News
Vilu Reef relaunched as Sun Aqua Vilu Reef
Originally opened in 1998 Vilu Reef is proud to take on new colours and sit as the flagship Maldivian property for the Sun Aqua brand which plans to continue its international growth over the coming years. At Sun Aqua resorts, guests can enjoy perfectly relaxing experiences led by simple luxuries, sensational food and warm, dedicated service and as it stayed open to guests during its refurbishment it continues to welcome new and repeater guests that have grown to love the property and island, year after year.
On 28th October 2015, the original date of opening in 1998, the property officially re-launched to a fanfare of celebration with official ceremonies followed by a beach side feast, dancing and live music held throughout the evening.
Property & Accommodation
The Sun Aqua Vilu Reef is easily accessible from Malè and the International Airport via a 40 minute seaplane ride. The Sun Siyam Family Lounge at the seaplane terminal bids an immediate start to the holiday offering refreshments and massages to help settle guests into the Sun Aqua spirit. The property has gone through a complete revival and been refurbished to an extremely high standard creating five different categories of rooms including 15 NEW Sun Aqua Pool Villas. Splashes of colour can be found throughout the property impressing the Sun Aqua brand into the new future of Vilu Reef.
Beach Villas
Hidden amongst the foliage are 62 shell shaped bungalows, (14 Beach Villas, 18 Deluxe Beach Villas and 10 Jacuzzi Deluxe Beach Villas, 5 Deluxe Beach Villas with Pool & 15 Sun Aqua Pool Villas) some now with lava-stone pools and whirlpool bathtubs. Rooms are now all 20% larger than before and offer private sundecks, re-fitted bathrooms and day swing beds.
Water Villas
A further 41 Water Villas (20 Reef Villas, 9 Sunset Reef Villas, 6 Aqua Villas with plunge pools, 5 Aqua Suites now with private swimming pools & 1 Grand Reef Suite) complete the accommodation offering with a select few even hiding inviting over-water hammocks. All water villas offer incredible vista views across the Indian Ocean and a true Maldivian experience.
Dine & Imbibe
One of the best parts of any journey is the adventure into exotic flavours. Guests can be selective at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef and explore the spice and warmth of home style Maldivian cuisine, feast on gourmet organic and free-range produce grown on the resorts private Farm Island, sink their teeth into freshly caught, barbequed seafood or dine under the stars with the properties destination private dining experience.
The Aqua is the resorts main restaurant sat over the water, producing freshly prepared western and international cuisine served in a buffet style and is also the resorts beautiful breakfast spot. The Well Done, the island BBQ grill on the beach serves freshly caught fish and seafood as well as being the home to the islands impressive glass enclosed wine cellar, featuring the finest wines from around the globe, creating a sophisticated backdrop for any evening. The resort also features a boutique pizzeria creating handmade pizzas topped with authentic seasoning and fresh ingredients. Destination Dining offers guests the chance to dine in private away from other guests on any spot on the island accompanied by their own private chef and waiter.
Before and after dinner guests may enjoy the chance to visit one of the islands two bars. The Nautilus is the resorts beach bar offering a cool, rustic hideaway where one of the bartender’s cocktails will help liven up a night of dancing or an exhilarating game of crab racing. Positive Energy, set beside the pool serves an array of refreshing juices, cocktails and signature tropical fruit punch either under the cool of the coconut tree or on a lounger with views of the lagoon and pool.
Spa & Leisure
One of the biggest developments at the resort has been the creation of a full holistic spa offering. Now a major focus of the resort the Sun Aqua Spa consists of six private treatment pavilions each with open air flower baths, open showers, a hydrotherapy area and double treatment beds. On offer will also be a salon, manicure/pedicure and a beautiful relaxation area. Encompassing the Five Element Theory; Wood, Fire, Metal, Earth & Water the spa will offer a lengthy menu of Ayurvedic wellness rituals, pampering beauty therapies and massage techniques from around the world. It will also offer a selection of signature therapies to help renew body and mind including a rich scrub of coconut or coffee, a herbal Udavarthanam detox or a relaxing, fragrant flower bath.
In addition to spa the Sun Aqua Vilu Reef also offers plenty of leisure activities to keep everyone entertained, relaxed and enjoying their time on the island. Diving is a big part of the culture in the Maldives in general and at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef in particular. The 5* Gold Palm PADI / SSI Diamond Dive centre brings together an exciting array of diving and snorkelling programmes and a chance to explore the sea life and reefs that litter the warm and extremely clear waters. The property hosts one of the best house reefs in the region, located just 30 meters from the shore, offering snorkelers an unrivalled experience. Watersports are also a big part of island life and guests at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef can enjoy windsurfing, canoeing and sailing as well as a range of motorised watersports such as jet skis and water-skiing.
Meditation
Six Senses unveils ‘The Yin Way’ retreat at Kanuhura
The Yin Way Retreat–The Way of a Woman is a new Six Senses-led retreat created to support women’s wellbeing through every life stage. Coming to Six Senses Kanuhura in the Maldives from October 1 to 4, followed by Six Senses Kyoto in Japan from December 11 to 14, 2026, this new expression of integrated wellness blends modern science with ancient wisdom to encourage realignment of the female nervous system and the restoration of emotional equilibrium.
The retreat applies the “Yin” principles of rest, receptivity, reflection, and cyclical living. Within Traditional Chinese Medicine and Taoist philosophy, these principles help guide women through the many chapters of their wellbeing, from pre-pregnancy to post-menopause and the shifts in between.

