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South Ari Atoll Celebrates Third Annual Whale Shark Festival

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Maldives.net.mv – The 3rd annual Maldives Whale Shark Festival, organised by Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWRP) was bigger and better than ever before, with participants from local communities, throughout Maldives and from around the world!

This year’s Festival saw the participation of 6 local islands: Dhigurah, Maamigili, Fenfushi, Dhangethi, Mahibadhoo, and Mandhoo, collaborating with our dynamic team of highly experienced Maldivian Artists Maeha Zahir, Jauna Nafiz, Dhahau Naseem, Ali Rishwan and Arizlaan, as well as our Festival Storytelling Facilitator, Fazail Lutfi.

The festival kicked off on Friday with ScienceFEST, a conference of Researchers, Marine Biologists and Community members, in Dhigurah, Alif Dhaal Atoll. A new aspect of the Festival, ScienceFEST was an opportunity to discuss conservation projects in the area, share research and celebrate the work of Conservation NGO’s in the Maldives. The event was a big success with 20 presenters attending including representatives from environmental groups Manta Trust and Damage Control.

“It was really great that we were able to so many people together for the Science FEST to be able to generate some really wonderful discussions between everybody and especially to have the Deputy Minister present as well.” Katie Hindle, In-Field Manager, Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme.

Yesterday, on the island of Maamigili in Alif Dhaal Atoll, 500 people came together to celebrate the marine life of South Ari Atoll and the majestic whale sharks that call it home.

The festivities of the day kicked off with huge inter- island whale shark quiz complete with a life size whale shark “bodumas” assault course and a 20ft interactive world map. Cultural stories from each island came alive with a combination of traditional story telling techniques, raivaru and choreography performed by community members, councilors and school children.

Whale Shark Festival

The procession was a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes glittering in the sunshine, as huge kinetic whale shark sculptures danced their way through the streets of Maamigili, accompanied by 3 bodu-beru bands. Each island donned the costumes and mobile artwork which they had made in collaboration with their festival artist in residence and wove their way through the streets. People of ages came together, inspired by the Whale Shark and Maldivian Marine Life, to be part of the festival, creating a feast of color and music that echoed across the host island.

Afterwards, the three festival judges presented awards to Dhangethi for winning the quiz, Dhigurah for best costume, to Maamigili for best Mascot (Kinetic Whale Shark Sculpture), and to Mahibadhoo for best Story Performance. The island team from Dhigurah was awarded the Festival Trophy for best overall contribution before the Festival finale performance kicked off with performances from Dhigurah, Maamigili and Mahibado Bodu-Beru bands. The whole day was brought to a fantastic conclusion with a performance by the Maldivian singing sensation Unoosha with thanks to our Festival Partner Lux.

“This is more than just a Festival it is a celebration of unity within the community. How much we take care of our natural environment. Great team work. Congratulations to the MWSRP and its festival team. Thank you to LUX* Maldives for inviting me to this event, it’s an amazing event. Hope the event continues, the Festival brings boost for everybody, especially because the message of this Festival to me is that everybody has play their part in preserving the natural beauty of this country”. Unoosha, Singer.

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Gili Lankanfushi Maldives expands wellbeing offering with tennis pro, visiting practitioner

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At Gili Lankanfushi Maldives wellbeing is a deeply personal journey. This season, the award-winning eco-luxury resort is enriching that journey with the arrival of two exceptional specialists, each bringing a unique approach to helping guests reconnect with themselves through movement, mindfulness and transformative experiences.

Joining the resort as Resident Tennis Pro, Nikola Vučković offers bespoke tennis lessons tailored to players of all ages and abilities. With more than 15 years of international coaching experience, Nikola combines technical expertise, tactical insight and personalised guidance to help guests build confidence and elevate their game. His distinguished career includes coaching players to success at European Championships, ITF tournaments and national-level competitions. In partnership with Tipsarevic Luxury Tennis, the personalised lessons cater to all skill levels, providing professional instruction and expert guidance to help guests improve their technique, develop their confidence and enhance their overall game. Whether stepping onto the court for the first time or refining advanced skills, guests can enjoy a rewarding and engaging tennis experience in a relaxed island setting.

Complementing the resort’s active lifestyle experiences is Dr Aradhana, a visiting wellness practitioner in residence until the end of September. With more than a decade of experience in holistic wellbeing, she offers a nurturing and personalised approach designed to help guests restore balance between the body, mind and emotions. Through bespoke therapies and immersive wellness sessions, Dr Aradhana creates a supportive space for relaxation, self-discovery and renewal, encouraging guests to reconnect with themselves and cultivate a deeper sense of wellbeing that extends beyond their stay.

Guests can also take part in E-Motion Flow: Moving Body to Release Emotions, a complimentary wellness session led by Aradhana that combines movement and breathwork to support emotional release, inner balance and overall wellbeing.

Together, these experiences reflect Gili Lankanfushi’s belief that luxury travel should nourish both body and soul. Whether discovering the joy of tennis, embracing holistic wellness practices or simply taking time to reconnect with oneself, guests are invited to embark on a journey that is as restorative as it is inspiring.

By bringing together experts from the worlds of sport and wellness, Gili Lankanfushi continues to create meaningful experiences that encourage guests to return home feeling refreshed, empowered and renewed.

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Awards

.Here Baa Atoll recognised for landscape and suite design at AHEAD Asia 2026

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.Here Baa Atoll has been named a winner in two categories at the AHEAD Asia 2026 Awards, receiving honours for Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces and Suite. The recognition celebrates the private island retreat’s distinctive approach to hospitality design, where architecture, interiors and landscape have been conceived as a unified response to one of the Maldives’ most extraordinary natural settings.

