News
New openings set to bring fresh approach to luxury tourism in Maldives
Maldives.net.mv – As a gaggle of glitzy Maldives newcomers clamour for attention, vying to outdo each other for ostentation, one company is setting itself apart with a refreshingly different approach – creating an outstanding, authentic Maldives experience that gives guests more of what they want. With over 60 years’ experience in the destination between them, the three founding directors of The Small Maldives Island Company have looked beyond tired norms and attention-seeking fads to put what guests really want at the heart of everything they do.
Their vision will be turned into reality with the launch of two exemplary new island resorts, Amilla Fushi (opening November 2014) and Finolhu (opening Q4 2015). An intimate island home that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Amilla Fushi will offer laid-back luxury and more purpose-designed houses of two or more bedrooms than any other Maldives resort – perfect for families and groups of friends. Amilla’s hot, fun-loving younger sister Finolhu meanwhile will offer an affordable beach club-style take on nu-luxury. Located in the pristine UNESCO biosphere reserve of Baa Atoll, both are easily reached via scheduled flights to the new Baa Atoll airport, or a scenic 30-minute seaplane ride from Malé.
Amilla Fushi and Finolhu will turn the established Maldives model on its head. No more thinking of guests as a captive audience, to be corralled into the same couple of pricey restaurants for every meal. No more stinging them with extras every time they do anything, then waving them off with a serious case of ‘bill shock’. And no more lumping in charges for things they don’t need or want.
Says co-founder Tom McLoughlin, “We want our Spa experience to be accessible, indulgent and worry free, so guests can enjoy it without worrying that they can’t afford to have treatments. So – just as it’s a given that breakfast is included – we’re including a 50 minute spa treatment for every guest, every day”.
There will be no ‘paywall’ deterring guests from making the most of the magical Maldivian ocean either: All water sports – non-motorised and motorised – will be complimentary too. No need for parents to cost-control by parking their kids in front of the resort PlayStation for hours on end; instead they will be free to splash around to their hearts’ content, with a host of supervised fun and games ensuring an unforgettable, authentically aquatic Maldivian adventure. What’s more, Amilla’s house reef even boasts its very own renowned ‘Blue Hole’ dive site within snorkeling distance of the beach.
Budding island hoppers with a taste for adventure will also welcome a refreshing, relaxed ‘open island’ philosophy: a first for the Maldives. Far from being marooned on a single island for the duration of their stay, guests at Amilla and Finolhu will be encouraged to explore Baa Atoll’s other resorts, and their bars and restaurants – and vice versa. This pioneering and liberating approach puts guests’ experience first, while simultaneously demonstrating the resorts’ supreme confidence in their own offering.
Amilla Fushi – which literally translates from the local Dhivehi language as ‘my island home’ – ignores fleeting trends in favour of timeless pleasures: delicious, unpretentious food; superb wines; and relaxed yet flawless service. The vision of ‘Island Restaurateur’, acclaimed Aussie Chef Luke Mangan (described by food legend Anthony Bourdain as ‘the Michael Corleone of Sydney’s restaurant scene’) is to prepare the kind of food people really want to eat on holiday. Out goes starched-shirt service, lobster and linen, and in come barefoot cocktails, barbecue flavours, zingy ceviches and tropical ingredients – realised to perfection at relaxed pier-side restaurant Lonu. Curling around the Maldives’ biggest swimming pool, Baazaar serves upthe freshest line-caught local fish with an international twist, and serious sundowners (or uppers!).
Guests are also free to grab some groceries and self-cater in style: The island’s Emperor General Store and Cellar Door wine shop are stocked with handpicked fresh ingredients, from fresh fruit and vegetables and fine cuts of meat to fresh-baked breads. A true ‘home from home’ experience for foodies who love to cook for their families and friends.
A range of purpose-designed Island Homes – one- and two-bed Beach and Lagoon Houses; 12-metre high, two-bed Tree Houses; and Ocean Reef Houses right on the house reef, with rates starting from approx. US$1,800 per night – are complemented by 12 stunning bespoke Beach Residences of three, four, five and six bedrooms.
Also in Baa Atoll, Finolhu, opening in 2015, is a buzzy, informal haven for sociable singles, fun loving travellers and Millennial families. Offering 126 rooms – 88 overwater – as well as 40 villa suites cocooned on the secluded sanctuary of Finolhu Private Island, Finolhu is all about simple things, done well. Think sandspit-hopping picnics, swim-up cocktails at the Baa Bar and stand-up snacks from the colourful shabby chic Fish & Crab Shack.
