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Get your sporting fix at Anantara Maldives
Think the Maldives is all about lying prone on a sun lounger? Think again! Step forward, Anantara with three luxury Maldives resorts all bursting with a wide range of land and water sports to occupy even the most energetic of guests. From world-class surfing, kite surfing, wind surfing, snorkelling, diving, sea bob, fishing, kayaking, water skiing, beach volleyball and badminton to night-time SUP.
There’s certainly no danger of lounger boredom setting it!
Whether you’re looking to fill your days with non-stop sporting activities or to just dip your toe in every now and again, at Anantara’s Maldives Resorts guests can do as little or as much as they like.
Each resort offers a different but equally luxurious experience. Here is a snapshot of Anantara’s Maldivian island hideaways and the many exciting activities sporting enthusiasts can look forward to.
Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort: fun for all the family
Just a 35-minute speedboat ride from Velana International Airport in the South Male Atoll lies Anantara Dhigu, comprising some of the most spacious luxury villas in the Maldives. A resort for the whole family, all ages can expect a thoroughly warm welcome and home from home experience.
The Dhoni Children’s Club will keep smaller members of the family happily entertained, while older members take advantage of the many sporting options. From diving, kite surfing, sailing, snorkelling, parasailing, water skiing and surfing – water sports fanatics will be grinning from ear to ear. The calm waters around the island are ideal for stand-up paddle boarding and for something a little bit different try SUP at night with lights on the boards so that you can see the fish.
Back on dry land, there is tennis, badminton and beach volleyball.
Prices start from £498 (USD 704) per room, per night.
Anantara Veli Maldives Resort: the adult-only island
One of just five adult-only islands in the Maldives, Anantara Veli Maldives Resort in the South Male Atoll is ideal for couples or groups of friends looking for a sophisticated, grown-up retreat. White sand and turquoise waters provide the perfect backdrop to enjoy an endless choice of water and land-based sports.
Arriving by speedboat, guests can look forward to elegant bungalow accommodation, some with direct lagoon access.
Explore the local area on a guided jet ski adventure, take out a glass bottom kayak to enjoy an unique perspective of the marine life as your paddle around the island, learn to wake board or mono ski, experience some of the best snorkelling in the Maldives or enjoy an evening game of tennis on the island’s floodlit court. There are no shortage of sporting activities to choose from at Anantara Veli.
Prices start from £570 (USD 805) per room, per night.
Naladhu Private Island Maldives: the private hideaway
For seekers of exclusivity and privacy, Naladhu Private Island Maldives is an idyllic location that offers the best retreat for guests looking for the ultimate castaway luxury. The island offers an unique holiday home feeling, underpinned by a sense of total seclusion and privacy, with just 20 expansive houses and residences, each with its own private pool fronting the Indian Ocean. Each house comes with round-the-clock service from your very own House Master (butler).
Located in South Male Atoll, guests are whisked to Naladhu by speedboat before abandoning shoes to explore the island’s endless sandy paths winding through pristinely kept vegetation.
A full range of water sports are available at Naladhu. Discover the famous underwater world of the Maldives with snorkelling excursions on the house reef, nearby manta ray cleaning stations and neighbouring reefs. Water skiing is sensational on the island’s mirror-like lagoon. Kite surfing and surfing are also excellent from Naladhu, the best surfing months are from April to October.
Prices start from £997 (USD 1,409)per room, per night.
Anantara runs three resorts in the Maldives: Anantara Veli Maldives Resort and Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort in South Male Atoll, and Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas in Baa atoll.
In addition to the Anantara branded resorts, parent company Minor Hotel Group separately runs Naladhu Private Island Maldives in the South Male Atoll and Niyama Maldives Private Islands in Dhaalu atoll.
Meanwhile, Anantara’s sister brand AVANI Hotels and Resorts has recently announced the development of its first property in the Maldives, with the AVANI Fares Maldives Resort scheduled to open in late 2019.
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Noku Maldives strengthens reef protection through coral propagation
Noku Maldives, Vignette Collection has announced the launch of its Coral Propagation Programme, a new reef enhancement initiative guided by the brand’s purpose-led pillar, Means for Good.
Set within the tranquil waters of Noonu Atoll, Noku Maldives is home to a naturally vibrant marine environment — and this programme reflects the resort’s long-term commitment to nurturing it with care, intention, and respect for the ocean that surrounds the island.
Supporting Natural Growth, One Fragment at a Time
At the heart of the initiative is a gentle and nature-led method using “fragments of opportunity” — naturally broken coral fragments that are collected and carefully secured onto coral frames to encourage healthy regrowth. These fragments are stabilised in an environment that supports their development, allowing new coral to establish and flourish over time.
Designed with both short-term progress and lasting impact in mind, the Coral Propagation Programme will monitor key indicators of success within its first year, including stronger, healthier coral growth and increased fish activity around the coral frames — a positive sign that biodiversity is thriving and marine life is naturally gathering around these new habitats.
Over time, the initiative aims to support the natural expansion of reef habitats by creating structured micro-environments that encourage marine life and contribute to the long-term resilience of the surrounding reef ecosystem.
A Wider Commitment to Ocean Stewardship
The Coral Propagation Programme forms part of Noku Maldives’ broader conservation focus — including the protection of one of the island’s most distinctive natural features: its lush and thriving seagrass meadows.
Unlike many destinations where seagrass is removed or covered, Noku Maldives has chosen to protect and celebrate this important ecosystem. As part of its participation in the Maldives Resilient Reef Industry Circle, the resort has pledged to safeguard at least 80% of its seagrass area, recognising its vital role in supporting marine biodiversity and strengthening environmental resilience.