The Yin Way retreat by Six Senses responds to a wider wellness movement awakening the need for more gender-specific support. The Global Wellness Institute has identified a shift away from an era in which women’s wellbeing is borrowed from men’s data and protocols. Now, more than ever, women are reorienting their lifestyles beyond biology, phase of life, or menopause management and into longer-term longevity practices built around a woman’s whole lifecycle.
Each retreat will be led by Hati S. Malinova, Six Senses Wellness Director and Integrative Health Expert, who brings more than two decades of clinical experience dedicated to female and reproductive health, postpartum care, and family wellbeing. Hati’s background spans medical and functional health, counselling psychology, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, following 12 years at a female health hospital in Shanghai.

Hati S. Malinova, Six Senses Wellness Director, said: “Women’s wellness has often been treated as a narrow conversation, focused on fertility and menopause, but it is much broader than that. Women are asking deeper questions about their health, often arriving at Six Senses when calm, sleep, and balance feel just out of reach. Brain fog can begin, and what follows is an overwhelming search for more information on cycles, perimenopause, fertility, fatigue, and the broader impact on relationships. Six Senses is giving those questions somewhere better to go. We wanted to connect those dots with care and intention, creating the space and rhythm for guests to awaken their senses, supported by clinical insight and personal consultation. The aim is to give women tools they can continue at home.”
Guided by the Six Senses purpose to help guests reconnect with themselves, others, and the world around them, The Yin Way Retreat invites women to tune in to what their bodies are telling them. It applies the Traditional Chinese Medicine idea of perimenopause and menopause as a “second spring,” shifting the conversation away from loss and toward a more useful question: what is the body asking for now? The aim is neither to medicalise women’s wellness nor to wrap it in mysticism, but to create a grounded and generous space for understanding, support, and renewal.

“Hormones are not the problem,” Hati adds. “The challenge is that we’ve rarely been taught how to understand them, work with them, or support ourselves through change. Our lifestyles, too, can often be unknowingly inflammatory. With the right knowledge and support, women can begin to recalibrate from within. The Yin Way is the feminine way. It is about moving with your body instead of pushing against it. We spend so much of our lives stretched and striving. Yin reminds us that there is strength in slowing down and truly listening.”
Each retreat will gather a small group of women. This intimacy matters. Guests may arrive with different questions but often share a sense that something is out of sync. Through communal meals, workshops, and unhurried conversations, there is relief in realising these concerns are not theirs alone.

While often addressing shared symptoms, every guest’s path is individual. Each personalised journey is informed by an integrated wellness screening on arrival, with Sleep With Six Senses and Eat With Six Senses principles woven throughout. This high-tech, high-touch approach to wellness features a combination of lymphatic drainage for hormonal balance and heat therapies for detoxification, with treatments to support cortisol regulation, cycle balancing, circadian rhythms, stress management, and sleep health.

