VARU by Atmosphere has unveiled the Kaagé Progressive Maldivian Cookbook, bringing the flavours and culinary heritage of the Maldives to life through an immersive new experience. As part of the island experience, guests can enjoy private cooking masterclasses, offering a hands-on connection to authentic local flavours and the opportunity to take home the beautiful cookbook as a memento.

At Kaagé, the award-winning speciality restaurant, guests embark on a culinary journey through the history and traditions of the Maldivian islands. Time-honoured local recipes are paired with modern culinary techniques, allowing the distinctive flavours of the Maldives to be recreated in kitchens around the world.

Held on 20th August, the exclusive cookbook launch event brought together journalists, culinary influencers and resort guests, who joined the resort’s chef team for an interactive masterclass. The session explored local ingredients including skipjack tuna, coconut and fiery Scotch bonnet chillies, offering participants an authentic taste of Maldivian culinary traditions.

“These immersive cooking classes are now a permanent part of your resort experience. Kaagé is a tribute to the vibrant culinary identity of the Maldives,” says Maurice Van Den Bosch, General Manager at VARU by Atmosphere. “Through our cookbook and masterclasses, we invite you to connect deeply with island culture. We look forward to sharing these traditions with you.”

VARU by Atmosphere is a naturally Maldivian island escape in North Malé Atoll, just a 45-minute speedboat journey from Malé. Blending authentic Maldivian culture with contemporary elegance, the resort offers an intimate island experience centred around warm hospitality, vibrant dining, wellness and immersive experiences. From its distinctive overwater villas and unique overwater cellar to its island-inspired cuisine and commitment to sustainability, VARU by Atmosphere celebrates the essence of the Maldives while offering a refined and relaxed tropical retreat.

The Kaagé Progressive Maldivian Cookbook is available exclusively to participants of cooking masterclass. To discover more or reserve your spot, visit www.varu-atmosphere.com or contact reservations@varu-atmosphere.com.

Alila Kothaifaru Maldives invites guests to discover the island as a dining destination, where distinct culinary concepts, thoughtful cuisine and extraordinary settings come together. From Japanese precision, Italian craft and the coastal flavours of the Middle East and Mediterranean to barefoot dining on a secluded sand cay and intimate meals in a private pool villa, each experience offers a different way to taste the island.

Across the resort, menus draw on local catch delivered by neighbouring fishermen, island-grown herbs, and fresh fruits and vegetables sourced weekly from a nearby producer, supporting local agriculture while reducing food miles. The resort’s multicultural culinary team also brings diverse perspectives to the table, with chefs and service teams trained to accommodate evolving dietary preferences and requirements, including vegan, keto, allergies and food intolerances.

Beyond the restaurants, The Shack, reached by a five-minute speedboat journey, offers picnics, sunset barbecues and bespoke twilight dinners on a secluded sand cay. Every Thursday, the Shack Flair Sundowner adds crafted cocktails and flair bartending against the colours of the Maldivian sunset.

“Our dining experiences are most memorable when the setting, menu and service come together seamlessly. We let the island inspire experiences that feel deeply personal, while reflecting how we care for our destination through supporting nearby producers, using more local ingredients and creating meaningful connections with place,” said Thomas Weber, General Manager.

Private dining extends this philosophy further. Floating Breakfast and Floating Lunch with Champagne bring indulgence to the privacy of a villa, while beach and villa settings can be transformed for proposals, family celebrations, barbecues and chef-led tastings, with menus personalised around individual tastes and dietary needs.

“Our culinary approach is about creating a sense of place through every plate. By incorporating locally sourced produce alongside local seafood and island-grown ingredients, we support the community while reducing the distance ingredients travel. With our diverse culinary team and continued training, we can also thoughtfully adapt menus for vegan and keto preferences, allergies, intolerances and other dietary requirements without compromising flavour, quality or creativity,” said Frank Wackerhagen, Executive Chef.

“The expectations of today’s guests are constantly evolving, and our role is to evolve with them. Our chefs and service teams welcome guests from different cultures and backgrounds, each with their own preferences and dietary needs. Our teams are trained to understand these requirements and adapt each experience thoughtfully, ensuring guests never feel they are compromising on flavour, quality or choice,” said Danilo Paolella, Director of Food & Beverage.

