Lifestyle
Meeru Island Resort wins HolidayCheck Gold Award 2017

HolidayCheck has awarded the Gold Award 2017 to Meeru Island Resort & Spa for being one of the most popular hotels in the world for the 5th time in a row.
The HolidayCheck award is based on the reviews by travelers who have stayed at the hotels. It recognizes the excellence of hotels around the world. HolidayCheck is the one of the strongest neutral quality review webpage in the world, particularly used by German speaking travelers. The webpage is available in 13 different languages.
According to HolidayCheck, every third customer looks into their web portal before going on vacation to get information about hotels and destinations rated by other travelers.
“This is a truly great achievement. A very big thank you to all our many guests, repeaters and first timers alike. This is your award”.
“You are the guests who have evaluated us over so many years and you are the reason that we have received this most prestigious recognition”.
“I, and my entire team see this as an inspiration and as a mandate to take Meeru to even greater heights in the months and years to come.” commented Walter C. Kaufmann, General Manager of Meeru.
Meeru Island Resort is one of the largest resorts in the Maldives, offering its visitors a variety of facilities and affordable to superior accommodation. With 5 types of room categories to offer, Meeru counts more than 280 rooms, 5 restaurants, 5 bars, a renowned spa, both over the water and on the land, a range of sports and other facilities. Meeru has always been a paradise to its visitors.
Culture
Elegant island celebration: Eid Al-Fitr at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands invites guests to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr with a thoughtfully curated program of experiences that brings families and loved ones together through culture, creativity, and refined island luxury. Unfolding across the resort’s signature venues, the celebrations feature an elegant calendar of culinary journeys, wellness rituals, immersive cultural moments, and family-friendly activities, all set against the serene natural beauty of the Fari Islands.
From 20th to 24th March 2026, guests are invited to experience a curated calendar of festive moments across the resort, celebrating Eid Al-Fitr through elevated dining, wellness rituals, family activities, and immersive cultural experiences.
Anchoring the celebration is Flowers by Harijanto, the multi-award-winning floral designer brings his masterful floristry to the resort between the 21st and 24th March. Blooming into spring in time for National Flower Day, Harijanto presents a series of immersive experiences including hands-on floral workshops, a botanical-inspired afternoon tea, and a culinary spectacle celebrating edible flowers paired with bespoke botanical cocktails.
Designed for guests of all ages, the program includes a dedicated mini-VIP floral workshop for children, while Harijanto’s signature touch extends throughout the resort, with bespoke in-villa Boenga floral arrangements crafted from local blooms and sustainably sourced materials, supporting the destination’s reduced carbon footprint.
Culinary Highlights
Guests can indulge in a refined selection of dining experiences throughout Eid Al-Fitr, including an Ocean Grill Buffet at Beach Shack, a Starlight Concert Dinner at EAU Bar, and a specially curated Arabic set menu at Mystique Garden. Interactive experiences include an Arabic Cooking Class at La Locanda, alongside floral-inspired afternoon teas and cocktail masterclasses.
Lifestyle & Entertainment
Festivities begin with a Resort Cocktail Party at Beach Shack on the 20th of March, setting the tone for elevated island evenings. Select nights feature live entertainment and themed dining experiences, offering an elegant yet celebratory atmosphere beneath the Maldivian sky. Families and couples can also enjoy a variety of daily recreational experiences, from curated watersports and guided diving excursions to private sandbank visits and indulgent floating breakfasts, all set against the backdrop of the turquoise ocean.
Wellness & Spa Experiences
The Ritz-Carlton Spa introduces a series of mindful wellness sessions for Eid Al Fitr, including sunrise and sunset yoga, meditation, and fitness rituals in scenic outdoor settings. Guests may also participate in hands-on spa workshops using Bamford products such as Face Yoga, Gua Sha Glow, and Spa Alchemist experiences, designed to restore balance and wellbeing during the holiday.
Among the highlights is the Bamford Signature Journey, exclusively designed for The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands. This immersive 150-minute ritual combines Japanese Shiatsu techniques with flowing Swedish massage movements to release tension and rebalance thebody’s’meridians, followed by wave-inspired strokes that echo the natural rhythm of the ocean.
Family, Teens & Ritz Kids
Families are at the heart of the Eid celebrations, with a full programme for younger guests. Ritz Kids can enjoy festive craft workshops, lantern-making, slime labs, treasure hunts, and Eid-themed creative sessions, while teens are invited to participate in architectural workshops, mosaic art, and interactive game challenges.
Nature & Marine Discovery
Led by the resort’s Naturalist Ladies and Dive Center, guests can connect with the surrounding marine environment through turtle, shark, and coral garden snorkeling, sunset cruises, traditional fishing, reef talks, and coral regeneration activities.
With its seamless blend of togetherness, creativity, and cultural appreciation, Eid Al-Fitr at The Ritz- Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands offers an enriching and elegant island escape, where meaningful moments unfold in a truly exceptional setting.
Guests are invited to discover the Signature Villas and select the perfect island retreat, from Two-Bedroom Beach Villas set along pristine coves to Two-Bedroom Overwater Villas poised above turquoise waters, each featuring private pools, expansive indoor and outdoor living spaces, and uninterrupted ocean views, ideal for families or small groups seeking refined seclusion. Those desiring heightened privacy may retreat to the resort’s exclusive estate enclave, a secluded sanctuary offering expansive multi-bedroom villas, infinity pools, outdoor dining pavilions, and personalised service from a dedicated Aris Meeha, your island butler.
