News
Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives wins awards & accolades at the International Culinary Challenge Maldives 2016

Maldives.net.mv – Holiday Inn Resort® Kandooma Maldives – for the 2nd consecutive year, hauled the most medals and awards during the recently concluded Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge 2016 held at Maldives September 4th – 7th 2016.
Holiday Inn Resort® Kandooma Maldives Executive Chef Vincent Tan, together with his Culinary Brigade of 14 Chefs and 2 Bar Mixologists recently participated in the 12th Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge 2016 – dubbed as the ultimate culinary challenge held in Male, Maldives.
For the 2nd consecutive year Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives hauled the most medals and awards offered during the competition. The team’s accolade reached a first ever 28 medals which included 8 Gold, 13 Silver & 7 Bronze and 4 “Best in Class” awards. Each team participant brought back medal’s that justifies their hard work and passion which reflects on their well-deserved medals and awards.

The “Best in Class” awards were given for the following categories: Dessert, Creative Asian Dish, Perfect Steak and Omelet and Tea Challenge. 1st, 2nd & 3rd place for the “Perfect Steak” and “Perfect Omelet” Challenge was a clean sweep from the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives. This category tests the chef’s basic skills; technique, temperature control and timing.
A new category this year was the “Tea Challenge” which Holiday Inn Resort bagged the 1st and 2nd place respectively. Jasmine Pham who topped the Challenge has won herself complimentary air ticket, accommodation and 3-day training at TWG Tea Institute in Singapore.
Chef Ronnel Go, the Resorts Executive Sous Chef received the award being placed in the top 3 “Most Outstanding Chef in Maldives” – an award that more than 500 chefs from over 40 hotels and resorts who participated in the competition sought for.
“I congratulate and give thanks to the whole culinary team, competitors and staff that without their passion, teamwork and support, achieving these great results would be impossible. A big gratitude for our General Manager and management’s support and encouragement. It really helps to motivate the staffs to perform well in the competition! I was very happy with the results this year as there were many first timers in the team, their hard work really paid off. And our results this time was far better than last year in terms of quantity and quality of awards achieved by the team.” Chef Vincent Tan said.
Meanwhile, Joseph Della Gatta, the Resort General Manager expressed his appreciation on the latest accomplishments by the Resort Culinary Team. “I am so proud on the team’s success in this year’s Culinary Challenge. They have demonstrated gastronomic greatness and excellence, I look forward on having the award winning dishes on the Resort menus to be sampled by our guests”, said Joseph.
Holiday Inn Resort® Kandooma Maldives’ delegation includes chefs Vinh Co, Min, Rungsimet, Ronnel, Dat, Kalim, Hui, Chee Ken, Phuong, Laiju, Cam Nga, Yen & Lucas and the Resort Mixologists, Jasmine and Dinesh.
Culture
Fushifaru Maldives showcases Maldivian culture through Eid celebrations
Fushifaru Maldives marked Eid al-Fitr with a series of cultural experiences aimed at showcasing Maldivian heritage and community values, as part of its “Moments of Kindness” initiative.
The resort organised activities designed to reconnect guests with traditional island life, placing a focus on cultural authenticity and community engagement. According to the resort, the initiative sought to revive elements of Maldivian traditions and present them in an interactive format for both international visitors and the local community.

A key highlight of the celebrations was a dedicated Maldivian Night, which featured a live demonstration of Malayfaiy, a traditional communal cooking practice. The experience was complemented by shisha offerings and cooking demonstrations, providing guests with insight into historical culinary techniques and social customs in the Maldives.

The evening also included a Maldivian buffet showcasing a range of local dishes, giving guests the opportunity to experience traditional flavours in a curated setting.

Fushifaru Maldives stated that the programme aimed to create meaningful connections through shared cultural experiences, while preserving and promoting local traditions within a resort environment.

