News
The Third Annual Maldives Whale Shark Festival Returns to South Ari Atoll
Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme [MWSRP] is collaborating with Maldivian Artists to celebrate the whale shark in the Maldives third annual Whale Shark Festival.
Hosted on the beautiful local island of Dhidhoo, this year’s Festival will be the culmination of months of creative workshops and collaboration in which community members work together to create incredible art work representing their island culture and celebrating the marine diversity of South Ari atoll and it’s Marine Protected Area (the S.A.MPA).
This unique Festival, driven by national and international collaborations between dynamic Maldivian artists, marine biologists, and scientific researchers, places island communities at the forefront of creative decision making. Promoting intergenerational exchange, the Festival provides vital opportunities to celebrate both the rich cultural heritage of the atoll and it’s internationally renowned marine environment.
Building on the success of last year’s festival, this year the festival will be bigger and bolder than ever before. The Festival will take advantage of its new position in the Maldives national calendar on the weekend of International Whale Shark Day, beginning with a ‘ScienceFEST’ mini-conference on Friday 28th August for teachers, community leaders and marine biologists before the whole community travels to the Dhidhoo for the main event on Saturday 29th August.
Dhidhoo, a small island with a big personality will host the 2015 event in style, festooned with vibrant costumes, banners, flags and puppets, it will host hundreds of school children and community members from across the atoll.
Festival Co-Director Kareen Adam and Story-Telling artist Fazail Lutfi will be working again with each participating island to share and celebrate the unique stories of each island’s community, weaving traditional Maldivian dance and music with contemporary art work to entertain and inform a diverse audience of Island residents, Maldivian creatives, scientists, and international visitors.
Under the guidance of professional artists like Nadee Rachey each participating island will create a large scale kinetic whale shark sculpture from recycled materials for the procession to be accompanied by endangered reef fish inspired art work and costumes. From the Peacock mantis shrimp to the noduled sea star (Fas Ingili), this is an opportunity for artists and marine biologists to design a dynamic learning opportunity, full of independent investigation and discovery, ensuring that conservation and awareness underpin the whole of the Festival Programme.
For the young Maldivian artists involved, this event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase and share their skills, Ms Rachey said of last year; ”It is hard to explain it in words how much fun I had working on the festival last year. Working with the local community and collaborating with so many different artists was a really inspiring and rewarding experience”.
Festival Co-Directors Kareen Adam and Chloe Osborne, are designing a series of multidisciplinary art workshopsfor participating islands. Ms Osborne enthused that ‘the workshops and Festival will build on the incredible collaborations and partnership work that we witnessed in the build up to last years festival. The creative ideas and technical skills on every island we worked with far surpassed our expectations – we have had to work hard to raise the bar for this year’s festival!’ Co-director Ms Adam added, ‘I’m feeling excited to see the children and adults from seven islands come together with colourful props and costumes to celebrate their unique environment and whale sharks”.
The event hopes to attract festival goers from across the atoll, Male and beyond as a yearly opportunity to celebrate the craftsmanship and creativity of the island communities and to celebrate the area’s unique role in International whale shark ecology.
The 2015 festival has been created with support from Artist Sponsor LUX* Maldives, Festival Partners Allied Insurance, Visit Maldives, Mirihi Resort, Carpe Diem and Flyme, Hydration Partner 100Plus, Print Partner Novelty Print, Online Partner Maldives.com, Design Partner Emau Saleem and Audio-Visual partner DOAV, along with the support of Festival Friends; Friend of the Sea, Voyages Maldives, We Care Maldives, LaMER and Cyprea Pvt Ltd.
MWSRP programme coordinator Ibrahim Shameel concluded, “for me the Festival has proved it can bring people together from all walks of life to celebrate and take creative inspiration from the whale shark and our marine environment. Last year it was made spectacularly clear how much this opportunity meant to the community of South Ari, and the MWSRP are hugely excited to see the scale and reach of this event grow year on year”.
Family
JA Manafaru launches Easter programme with family-focused experiences
This spring, the magic of the Maldives meets the joyful charm of Easter with a specially curated family getaway at JA Manafaru. Designed to help guests make the most of the island experience, the Residences Offer combines spacious villa living with thoughtful touches such as a dedicated butler, seamless arrivals, and curated daily moments. Adding to the sense of occasion, the resort will host a series of lively Easter celebrations and egg-themed activities, filling the island with playful moments for guests of all ages.
At JA Manafaru, luxury is defined by personalised service and meaningful gestures that create a sense of ease, knowing everything has already been taken care of. This attention to detail begins the moment guests touch down at Velana International Airport, where dedicated CIP airport service ensures a smooth arrival. From there, guests are whisked away by seaplane, a transfer that is complimentary for stays of five nights or more, soaring above the Maldives’ turquoise lagoons and coral atolls for a journey that feels like an adventure in itself.
As part of the Residences Offer, guests can enjoy up to 30% savings on their stay while spending their Easter break in one of three opulent hideaways, such as the stylish overwater Two Bedroom Ocean Residence with Family Infinity Pool, surrounded by uninterrupted panoramas of the Indian Ocean. The Two Bedroom Beach Residence with Two Private Pools offers a refined two-storey beachfront sanctuary, while the Three Bedroom Beach Residence with Two Private Pools elevates the experience even further with its own private spa pavilion featuring a steam room and sauna, making it ideal for larger families.
