News
Anantara takes holistic approach to reef protection in the Maldives
Maldives.net.mv – For over 15 years the team at Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has been committed to protecting the local environment, communities and culture around each of its hotels and resorts whilst creating authentic, luxury travel experiences and indigenous adventures for modern travellers. With four luxury resorts in the Maldives – Anantara Kihavah Villas, Anantara Dhigu Resort, Anantara Veli Resort and Naladhu Maldives – guests can take their pick from some of the best locations and experiences in the Indian Ocean, including getting up close and personal with the local marine life and vibrant coral reefs, snorkelling with manta rays in a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, free diving with whale sharks or cruising the house reef 18 metres below the surface, just a few strokes out from the shoreline.
In line with the luxury hospitality brand’s philosophy that environmental responsibility begins at home, the Anantara team in the Maldives joined forces with marine biologists from Coral Reef CPR – conservationists, biologists and ecologists whose mission is to reduce threats and promote sustainable management and rehabilitation of reef ecosystems – in October 2015 to develop ways to protect the coral ahead of the anticipated environmental stresses of El Niño, a climate cycle that has a global impact on weather patterns.
Led by Chief Scientist, Dr. Andrew Bruckner, the pioneering five-year programme, Holistic Approach to Reef Protection or ‘HARP’, encompasses practical environmental protection and marine education with the goal of limiting potential damage to the reefs in the Maldives and ensuring the coral reefs continue to not only survive, but to thrive. As well as Anantara taking its responsibility to the local environment very seriously, the programme will also ensure that guests at each resort – as well as the local community – can continue to enjoy the spectacular world beneath the waterline for many years to come.
Corals in the Maldives
Extending across the expansive Laccadive Sea in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is a country of atolls; small coral islands encircled by azure lagoons. Unique to the Maldives, luxury resorts are the sole occupants of each island, providing a truly private and unique experience. Coral reefs beneath the shimmering waters of the Maldives protect the pristine beaches and guard the crystal-clear lagoons. They also support an astounding array of tropical fish, crustaceans and bizarre-looking molluscs. But for all of its beauty and apparent resilience, coral is a sensitive organism, vulnerable to extreme weather, sudden environmental changes, the effects of global climate change, as well as outbreaks of coral predators.
Principal investigator and lead scientist with Coral Reef CPR, Dr. Andrew Bruckner, explains: “Some reefs in the Maldives are experiencing unusually high water temperatures which is causing coral bleaching. These coral animals contain symbiotic single-celled algae within their tissues, which provide the coral with up to 90% of its energy. Once stressed, the coral expels these algae, causing them to turn completely white. If algae loss is prolonged and the stress continues, corals can die. But it’s not all doom and gloom, when a coral turns white, it is not dead and if the stress-caused bleaching is not severe, coral can recover.”
Director of Conservation for Minor Hotels, John Roberts, elaborates further: “On their first visit in October 2015 the visiting marine biologists performed a major Crown of Thorns Starfish removal from the reefs surrounding Anantara resorts in South Male Atoll. In the process, the scientists helped save a great reef on Anantara Veli Resort, which is now also proving most resilient to current bleaching. As part of those efforts last year, Coral Reef CPR and Anantara have produced a manual to distribute throughout the country outlining best practice should there be another Crown of Thorns Starfish outbreak.”
Taking A Holistic Approach To Reef Protection (HARP)
In collaborating with leading experts in their fields for ground-breaking marine biology research, Anantara is pioneering the HARP programme. Currently all project work undertaken in the Maldives by Coral Reef CPR for HARP is funded by the Anantara initiative ‘Dollars For Deeds’, whereby Anantara guests are invited to donate one dollar for each night of their stay, which is then matched dollar for dollar by Minor Hotels. Dollars for Deeds funds raised in the Maldives are committed over the coming five years to three key focus areas: protection of marine and coastal environments; environmental education; and community welfare.
In January this year, Coral Reef CPR returned to the Maldives for the first of four monitoring phases throughout 2016. Ten monitoring stations were set up on coral reefs surrounding Anantara resorts in South Male Atoll and Baa Atoll, with the purpose of evaluating the water conditions and marine populations before, during and post 2016 El Niño phenomena. Already widely reported by international media across the globe as being the longest El Niño on record, during Coral Reef CPR’s second visit to the Maldives in April this year, promising results have been extracted from the monitoring stations, despite some alarming findings.