The Eid celebrations form part of the resort’s broader efforts to incorporate elements of Maldivian identity into guest experiences, aligning with growing industry emphasis on cultural sustainability and community-oriented tourism.
Family
W Maldives launches Easter celebration with kayak races and beach feast
W Maldives unveils Tropical Easter, a one-day island takeover on Sunday, 5 April 2026, that transforms the resort into a vivid playground of colour, creativity, and effortless luxury. Set within the luminous blues of the North Ari Atoll, the celebration reframes the traditional holiday through a distinctly Maldivian perspective, where powder soft beaches replace spring meadows and the rhythm of the day moves from sunlit play to starlit revelry. Crafted or a global audience of discerning travellers, the experience balances polished indulgence with the brand’s signature playful edge, inviting couples, families, and friends to celebrate Easter in a a way that feels both elevated and carefree.
The festivities begin with The Great Little Easter Quest at WET Deck, where younger guests embark on a spirited hunt for hidden treasures before channeling their imagination into an open-air painting session. Designed as a joyful expression of creativity rather than a conventional children’s activity, the experience unfolds within the resort’s social heart, surrounded by vibrant energy, turquoise views, and a sense of occasion that resonates across generations.

As the afternoon unfolds, Race The Blue shifts the tempo with a high-energy kayak challenge across the resort’s crystalline lagoon. Participants paddle through waters so clear they reveal the intricate coral gardens of the celebrated house reef below, transforming the race into a breathtaking encounter with the Maldives’ underwater wonder. The event captures the essence of Tropical Easter’s story, playful adventure grounded in the extraordinary natural beauty, offering guests a rare opportunity to engage with the lagoon as both playground and vista.
At sunset, the celebration culminates at FIRE Beach with The Easter Table, a sophisticated alfresco buffet that elevates the holiday meal into a stylish social ritual. Classic Easter flavours are reinterpreted with contemporary flair across interactive live stations and vibrant culinary displays, while music drifts through the warm evening air and the ocean glows just beyond the shoreline. The setting is at once intimate and electric barefoot yet refined, inviting guests to linger long after the final course as the sky deepens into night.

Beyond the day’s curated experiences, Tropical Easter also highlights the resort’s signature lifestyle allure, from overwater villas poised above luminous lagoons to world class snorkelling accessible directly from the beach. Whether seeking adrenaline, indulgence, or pure escapism, guests can chape the celebration entirely to their own rhythm, embodying the freedom and spontaneity that define the W experience in the Maldives.
Travellers inspired to extend the festivities can unlock the exclusive Stay 5, Pay 4, member offer by enrolling in Marriott Bonvoy, transforming a single extraordinary day into a longer island escape. The package offers a compelling reason to plan ahead and immerse fully in the season’s distinctive tropical celebration.

This April, Tropical Easter at W Maldives promises more than a holiday, it delivers a mood, a sun-drenched fusion of playfulness, style and sensory indulgence set in one of the world’s most captivating destinations. For those seeking an Easter that feels fresh, glamorous, and unforgettable, the answer lies where tradition dissolves into turquoise and every moment unfolds with a touch of irreverent luxury.
For more information, visit www.wmaldives.com or connect with the resort’s team at reservations.wmaldives@whotels.com.
Culture
Sun Siyam Iru Fushi marks Eid with cultural celebrations and community spirit
At Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, Eid Al-Fitr is an expression of Ekuverikan —a traditional Maldivian spirit of fellowship where the boundaries between host and visitor dissolve into moments of sharing. The celebrations began on 20 March with a special morning high tea, bringing together our local and international team members to share in the joy of the occasion. By breaking bread following morning prayers, the entire team transformed a religious milestone into a shared human experience where global diversity is encouraged.

While Eid Al-Fitr lunch began with a symbolic cake cutting, the island transformed into a stage for Koadi Jehun at sunset. This traditional procession features locals marching with a koadi, a decorated stake crafted from coconut palm leaves woven into the shapes of birds and fish which is then offered to the children.

During the performance, dancers in traditional attire move in synchrony with Indian pots, a nod to the ancient trade routes that shaped the archipelago. As night fell, the air pulsed with the rhythmic beat of Boduberu. These songs, with roots reaching back to East Africa, serve as a living archive of the Maldivian ancestral journey across the Indian Ocean. The Eid Al- Fitr celebration continued with a DJ party in the newly built leisure hub dedicated to the team. The festivities concluded on Saturday with beach activities, reinforcing the belief that travel is most meaningful when it connects us to both nature and community.

“Eid Al-Fitr is a day to express gratitude through shared kindness,” says Ahmed Waheed, Human Resources Manager at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi. “By bringing guests and team members together, we offer an authentic connection to the Maldivian heritage we hold dear. Ultimately, travel is about these quiet, human moments that leave you feeling as though something new has stirred within.”
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