Seagrass meadows are essential to the lagoon’s natural balance. They provide a nursery habitat for juvenile fish species, help stabilise sediment and reduce beach erosion, and are widely recognised as powerful natural carbon sinks — absorbing CO₂ up to 35 times faster than rainforests. Seagrass also plays a key role in supporting green sea turtles, who rely on it as a primary food source and can graze up to 2 kilograms per day.
Noku Maldives will continue ongoing seagrass monitoring through regular assessments of species composition, blade height, algae content, and ecosystem health markers measured across set quadrats. Of the eight seagrass species found in the Maldives, four have already been identified within the resort’s lagoon — a promising indicator of biodiversity and habitat richness.
A Stay That Leaves Something Behind
Through Means for Good, Noku Maldives, Vignette Collection invites guests to connect with the destination in a way that feels meaningful — where luxury is not only experienced, but thoughtfully shared with the place that makes it possible.
The Coral Propagation Programme is a step forward in ensuring that the island’s reefs, lagoon life, and underwater landscapes remain protected for generations to come — a living symbol of what happens when nature is given the space, care, and time to return.
For more information and reservations, please visit the hotel website or email us at noku.reservations@ihg.com.
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Siyam World hosts Fernando Torres and Mark Noble for festive football camps
Siyam World Maldives created the setting for two memorable football experiences during the festive season, as Fernando Torres and Mark Noble led a series of camps that transformed the holidays into shared moments of play, discovery and connection. With phones set aside and screens forgotten, more than fifty young players became fully absorbed in movement, laughter and island life.
Over two days, former World Cup winner Fernando Torres hosted an exclusive children’s football camp for resort guests, welcoming more than fifty players aged between four and fourteen. Mornings that began by the lagoon gradually shifted to the football pitch, as relaxed holiday routines evolved into informal training sessions filled with energy and enjoyment.
Torres, widely known as El Niño, brought the same enthusiasm that defined his career with Spain and Chelsea, tempered with humour and an easygoing approach suited to the island setting. He played alongside the children, encouraged the youngest participants and offered guidance without interrupting the sense of fun. One moment captured the tone of the camp when a four-year-old attempted to nutmeg him. The attempt failed, but the laughter that followed set the mood for the sessions that continued into the afternoon.
Torres remarked that children are less concerned with reputation than with the simple pleasure of playing the game, noting that this was when the experience felt most genuine. Parents observed from the sidelines as the sessions unfolded, gradually realising that the camp had become a highlight of their family holiday.

One guest, visiting from London, said the family had arrived for the sunshine and water park, and had not expected their eight-year-old to be playing football with a former World Cup winner. She added that her son had not removed his signed jersey since.
Earlier in December, Siyam World welcomed former West Ham United captain Mark Noble for a five-day football programme. Known for his long career and leadership at the club, Noble led daily sessions that focused on teamwork, simple technique and encouragement, exchanging formal settings for cones, drills and steady guidance.
By the end of the programme, the camp had taken on the character of an informal family memory rather than a structured course. For the children, it was several days of football. For parents, it became a defining moment of their stay, remembered through shared photographs, stories and moments that lingered beyond the holiday.
Together, the two camps reflected Siyam World Maldives’ growing emphasis on immersive, sport-led experiences, where internationally recognised athletes meet the informal rhythm of island life. The approach aims to create opportunities for families to connect through experiences that feel natural, joyful and quietly distinctive, adding another dimension to the resort’s family offering.
Excursions
Discover Raa Atoll: Ifuru Island Maldives adds new dive packages for 2026
Ifuru Island Maldives has introduced a new collection of curated dive packages, inviting guests to explore the exceptional underwater world of the Maldives through programmes designed for beginners, aspiring divers and certified enthusiasts alike.
Located in the pristine waters of Raa Atoll, Ifuru Island Maldives provides access to vibrant house reefs, calm lagoon conditions and several of the region’s most celebrated dive sites, including the renowned Ifuru Thila. The newly launched dive packages are crafted to combine professional training, guided exploration and the convenience of a premium island stay.
The collection begins with an introductory diving experience tailored for first-time divers seeking to discover the underwater world in a safe and relaxed setting. Guests undergo lagoon-based training before progressing to the house reef, offering an ideal entry point into scuba diving with no prior experience required.
For guests ready to advance further, the resort offers a globally recognised scuba certification course. Designed for confident swimmers and snorkellers, the programme includes professional instruction, open water dives and an internationally valid certification, opening access to dive destinations worldwide.
Certified divers can choose a three-day dive escape that highlights the best sites in Raa Atoll. Featuring guided morning dives across renowned locations, the experience showcases the atoll’s rich marine biodiversity, striking reef structures and clear waters.
“Diving is an essential part of the Maldivian experience, and we wanted to create a collection that feels both accessible and exceptional,” said Marcel Sawyer, General Manager of Ifuru Island Maldives. “Whether it marks a guest’s first dive or their next significant underwater journey, these packages are crafted to offer confidence, comfort and memorable experiences beneath the surface.”
All dive packages may be booked alongside the resort’s premium accommodation offerings, including the Exclusively Yours Premium All-Inclusive meal plan, daily resort touches, complimentary non-motorised water sports, snorkelling equipment and return domestic flight transfers for qualifying stays.
The dive packages are available for booking and travel throughout 2026 and must be confirmed ahead of arrival. Package rates apply in addition to accommodation and are subject to availability.
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