“Since the beginning of March, temperatures on the reef have exceeded 30°C and they remained above 31°C during April, reaching 32 – 33 °C in lagoonal environments,” explains Dr. Andrew Bruckner. “Under normal conditions, sea water temperatures should be 3-4 degrees cooler at depth but these high temperatures are extending beyond 35 metres depth. These high water temperatures are due to an unprecedented El Niño event which is now in its second year. Simultaneously the sea has been unusually calm which has allowed excessive levels of UV light radiation to penetrate the reefs.”
“Due to stressful conditions corals in some areas in the Maldives began to pale in colour at the beginning of April and several sensitive species bleached white. By mid-April between 60-80% of corals on the reef we were monitoring were fully bleached or a very light yellow in colour.
In certain shallow lagoonal environments bleaching was much more severe, and sensitive corals were affected. On a positive note, by the end of April temperatures on Baa Atoll had begun to decline and there was very little coral mortality on the outer reefs.”
SUPER CORALS
Through this research some surprising and exciting revelations have been discovered. Georgia Coward, Project Manager and Fishery Biologist with Coral Reef CPR said: “Although the level of bleaching is similar to that reported during previous El Niño events and is comparable to reports from other countries, we have observed a number of colonies of each species that have proven resistant to changing conditions, possibly by producing protective fluorescent pigments. Similarly certain colonies have not bleached at all despite being located adjacent to corals of the same species that bleached severely. We refer to these as “super corals” and feel that these may have adapted to elevated sea temperatures. Over the coming months we will be analysing extracts taken from the super corals and other coral species in laboratory conditions, as well as looking closely at the fish population reports surrounding them.”
SUSTAINABILITY
In line with Anantara’s commitment to sustainability and a result of the luxury hospitality brand’s ongoing conservation efforts including the HARP project, Anantara Kihavah Villas, Anantara Dhigu Resort, Anantara Veli Resort and Naladhu have all been awarded with Green Growth Certification, an assessment framework for the travel and tourism industy which consists of 37 criteria and 406 indicators. It is based on global standards and international conventions including the UN Global Compact and the UNEP Green Economy Principles.
FUTURE VISITS
Since 2011, guests staying at Anantara resorts in South Male Atoll and Baa Atoll have been able to leave a lasting legacy by participating in coral reef propagation programmes and contribute to the ongoing conservation effort by adopting a coral frame and planting it with the guidance of Anantara’s resident marine biologists. The HARP programme now builds on those initial efforts, with a high level scientific-based practical approach to reef assessment, regeneration and community science.
The third and fourth phases of the HARP Programme with Anantara involve creating a coral nursery to assist in the rehabilitation of degraded and damaged reefs. Through coral mariculture, when the scientists return in July and October 2016, small branches from the identified super corals will be extracted and propagated. Once matured, these corals will be transplanted back on to the reef.
During the visits from Coral Reef CPR scientists, guests at the Anantara resorts in both South Male Atoll and Baa Atoll can enhance their diving and snorkelling experiences by joining the marine biologists on their excursions, and participate in Anantara’s endeavours to keep the reefs healthy and vibrant for generations to enjoy.
Future visits from Dr. Andrew Bruckner, Georgia Coward and other Coral Reef CPR scientists are set for the end of July until mid-August 2016 and October 2016. To select your Anantara Dhigu, Anantara Veli, Anantara Kihavah Villas or Naladhu Maldives experience and to help play a part in the protection and regeneration of coral reefs in the Maldives, visit anantara.com
Vakkaru Maldives is set to welcome acclaimed Danish Chef Jesper Koch from 16 to 28 July 2026, marking the beginning of a collaboration that will continue with an expanded programme later this year.
Regarded as one of Denmark’s most influential gastronomic figures, Chef Jesper brings more than three decades of experience spanning hospitality, gastronomy and entrepreneurship.
During his July visit, Chef Jesper will work closely with the resort’s culinary and service teams through a series of training sessions, workshops and hands-on experiences, ahead of his return with a broader culinary programme later this autumn.
The programme includes kitchen training sessions, service workshops, coffee and hospitality training, and collaborative sessions alongside Vakkaru’s chefs. Through these exchanges, Chef Jesper will share insights built on his extensive experience as a restaurateur, entrepreneur, mentor and judge at leading culinary competitions.