The wins follow .Here’s selection among the 2026 AHEAD Asia shortlist, which was drawn from a record field of more than 220 entries from across the region. The project was recognised alongside its creative collaborators Kulör Group, Muza Lab and Topo Design Studio.

Set within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, .Here takes an intentionally intimate approach to island hospitality, comprising just nine expansive residences across two natural islands, Somewhere and Nowhere. Rather than treating the landscape as a backdrop, the design places it at the centre of the experience, creating an architecture that responds to light, movement, material and the changing relationship between land and ocean.

The architectural vision was conceived by Christopher Chua of Kulör Group, with interiors by Inge Moore of London-based Muza Lab. The two disciplines were developed around a shared principle: spaces should feel grounded in their environment rather than imposed upon it. Indoor and outdoor areas flow into one another, while natural materials, muted tones and tactile layers create interiors that are deliberately restrained. Views towards the horizon, lagoon and sky become part of the composition, with architecture serving to frame rather than compete with the landscape.

That dialogue with nature extends through the residences themselves. Carefully considered proportions balance openness with intimacy, while transitions between beach and ocean, shade and sunlight, and interior and exterior spaces are designed to feel fluid. The architecture follows the contours of the islands, with residences positioned to maximise views and the experience of sunrise and sunset. Passive cooling strategies and responsibly sourced materials also form part of the project’s environmentally sensitive approach.

Inside, Muza Lab draws on the maritime character of the Maldives through bespoke furnishings, artisanal detailing and natural textures. References to traditional dhonis, celestial navigation and the shifting colours of the Indian Ocean are interpreted subtly rather than literally, creating spaces that feel contemporary while retaining a strong sense of place. Even the names of .Here’s residences look beneath the waterline for inspiration, referencing the coral reefs and marine formations that shape the ecosystem of Baa Atoll.

The Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces award places particular emphasis on another important element of the project: the relationship between the built environment and the existing island landscape. Working alongside Kulör Group and Muza Lab, Topo Design Studio approached the landscape as an extension of the architecture, retaining native vegetation and shaping pathways, gardens and shared spaces around the connection between land, sea and sky.

The Suite award, meanwhile, recognises the residential experience at the heart of .Here. Rather than conventional hotel accommodation, the retreat is composed entirely of large-scale private residences designed around space, privacy and a close relationship with the ocean. Across the project, architecture and interiors move between expansive living areas and quieter, more intimate spaces, allowing the experience of the surrounding landscape to remain ever-present.

The two awards mark a progression from .Here Baa Atoll’s earlier recognition as an AHEAD Asia finalist across multiple design disciplines and underscore the strength of the collaboration between Seaside Hotels & Resorts, Kulör Group, Muza Lab and Topo Design Studio. The official AHEAD shortlist credits the same project team across .Here’s Landscaping & Outdoor Spaces and Suite entries.

With the Asia winners now advancing to compete with winning projects from other regions, .Here Baa Atoll will progress to the next AHEAD Global edition, where the programme’s worldwide champions will be determined.

For .Here, the recognition ultimately reflects a design philosophy that is intentionally quiet: architecture that gives precedence to its surroundings, interiors informed by place rather than decoration, and a landscape allowed to retain its own identity. The result is a retreat where the experience of design is inseparable from the experience of Baa Atoll itself.

To learn more about .Here Baa Atoll, visit www.here-maldives.com.

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Awards

Three years, three wins: Siyam World retains Most Innovative Resort title at TTM Awards

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Siyam World Maldives, part of the Lifestyle Collection at Sun Siyam Resorts, a collection created for travellers looking for something less traditional. It probably explains a few things about us.

Apparently, once was not enough. Or twice.

For the third consecutive year, Siyam World Maldives has been named Most Innovative Resort at the TTM Awards 2026. We must be on to something here.

Three consecutive wins is starting to look less like a coincidence and more like a habit.

With one of the most extensive collections of experiences in the Maldives, there is a lot going on here. Guests can spend their entire holiday doing absolutely nothing.

They can also spend it doing almost everything.

The choice is rather the point.

Siyam World is home to 16 different villa categories, from Beach Villas with Pool to Over Water Villas with Slides, giving guests plenty of ways to find their own version of island life. Then there is the food. Guests can move around from one dining experience to another without feeling like they are eating at the same place twice. Different cuisines, different settings and enough choice to make deciding where to have dinner feel like a game of roulette.

And then there are the experiences.

This is where the Most Innovative Resort title starts to make a little more sense.

Siyam World is home to the largest floating water park in the Maldives, the first and only horse ranch in the country, and an ever-growing line-up of experiences that are not exactly what you would expect to find on a Maldivian island. There’s a Jetcar, a first-of-its-kind electric go-kart track, extensive sports facilities, overwater villas with slides and pools, and a 24-hour premium all-inclusive concept designed to keep the choice going long after dinner.

Even the reef has become part of the story, with the new Shipwreck project bringing together an unusual mix of adventure and reef restoration.

And the innovation does not stop at what is already here. Football camps have become a regular part of life at Siyam World, bringing international football legends to the island to work with young guests. The idea has always been bigger than a photo opportunity. It is about creating experiences that guests, especially the little ones, will actually remember.

Innovation at Siyam World has never been about introducing something new just for the sake of saying it is new. It is about asking what a Maldivian holiday could be if we stopped assuming there was only one way to do it.

Three years. Three wins.

Still doing things differently.

But an award for innovation comes with an interesting question.

What are they doing next?

With Halloween around the corner, the festive season already taking shape and another line-up of football camps on the horizon, one thing is certain, Siyam World is already busy dreaming up its next big idea.

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