Conceived and managed by The Small Maldives Island Company, Amilla Fushi and Finolhu’s light-hearted, unpretentious approach and contemporary architecture and design will bring a new way of doing things to a destination that has found itself in a coupley conceptual cul-de-sac.
This festive season, Adaaran Resorts invites couples and friends to experience Christmas in the Maldives through a glowing new seasonal concept: When the Island Blooms. Across Adaaran Prestige Vadoo and Adaaran Prestige Water Villas, the islands will come alive with blooming lights, shimmering trees, ocean-inspired installations and evenings shaped by romance, celebration and tropical wonder.
By day, the season unfolds through ocean adventures, festive workshops, private dining experiences and slow moments above the lagoon. By night, pathways glow, beaches turn into celebration spaces and Christmas takes on a softer, warmer island rhythm.
At Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, the festive season begins with romance at the centre. Set above the lagoon and shaped around overwater privacy, the island transforms into an adults-only festive escape where every evening feels made for two. From cake mixing by the shoreline to cocktail soirées, fire performances, private beach dinners and New Year celebrations, Vadoo brings the bloom concept to life through intimacy, sparkle and island charm.
Highlights include:
- The Grand Festive Formation Christmas Cake Mixing Ceremony by the lagoon
- 25 Days of Festive Moments, with daily games and seasonal surprises leading up to Christmas
- Saint Nicholas Cocktail Soirée at Sky Bar with festive cocktails, gourmet tapas and live acoustic music
- Romantic Sand Bench Dinners and Tropical Romance Dinners, both designed for couples by the beach
- Interactive festive experiences including spice blending, smoked cocktail demonstrations, wine blind tasting, latte art, Thai cookery and molecular cocktail sessions
- Christmas Tree Lighting & Cocktail Evening with carols, handcrafted cocktails, live music, fire performance and Tanoura dance
- “Festive Paradise Glow” Christmas Eve Celebration with festive cocktails, Santa’s arrival, gala dining, raffles, live music and a Christmas party by the lagoon
- Christmas Elegance Dinner, a romantic overwater dining experience with 360° ocean views
- New Year’s Eve “The Majestic London”, featuring cocktails, gala dining, entertainment, fireworks, DJ celebrations and the crowning of the Vadoo Queen
- Extraordinary New Year’s Dinner in the Tree House or Floating Deck, created for an intimate start to 2027
- Orthodox Christmas Eve with gala dining, DJ entertainment, free-flow drinks, games and Santa’s arrival
Vadoo is where the island blooms with romance, celebration and the easy magic of overwater living.
At Adaaran Prestige Water Villas, the festive season takes on a quieter, more exclusive rhythm. Set within Meedhupparu’s glowing island landscape, this adults-only overwater enclave offers a private festive escape above the lagoon, with access to the wider celebrations unfolding across the island. Guests can step into beachfront festivities, ocean adventures and signature dining experiences, then return to the calm of their own overwater sanctuary.
Highlights include:
- Christmas Tree Lighting by the beach as Meedhupparu begins to glow for the season
- Christmas Eve Magic, a moonlit celebration inspired by Maldivian island legends, ocean journeys and festive island storytelling
- Festive ocean adventures including dolphin cruises, snorkelling safaris, sunset jet ski experiences and sunset fishing by dhoni
- Floating Champagne Breakfast served in the Water Villa lagoon for a refined festive morning
- Private Sandbank Festive Lunch & High Tea surrounded by open ocean views
- Signature dining experiences including Lobster Beach Barbecue, 21-Course Progressive Dinner, Seven-Course Modern Gastronomy Dinner, Tree House Dinner and Chef’s Table – Indian Ocean Edition
- Private Cinema Under the Stars and Jungle-Themed Movie Night for couples seeking a quieter festive evening
- New Year’s Eve Extravaganza, a beachfront celebration with cocktails, gala dining, DJ entertainment, countdown, fire show and fireworks
- New Year’s Eve VIP Water Villa Dining Experience with champagne, seafood and premium countdown moments
- New Year dining experiences including Fire & Flame Steak Dinner, Romantic Sandbench Dinner and Sunset Sushi & Sake Experience
- Orthodox Festive Dinner with beachside grills, seafood, lobster and live duo music
Adaaran Prestige Water Villas is where the island blooms with stillness, privacy and beautifully crafted festive indulgence.