While the primary focus of the visit is team development and the exchange of culinary expertise, guests staying at Vakkaru Maldives during this period will also have the opportunity to enjoy a preview of what lies ahead. Exclusive guest cooking classes hosted by Chef Jesper will take place on 22 and 25 July, while a management cocktail reception will offer a further opportunity to celebrate the collaboration.
Ahead of his visit, Chef Jesper Koch shared his thoughts on the collaboration: “Vakkaru Maldives brings together exceptional gastronomy, authenticity, and world-class hospitality in an extraordinary setting. I’m looking forward to experiencing the natural beauty of the Baa Atoll and working alongside the talented culinary team to share ideas inspired by Nordic traditions while creating memorable dining experiences for Vakkaru’s guests. I am delighted to be part of this collaboration and look forward to connecting with guests while creating memorable moments together.”
Commenting on the upcoming partnership, Teddy Susanto Wiryawan, General Manager of Vakkaru Maldives, said: “At Vakkaru Maldives, we believe exceptional dining begins with curiosity, learning and a genuine passion for hospitality. Chef Jesper’s visit provides a valuable opportunity for our teams to exchange ideas with one of Scandinavia’s most respected chefs while offering guests an early introduction to his approach to cooking. This is the beginning of a collaboration with real depth, and we look forward to welcoming him back for the next chapter.”
Known for his dedication to exceptional ingredients and his ability to reinterpret Danish culinary heritage with a modern sensibility, Chef Jesper has been recognised as one of Scandinavia’s most decorated culinary figures. Having led restaurants that earned Michelin recognition, he has also been named Danish Chef of the Year, represented Denmark at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition, received an Honorary Diploma from the Danish Gastronomic Academy, and been recognised as “Chef’s Chef” by the Danish Gastronomy Foundation. He is also widely known as a long-standing judge on the Danish edition of MasterChef.
When Chef Jesper returns to Vakkaru Maldives later this autumn, guests can look forward to a more extensive programme inspired by his Nordic approach to cooking. Further details will be announced in the coming months, with a series of dining experiences planned across the resort.
For further information about the resort, please visit vakkarumaldives.com or contact reservations@vakkarumaldives.com to make a reservation.
Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, the flagship property of the Sun Siyam Luxury Collection, has been honoured as the No. 2 resort in the Maldives in the Travel + Leisure Asia Pacific rankings for Best Family Resorts. This recognition acknowledges the resort’s successful approach to family travel, which focuses on providing experiential, restorative stays aligned with its core philosophy: to provide A Curated Island Sanctuary where the rhythm of slow island living supports meaningful family connection.
Signature Experiences for the whole family
The resort’s creative Signature Experiences foster genuine connection through shared discovery. Families immerse themselves in local heritage through the Maldivian Roots programme, exploring traditional cuisine, the nuances of the Dhivehi language, the artistry of Maldivian currency, and the communal spirit of Bodu Beru music. Alternatively, families may enjoy a quiet starlit Cinema by Moonlight aboard a private dhoni. Complemented by the support of a personal butler, these experiences remove the logistical burdens of travel, leaving families free to enjoy spontaneous moments, such as discovering Ice Block on the Go, the island’s signature ice cream tricycle, or the daily Treasure Hunt.
Wellness for multi-generational travellers
Wellness at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi is similarly viewed as a communal journey. The spa experience has been thoughtfully balanced to ensure that while parents enjoy the restorative benefits of traditional Maldivian therapies, utilising organic, hand-crafted coconut oil or bespoke Ayurvedic healing, their children are invited to participate in their own introduction to self-care. Through the Sweet Pea Spa, younger guests can enjoy gentle massages, cocoa-infused rituals, and age-appropriate treatments that mirror the luxury of the adult experience, teaching the value of well-being in a way that is light-hearted and uniquely suited to their age.
Safe diving for the little ones
The warm, shallow waters of the Noonu Atoll serve as the backdrop for bonds to deepen through adventure. Through guided marine conservation efforts and explorations of the resort’s sheltered underwater playground at Nemo Garden, children and parents discover the vibrant coral life of the lagoon together. Older children and teens find empowerment in learning the fundamentals of scuba diving, sharing the wonder of ‘underwater silence’ in a controlled, expert-led environment. The Scuba Explorer programme welcomes children from eight years old.
