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As Kurumba turns 45, Maldives marks over four decades of standard-setting tourism

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Tourism: an industry that brought prosperity and progress to the Maldives. It began with Kurumba Maldives opening on October 3, 1972.

At the time, this remote archipelago, inhabited only by fisher folk, was unknown to the outside world, with no foreign investment. There was only a small airstrip on Hulhule Island (the present international airport), built by volunteers, with no regular flights.

Mohamed Umar Maniku, Universal Enterprises’ Chairman, recalls: “We had nothing in the Maldives then, nothing. No Banks, no airport, no telephones only ham radio or Morse code contact with Colombo. Even the UNDP experts said that tourism would never succeed because there were no facilities, no infrastructure.”

Here was an industry that could have easily missed its chance to grow, yet tourism flourished thanks to the right people in the right place at the right time, and the passion and determination of its young Maldivian founders. It all began with a chance meeting in Colombo between George Corbin, an Italian travel agent, and Ahmed Naseem, then a junior with the Maldives Embassy who later became foreign minister. At the time, Corbin was seeking pristine islands where he could bring Italians to swim and hunt fish. For Corbin, the idyllic Maldives archipelago was love at first sight. Upon his first visit to Male, with Naseem by cargo ship in 1971, he immediately vowed to return with more guests.

Corbin brought the Maldives’ first tourists, mainly journalists and photographers, in February 1972. They stayed in humble lodging in three houses in Male, looked after by M U Maniku and his friends, including Hussain Afeef, who is currently the successful owner and operator of several resorts. Perfect for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, the Maldives enchanted them. Corbin promised to bring more tourists if Maniku, Naseem and Afeef could find them somewhere to stay.

From then on, Kurumba was born!

The Original

Inspired by their enthusiasm, Maniku and Afeef linked up with the leaseholder of Vihamanaafushi, then an uninhabited island coconut plantation. They chose the island for its proximity to the airstrip and the capital. Access to the island was only by sailing dhoni or open boat with outboard motor. There was no jetty (although one was later built using coconut trunks as pillars). After arriving by boat on the beach, guests had to wade through the surf to reach the resort.

An agriculture officer, M U Maniku spent his time after work, finishing each day at 1.30pm to develop Vihamanaafushi. With financial help from Corbin and his own resources, Maniku and his young Maldivian friends managed to build 30 rooms in blocks of three, using coral stone for walls, coconut timber, and palm thatch for roofs. Each room had a brackish water shower and toilet, basic furniture, and access to the beach. Meals were taken in a canteen or as barbecues on the beach.

They called the resort Kurumba Village, after the Dhivehi word for coconut, Kurumba. Afeef became the manager. The resort opened on October 3, 1972, and remained fully booked for the rest of the year, an augury of its success ever since.

“We knew nothing about tourism,” said Maniku.

“It was tourists who helped us build the industry here. We listened to them and gave them what they wanted. Luckily for us, they wanted simplicity in natural surroundings and that was what we had to offer and all we could afford.”

A Lasting Success

From its humble origins accommodating only 60 guests a month, Kurumba has since graduated to 14,000. From a handful of founding friends, to a staff of 450. Several have stayed for over 20 years.

“In the beginning. We didn’t know what to cook for these tourists from overseas, or how to deal with them. I had a recipe book in English which I translated into Dhivehi so the boys could understand, I was cook, gardener and room boy. We had to do everything ourselves,” said Maniku.

Kurumba expanded to accommodate more people after the airport was extended to take long-haul flights. Like an authentic tropical village, but with the comforts of home. Fresh water, air-conditioning and restaurants with international offerings.

In 2003, Kurumba underwent a complete transformation yet again, to meet the demands of the 21st century. It has emerged as a grand resort of distinctive style and panache. With 180 bungalows and villas dotted throughout the island within verdant foliage only a pace or two from the beach, Kurumba offers a wide range of luxurious accommodation. The villas and rooms have wooden floors and are elegantly furnished with solid timbre furniture.

In addition to the newly opened King Thai restaurant, the resort boasts seven restaurants and five bars featuring an impressive variety of cuisines, including Italian, Japanese, Indian and Lebanese choices.

Offering a wide range of treatments, Veli Spa proposes the traditional Dhivehi Beys treatments, as well as both modern and traditional treatments. This complements the resort’s recreational offerings such as its two outdoor freshwater pools, three tennis courts and the fitness centre.

A process of natural growth, and of proud perseverance, led by heartfelt service over the years, Kurumba has matured into the grand hotel of the Maldives, setting the benchmark for hospitality in the region and in the tropics at large.

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Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space

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Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has announced the opening of Feydhoo Hall, a landmark event venue at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives, redefining the possibilities for meetings, celebrations, and destination events in the Maldives.

Designed to bring scale, flexibility, and creativity to island gatherings, Feydhoo Hall represents a bold step forward in positioning the Maldives as a dynamic destination for conferences, weddings, and large-scale social occasions.

Feydhoo Hall offers a versatile event complex designed to accommodate a wide range of gatherings, from corporate meetings and conferences to weddings and social celebrations.

