Featured
Baa Atoll Manta Festival 2019 to take place in Eydhafushi island
Manta Trust has announced plans to host the second Baa Atoll Manta Festival in the island of Eydhafushi in Baa atoll.
The Manta Trust, a UK-based manta ray conservation charity, is organising the festival from September 20-21, in partnership with the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Office, Eydhafushi Island and Atoll Council, Baa Atoll Education Centre, and Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru resort.
This exciting event will build on the success of last year’s festival by bringing together communities, school students and tourists from across the country to celebrate the Maldives’ unique marine life. What better location for a manta festival than Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve; home to the world-famous Hanifaru Bay, a Marine Protected Area that attracts aggregations of over 200 reef manta rays during the South West Monsoon.
The Baa Atoll Manta Festival aims to leave a lasting legacy for young Maldivians, inspiring the next generation to engage with marine ecology and conservation. This year, over 1,000 students are expected to attend.
“We want our annual Baa Atoll Manta Festival to encourage young Maldivians to experience the beauty of the ocean by spending more time in the water swimming and snorkelling,” explains the Manta Trust’s Flossy Barraud, one of the event’s key organisers.
“Resorts sponsoring 2018’s Manta Festival donated snorkelling equipment to every school in Baa atoll. This year, the resorts are taking 200 students from 12 local schools snorkelling with manta rays inside Hanifaru Bay. We hope this will inspire the next generation to continue to protect their marine environment and Biosphere Reserve.”
Friday, the 20th will include the opening ceremony and speeches as well as a panel discussion amongst environmental figureheads from the Biosphere Reserve Office, Manta Trust and the Environmental Protection Agency, amongst others.
With over 30 inspiring stalls boasting educational content plus manta, turtle and whale shark themed games and virtual reality, the event is sure to engage all attendees with vital marine conservation issues.
Local businesses, including Island Bizaar, Oevaali Art Shop and Pepper Dots will join the celebration, brought to the festival alongside students by transport partner Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC).
Creative students are invited to enter a live art competition, with great prizes up for grabs, including return flights from the festival’s travel partner Manta Air. Stalls will remain open into the evening, allowing guests to peruse whilst enjoying Bodu Beru and DJ performances.
Saturday brings plenty more excitement as stalls open for a second day and students take part in some hands-on conservation for ‘World Coastal Clean-up Day.’ Students will learn how to segregate waste using ocean plastics collected during beach cleans on their islands, organised in collaboration with Soneva Fushi and plastic reduction group ‘Parley for the Oceans.’
In the afternoon schools will participate in the Swim Maldives “Odin Rashah” swimming competition and a themed performance competition titled ‘Charismatic Megafauna’.
Following these events, the winners of all competitions will be announced. Prizes will include snorkelling equipment, snorkelling field-trips and merchandise generously donated by sponsors.
The festival will go out in style with evening entertainment from local musicians and Bodu Beru.
The festival is generously sponsored by 15 local resorts: Four Seasons Resorts Maldives, Vakkaru Maldives, Ocean Dimensions at Kihaa Maldives, Anantara Kihavah Villas Maldives, Nautilus Maldives, Reethi Faru Resort, Milaidhoo Island Maldives, Sea-Explorer and Reethi Beach, Finolhu, Amilla Fushi, Dusit Thani Maldives and Ocean Group, The Westin Maldives at Miriandhoo, Euro-Divers Maldives, Meeru Island Resort, and Soneva Fushi.
The festivities will be covered by press partners, Eydhafushi Times and Pubic Service Media.
Featured
Centara Hotels & Resorts marks Valentine’s Day with island-wide celebrations in Maldives
Centara Hotels & Resorts is marking Valentine’s Day across its four Maldivian resorts with a collection of curated experiences designed to reflect different expressions of romance, from wellness and gastronomy to shared adventure and quiet celebration. Set within the Maldives’ natural environment of open horizons, white-sand beaches and private island settings, each property presents a tailored programme for couples seeking time together in a relaxed and intimate atmosphere.
Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives
Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives will mark Valentine’s Day on 14 February with a programme of romance-themed experiences set within its island surroundings at The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts. The day is designed around shared activities and curated moments intended to encourage connection and creativity.
Evening celebrations begin at Coco Drift with the Salaan Galaan Valentine’s Soirée, followed by a four-course beachfront dinner accompanied by selected beverages, personalised cocktails, live entertainment and musical serenades. The celebrations conclude with an intimate sip-and-paint session under the night sky.
Couples may also unwind with the Grand Valentine’s Ritual at Spa Cenvaree, a 105-minute treatment comprising a massage and body wrap designed for shared relaxation. Guests can further personalise the occasion by arranging fresh floral bouquets through the front office.

Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives
At Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives, Valentine’s Day is presented through a full-day programme of shared experiences set in North Malé Atoll. Activities include sunrise yoga, a tree-planting ceremony and henna art, offering couples a blend of relaxation and meaningful engagement.
The evening programme centres on a mixology masterclass, followed by a candlelit dinner at Sailhouse Beach featuring seafood, Asian-inspired dishes, desserts and free-flowing beverages. The night concludes with an outdoor movie screening beneath the stars.
Spa Cenvaree complements the celebrations with a Valentine’s Indulgence ritual, a 120-minute couples’ treatment that includes a body scrub, massage and bath ritual paired with sparkling beverages. Floral arrangements may also be arranged through the front office.
Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa Maldives
From 10 to 14 February, Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa Maldives will host a series of Valentine’s experiences designed to reflect personal moments and shared celebration. Highlights include vow renewal ceremonies at Reef Beach and private canapé and champagne experiences at Aqua Bar.
On Valentine’s Day, couples may begin with a floating breakfast served in-villa, followed by a choice of dining experiences ranging from international buffet dining to a four-course gourmet dinner at the Love Hut, complete with sparkling beverages and floral arrangements. Additional options include a three-course beachfront dinner at Reef Beach, a relaxed BBQ and movie night at North Beach, and an evening DJ programme at Coral Lounge.
Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives
Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives, an adults-only resort in North Malé Atoll, will host a refined Valentine’s celebration on the evening of 14 February. The highlight is a seven-course beachfront dinner at Waves Beach, paired with sparkling beverages and accompanied by live music.
The evening continues with an after-dinner beach gathering, extending the celebrations in a relaxed setting. Guests may also opt for a package that includes an in-villa breakfast with sparkling beverages the following morning.
Across its Maldivian portfolio, Centara Hotels & Resorts presents Valentine’s Day as an opportunity for couples to celebrate through shared experiences, thoughtful dining and time spent together in distinctive island settings.
Featured
Art, wine and storytelling take centre stage at Milaidhoo Maldives
Milaidhoo Maldives is hosting a four-day creative residency this March that brings together art, wine and storytelling in a series of intimate island experiences guided by internationally recognised curator Vera Alkhova.
From 25 to 28 March 2026, the resort will present the Art Spirit Residency, welcoming Alkhova, founder of Art Spirit, to its private island setting in the heart of the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The residency is designed as a relaxed exploration of creativity, taste and inspiration, set against Milaidhoo’s natural surroundings.
An art consultant, curator and educator, Alkhova is known for making contemporary art accessible through storytelling rather than theory. Through Art Spirit, she curates immersive experiences that encourage dialogue and personal interpretation, including her established programme How to Read Contemporary Art. Her residency at Milaidhoo is structured around conversation-led sessions rather than formal lectures, with the aim of sharing art in an engaging and approachable way.
Taking place during the same month as International Women’s Day, the residency also reflects on the creative contributions of women. This theme is most clearly expressed in the opening experience, Women in Art, which highlights female voices and influence within contemporary artistic expression.
The programme also aligns with Milaidhoo’s focus on gastronomy and fine wine. Each experience is paired with carefully selected wines and hosted within the resort’s restaurants, where the evening themes are reflected in ingredient-led menus. The format is intentionally informal, in keeping with the atmosphere of the boutique island resort.
Programme highlights include:
- Wednesday, 25 March – Art Stories & Wine Tasting | Women in Art
- Friday, 27 March – An Artist’s Table | Wine and Art Dinner | Love of the Painter and His Muses
- Saturday, 28 March – Art Stories & Wine Tasting | Marine Life
With Alkhova’s curated insights and Milaidhoo’s considered hospitality, the Art Spirit Residency brings together art, wine and shared conversation in a setting designed to encourage reflection and connection.
Milaidhoo Maldives is accessible via a 35-minute seaplane transfer from Velana International Airport, or by a 15-minute domestic flight to Dharavandhoo Airport in Baa Atoll followed by a 15-minute speedboat journey to the island.
Drink
St. Regis Maldives Vommuli welcomes Glynn Purnell for Tastemaker Series
Glynn Purnell, the Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur and television personality known as “The Yummy Brummie”, will bring his modern British cooking to the Indian Ocean this April as part of the Tastemaker Series at St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort.
With a career spanning more than 35 years, two Michelin-starred restaurants and a long-standing presence on British television, Purnell’s residency will take place from 3 to 6 April. His ingredient-led approach will be presented through a curated programme that includes a signature tasting dinner, an intimate cooking class and a closing experience hosted at The Whale Bar, offering guests the opportunity to engage with his cuisine in an informal setting.
Purnell began his culinary career at the age of 14 through a hotel kitchen work placement before refining his skills at the Metropole Hotel and at Simpson’s Restaurant, where he contributed to the restaurant’s first Michelin star. His professional training also includes working alongside chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Gary Rhodes and Claude Bosi, as well as experience in Michelin-starred kitchens across Europe. Purnell later made history by earning Birmingham’s first Michelin star for Jessica’s in 2005, followed by a Michelin star for Purnell’s, which the restaurant has retained since 2009.
In addition to his restaurant work, Purnell is a well-known figure on British television. He has won Great British Menu twice and has returned to the programme as a mentor. His television appearances also include Saturday Kitchen, and he co-presented My Kitchen Rules UK alongside Rachel Allen on Channel 4.
Recognised for combining technical precision with an approachable style, Purnell’s residency forms part of the St. Regis Maldives’ 2026 Tastemaker Series, a programme designed to showcase international culinary talent through immersive guest experiences. His emphasis on seasonal, responsibly sourced ingredients and sustainable practices aligns with the resort’s broader commitment to considered luxury and culinary quality.
Set on Vommuli Island, the residency offers guests the opportunity to experience contemporary British gastronomy in a distinctive island setting, with rare access to one of the UK’s most influential chefs.
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