JULY, AUGUST &
SEPTEMBER 2016
IN TOUCH magazine
IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives. Welcome to this edition of IN TOUCH, our magazine created to keep you “in touch” with Baros Maldives. All of us at Baros Maldives look forward to being
in touch with you every few months in this manner so we can provide you with valuable information on the Maldives and on our luxury boutique island resort. Imagine, we are even going to share some of our most delicious
recipes with you and tell some of our best kept Spa secrets. We hope you will enjoy being reminded about Baros Maldives and that you will want to be in touch with us too.
©2016 . Contents and photos are owned by Baros Maldives and should not be reproduced , distributed , transmitted , or displayed for any commercial use.
CONTENTS
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Flora of Baros Maldives
—
A Brief Maldivian Language Guide
4
Bon Appetit!
Maldivian Kullafilla Salad
—
Let’s Cocktail
Baros Spiced Mojito
5
Spa Secrets
Ayurveda
We are proud to announce that we have once again won some extraordinary awards. These were presented to Baros
Maldives at the 2016 World Travel Awards for the Africa and Indian Ocean Region ceremony held in Tanzania.
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Underwater
What Exactly are Corals?
We received awards for ”Indian Ocean’s Most Romantic Resort” and ”The Maldives’ Leading Boutique Resort” while The
Baros Residence was recognised with an award as ”The Maldives’ Leading Luxury Hotel Villa.”
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Baros Maldives
Cruising For Epicures
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Two Decades At Baros Maldives
—
Get to know
Karin
Dive Manager
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Did You Know That...
Dear IN TOUCH Reader,
We are grateful to our guests and those in the travel industry for the support given to us over the years. It gives
satisfaction to all our hardworking and dedicated staff to know their efforts at ensuring outstanding hospitality excellence
are recognised globally. As one of the original resort island properties in the Maldives it is an honour to receive such
awards, indicating positive feedback for standards we strive to maintain.
During the next few months, we are looking forward to some exciting changes at Baros Maldives. We will be introducing
new menus in all our restaurants to keep up to date with culinary trends, as well as undertaking a complete renovation of
our Deluxe Category Villas. Please keep in touch for more details.
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Warm regards,
Shuhan
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IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives
Get in touch
Flora of Baros Maldives
A BRIEF MALDIVIAN
LANGUAGE GUIDE
We always talk a lot about the marine life and the fauna of the
Maldives, but the flora of the islands deserves some recognition
as well.
Soil – Fasgandu
Being only four degrees from the Equator, Baros Maldives has
a warm and humid tropical climate with two monsoon periods
and the island, although small, has many different plant and
flower species.
Tree – Ga’s
In the Maldives, the proximity of land to sea has resulted in plant
species that are highly adaptable to island conditions such as
infertile and saline soil, drought, flooding and salt spray. Native
plants play an important role in the prevention of beach erosion
as well.
Seeds – Oiy
Throughout the islands, there are 583 plant species of which 323
are cultivated and 260 are native or naturalised species. This is
a relatively large number considering the geographical isolation,
harsh climatic conditions, the absence of large land masses and
the poor and infertile nature of the soil of the islands.
Coconut palms, mangroves, pandanuses, breadfruit trees and
very tall specimens of Ficus Benghalensis (named “Nika”) are
the most common plants in the Maldives.
Coconuts palms as found on Baros can reach up to 30-metres
in height, produce coconuts, leaves, fibre and wood; they
reproduce naturally, as nuts fall from the trees and germinate.
Before Baros Maldives was turned into a resort, this island was
used as a coconut plantation and coconut palms in the Palm
Garden remain from that time of over 40 years ago.
Flower – Maa
Palm – Ru’h
Leaves – Faiy
for construction purposes. As the national tree of the Maldives,
the coconut has become an integral part of Maldivian life.
Mangroves live between land and sea; they have long roots
plunging into the water and are one of the few land plants that
can tolerate sea water and salt. The pandanus, a tree that can
reach 8-metres in height, produces red-orange fruits used in
particular types of food. Ironwood, Banyan trees, almond trees
and red sandal wood are common trees found in the Maldives.