At its core is the 390 sqm Main Hall, capable of hosting:

  • Up to 300 guests in theatre-style setup
  • Up to 240 guests for dining and banquet-style events
  • Up to 200 guests for cocktail-style receptions
  • Up to 144 guests in cluster-round configuration

Enhancing the flexibility of the venue are additional dedicated spaces, including:

  • A 110 sqm Veranda Terrace, ideal for welcome receptions, breakout sessions, and pre-event gatherings, accommodating up to 100 guests for cocktail-style events.
  • A spacious 1,000 sqm Lawn Space, perfect for large-scale outdoor celebrations, destination weddings, and open-air events, accommodating up to 400 guests for cocktail receptions and up to 350 guests for dining setups.
  • The 55 sqm Ekugai Meeting Room, designed for smaller meetings and executive sessions, accommodating up to 30 guests in theatre or dining setup and 24 guests in cluster-round format.

Together, these integrated spaces create a seamless indoor-outdoor event experience, allowing planners to design dynamic and personalised event journeys.

True to the dusitD2 brand’s lifestyle-driven philosophy, Feydhoo Hall introduces a fresh approach to meetings and events — where productivity meets creativity in an inspiring island setting.

The venue offers flexible meeting formats designed to suit different event needs, including:

  • Half-Day Meeting Package (4 hours) — ideal for focused sessions, executive meetings, and creative workshops.
  • Full-Day Meeting Package (8 hours) — designed for immersive conferences, extended workshops, and large-scale corporate gatherings.

These thoughtfully structured packages provide planners with the flexibility to create impactful and seamless experiences, whether hosting intimate strategy sessions or dynamic full-day events.

Located just seven minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives combines accessibility with vibrant lifestyle energy, offering event planners and guests a rare balance between convenience and tropical escape.

With the introduction of Feydhoo Hall, the resort strengthens its position as a versatile destination — not only for leisure travellers but also for international conferences, creative retreats, luxury weddings, and large-scale social celebrations seeking something refreshingly different in the Maldives.

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BBM expands retail presence with new Hulhumalé outlet

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Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) opened a new wholesale store in Hulhumalé Phase 2 on Monday.

The outlet is located on the ground floor of Lot 20286, Nirolhu Magu, and is intended to improve access to BBM’s imported goods for residents of Hulhumalé Phase 2 and for businesses operating in the area.

According to the company, the opening forms part of its plan to expand services closer to customers in line with population growth in Hulhumalé.

With the opening of the new store, BBM’s full range of imported and distributed products will be available at the Hulhumalé Phase 2 location. These include consumer goods from international brands such as Lifebuoy, Vaseline and Unilever.

The store will also stock wholesale food products from brands including Daily, Cavin’s and Redman.

BBM has supplied goods to resorts, hotels and retail outlets across the Maldives for several years.

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Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah

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Ataraxis Grand & Spa recently hosted a week-long, closed corporate offsite in Fuvahmulah for a US-based artificial intelligence company, highlighting the island’s growing suitability for integrated work-and-experience retreats. The retreat brought a group of 36 international professionals to the property, which was reserved exclusively for the programme.

Designed as a private company offsite, the stay combined structured daily work sessions with guided diving and beginner-friendly surf experiences, creating a balanced format that blended focused collaboration with physical reset.

A notable component of the programme was dive training and certification. During the retreat, 17 participants completed their Open Water certification, while a further six undertook the Advanced Open Water course, with training and dives scheduled alongside work sessions as part of the integrated itinerary.

Throughout the week, participants worked on-site using dedicated shared spaces supported by reliable high-speed internet, allowing meetings, informal collaboration and scheduled activities to take place within a single, uninterrupted environment. This setup enabled teams to move seamlessly between work periods and organised ocean activities without leaving the property.

Fuvahmulah’s natural and operational advantages formed a key part of the retreat’s appeal. As one of the Maldives’ largest inhabited islands, it offers immediate access to pelagic dive sites, internationally recognised shark diving and surf breaks suitable for instruction, alongside the infrastructure required to support extended group stays.

The offsite reflects a growing preference among technology and knowledge-sector teams for small-scale retreats that prioritise concentrated work environments and team cohesion over traditional conference formats. Such programmes typically involve longer stays and higher per-capita spend, aligning with sustainable, quality-driven tourism models.

The retreat also demonstrates how locally operated properties such as Ataraxis Grand & Spa are supporting this shift by delivering unified environments where accommodation, workspaces, connectivity and curated experiences operate as a single programme rather than separate services.

As organisations continue to explore alternative formats for strategy sessions, team resets and creative offsites, Ataraxis Grand & Spa’s experience positions Fuvahmulah as an increasingly viable destination for integrated corporate retreats.

Ataraxis Grand & Spa offers work-and-dive retreat programmes in Fuvahmulah that combine accommodation, dedicated workspaces, high-speed connectivity and organised diving and surfing.

Further information on retreat formats and dive-inclusive stays is available via the Ataraxis Grand & Spa website.

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