Drink
What’s New at Velassaru Maldives
Maldives Promotion House – Secluded but not isolated Velassaru Maldives is located on a private coral island in the turquoise Indian Ocean. From the Male’ Airport, take an exhilarating 25-minute speedboat ride to the island. Skim over vast expanses of coral and sea life. Glimpses of miniature Edens rising from the sea. Arrive in Velassaru’s safe harbor, cool welcome drink waiting. A heron alights.
New Menus & Wines at Etesian and Sand Restaurant
Efforts have been put in to revamp the current menus of Etesian and Sand Restaurant to keep the resort up to date with the latest tastes and preferences of the culinary world today. Etesian offers you modern Mediterranean selections that showcases gastronomic creativity and flair. A floor-to-ceiling glass room houses an extensive wine library, offers the best wine selections to accompany the meals.
Sand Restaurant features an extensive range of grilled meat and seafood as well as the best from the eastern, western and continental cuisines. The live grill and cooking stations are the highlight of Sand restaurant and a fascinating sight not to be missed.
Experience the The New Chill Bar, Velassaru’s Sunset Bar
Chill Bar has recently gone through a revamp with a new seating layout, new furnishing as well as a new snack and light lunch menu.
The new furnishing on the wooden deck area comprises of several cosy cuddle seats under huge umbrellas and three large couple / family seats with its own attached overhead shelter. On the lower deck, several huge bean bags are left spread around the bar. The new light lunch menu offers a variety of snacks, salads, sandwiches and spring rolls. For the famish, it also offers a heavier meal like the Rib Eye Steak and Grilled or Steam Fish.
Chill Bar is the ideal place to watch the spectacular sunsets that the Maldives have to offer while enjoying a cocktail or two at Velassaru Maldives. A wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available.
Excursions at Velassaru Maldives
Due to popular demand, the number of trips per week for “Discover Malé” and “Sunset Cruise” excursions are increased to cater to the uprising needs of guests.
The “Discover Malé” trip offers guest a chance to visit the bustling capital city of Maldives on a guided journey to experience the abundant history and cultures as well as the modern sights. The “Sunset Cruise” is set upon a traditional Maldivian sail boat and offers you the most spectacular way to watch the sun setting over the Indian Ocean.
Drink
Eri Maldives helps couples fall in love all over again
Nobody needs a reason to fall in love with their partner all over again, but it’s romantic to keep finding one, season after season. UK wedding platform Bridebook found that a fifth of couples now wait until their first anniversary to take their honeymoon – giving finances time to settle after the wedding itself. Anniversary trips and vow renewals form a huge part of romantic travel as a result, with couples opting for longer stays than their wedding day ever allowed, now that joint finances can stretch further.
At Eri Maldives, it’s a moment that finally gets the spotlight it deserves – with a second telling to fit however couples want to approach it: planned in secret as an add-on, or built into a special occasion celebration.

Here’s our take to the occasions worth considering, and which of Eri’s three ceremonies suits each.
The Five-Year Reckoning
For couples who married between 2020 and 2022, this is an easy one. Many of those ceremonies were scaled back, livestreamed, or held with a guest list of two witnesses and a registrar on a screen. Five years on, that cohort is now reaching a natural milestone, Eri’s Waves of Love (from £1,235++) comes in as an overdue wedding they didn’t quite get: a proper beachfront ceremony led by the resort’s own Ceremony Master, Bodu Beru drummers announcing the moment, a ring exchange sealed with a symbolic certificate, and a champagne toast, closing with a romantic dinner set up right on the sand.
The New Chapter & the Quiet Comeback
Not every renewal is tied to a date on the calendar. Some follow a health scare, a stretch of distance, a difficult financial year. Others follow a quieter kind of shift altogether, whether it be an empty nest, a retirement, or relocation. For couples a little further along, Eternal Love (from £1,457++) builds on the same considered ceremony as Waves of Love, layer in touches this stage calls for: a candlelight dinner on the beach in place of the standard set-up, a rose petal shower, a bottle of Prosecco already waiting in the room, and a 45-minute healing aromatherapy treatment for the couple, with traditional Maldivian sarongs presented as a keepsake for having come through it together.

The Anniversary That Deserves an Upgrade
The 10th, the 25th, the one that ends in a zero – and milestones that carry real weight, for couples who’ve spent decades putting everyone else first. Ocean Kiss (from £1,755++) is Eri’s most extensive package, turning planned activities into day-to-night itineraries, with a five-course destination dining beachfront feast with lobster and wine, a floating or lagoon breakfast the morning after, and a full hour of Balinese massage for two.