A stay imagined with sophisticated comfort
From the private lounge at Velana International Airport to the personal welcome amenities in the villa, every moment has been crafted to immerse you in genuine Maldivian hospitality. With the 24 Hour Premium All-Inclusive Dine Around experience, multi-generational travellers indulge in sunset cruises and authentic local island excursions. It is a true invitation to luxury island living. For little travellers eager to discover, the Koamas Kidz Club offers a culture, nature, and wellness-oriented programme that encourages outdoor exploration. Furthermore, the resident marine biologist and the chef host interactive learning sessions specifically designed for children and teens.
Kids Stay & Eat for Free
“At Sun Siyam our philosophy of ‘Attainable Luxury’ is rooted in the belief that true indulgence should be inclusive and heartfelt. This summer, we are delighted to offer families a more seamless way to experience our island sanctuary. Our Kids Stay & Eat for Free offer, available for children up to 15 years old, is more than an invitation; it is a commitment to creating space for multi-generational connection, complemented by a bespoke collection of recreational activities designed to enrich every moment of their stay,” said Pasan Wijewardana, Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing.
Graduation season lands differently when you’ve spent three or four years surviving deadline season, exam halls and budget pasta. The urge to go somewhere to treat yourself is entirely real.
For university and postgraduates mapping out a summer before recruitment season kicks in, Eri Maldives delivers the Maldives in its purest form, with a price point that makes a spontaneous booking feel less like a gamble and more like a very sensible decision.
An Easy Stop on the Asia Circuit
Male’ International Airport is where you can fly into from various Asian capital cities via direct flights, including regional hubs such as Singapore, Bangkok, Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, and Mumbai, making Eri an easy and logical addition to a multi-destination itinerary that might already be taking in Southeast Asia.
From Male’, the resort is just 45 minutes by speedboat. There is no domestic flight, no inter-island transfer, no additional carbon footprint calculation. It is the perfect detour to bundle a Maldives taster into a longer trip, with the island fitting as a three-night stopover.
Graduate-Friendly Prices in One of the World’s Most Iconic Destinations
The case for Eri doesn’t require softening. A Studio or Beach Villa on Full Board is priced in the £170–£300 (approx. €200–€350) per night range.
To put that in context, a 3-night stay for two, Full Board, with a handful of activities – such as guided snorkelling, a snorkelling safari, an hour of catamaran sailing, and an hour on a SUP board can come in at approximately only £750 (approx. €870) per person, meaning that the total cost of a full stay can be less than the price of a single night at other ultra-luxury counterparts.
Current Summer Escape and Last Minute Island Reset deals offer up to 40% off all room types for stays before 31 October, alongside 10% spa discounts, 15% discounts on select excursions and non-motorised water sports, and other complimentary perks.
Come for the Reef
Eri’s house reef is among the most active and accessible in North Malé Atoll: clear, warm waters averaging 27–29°C year-round, strong marine biodiversity, and conditions that suit first-timers and seasoned divers alike. Reef sharks, manta rays and eagle rays are consistent sightings across the atoll.
Close to the resort, the most reliable residents are turtles. 14 of them are already individually identified by the resident dive team through distinctive shell markings, flipper formations and carapace patterns, each with a name and a documented history. In several cases, the names were given by guests. You can meet the full community in the Eri Turtle Spotting Guide & Directory.
Eri’s water sports menu also reads like an antidote to burnout. On the surface, there’s complimentary guided snorkelling on the house reef, dedicated turtle-search snorkelling tours, longer Snorkelling Safaris by boat, catamaran sailing, SUP, jet ski rides, waterski, wakeboard, and windsurfing lessons.
Why Graduation Is the Right Moment to Learn to Dive
The window post-graduation is time entirely yours. Learning to dive during this time means acquiring a certification valid for life, transferable across every ocean, and one that permanently changes your relationship with every coastal destination you’ll ever visit.
Eri’s Euro-Divers Dive & Water Sports Centre is a fully-equipped PADI 5-Star operation with access to 30 dive sites across North Malé Atoll, spanning coral gardens, channel dives, thilas, and drift dives through current-rich passes. Courses run from entry-level Open Water Diver through to Advanced Open Water, Drift Diver, and Rescue Diver, with all equipment included. For certified divers, the welcome lagoon dive is complimentary, with 5-, 10- and 15-dive packages scaling up to a 6-Day Intensive Plan with nitrox fill options, and boat trips available for single-tank, two-tank, and full-day dives.
When the fins come off, the Eskape Spa offers a natural close to the day. Healing Aromatherapy, the Maldivian Ocean Dream, and a Back to Life massage helps guests to recharge and restore their energy.
Graduates can safely press pause here, before stepping into whatever comes next.
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