Within the space and calm of Six Senses, away from the demands and distractions of everyday life, women can explore the connection, science, and wisdom of the female body:
Six Senses Kanuhura, Maldives–October 1 to 4, 2026
A tropical beach haven and the reinvention of a Maldivian island icon
Cast away to a laid-back haven that’s home to some of the finest beaches in the Maldives, retreat guests of Six Senses Kanuhura will take part in daily yin yoga and sound healing sessions to settle the nervous system. Hormonal health workshops open conversations many women have not had access to before. At the Alchemy Bar, guests are introduced to herbs and botanicals traditionally used to support hormonal wellbeing. A dolphin cruise on the open ocean offers the rarity of unstructured time on moving water. Meals gather the group around the table each day. Guests stay in Beach Villas with private pools. Personalised spa treatments work alongside the group sessions.
Culture
Maagiri Hotel celebrates Independence Day with special dining offers
Maagiri Hotel is set to celebrate the Independence Day of the Maldives with a series of special dining experiences, inviting guests, families, and the local community to come together and commemorate this significant national occasion.
To mark the celebrations, the hotel will host an Independence Day Special Breakfast Buffet from 24 to 26 July 2026. Guests can enjoy a generous selection of local and international breakfast favourites in a warm and welcoming setting, making it the perfect way to begin the holiday celebrations with family and friends.
The festivities will continue on 26 July 2026 with a Special Maldivian Dinner Buffet at Faru Restaurant. The dinner will feature a variety of authentic Maldivian dishes, carefully prepared by the hotel’s culinary team to showcase the rich flavours and traditions of the Maldives. From local delicacies to beloved national favourites, the buffet offers a memorable dining experience that celebrates the country’s culinary heritage.
Adding a sweet touch to the celebrations, Maagiri Hotel also features a selection of locally crafted artisan ice cream flavours with the support of Iceto, highlighting the creativity of local artisans and celebrating Maldivian craftsmanship through unique, handcrafted treats at the Rooftop Restaurant.
As part of the hotel’s commitment to celebrating national occasions, the Independence Day promotions are designed to bring people together through exceptional food, warm hospitality, and a shared appreciation for Maldivian culture and traditions.
Maagiri Hotel warmly welcomes guests to join the Independence Day celebrations and enjoy a memorable dining experience while honouring the spirit of the nation’s independence.
For reservations and bookings, please call 3318484 / 7228484 or text (Viber) 7228484.
News
DJ Liliana Reagan returns to headline Niva Dhigali’s New Year’s Eve celebration
As the year draws to a close, there’s nowhere quite like a private island in the Maldives to leave the old one behind. Niva Dhigali has unveiled its 2026 festive season programme, and the countdown to midnight comes with a familiar, electrifying face; Hungarian DJ Liliana Reagan is returning to headline the resort’s New Year’s Eve party.

A Festive Escape, Niva Dhigali Style
The season begins December 21 with a beachfront Tree Lighting Ceremony – barefoot, sun-warmed sand standing in for snow – followed by a Starlight Beach Dinner where the only ceiling is the night sky. Christmas brings its own island magic, with Santa making his arrival amid palm trees and turquoise water.

Where Freedom Celebrates
The season’s grand finale is New Year’s Eve itself, an event billed as “Where Freedom Celebrates.” The night unfolds slowly: a lavish gala dinner gives way to a beach party in full swing, fire dancers weaving through the crowd as the countdown builds. At the centre of it all is DJ Lili, spinning her soundtracks into the starlit night sky
It’s a homecoming of sorts for DJ Lili as she previously electrified the resort’s East Beach for its “Elemental” New Year celebration in 2025, wrapping her illusory, house-inflected sets around fire rituals and pyrotechnics for a night guests are still talking about.

Who Is Liliana Reagan?
Blue hair, boundless energy, and a sound that moves effortlessly between dreamy and galvanic. Known professionally as Regán Lili, she has been one of Hungary’s most in-demand DJs since 2016. From Sziget Festival to Balaton Sound, and a standing radio residency on Rádió 1 where listeners have crowned her DJ of the Year multiple times over. She has built a career on turning a night out into an unforgettable occasion.
For the full festive lineup and more on Niva Dhigali’s signature experiences, visit the resort’s website.
-
News1 week agoEmirates NBD cardholders receive exclusive savings at Centara Maldives Resorts
-
Culture1 week agoWhere Maldivian culture lives on: Inside Athireege at Sun Siyam Vilu Reef
-
News1 week agoBohemian Reverie brings a new festive experience to Sun Siyam Iru Fushi
-
News1 week agoHarriet Emily brings sound journeys wellness programme to Angsana Velavaru
-
Drink1 week agoJW Marriott Maldives Kaafu Atoll introduces Omakase cocktail experience
-
News1 week agoMaldives named one of the world’s happiest places to visit in new travel study
-
Cooking1 week agoJust Veg Festival returns to Atmosphere Kanifushi for sixth edition
-
Family5 days agoOutdoor adventures, football sessions planned for Velaa Kids Week





