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Emerald Maldives celebrates official opening
Emerald Collection has celebrated the official opening of its debut property in Maldives, the Emerald Maldives Resort & SPA.
Emerald Maldives welcomed its first guests on December 4.
A real first in terms of spectacular and unusual design and with an outstanding deluxe all-inclusive offering, guests will be wowed by this exceptional new resort.

Unusual to any private island, Emerald Maldives houses a wraparound reef which means guests are never more than a few footsteps away from an encounter with exotic fish, turtles or manta rays.
The 120-villa resort is located in the Raa atoll, renowned for having some of the most diverse marine life in the world and boasts one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives.

Designed by architect Edward David Poole, each villa exudes contemporary and tropical influences to create modern and unique interiors. From the outside, the villas blend harmoniously with the backdrop of the serene, tropical island and on the inside awaits nothing short of a masterpiece. Poole’s striking design includes enormous sparkling, white marble bathrooms with lavish silver mirrors and colour blocked bedrooms with exotic marine life wall art to compliment.


All guests stay on deluxe all-inclusive basis, which means when they arrive at Emerald Maldives, everything is taken care of. Deluxe all-inclusive allows guests to dine at any of the four resorts’ restaurants as many times as they wish during their stay. They have unlimited access to the villa mini bar, which is fully stocked daily, enjoy premium spirits and all non-motorised water sports at no additional cost.
When it comes to dining, Emerald covers cuisines from every continent with four fantastic restaurants to choose from and each with their own menu, style, theme and ambience.


Amazonico, the first and only South American restaurant in the Maldives, serves dishes like ceviche with passion fruit dressing and meats and fish from the huge open fire grill, which takes centre stage in this atmospheric restaurant. Nestled in the centre of the island amongst the palm trees, there are red lanterns which are strategically placed to mirror the effect of an open campfire, offering guests an authentic rainforest experience.

Carefully curated by head Chef Aldo Cadu, other culinary highlights include Asiatique’ s live cooking shows in front of the teppanyaki grill and fresh Maldivian lobster at the Beach Club Grill Restaurant. The signature Aqua Restaurant offers barefoot luxury at its finest, and with a variety of cooking stations chefs are able to bring guest’s culinary dreams to life.

Emerald Maldives offers extensive water sports facilities, and some of the best diving in the Maldives at the five-star diving centre where guests can even get their PADI licence.
Spanning 1,500sqm, the resort’s Dolphin Kids Club is one of the largest in the Maldives with its own zip wire that crosses from one side of the island to the other. The club welcomes kids from the age of 3-12 on a complimentary basis.

Home to a sumptuous haven of tranquillity, Emerald SPA, can be found in a secluded corner of the private island, offering a range of Bailnese and Thai treatments across 10 air-conditioned treatment rooms, as well as a Turkish bath, sauna and jacuzzi. ELEMIS treatments are also available for guests seeking a sensory wellness experience with a difference.