Beyond the Ceremony
However the occasion is marked, each package can be tailored with additional romantic excursions and entertainments, including private sunset cruise with champagne and canapés, a duo band or DJ for the evening, a drone-filmed highlight reel of the day, and – for those chasing a truly out-of-this-world backdrop – a three-minute fireworks display.
Whether it’s booked quietly or planned together from the very start, the island simply asks one thing of its guests: turn up, and let the rest take care of itself. Visit erimaldives.com/renew-your-vows-in-paradise to start planning.
Drink
JW Marriott Maldives Kaafu Atoll introduces Omakase cocktail experience
JW Marriott Maldives Kaafu Atoll Island Resort has introduced its all-new Omakase Cocktail Menu at Nikkei Bar, an innovative beverage experience that reimagines the traditional omakase concept through the art of mixology. Inspired by the Japanese philosophy of entrusting the experience to the expertise of the creator, the new menu invites guests on a thoughtfully curated journey of unexpected flavors, refined craftsmanship, and contemporary creativity.
Developed by the resort’s talented mixology team, the Omakase Cocktail Menu showcases a collection of distinctive creations, each designed to surprise and delight the senses. Every cocktail tells its own story through carefully selected ingredients, bold flavor combinations, and elegant presentation, reflecting Nikkei Bar’s signature blend of Japanese precision and Peruvian influence. Highlights from the collection include Wasabi Was Good, a vibrant interpretation that balances delicate heat with refreshing citrus notes, Kumo, inspired by the lightness and serenity of drifting clouds, and Pink Hanami, a floral creation celebrating the beauty of Japan’s iconic cherry blossom season. Guests can also discover Petals of Kyoto, an elegant expression of delicate botanicals, Shisho Garden, which captures the freshness of aromatic herbs, and Moon Over Tokyo, a sophisticated cocktail inspired by the city’s vibrant evenings.



The journey continues with Shizuku (Droplet), a refreshing composition showcasing purity and balance, Thai Green Curry, an adventurous cocktail that transforms the beloved Southeast Asian dish into an unexpectedly harmonious drinking experience, and Kakuremi (Hidden Taste), a layered creation that reveals new dimensions of flavor with every sip.
“We are delighted to introduce our new Omakase Cocktail Menu at Nikkei Bar,” said Arup Chakraborty, Director of Food and Beverage. “Each cocktail has been thoughtfully crafted to offer guests a memorable sensory journey, combining innovation, storytelling, and exceptional craftsmanship. It reflects our commitment to creating distinctive dining and drinking experiences that celebrate creativity while embracing the spirit of contemporary luxury.”


Available exclusively at Nikkei Bar, the Omakase Cocktail Menu offers an immersive exploration of flavor where every cocktail is carefully curated to surprise, inspire, and elevate the guest experience. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Indian Ocean, this latest addition further reinforces JW Marriott Maldives Kaafu Atoll Island Resort’s dedication to delivering exceptional culinary experiences through thoughtful innovation and mindful luxury.
For more information, please visit the resort’s website.
Cooking
Constance unveils Escapade Gourmande 2026 in Maldives with Michelin-starred chef and winemaker
From 17 to 22 August 2026, Constance Hotels & Resorts invites you to the Maldives with Escapade Gourmande, a culinary journey unfolding between two islands that exist in dreamlike stillness: Constance Moofushi and Constance Halaveli.
Here, the ocean does not simply surround the experience; it becomes part of it. Salt air, warm sand, candlelight, and the quiet rhythm of waves set the stage for a celebration where gastronomy is not performed, but felt.
This year, Constance Hotels & Resorts has the pleasure of welcoming three remarkable artisans of taste: French three-Michelin-starred chef Jérôme Banctel, whose cuisine speaks in precision and emotion; South African winemaker Donovan Rall, whose wines carry the quiet intensity of landscapes and sun; and Italian pastry chef Cesare Murzilli, whose creations linger like soft memories at the end of a journey.
Together, they will compose moments rather than menus, an unfolding dialogue between fire, fruit, soil, and sea.

At Constance Moofushi, the atmosphere is unhurried, barefoot, almost whispered. On 17 August, guests drift into experiences shaped by light and ocean breeze with a sandbank tasting and aperitif cocktail around the wines from Donovan Rall, where the horizon dissolves into infinity.
The following evening, on 18 August, a wine dinner by Jérôme Banctel and Cesare Murzilli meets the expressive depth of Donovan Rall’s South African wines.
Then the journey deepens at Constance Halaveli, a setting where refinement takes centre stage on 21 August with a special breakfast imagined by Cesare Murzilli.
On 22 August, guests are invited to the exceptional wine pairing dinner, an elegant encounter between Banctel’s culinary precision, Murzilli’s delicate artistry, and Rall’s expressive wines.

Framed by Constance Halaveli’s extraordinary wine cellar, home to more than 22,500 bottles and over 1,600 references, the evening promises a celebration where gastronomy, wine, and island beauty meet in perfect harmony.
More than a programme, Escapade Gourmande becomes a fleeting island language, one spoken through textures, aromas, silence, and shared wonder. It is also a passing of knowledge, as Donovan Rall guides Constance sommeliers through masterclasses that refine not only technique, but sensibility.
In the end, it is not simply a celebration of food and wine. It is a moment where the Maldives feels less like a destination, and more like a state of taste, memory, and light.
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