In many islands, it is possible to find mangos, papayas, limes,
bananas and breadfruit trees. At Baros, it is easy to see some
of the most famous ornamental plants, such as bougainvillaea,
hibiscus and frangipani.
Do not miss out on the Baros Maldives nature walk on Sundays
at 16.00 to learn more about the flora of Baros Maldives
The coconut palm is considered to be one of the ten most
useful trees in the world, earning it the name “The Tree of life.”
It is a source of food for humans, animals and insects, while the
fibre is used for ropes, mattresses, mats and bags, and the wood
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IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives
Fruit – Meyvaa
Banyan Tree – Nika Gas
Ironwood – Theyri
Almond Tree – Kanamadhu Gas
Red Sandalwood – Wakaru
Bon Appetit!
Let’s cocktail
Maldivian Kullafilla Salad
A Baros twist to the Cuban classic. Island grown
mint infused with spiced rum, lime and treacle
sugar. Topped with Ginger Ale crowned with a
splash of dark Rum creates the perfect refreshing
cocktail to be enjoyed under our swaying palm
trees in the palm garden
Baros Spiced Mojito
As a part of the new and trendsetting, exciting restaurant menu
at Lime, the Baros Culinary Team has created a modern version
of the classical Maldivian Kullafilla Salad. The perfect balance
of spice and freshness, which you could say defines the art of
Maldivian cuisine, is here in this tuna focused delicacy. Perfect as a
light lunch, indulging in Maldives as its best with tuna and coconut,
while overlooking the blue vistas of the Baros Maldives lagoon,
1 small red onion sliced
1 red chilli finely chopped
80g Maldivian tuna loin (seared)
400g finely sliced Kullafilla leaves
1 Lime juice and salt
Fried onion.
40g sliced cucumber for garnish
Serves 4 – 6
Recipe by Baros CulinaryTeam
Crush the onion and chillies together in a bowl with the lime
juice and salt. Flake the tuna into the bowl, add coconut, and
Kullafilla leaves, mix well.
For Maldivian Kullafilla Salad
2 cans tuna (180g)
1 cup freshly grated coconut
Line a mould with the cucumber slices and place the tuna,
coconut and leaf mix in it. Remove the mould and lay the sliced
seared tuna and fried onion on top of the salad.
CHEF’S TIP
Kullafilla is a Maldivian version of rocket leaves, it grows easily in
sandy soil amongst Maldivian vegetation. It is used for Maldivian
salads and has extensive health benefits, just like normal rocket.
Instead of canned tuna, confit fresh tuna in coconut oil at 63°c
for five minutes, allow to cool and flake, to give a nice texture.
You could also shallow fry fresh curry leaves until crispy, to give
the dish extra fragrance and texture.
If you can get fresh coconut jelly this, added to the salad, will give
an amazing lighter flavour on a hot sunny day. Crispy onions on
top not only add to the flavour but also give the extra texture
of a light crispy topping
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Ingredients
40 ml Appleton Rum
12 mint leaves
2 Lime wedges
15 ml Lime Juice
25 ml Sugar Syrup/ Two spoons of brown sugar
Top up: Ginger Ale
5 ml Captain Morgan float
Glass
Collins Highball Glass.
Ice
Crushed.
Garnish
Chilled Captain Morgan Rum in ice and mint.
Method
Muddle lime, mint, lime juice and sugar syrup or
brown sugar with the Appleton rum. Add the ice
and top up with Ginger Ale. Pour the Captain
Morgan Rum on top of the crushed ice and
garnish with a mint sprig.
YOGA
prevent heart disease or make headaches go away, but we can
also better understand ourselves and the world around us.
Ayurveda helps people to live a long healthy life in balance and
harmony, achieve fullest potential, and express inner nature on
a daily basis.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda literally means "science of life” or
"practices of longevity." The traditional system of
natural healing medicine in India and Sri Lanka, it is
the oldest health care system in the world.
Halasana (hah-LAHS-anna)
hala = plow
The Spa at Baros offers these special traditional Ayurveda
treatments: Shirodara, Abhyanga, Janu and Kati Vasti.