Together, the resort’s restaurants, destination dining settings and private experiences give guests the freedom to dine differently throughout their stay, from breakfast overlooking the water and leisurely island lunches to sundowners and dinners beneath the Maldivian sky.
Selected experiences require advance reservation and are subject to weather, tide and operational conditions.

For more information or to discover the resort’s dining experiences, visit www.alilakothaifarumaldives.com.

While the Maldives has long captivated travellers with its turquoise lagoons, overwater villas and barefoot luxury, one part of its story has remained largely untold: its cuisine.

Across the islands, visitors often dine on flavours from around the world, rarely discovering the ingredients, traditions and recipes that have shaped Maldivian life for generations. At JA Manafaru, the secluded luxury resort in the northern Haa Alifu Atoll, that narrative is beginning to change with the launch of Kuri, an intimate treetop dining experience that celebrates the country’s culinary heritage in one of its most extraordinary settings.

Meaning “treetop” in Dhivehi, Kuri offers a dining experience unlike any other in the Maldives. Hidden within the branches of a living banyan tree, it welcomes just two guests as standard, or up to four for private celebrations, for an evening where the island itself becomes both the setting and the inspiration. Rather than looking out across the ocean, diners are invited to journey into the heart of the island, discovering a side of the Maldives that few visitors ever experience.

Rather than chasing global dining trends, Kuri begins with a simple question: what does the Maldives truly taste like? The answer unfolds through a five-course tasting menu built around a genuine zero-kilometre philosophy, where reef fish, coconut, pandan, screwpine and other native ingredients are sourced from the surrounding atoll, many travelling only metres from where they are grown, caught or harvested. Each course honours traditional Maldivian flavours while presenting them through a refined contemporary lens.

The menu itself tells the story of the Maldives through food. Guests begin with Muru Muru, delicate crispy tuna crackers inspired by the islands’ rich fishing heritage, before progressing through vibrant cured snapper, comforting pandan rice congee with grilled coconut and tuna floss, and the signature Ihi Musamma – a beautifully balanced Maldivian lobster curry served with coconut crepe and locally inspired accompaniments. The experience concludes with young coconut, screwpine ice cream and candied Maldivian nuts, a dessert that captures the tropical flavours of the island in every bite.

Bringing this story to life is Executive Chef Moosa Nazeeh, whose menu is deeply rooted in the flavours of his homeland. Instead of recreating international fine dining in paradise, he shines a spotlight on recipes, ingredients and techniques that have been passed through generations, inviting guests to experience a side of the Maldives that is rarely found within the country’s luxury resorts.

Every detail surrounding the meal has been thoughtfully designed to reflect the same philosophy. Carefully built around a living banyan tree, the timber platform sits beneath a natural canopy illuminated by lanterns after sunset, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and entirely immersed in nature. Even the ceramics tell part of the story, with every plate, bowl and cup handcrafted at JA Manafaru’s own on-island clay studio and finished with a delicate watercolour illustration of the very banyan tree that shelters the dining table above.

And while the experience celebrates craftsmanship and culinary artistry, Kuri never takes itself too seriously. After dessert, guests swap the staircase for a gently curving slide back down to the sand, bringing the evening to an unexpected and joy-filled close that leaves almost everyone smiling long after dinner has ended.

Already recognised for creating experiences that connect guests with the culture and natural beauty of the northern Maldives, JA Manafaru continues to look beyond traditional luxury. Kuri is the latest expression of that philosophy, proving that some of the most memorable moments in the Maldives aren’t found over the water, but beneath the shade of an ancient banyan tree, where every meal tells the story of the island itself.

When: Available for dinner daily

Offer Inclusions: An intimate five-course treetop dining experience celebrating authentic Maldivian cuisine through a thoughtfully curated 0km tasting menu, set within the canopy of a living banyan tree.

Price: USD 175++ per person

Terms & Conditions:

• Advance reservation is required
• Subject to availability
• Maximum of four guests per seating
• For reservations and more information, please email at manafaru@jaresorts.com