting the
communities who open their homes to guests, and in
implementing efforts to protect the local environment, Secret
Paradise has partnered with NGOs, marine life charities and volunteer groups. Guests are
encouraged to become actively involved in conservation programs and learn how they too can be
responsible during their stay in the Maldives and, recently, Secret Paradise launched a conservation
awareness tour to the local island of Villimale, where guests are able to spend the afternoon with
NGO group Save the Beach and gain an insight into the conservation challenges that face an island
during development. For more information, visit: www.secretparadise.mv.
Experience The Ancient Healing Art Of Ayurveda At Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa’s brand new five-day Ayurvedic
programme at CHI, The Spa, invites guests to rejuvenate body, mind and
soul, surrounded by the extraordinary natural beauty of the Maldives.
Through Ayurveda, the 5,000 year old system of Indian healing, the new
programme combines relaxation with pampering to leave guests feeling
beautifully alive at the end of their stay. The Ayurvedic programme,
which was developed by the resort’s practicing Ayurvedic Consultant,
begins with an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultation to find the guest’s Dosha
type. During the consultation, a personalised wellness plan is created
which focuses on the individual’s doshas. The plan embraces every
aspect of Ayurveda including treatments, yoga and meditation.
Signature Ayurvedic treatments are performed in the new Ayurvedic treatment rooms constructed
on the basis of Vasthu Shasthra (traditional Indian architecture), which have traditional Neem
wooden Ayurvedic beds. Guests can also enjoy a personally tailored menu of fresh simple food to
balance the doshas. Herbs and vegetables are grown on island in the Chef’s Garden, along with
traditional Ayurvedic root waters and light suppers of locally sourced fish. For more information,
visit: www.shangri-la.com.
Summer Island Maldives’ Advisory Executive Chef Is Declared One Of The Top 50 Global
Outstanding Chefs
‘Jack’ Tiang Toh Huat, Advisory Executive Chef at one of the
Maldives’ first resorts, Maldivian-owned Summer Island
Maldives, has been declared one of the world’s ‘Top 50
Outstanding Chefs’ in a prestigious awards ceremony held
recently in Shanghai, China. During the 2016 Global Gourmet
Chef par Excellence World Culinaire Competition awards
ceremony, Summer Island Maldives also received the
‘Outstanding Dining Venue’ title, which places the resort among the Maldives’ very best for food and
beverage. The awards ceremony, organised by the Global Gourmet culinary magazine, followed a
competition whereby chefs from around the world cooked a four-course meal, which was judged by
an expert panel including the Michelin 3-star celebrity chefs Da Dong and Umberto Bombana. Chef
Jack submitted a menu based on fresh ingredients from Summer Island Maldives, such as coconuts
and passion fruits. Summer Island Maldives has also recently undergone a multi-million dollar
redevelopment and now boasts fresh and zesty rooms, a spa, international restaurants, a rustic
beach bar, a dive centre and water sports centre. For more information, visit:
www.summerislandmaldives.com.
For further information on the Maldives, visit www.visitmaldives.com.
Media Contacts:
McCluskey International for Visit Maldives
T: 020 8747 2170
Sarah Salord [email protected] / Frankie Gibson [email protected]