Together, Adaaran Prestige Vadoo and Adaaran Prestige Water Villas offer two adults-only ways to celebrate Christmas in the Maldives. One brings playful romance and festive energy close to Malé, while the other offers secluded overwater calm in the Raa Atoll. Across both, the season glows with ocean light, intimate dining, warm hospitality and memories made beneath a blooming island sky.
This Christmas, the islands do not simply celebrate. They bloom.
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First green sea turtle hatchlings of season emerge at InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort has recorded its first green sea turtle hatchlings of the season, marking another important milestone in the island’s ongoing marine conservation efforts.
Located in Raa Atoll, Maamunagau is recognised as an important sea turtle nesting site, with 6 nests recorded on the island so far this year. While sea turtles nest throughout the year in the Maldives, June and July typically mark the peak nesting period in Raa Atoll. This season, the recorded nests have primarily belonged to green sea turtles, a species that remains protected in the Maldives.
The first hatchlings of the season emerged naturally on the evening of 22 July, approximately two months after the eggs were laid. Throughout the nesting season, the resort’s Marine Biology team monitors each nest and conducts research activities under approved conservation protocols, collecting valuable data to better understand local sea turtle populations and nesting patterns.
Through its partnership with The Manta Trust and collaboration with conservation partners including the Olive Ridley Project, InterContinental Maldives continues to contribute to marine research and conservation efforts in the Maldives. Each recorded nest provides important insights that support the protection of sea turtles and their habitats for future generations.
Guests are encouraged to experience these special moments responsibly, with hatchlings observed from a dis tance and artificial lighting minimised to allow them to make their natural journey towards the ocean.
As part of its commitment to protecting the surrounding marine environment, InterContinental Maldives continues to support conservation through research, education and responsible wildlife experiences, helping guests connect with the unique ecosystems of the Maldives.
Sun Siyam Iru Veli part of Sun Siyam’s Privé Collection, has concluded an exclusive culinary residency with celebrated Czech chef Jan Punčochář, held from 25 July to 1 August 2026. Hosted in partnership with Colours of Maldives, the collaboration brought Chef Jan’s distinctive culinary philosophy and international expertise to Roma, the resort’s signature overwater restaurant renowned for its contemporary Italian and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.
At the heart of the residency was an intimate Chef’s Table on 31 July, where Chef Jan presented a multi-course menu created exclusively for guests. The menu showcased Czech culinary traditions interpreted through Maldivian ingredients and island-inspired flavours, accompanied by carefully selected wine pairings designed to complement each course. Earlier in the week, a special cocktail evening on 28 July introduced Chef Jan to guests in a relaxed setting, offering them the opportunity to meet and interact with him ahead of the dinner. Throughout his residency, he also worked alongside Iru Veli’s culinary team, sharing techniques, ideas and expertise through hands-on sessions in the kitchen.
One of the Czech Republic’s most recognised culinary figures, Chef Jan is behind the acclaimed Prague restaurants U Matěje, Stůl and Šnycl. His career has been shaped by experience across leading European kitchens, including stages at Michelin-starred Hangar 7 in Austria and Tim Raue in Germany, followed by senior roles in Switzerland and Prague. Known for honest, seasonal cooking, meticulous technique and thoughtful wine pairing, he is also widely recognised as a judge on MasterChef Česko and as the host and judge of Hell’s Kitchen Česko.
“Exceptional dining is an important part of the Sun Siyam experience, and we are always looking at how we can continue to evolve it. Welcoming Chef Jan allowed us to introduce our guests to an entirely new culinary perspective while creating valuable opportunities for our own chefs to exchange ideas, techniques and inspiration. It is these meaningful collaborations that continue to elevate the experience we offer.” Remarked Masdhooq Saeed, Cluster General Manager of Sun Siyam Iru Veli and Vilu Reef.
As part of Sun Siyam Resorts’ signature chef residency programme, this collaboration held in partnership with Colours of Maldives, reflects the brand’s commitment to bringing respected culinary talent to the Maldives while creating meaningful opportunities for cultural exchange, team development and memorable guest experiences.
For more information and to book your island getaway, please visit Sun Siyam Iru Veli Offers page.
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