1. From Sarvangasana (lying flat long on the mat), exhale
and bend from the hip joints to slowly lower your toes
to the floor above and beyond your head. As much as
possible, keep your torso perpendicular to the floor and
your legs fully extended.
Shirodhara
The name comes from the Sanskrit words shiro (head) and
dhara (flow).The Shirodhara technique soothes and invigorates
the senses and the mind. A total feeling of wellness, mental
clarity and comprehension is experienced in this process.
2. With your toes on the floor, lift your top thighs and
tailbone toward the ceiling and draw your groin deep
into the pelvis. Imagine that your torso is hanging from
the height of your groin. Continue to draw your chin
away from your sternum and soften your throat.
Abhyanga
This rhythmic warm oil massage uses complex herbal oils that
are carefully chosen, based on the season and the specific
needs of the individual. The practice is becoming more popular
because abhyanga is claimed to improve well-being.
Spa Secrets
PLOUGH Pose
Janu Vasti
This therapy provides a simple yet very effective relief of
Knee Pain especially that which is caused by Osteo Arthritis.
It relieves pain and stiffness and eases movements at the knee
joint. Meanwhile the treatment also strengthens the joint,
muscles and soft tissues and improves circulation, enabling the
patient to resume work and activities.
Kati Vasti
This is one of the best Avurveda treatments that helps relieve
the agony of an uncomplicated back pain. The waist area of
the body is called Kati. The application of warm Ayurvedic oils
on the affected areas is called Vasti. It involves the retention of
warm, thick medicated oil over the lower back for a defined
period.
Ayurveda emphasises prevention of disease,
rejuvenation of body systems, and extension of life
span. The deep premise and promise of Ayurveda
is that through certain practices, not only can we
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IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives
3. You can continue to press your hands against the back
torso, pushing the back up toward the ceiling as you
press the backs of the upper arms down, onto your
support. Or you can release your hands away from your
back and stretch the arms out behind you on the floor,
opposite the legs. Clasp the hands and press the arms
actively down on the support as you lift your thighs
toward the ceiling.
4. Halasana is usually performed after Sarvangasana for
from one to five minutes. To exit the pose bring your
hands onto your back again, lift back into Sarvangasana
with an exhalation, then roll down onto your back, or
simply roll out of the pose on an exhalation.
Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
•
Calms the brain
Stimulates the abdominal organs and the thyroid gland
Stretches the shoulders and spine
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Reduces stress and fatigue
Therapeutic for backache, headache, infertility, insomnia,
sinusitis
Beginners: In this pose (and its companion, Salamba
Sarvangasana) there's a tendency to overstretch the neck by
pulling the shoulders too far away from the ears. While the
tops of the shoulders should push down into the support,
they should be lifted slightly toward the ears to keep the
back of the neck and throat soft. Open the sternum by
firming the shoulder blades against the back.
UNDERWATER
CORALS
What exactly are corals?
Corals are tiny animals and are related to jellyfish and anemones. An individual coral
is known as a polyp, a very small and simple organism consisting mostly of a stomach
topped by a tentacle-bearing mouth.
Most reef-building corals have a unique symbiotic partnership with tiny algae called
zooxanthellae. The algae live within the coral polyps, using sunlight to make sugar for
energy. This energy is transferred to the polyp, providing much needed nourishment. In
turn, coral polyps provide the algae with carbon dioxide and a protective home.
At night corals eat; coral polyps come out of their skeletons, stretching their long,
stinging tentacles to capture small creatures (zooplankton) that are floating by. Prey are
pulled into the polyps’ mouths and digested in their stomachs
Coral polyps can live on their own but usually live in colonies. They use the calcium
carbonate from the water to build a hard protective limestone skeleton at the base.
When coral polyp bases connect to one another it creates a colony. As colonies grow
over the years they join other colonies and this forms the structure of coral reefs.
