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Nominees announced for SATA 2016

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sataMaldives.net.mv – South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) opened up for nominations on 30th June 2016 have received overwhelming  support from major hospitality brands present in India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

While announcing the final nominees of SATA 2016, Mr. Tuan Saabir Vaffoor, Vice President mentioned that: SATA is the first Hospitality Award brand recognized by regional organizations including Federations of Chambers of Commerce in Sri Lanka (FCCISL), Colombo Chamber of Commerce (CCC), Confederation of Associated Tour Operators (CATO, India), Association of Tourism Trade Organizations of India (ATTOI), Association of Travel Agents (ATA, Maldives) and Liveaboard Association of Maldives (LAM).

Mr. Tuan added, undoubtedly SATA will be a great event and an amazing brand. We have already started communicating with 2017 hosting destination as we have got a tremendous number of international and National brands together with us to celebrate the best of South Asian Hospitality.

SATA has also appointed major regional tourism medias including Asian Traveler as premium media partner and Asian Diver, Asian Geographic, Floating Asia and Maldives.net.mv as media partners of the event scheduled to take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka during late October.

SATA Nominees 2016 : 

Visitors Choice Categories :

(nominated by organizer : based on types of participation from respective destinations)

Leading International Airport:

  • Bandaranaike International Airport, Sri Lanka
  • Ibrahim Nasir International Airport , Maldives
  • Trivandrum International Airport, India

Leading Honeymoon Destination :

  • India
  • Maldives
  • Sri Lanka

Leading Diving Destination:

  • Maldives
  • Sri Lanka

Leading Surfing Destination

  • Maldives
  • Sri Lanka

Leading Heritage Destination

  • India
  • Sri Lanka

Leading Beach Destination

  • India
  • Maldives
  • Sri Lanka

Leading Cruising Destination

  • India
  • Maldives

Leading MICE Destination

  • India
  • Maldives
  • Sri Lanka

Self Nominated Categories :

(Brands and Services nominated by the brand / property)

Leading International Airline :

  • Singapore Airlines
  • Mega Maldives

Leading City Hotel :

  • Casa Colombo Collections , Sri Lanka
  • Ceylon City Hotel, Sri Lanka

Leading Airport Hotel :

  • Hulhule Island Hotel, Maldives

Leading Transport Provider :

  • Flyme , Maldives

Leading Guest House / Tourist Inn

  • Shamar Guest House and Dive, Maldives
  • Surf View Raalhugandu, Maldives
  • Canopus Retreat, Maldives
  • Yonder Retreat, Maldives
  • Velana Beach , Maldives
  • Aqua Inn, Sri Lanka
  • Kaani Village & Spa, Maldives
  • Kaani Beach Hotel, Maldives

Leading Liveaboard Brand :

  • Emperor Divers, Maldives
  • Scuba Spa, Maldives
  • Voyages Maldives
  • Blue K Safari , Maldives

Leading Liveaboard  :

  • Emperor Voyager,Maldives
  • Scuba Spa Ying, Maldives
  • Scuba Spa Yang , Maldives
  • Gurahali , Maldives
  • Soleil2 , Maldives

Leading House Boat :

  • Marvel Cruise, India
  • Spice Routes Luxury Cruise , India

Leading House Boat Brand :

  • Marvel Cruise, India
  • Pepper , Spice Routes Luxury Cruise, India
  • Cinnamon , Spice Routes Luxury Cruise, India
  • Ginger , Spice Routes Luxury Cruise, India
  • Clove , Spice Routes Luxury Cruise, India
  • Cardamom , Spice Routes Luxury Cruise, India

Leading Beach Hotel / Resort:

  • Finolhu , Maldives
  • Paradise Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Adaaran Club Rannaalhi, Maldives
  • Park Hyatt Handahaa , Maldives
  • Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, Maldives
  • Como Hotels Cocoa Island , Maldives
  • Como Hotels Maalifushi, Maldives
  • Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives
  • Amari Havodda Maldives
  • W Maldives Retreat & Spa, Maldives
  • Royal Palms Beach Hotel, Sri Lanka
  • Uday Samudra Beach Hotel & Spa, India
  • Sonevafushi, Maldives
  • Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Tangerine Beach Hotel, Sri Lanka
  • Jungle Beach by Uga Escapes,Sri Lanka
  • Uga Bay by Uga Escapes, Sri Lanka
  • Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka
  • Amaya Beach Passikudah, Sri Lanka
  • Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort, Maldives
  • Heritance Negambo, Sri Lanka

Leading Meetings & Conference Resort / Hotel :