Setting the tone for a truly magical Easter celebration in the Maldives, guests are welcomed with a bottle of bubbly and a generous fruit basket on arrival. Throughout your stay, a dedicated Thakuru, the resort’s private butler, is also on hand to quietly take care of every detail, allowing families to settle in and savour each moment together. Thoughtful touches continue with personalised tags waiting on the island bikes, daily turndown amenities, and a complimentary laundry service before departure, ensuring the experience feels effortless from start to finish.
Guests visiting over the Easter weekend can also look forward to a joyful programme of seasonal festivities on Sunday, April 5th, designed to get the whole family involved. The celebrations begin at 11.00am with the grand arrival of the Easter Bunny, setting the tone for a day filled with playful moments and sweet surprises. Afterwards, guests can hop over to Kakuni for a lavish Easter feast featuring seasonal dishes, decadent desserts, and a lively egg-smashing activity for kids.
Little ones can continue the adventure with an exciting island-wide Easter egg and treasure hunt, followed by a visit to the petting zoo, where they can spend time with the resort’s fluffy bunnies. As the day winds down, Easter-themed turndown amenities await in guest villas, adding a final hint of festive magic to the evening.
At JA Manafaru, Easter is less about grand gestures and more about the small moments that bring families closer, like sharing a meal, laughing together, or watching the sun set after a day well spent. Secure your Easter family getaway now and experience a one-of-a-kind celebration that feels joyful, relaxed, and quietly unforgettable.
For bookings and more information, please visit the resort’s website.
News
Ifuru Island Maldives partners with Toddy to launch lifestyle collection
Ifuru Island Maldives has unveiled a vibrant new collaboration with Toddy, bringing together contemporary design and authentic island storytelling in a limited-edition lifestyle collection. Thoughtfully curated to reflect the rhythm and color of modern Maldivian living, the collection introduces three distinctive creations: sunglasses, quick-dry beach towels, and lenticular postcards.
The Ifuru x Toddy sunglasses are a bold expression of island artistry, drawing from the kaleidoscopic hues of the Maldivian reef and the unmistakable vibrancy of the parrotfish. Designed for both style and performance, the lightweight Mas (Ainu) shades feature polarised TAC lenses with anti-glare technology and 100% UV400 protection. Crafted with flexible yet durable frames, anti-slip detailing, and protective lens coatings to resist saltwater corrosion, they offer a seamless blend of innovation and effortless sophistication, equally suited for sun-drenched days and ocean-bound adventures.
The quick-dry beach towels reinterpret an icon of Ifuru Island, the resort’s signature three palm trees. Both emblematic and understated, the design is paired with highly functional craftsmanship. Made from absorbent microfiber, the towels are exceptionally quick-drying, lightweight, and compact, designed to move effortlessly from beach to lagoon. With sand-off technology woven into their structure, they offer a refined yet practical solution for guests seeking comfort without compromise, ensuring the island stays with you, but the sand does not.

Completing the collection, the lenticular postcards offer a poetic tribute to the rhythm of island time, shifting from sunlit brilliance to the deep, glowing tones of sunset. With imagery that transforms in motion, each piece captures the fleeting beauty of a single day in paradise, reimagined as an interactive and enduring keepsake.
“This collaboration is a celebration of Maldivian talent and storytelling,” said Marcel Sawyer, General Manager of Ifuru Island Maldives. “Partnering with Toddy allows us to showcase local artistry while creating meaningful, design-led pieces that resonate with our guests long after their stay.”
Founded by siblings Fayaz and Riyaz, Toddy has grown from humble beginnings into a proudly Maldivian brand rooted in storytelling. Inspired by generations of cultural narratives from ancient seafaring legends to mythical tales, each design carries a sense of history reimagined through a modern lens, positioning Toddy as a distinctive voice within the region’s creative landscape.
“Working with Ifuru on this was something special. We got to take the feeling of the island and turn it into a small collection, each piece carrying a bit of its colour, movement, and calm. At Toddy, we’ve always believed the best things you take with you are the ones that hold a memory. These are made to travel, but more importantly, to bring you back to those moments at Ifuru. Big thanks to the team for trusting us to help tell their story through design,” shared Riyaz.
The Ifuru x Toddy collection is available exclusively at Ifuru Island Maldives, offering guests a unique opportunity to connect with the destination through thoughtfully designed, locally inspired pieces.
Awards
Reethi Faru Resort earns 2025 British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Award
Reethi Faru Resort has been recognised with the 2025 British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Award for exceptional service, facilities, and guest experiences.
This prestigious accolade positions the resort among the highest-rated hotels globally, based on verified guest reviews collected by British Airways Holidays in collaboration with Feefo, the world’s leading platform for authentic buyer feedback.
Guests evaluated their stays across key aspects including location, service quality, cleanliness, and sleep comfort, resulting in an overall score out of five. Reethi Faru Resort achieved an outstanding rating of 4.9/5.
Mark Hall, Head of Product and Sourcing at British Airways Holidays, said: “Congratulations to Reethi Faru Resort on this outstanding achievement. Delivering such consistent excellence truly reflects the dedication and care your team puts into every stay and every customer. At British Airways Holidays, we value partners who share our commitment to putting customer experience at the heart of everything we do, reflected in our Customer Excellence Awards. Reethi Faru Resort is a shining example of that. We’re proud to work with you and celebrate this success.”
For Reethi Faru Resort, the award underscores a philosophy centred on delivering not just stays, but memorable island experiences where thoughtful service meets unspoiled natural beauty.
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