Most corals have male and female sex organs and the can reproduce by ejecting large
quantities of their eggs and sperm into the surrounding water at the same time. When
this happens, the eggs and sperm fertilize in the water and form a larvae. This process
is called coral spawning. Corals spawn in mass synchronized events, releasing millions of
eggs and sperm into the water at the same time.
Once in the sea, larvae are naturally attracted to the light. They swim to the surface
of the ocean, where they remain for days or even weeks. If predators do not eat the
larvae during this time, they fall back to the ocean floor and attach themselves to a hard
surface.
An attached larvae transforms into a coral polyp and begins to grow, dividing itself in half
and making exact genetic copies of itself. As more and more polyps are added, a coral
colony develops. Eventually the coral colony becomes mature, begins reproducing, and
the cycle of life continues.
At the Baros Maldives House Reef most corals spawn simultaneously and usually once a
year at night, around March/April
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Baros Maldives
CRUISING FOR EPICURES
There’s a great opportunity to add exciting culinary cruising experiences
to a holiday at Baros Maldives.
Our programme of special cruises by dhoni or motor yacht has recently
been enhanced with the addition of breakfast, lunch and sunset cocktail
on-board cruising options.
Serenity, the resort’s luxury Princess-class 54ft motor yacht, is now
available for private charter on a daily basis by couples for a “Lunch for
Epicures” cruise and also for a “Champagne and Canapés” cruise as the
sun sets.
The Serenity Lunch Cruise features a menu of 11 different courses
including canapés, prawns, smoked salmon, Japanese sushi and sashimi
box, and lemon and herb mayonnaise roast chicken with Greek salad,
as well as tropical fruits, a cheese platter and an irresistible Chocolate
Mud Pie.
During the 90-minute Sunset Cruise for two, Champagne and canapés
are served in the air-conditioned cabin or on deck for a romantic
interlude as the sun dips below the horizon.
Another innovation for cruising in the tranquil waters off the island is
the Nooma Breakfast Sailing. Nooma is a traditional wooden-hulled sail
dhoni (with auxiliary inboard motor) with a sun deck in the bow and an
air-conditioned cabin with lounge, bedroom and bathroom. A breakfast
fit for connoisseurs is served to couples by the on-board butler in the
exclusive privacy of the dhoni.
These three new cruises complement the existing options of lunch,
sunset sailing and secret reef diving by Nooma, as well as the day-long
and sunset dolphin watching cruises by Serenity.
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IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives
beach. They now have their favourite Villa to which they
return, even though the Villa has evolved into a different Villa
category three times since they first stayed in it.
Martin and Sue have stayed at Baros twenty-two times and
have never visited any other resorts in the Maldives. Sue says
that she is not even curious about them. Baros Maldives has
become their second home and the staff members are like
a big family whom they have seen grow up, change positions
and evolve with the island.
In 1996, Martin had his first ever dive at Baros Maldives
with Karin and Ronny, who are now the owners of Divers
Maldives, and coming back to see familiar faces makes both
Martin and Sue feel at home.
When asked what their most memorable experiences are,
Martin highlights the first time he ever saw manta rays and
when he found himself swimming with a black merlin followed
by two barracudas. He could see the excitement on the face
of the dive instructor.
TWO DECADES AT BAROS
MALDIVES
There is no better compliment for a resort to receive than
when guests return year after year. At Baros Maldives we are
privileged to have so many happily returning guests.
Martin and Sue from Yorkshire, UK, planned a trip to Sri
Lanka in 1996 and also wanted to visit the Maldives since
Martin was learning how to dive.
They looked through Kuoni UK brochure that had the slogan
of “No News, No Shoes” for the Maldives. Baros Maldives
appealed to them with its dive centre, accessible house reef
for snorkelling, the no children policy and its proximity to
Male’ International Airport.
They fondly remember the traditional motorboat (dhoni)
transfer from the airport that took more than an hour instead
of the 20 minutes by speedboat now.
Sue mentions when by chance they were staying at Baros
Maldives during the resort’s 40th anniversary they became
part of the extraordinary celebrations. Shuhan, the resort
manager, happened to see them walking back to their Villa
that night and gave them the Baros Maldives coffee table
book – The Legend - created especially for the occasion.