  • Paradise Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Uday Samudra Beach Hotel & Spa, India
  • Leading Business Hotel :
  • Best Western Elyon Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • Taj Samudra, Sri Lanka
  • The Kingsbury, Sri Lanka

Most Romantic Resort:

  • Amilla Fushi, Maldives
  • Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru, Maldives
  • Royal island Resort& Spa, Maldives
  • Coco Boduhithi , Maldives
  • Conrad Maldives at Rangali Island, Maldives
  • Adaaran Prestige Vaadoo, Maldives
  • Jumeirah Dhevenafushi, Maldives
  • W Maldives Retreat & Spa, Maldives
  • Sonevafushi, Maldives
  • Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Hunas Falls by Amaya, Sri Lanka
  • Langdale by Amaya, Sri Lanka
  • Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort, Maldives
  • Outrigger Konotta Maldives
  • Serene Pavilions , Sri Lanka
  • Sun Aqua Vilu Reef, Maldives
  • Heritance Tea Factory , Sri Lanka

Leading All Inclusive Resort / Hotel:

  • Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Vivanta By Taj -Coral Reef, Maldives
  • Adaaran Select Meedhupparu , Maldives
  • Constance Moofushi, Maldives
  • Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka
  • Turyaa Kalutara , Sri Lanka

Leading Designer Hotel / Resort :

  • Amilla Fushi, Maldives
  • Park Hyatt Maldives
  • Amari Havodda Maldives
  • Casa Colombo Collection, Sri Lanka
  • Heritance Negambo, Sri Lanka

Leading F&B Hotel/Resort:

  • Dusit Thani Maldives
  • Cinammon Bey Beruwala, Sri Lanka
  • Centara Rasfushi , Maldives
  • Centara Grand IslandResort & Spa , Maldives
  • Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives
  • W Maldives Retreat & Spa, Maldives
  • Uday Samudra Beach Hotel & Spa, India
  • The Kingsbury, Sri Lanka
  • Outrigger Konotta Maldives
  • Sun Aqua Pasikudah , Maldives
  • The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, Maldives
  • Heritance Ahungalla , Sri Lanka

Leading Luxury Hotel / Resort:

  • Dusit Thani Maldives
  • Amilla Fushi, Maldives
  • Coco Boduhithi, Maldives
  • Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives
  • Vivanta By Taj -Coral Reef, Maldives
  • Adaaran Prestige The Water Villas, Maldives
  • Park Hyatt Maldives Handahaa
  • Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, Maldives
  • Royal Palms Beach Hotel, Sri Lanka
  • Sonevafushi, Maldives
  • Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Ulagalla by Uga Escapes, Sri Lanka
  • Jungle Beach by Uga Escapes,Sri Lanka
  • Residence by Uga Escapes, Sri Lanka
  • Chena Huts by Uga Escapes, Sri Lanka
  • Uga Bay by Uga Escapes, Sri Lanka
  • Casa Colombo Collection , Sri Lanka
  • The Kingsbury, Sri Lanka
  • Sun Aqua Pasikudah , Sri Lanka
  • Heritance Negambo, Sri Lanka

Leading Family Hotel/Resort:

  • Dusit Thani Maldives
  • Amilla Fushi, Maldives
  • Angsana Velavaru , Maldives
  • Royal Island Resort & Spa , Maldives
  • Sun Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Como Hotels Cocoa Island, Maldives
  • Como Hotels Maalifushi, Maldives
  • Royal Palms Beach Hotel, Sri Lanka
  • Sonevafushi, Maldives
  • Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka
  • The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, Maldives
  • Turyaa Kalutara, Sri Lanka

Leading Wellness & spa Hotel / Resort:

  • Dusit Thani Maldives
  • Amilla Fushi, Maldives
  • Centara Rasfushi, Maldives
  • Vivanta By Taj -Coral Reef, Maldives
  • Park Hyatt Maldives Handahaa
  • Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, Maldives
  • Como Hotels Maalifushi, Maldives
  • Amaya Lake, Dhambulla , Sri Lanka
  • The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi , Maldives
  • Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel, India
  • W Maldives Retreat & Spa, Maldives

Leading Wellness & Spa Brand :

  • Araamu Spa, Maldives
  • Como Shambala , Maldives
  • W Maldives Retreat & Spa, Maldives
  • Uday Samudra Beach Hotel & Spa, India
  • Chi, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa, Sri Lanka
  • Sun Aqua Vilu Reef, Maldives
  • W Maldives Retreat & Spa , Maldives

Leading Dive Hotel / Resort:

  • Holiday Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Vivanta By Taj -Coral Reef, Maldives
  • Adaaran Select Meedhupparu, Maldives
  • Angsana Ihuru , Maldives
  • Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon
  • Park Hyatt Maldives Handahaa
  • W Maldives Retreat & Spa, Maldives
  • Constance Moofushi, Maldives
  • Sonevafushi, Maldives
  • Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort, Maldives

Leading Eco Resort / Hotel :

  • Cocopalm Dhunikolhu, Maldives
  • Leopard Trials, Sri Lanka
  • Park Hyatt Maldives Handahaa
  • Sun Island Resort and Spa , Maldives
  • Sonevafushi, Maldives
  • Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka
  • Leading CSR Programme
  • CocoPalm Dhunikolhu Maldives
  • Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Royal Palms Beach Hotel, Sri Lanka
  • Uday Samudra Beach Hotel & Spa, India
  • Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • The Kingsbury, Sri Lanka

Leading Surf Hotel / Resort :

  • Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi, Maldives
  • Como Hotels & Resorts , Maldives
  • Cinnamon Dhonveli , Maldives

Leading Dive School / Center :

  • Sea Splash , Dusit Thani Maldives Dive School
  • Dive Oceanus , Maldives
  • Dive Point, Adaaran Select Meedhupparu, Maldives
  • Blue Journeys, Park Hyatt Maldives
  • Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Down Under, W Retreat & Spa, Maldives
  • Meridis Dive & Relax , Maldives
  • Sun Diving School, Maldives

Leading Activity / Water Sports Center :

  • Meridis Dive & Relax , Maldives
  • Outrigger Maldives
  • Q-Adventure , Maldives
  • Watersports Point, Adaaran Club Rannalhi, Maldives
  • Park Hyatt Maldives Handahaa
  • WAVE., W Maldives Retreat & Spa, Maldives

Leading Convention Center .

  • Bandaranaike Memorial International Conventions Halls (BMICH), Sri Lanka

Leading PSA / GSA Partner , Handling Agent :

  • Avia Maldives
  • Marvel Tours, India
  • Go Maldives
  • Cyprea Private Limited

Leading Travel Agent :

  • OV Holidays, Maldives
  • Classic Travel, Sri Lanka
  • Capital Travel, Maldives
  • Flyinstyle , Sri Lanka
  • Splendid Asia , Maldives
  • Maldives Holiday Collections, Maldives
  • Travel Connections Maldives
  • Resort Life Maldives
  • Let’s Go Maldives
  • Gateway Malabar Holidays , India
  • Moodhu Holidays, Maldives
  • Sun Travel & Tours , Maldives

Leading Tour Operator :

  • Viluxur Holidays, Sri Lanka
  • Classic Travel , Sri Lanka
  • Cyprea Hotels & Travel, Maldives
  • Flyinstyle, Sri Lanka
  • Maldives Holiday Collections, Maldives
  • Splendid Asia , Maldives
  • Travel Connections , Maldives
  • Capital Travel , Maldives
  • Moodhu Holidays, Maldives
  • Marvel Tours , India

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Four Seasons Maldives combines celebrations with conservation, wellness and private dining

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Four Seasons has highlighted its Maldives properties as destinations for personalised celebrations and private gatherings, offering experiences ranging from exclusive island buyouts and weddings to family reunions, corporate retreats and conservation-led activities.

The Maldives features prominently in a new collection of group and celebration experiences unveiled by Four Seasons Resorts of Asia, with Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa offering distinct options for couples, families and small groups.

At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru in Baa Atoll, couples can take part in Tales from a Treetop Table, a private dining experience set within the island’s canopy. The resort also offers multi-day celebrations combining private dining, marine encounters, wellbeing and conservation activities.

Its Overwater Wedding Pavilion, accessible only by boat, features a glass-bottomed aisle surrounded by the waters and marine life of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

For larger gatherings, the resort’s four-bedroom Landaa Estate extends across 80 metres of private beach and includes a 20-metre swimming pool. Four Seasons said the estate can be used for family reunions, corporate retreats, micro-wedding receptions and milestone celebrations.

Marine conservation is also incorporated into group itineraries at Landaa Giraavaru through manta ray research, coral restoration and turtle rehabilitation programmes. Guests can participate in conservation activities together, while the resort’s Manta-on-Call programme alerts participants when manta rays are sighted nearby and arranges speedboat excursions for snorkelling encounters.

Nearby, Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah offers a different model centred on exclusivity. Located within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the five-acre private island has seven rooms and can accommodate up to 30 guests.

The property hosts only one group at a time, allowing guests to create their own programme without having to work around other resort schedules. A team of 30 staff supports full-island buyouts, with experiences including personalised wellness programmes at the Ocean of Consciousness Spa, yacht excursions and private dining.