Situated on one of the quietest parts of the island, the Yoga Pavilion is the perfect setting to truly switch off and offers breath-taking sunrise yoga sessions.
The resort has also been built with sports and fitness lovers in mind, with two large tennis courts, two paddle courts and an air-conditioned Gym & Sports Centre with a state-of-the-art Technogym. Personal trainers are available to all guests too.
The resort has prioritised sustainability by using long-lasting Langhi Langhi leaves to build the canopies, and solar panels on every villa to power the entire resort’s hot water. In a bid to reduce single-use plastic waste, the resort uses paper straws as well as glass bottles and the island is home to a recyclable water irrigation system and composting facility.
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ELE|NA marks World Asthma Day with guided wellness experiences
ELE|NA marked World Asthma Day with a series of wellness activities across its properties, focusing on the role of breath in overall wellbeing.
The programme was designed to highlight the connection between breathing, movement and daily health practices. According to the company, the initiative aimed to position respiratory health as an integral part of routine wellness rather than a purely clinical concern.
Activities began with guided breath awareness sessions combined with stretching exercises. These sessions focused on controlled movement and breathing techniques intended to improve mobility and support more regulated breathing patterns. The approach was structured to help participants reduce tension and restore a steady physical rhythm.
The programme also included Floating Sound Healing sessions, where participants were positioned on water while exposed to therapeutic sound frequencies. The sessions were designed to support relaxation and mental focus through controlled sensory input.
The overall programme combined breathwork, movement and sound-based therapy as part of a structured wellness approach. ELE|NA indicated that these practices were intended to support awareness, relaxation and physical balance.
The company operates across 12 properties, including OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI, OZEN LIFE MAADHOO, OBLU SELECT Sangeli, OBLU SELECT Lobigili, OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi, VARU by Atmosphere, OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO and RAAYA by Atmosphere, as well as properties in India.
Through the initiative, ELE|NA presented its wellness framework as extending beyond spa treatments, incorporating routine practices centred on breathing, movement and relaxation.
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Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives offers Dive Free programme
Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives is offering guests access to a range of dive sites in South Malé Atoll through its Dive Free programme, aimed at divers seeking structured and accessible diving experiences during their stay.
Located approximately 45 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, the resort provides proximity to multiple dive sites within a 10 to 30-minute boat radius. The surrounding waters are known for varied reef structures, current-driven channels and regular marine life encounters, allowing for multiple dives per day.
The Dive Free programme is available to guests staying three nights or more, offering up to two complimentary scuba dives per day for up to two certified divers per villa.
According to Dive Centre Manager Ibrahim Shaan, the location enables access to a range of dive environments within a short distance, including reef and channel dives. He noted that sites such as Kandooma Thila can be reached within minutes, while additional sites offering different conditions are accessible within half an hour.
Director of Marketing and Sustainability Sharon Garrett stated that the programme is designed to integrate diving into the overall guest experience, reducing both time and cost considerations for certified divers.
Water conditions in the area remain suitable for diving throughout the year, with visibility often exceeding 20 metres. The dive sites accessible from the resort include:
- Kandooma Thila, a coral-covered pinnacle known for sightings of reef sharks and eagle rays
- Guraidhoo Corner, a channel dive site with strong currents attracting schools of fish and larger species
- Cocoa Corner, featuring reef walls and drop-offs with occasional pelagic encounters
- Kuda Giri Wreck, a sheltered site with a wreck and reef supporting reef fish and macro life
- Kandooma Caves, characterised by overhangs and reef formations with diverse marine species
Additional nearby sites include Manta Point, Lhosfushi, Medhu Faru and Waggiri, offering a mix of reef and channel diving, with seasonal manta ray sightings.
The resort operates a PADI five-star dive centre with guided excursions and access to multiple sites within short travel distances. The Dive Free programme is positioned as an option for divers seeking to maximise time in the water without the need for domestic transfers, providing direct access to dive locations from a single island base.
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Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives unveils Eid al-Adha experience
Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives has introduced a curated Eid al-Adha offering aimed at travellers seeking a structured yet flexible way to mark the occasion in a resort setting.
Branded “Island Celebrations: Eid – Connect in Paradise”, the experience is positioned for guests from the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, with a focus on shared experiences, personal time and engagement with the surrounding environment.
Located approximately 20 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, the resort is accessible for short-stay and family travel during peak holiday periods. The property features 120 beach and overwater villas, alongside an overwater spa, house reef and multiple dining outlets.
The Eid experience will begin with an in-villa welcome offering, including Arabic sweets, dates and fruit. The programme is structured around a series of optional activities rather than a fixed schedule. These include lagoon-based experiences, daily yoga sessions at sunrise and sunset, spa treatments, sunset cruises and dining options designed for private or shared settings.
The resort has indicated that the programme is intended to allow guests to engage with activities at their own pace, rather than follow a defined itinerary.
In line with the preferences of Muslim travellers, the resort has incorporated halal-friendly dining options, flexible meal arrangements and an expanded range of non-alcoholic beverages. Villa layouts are also designed to support privacy.
Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives has reported guest ratings of 9.2 out of 10 on halal travel platforms, reflecting demand within this segment.
The introduction of the Eid programme aligns with broader trends in the Maldives tourism sector, where travel experiences are increasingly structured around personalisation, cultural considerations and smaller-scale experiences.
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