Over the years, the couple have held lots of their own
celebrations at Baros Maldives, including their 30th wedding
anniversary in 2015. They now have a tradition of starting
the anniversary with a champagne breakfast on the wooden
deck at Lime overlooking the lagoon, followed by dinner at
the Lighthouse, as well as taking a dolphin cruise in between
Martin’s busy diving schedule.
Sue says that the enjoyment of staying at Baros Maldives
cannot be explained and has to be experienced first-hand.
For them, the island has a feeling of home and the fact that
this ambience has not changed during two decades of visits
makes them keep coming back…over and over again.
The couple’s first accommodation was in one of the water
villas, but over the years they grew fond of staying by the
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IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives
GET TO KNOW
Karin
Dive Manager
Karin Spijker was born in Deventer,The
Netherlands.
After her studies to become an analytical
chemical laboratory technician, Karin
felt the urge to learn about new
cultures. She and her husband Ronny,
who now helps her run Divers Baros
Maldives set out together to work and travel.
Their first opportunity was at Baros Maldives in January 1996 where
Karin started work as guest relation manager and Ronny as a windsurf
instructor. From that moment they were both addicted to the Maldives
and have never left the islands to work since then.
After her first snorkelling experience at the Baros House Reef, Karin
was so amazed about the beauty of the underwater world she decided
to take diving lessons. She says,“What I love about diving is that it gives
you a three dimensional feeling and total freedom. You can submerge
yourself for an hour in a different world as close to nature as a person
can get.”
She enjoyed diving so much that she decided to turn her passion into
her career. After six months as Guest Relations Manager at Baros she
applied for a job as dive master at the Dive Centre. In 1997 she finished
all the diving classes and was appointed as a Dive Instructor.
In 1998 the owner of the Dive Centre at Baros was running another
dive centre on the Universal Resort then called Fesdu and offered
Karin and Ronny jobs as base leaders there. They operated the dive
centre on Fesdu for six years until returning in 2006 to Baros and
becoming partners in the ownership and operation of Divers Baros
Maldives.
In 2014 the founding partner decided to retire after developing and
running the Dive Centre at Baros for 33 years. Karin and Ronny
jumped at the chance to become sole owners of the Dive Centre.
Karin says that “Baros will always have a special place in my heart and
has become my second home now over the last 20 years. To show
the underwater world to visiting guests is one of the most rewarding
feelings.”
Did you know that...
…the name Maldives may derive from the
Malayalam words "maala" (garland) and "dweepu"
(island)?
…the Maldives is one of the world's most
dispersed countries, stretching over roughly 90,000
square kilometres?
…more than 80 per cent of the country's land is
composed of coral islands which rise less than one
metre above sea level.
…the Maldives is home to 1,100 species of fish,
five species of sea turtles, 21 species of whales
and dolphins, 187 species of corals, 400 species of
molluscs, and 83 species of echinoderms?
…historically Maldives provided enormous
quantities of cowry shells, a global currency of the
early ages?
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IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives
∙∙
Get in touch
Any questions, suggestions,
comments? Get in touch with us
on Baros Maldives, we are looking
forward to hearing from you.
∙∙ Shuhan, Resort Manager
[email protected]
∙∙ Musthafeez, Executive Assistant Manager
[email protected]
∙∙ Upul, Executive Sous Chef
[email protected]
∙∙ Lisa, PR & Communications Manager
[email protected]
∙∙ Shanoon, Sales & Marketing Manager
[email protected]
∙∙ Shijah, Front Office Manager
[email protected]
∙∙ Abdulla, Food & Beverage Manager
[email protected]
∙∙ Ron, Spa Manager
[email protected]
∙∙ Elisa, Marine Biologist
[email protected]
∙∙ Karin, Dive Manager
[email protected]
Tel: +960 664 26 72
[email protected] . www.baros.com
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IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives
PO Box 2015, Male’ 20-02, Republic of Maldives
Tel: + 960 664 26 72, Fax: + 960 664 34 97
[email protected], www.baros.com
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IN TOUCH magazine — Baros Maldives