Culinary experiences can also be tailored for groups, including a Maldivian Fisherman’s Feast built around the day’s catch.

In North Malé Atoll, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa is being positioned for multigenerational gatherings and smaller groups, with the resort located around 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé.

The property brings together beaches, private villas, suites and tropical gardens within a compact island setting, while its ŪRJĀ Naturopathy Island offers wellness programmes and treatments designed around rest and restoration.

Across its Asian portfolio, Four Seasons said it is increasingly designing celebrations around personalised itineraries rather than conventional event formats. In the Maldives, this approach combines private accommodation, dining, wellbeing, marine conservation and access to the country’s natural environment.

The group said the aim is to create gatherings that allow guests to spend more time together while shaping activities around the interests and preferences of each group.

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Patina Maldives welcomes Sean Wotherspoon for ‘Respect the Reef’ collaboration

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Patina Maldives, Fari Islands is set to welcome globally acclaimed designer, artist and vintage collector Sean Wotherspoon for an exclusive collaboration that brings together fashion, art, creativity and the marine environment of the Maldives.

Running from 12 August to 12 September 2026, the collaboration will transform the Fari Artist Atelier at Patina Maldives into a space shaped by Sean’s distinctive visual language, featuring an exclusive capsule collection of original artworks, vintage finds and reworked pieces. The collaboration centers around Respect the Reef, a large-scale ceramic fish sculpture created collectively with guests and designed to eventually become part of the marine environment.

A Collaboration Rooted in the Reef

The collaboration began with a simple idea: everything comes back to respecting the reef.

During his time at Patina Maldives, Sean spent time with resident marine biologist Nihaan, exploring the reefs surrounding the Fari Islands and the conservation work already taking place at the resort. Their conversations became the starting point for a project that would bring Sean’s creative practice into conversation with Patina’s existing approach to coral restoration.

Two practices came together. Patina’s ceramic coral workshops invite guests to create ceramic pieces that are later planted underwater, while coral frames provide structures where coral can attach and grow. For the collaboration, these practices were brought together in a new form and as a part of the 3-day Fari Islands Festival. Instead of a conventional geometric frame, the structure became a large sculptural fish, covered in individually made ceramic scales which has now been submerged in the lagoon surrounding Patina Maldives, where it begins its next life as part of the reef ecosystem.

The scales also introduced something new to Patina’s ceramic coral process: colour.

While the ceramic pieces created through the resort’s regular workshops are traditionally left unglazed, Sean’s work is deeply rooted in colour. Guests were therefore invited to glaze the individual scales themselves, bringing their own combinations of colour and pattern into the sculpture.

A Creative Language of Colour

The Respect the Reef sculpture forms part of a wider collaboration that sees Sean bring his characteristic use of colour, texture and vintage-inspired storytelling to Patina Maldives. Created exclusively for the resort, the capsule collection includes apparel, accessories and a selection of one-of-one vintage.

Inspired by the colours, textures and energy of the Maldives, the collection reflects Sean’s approach to design, where familiar objects, materials and references are given a new perspective.

“I work in colour, I work in texture, I work in materials. I always say that I want people to close their eyes, feel my projects, and still be able to gain a love for them. It’s the same with vintage shopping, you should be able to do it with your eyes closed. Designs should activate multiple different senses,” he said.

Sean’s creative language also finds its way into the Fari Artist Atelier, where guests can discover the exclusive capsule alongside original artworks, vintage ephemera and curated objects from his world.

The Fari Artist Atelier, Reimagined

From 12 August to 12 September, the Fari Artist Atelier becomes a space for guests to explore Sean’s work and the ideas behind the collaboration.

The Atelier brings together fashion, art and objects, while the Respect the Reef experience extends that creative exchange beyond the gallery and into the natural environment of the Fari Islands. For Sean, the project offered an opportunity to work within a creative framework that was already part of Patina’s identity, while giving it a new form.

“I have this thing I do really well. I don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time. Even if it’s my same art direction, based on whatever the vehicle is, the designs are always going to be fresh,” he said.

At Patina Maldives, that vehicle became a fish, made from many individual pieces, painted by many different hands and ultimately returned to the reef that inspired it.

Everything Comes Back to the Reef

Lexie Rodriguez, Vice President of Lifestyle, Capella Hotel Group, says: “Transformative luxury is about creating experiences that leave something behind — in us, between us and in the places we inhabit. What I love about this collaboration is how that idea lives at every level: through Respect the Reef, Sean’s creativity became a canvas for our guests and community to contribute their own hands, colour and imagination before the work was ultimately given back to the ocean; while the collection creates a tangible memory to take home, carrying a piece of Patina and the Maldives with you. It is creativity that extends beyond the moment — continuing to evolve, create connection and leave an imprint long after you have gone.”