The Embrace Island Life offer, valid for stays from now until December 20, 2026, enriches every escape with half-board dining across the resort’s celebrated restaurants, showcasing Maldivian, Japanese, Southern Italian, Cantonese, and Lebanese cuisine, along with return luxury shared speedboat transfers, curated welcome amenities, and 24-hour butler service, ensuring a seamless journey defined by effortless elegance from arrival to departure.
For more information, please visit ritzcarlton.com/Maldives.
Culture
Kuda Villingili presents family-focused Eid al-Fitr experience in Maldives
Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives has announced a three-day Eid al-Fitr 1447 AH programme, inviting guests to celebrate the occasion from 19 to 21 March 2026 in a tranquil island setting that brings together family, reflection, and shared moments.
Following the holy month of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr at the resort is designed as a gentle transition into celebration, offering guests the freedom to mark the festival at their own pace. The programme brings together families, couples, and friends through curated dining experiences, relaxed island gatherings, and moments of quiet connection by the Indian Ocean.
Culinary experiences form the centre of the Eid programme. Celebrations begin with the Kuda Eid Feast Buffet Dinner at The Restaurant, featuring Middle Eastern and Maldivian dishes served under the stars, accompanied by soft island music. Guests can also gather at Spice for the Kuda Eid Lunch Feast, a five-course Middle Eastern fusion menu by the Qureshi brothers, inspired by traditional flavours and designed for sharing in the spirit of Eid. Evenings continue at The Bar with an Arabic Shisha Night, combining live DJ music with a relaxed social atmosphere.
Eid mornings at the resort offer a calmer start to the day, with a Signature Floating Breakfast served in the privacy of each villa pool. Guests can also enjoy Eid Signature Mocktails, created with floral and spice notes that reflect the season’s sense of gratitude and renewal. An interactive Art of Shisha Making experience is also available, encouraging conversation and shared storytelling.
The Eid programme has been curated to include guests of all ages. Younger visitors are welcomed at Kuda Fiyo, where Eid-themed creative workshops, treasure trails, storytelling sessions, games, and movement activities are organised to create memorable experiences while reflecting the cultural significance of the occasion.
For families and adventure-seekers, the resort also offers Eid al-Fitr Ocean Adventures. A personalised Big Game Fishing experience provides an opportunity to spend time together on the open sea, combining quiet reflection with exploration of the surrounding waters.
With its expansive island layout, eight dining destinations, and the Maldives’ largest swimming pool, Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives presents an Eid al-Fitr celebration that blends tradition with contemporary island living, offering space, privacy, and a relaxed setting for guests seeking a meaningful Eid experience in the Maldives.
The full Eid al-Fitr 2026 programme can be viewed here. More information about the resort is available from the resort’s website.
Entertainment
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort sets stage for first music festival in May 2026
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort will host Your Paradise Maldives from 11 to 16 May 2026, as the boutique, destination-led Your Paradise music festival makes its Maldives debut with a curated roster of global electronic tastemakers. Marking the resort’s inaugural music festival, the award-winning Avani+ Fares Maldives sets the stage for a lifestyle-led escape that pairs sun-soaked sets with easy-going island living.
Designed around the island’s natural rhythm, Your Paradise – with past editions in Fiji and a strong international following – will unfold across a series of open-air stages and social spaces, shifting from golden-hour sets by the lagoon to pop-up beach parties and after-dark sessions with seamless transitions from day to night.
The phase one line-up features Ayybo, Arielle Free, Coco & Breezy, Double Touch, Jordan Brando & William Kiss, Low Steppa, Melé, Niiko x Swae, Sarah Story, Sasha Spielberg, Tom & Collins and Tori Levett, with further names to be announced. Delivering everything from feel-good house through to deeper club sounds, the festival is a limited-ticket experience with dedicated travel packages available.
Set on the natural island of Fares on the western edge of Baa Atoll’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort is ideal for festival crews, solo travellers and couples, with a mix of Beach Pool Villas and Over Water Villas, plus Two and Four-Bedroom Pavilions for groups of up to eight. For those going all in, the resort also offers two 287 sqm Two-Bedroom Overwater Pool Residences and a 368 sqm Three-Bedroom Overwater Pool Residence, each with an oversized terrace, infinity pool and seamless indoor-outdoor dining made for a private after-party. For sundowners with a local twist, the resort’s Ambaa Adventure sees a traditional dhoni cruise the lagoon, delivering handcrafted cocktails and mocktails direct to guests’ overwater pool decks.
Between sets, guests can lean into island life with watersports, diving and snorkelling on the house reef, then reset with sunrise yoga and meditation at AvaniFit and post-party recovery at AvaniSpa. The resort also offers easy access to the atoll’s marine highlights, including Hanifaru Bay, one of the world’s most celebrated manta ray hotspots.
Avani+ Fares has built strong momentum since opening in 2023, named Best Beach Resort 2025 at the TTM Awards, following its Best Dive Resort win in 2024, with General Manager Judd Rabbidge recognised as Resort Manager of the Year 2025 at the Global Hospitality ON Awards.
Rates for Your Paradise Maldives start from USD 2,599 per person, with solo, couple and group packages available. Each package includes five nights at Avani+ Fares Maldives on a half board basis, main stage performances and exclusive parties, as well as group yoga and meditation sessions. For more information and to book, visit www.avanihotels.com/en/fares-maldives, email fares@avanihotels.com or call +960 660 1660.
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