The collaboration forms part of Patina Maldives’ ongoing creative programme, bringing together voices from art, design, music, fashion and culture while creating opportunities for guests to engage with the island in unexpected ways.

Respect the Reef captures that approach in its simplest form. It takes a practice already embedded in life at Patina, gives it a new creative expression through Sean Wotherspoon’s world of colour, and invites guests to become part of it. As the sculpture is now in the water, the process continues without them. Coral will grow, the surface will change, and the artwork will become increasingly intertwined with the reef around it.

What starts in the hands of guests eventually belongs to the ocean.

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JOALI BEING celebrates festive season with ‘Tides of Tradition’

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This festive season, JOALI BEING invites guests to embrace the warmth of togetherness with Tides of Tradition, a joyful celebration inspired by the rhythm of the ocean and the timeless traditions that bring people together. From 22 December 2026 to 8 January 2027, the well-living island will reimagine the festive season through the Joy of Well-Living, bringing together cherished celebrations, transformative wellbeing, exceptional dining, island adventures and meaningful experiences for families.

From moments of stillness to joyful celebration, Tides of Tradition unfolds through experiences that inspire connection — with oneself, loved ones and nature — bringing together festive traditions, transformative wellbeing, culinary journeys and island celebrations.

Festive highlights include:

  • Island of Light: Festive Tree Illumination – The season begins as JOALI BEING’s festive tree comes to life beneath swaying palms, marking a radiant moment of togetherness and the start of the island’s celebrations.
  • Feast of Christmas Wonders: Christmas Eve Dinner – Loved ones gather for an elegant Christmas Eve dinner, bringing together festive favourites, JOALI BEING signatures and thoughtfully sourced ingredients in the spirit of sharing and togetherness.
  • Island Splash Pool Party – Celebrate island style at MOJO Pool with live music, refreshing cocktails, festive bites and playful poolside experiences, all set against a vibrant island atmosphere.
  • Season’s Bells: Santa’s Arrival – Santa brings a touch of festive magic to the island with a special arrival and surprises for younger guests and families.
  • A World of Magic: New Year’s Celebrations – The island welcomes 2027 with an evening of glamour, culinary artistry and live entertainment, beginning with sunset cocktails before a celebratory gala dinner, midnight countdown, fireworks and dancing beneath the stars.

As part of the festive season, JOALI BEING will welcome Visiting Practitioners offering experiences designed to support balance, vitality and renewal:

  • Breath of Life with Javier de Prado – Combining breathwork, Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and OsteoTha with mindful movement and meditation, Javier de Prado’s integrative sessions support nervous-system regulation, inner balance and deeper presence.
  • Holistic Longevity & Facial Rejuvenation with Dr Igor Roganin – Blending Traditional Chinese Medicine with advanced diagnostics, Dr Igor Roganin offers personalised therapies to support vitality, graceful ageing, long-term wellbeing and facial rejuvenation.

Throughout the season, the Joy of Well-Living unfolds through movement, mindfulness and transformative wellbeing, from meditation and hydrotherapy rituals to energising sessions and expert-led experiences. As evening falls, the rhythm shifts to music and movement with signature experiences including the Island Splash Pool Party, DJ Fit Night and Rhythm at the Gate at the iconic Gate of Zero.

Culinary experiences bring guests together through flavour, craftsmanship and connection, from intimate chef-led journeys and the five-course Chef’s Table Collection to Spirit of the Orient, Italian Essence and Japanese specialities at Yutori. Toes-in-the-sand seafood dinners at MOJO and hands-on pasta, sushi and artisan pizza masterclasses add to the season’s culinary celebrations.

The ocean and surrounding nature become part of the journey, with dolphin cruises, guided snorkelling, sunset fishing, coral planting, scuba diving and water sports offering opportunities for discovery, adventure and a deeper connection with the natural world.

At B’Kidult, younger guests and families can share experiences designed around curiosity, wellbeing and connection, from Christmas crafts, nature treasure hunts and culinary workshops to teen fitness, virtual reality and marine adventures. Families can also discover the island’s conservation work through coral planting, visits to the Sea Turtle Care Centre and experiences with the Marine Biology team.

A stay at JOALI BEING is a transformative journey where guests return home feeling lighter, happier and more energised. Villas start from USD 5,392 per night for two guests sharing an Ocean Pool Villa on a B&B basis.

For full details on the festive programme, please visit the resort’s website and discover its Festive Season Offer. For bookings and further information, please contact reservations.being@joali.com.

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