Featured
India’s IndiGo resumes Maldives flights with twice weekly Kochi-Male service
Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has relaunched flight operations to the Maldives, directly connecting the Indian city of Kochi to Male.
IndiGo’s first flight after a three-month-long suspension of operations due to lockdowns imposed by both Indian and Maldivian authorities to contain the coronavirus outbreak landed at the Maldives’ main Velana International Airport Thursday afternoon.

The airline will operate a direct service on the Kochi-Male-Kochi route every Thursday and Sunday.
Before the coronavirus pandemic hammered air travel, IndiGo was operating direct flights between Male and the Indian cities of Kochi, Bangalore and Mumbai.
The move by India’s biggest airline comes a week after Air India resumed scheduled passenger flights to the Maldives. The Indian flag carrier now operates a weekly service — on Tuesdays — between Trivandrum and Male.
Last month, officials from the Maldives and India inked an agreement to create a “travel bubble” to facilitate movement of people between the two countries.
India was the fastest growing source market for Maldives tourism in 2019, as arrivals recorded year-over-year growth of 83.5 per cent to reach 166,015 from 90,474 in 2018.
The Maldives reopened its borders on July 15.
With the border reopening, 30-day free on-arrival visa is issued to all tourists with a confirmed booking for a stay at any registered tourist facility in the country.
There is no mandatory quarantine or testing on arrival, but tourists have to complete an online health declaration form and provide a negative PCR test result taken at least 72 hours prior to their departure.
Visitors with symptoms of the Covid-19 respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus or those travelling with someone who has similar symptoms are also tested at their own expense.
The coronavirus outbreak has hit the Maldivian economy hard, as travel restrictions and other preventive measures affect the country’s lucrative tourism industry, which contributes the bulk of the island nation’s state revenue and foreign reserves.
Before the pandemic, the government had been bullish about tourism prospects, targeting two million, high-spending holidaymakers this year after last year’s record 1.7 million.
However, only 382,760 tourists visited the Maldives before the country closed its borders on March 27. It was a 40.8 per cent decline over the 646,092 that visited the Maldives from January to March last year.
Meanwhile, the government’s best case scenario now puts total tourist arrivals for 2020 just above 800,000.
Tourism has been the bedrock of the Maldives’ economic success. The $5 billion-dollar economy grew by 6.7 per cent in 2018 with tourism generating 60 per cent of foreign income.
However, the government is at present projecting a possible 13 per cent economic contraction this year — an estimated $778 million hit.
On March 8, Maldives reported its first cases of the novel coronavirus, as two hotel employees tested positive for Covid-19 at a luxury resort in the archipelago.
Eighteen more cases — all foreigners working or staying resorts and liveaboard vessels except five Maldivians who had returned from abroad — were later identified.
A six-case cluster of locals, detected in capital Male on April 15, confirmed community transmission of the coronavirus. Several more clusters have since been identified, bringing the total number of confirmed case in the Maldives to 8,361.
Twenty-nine deaths have been reported, while 5,642 have made full recoveries.
The Maldives announced a state of public health emergency on March 12, the first such declaration under a recent public health protection law.
The public health emergency declaration allowed the government to introduce a series of unprecedented restrictive and social distancing measures, including stay-at-home orders in capital Male and its suburbs, a ban on inter-island transport and public gatherings across the country, and a nationwide closing of government offices, schools, colleges and universities.
Non-essential services and public places in the capital such as gyms, cinemas and parks were also shut.
Restaurants and cafes in the capital were asked to stop dine-in service and switch to takeaway and delivery.
A nationwide shutdown of all guesthouses, city hotels and spa facilities located on inhabited islands was also ordered.
The restrictions are now being eased in phases, with the third phase measures now active.
Celebration
Villa Park sets holiday line-up with sunset welcome, Santa visit and NYE gala
Villa Park has announced its Festive 2025–2026 programme, running from 20 December 2025 to 6 January 2026. The schedule moves from lagoon-side mornings to music-led evenings on the beach, beginning with a sunset welcome and continuing with beach barbecues, creative workshops, Christmas Eve dinner, Santa’s visit on 25 December, and a New Year’s Eve gala with a midnight countdown. The season concludes with programmes on New Year’s Day and Orthodox Christmas.
Daytime activities include chef demonstrations, shoreline art sessions, and live music. Evenings feature romantic tables, treetop dining for two, and simple set-ups that highlight the island setting. The programme is designed for couples, friends, and families to join as they wish.
Family programming centres on Park Players, presented as the Maldives’ largest kids’ club, with letters to Santa, gingerbread crafts, ocean-themed art, movement classes, story time, and film nights. Group sizes are kept small to ensure attentive supervision.
Villa Park’s family offering has been recognised beyond the festive season, with the resort named among the Best Resorts for Families in the Maldives at the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2025, a reader-voted accolade reflecting guest feedback on space, programming, and flexible pacing.
Throughout the calendar, private experiences sit alongside larger celebrations, including candlelit beach dining, treetop tastings, floating breakfasts, and open-air cinema for two. Guests can set their own rhythm, whether opting for lively beach gatherings or quiet evenings under lanterns and palms, from sunrise through to the New Year countdown and beyond.
Featured
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas introduces season of wellness with three practitioners
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas is inviting guests to embark on a holistic journey guided by three visiting wellness practitioners, each specialising in distinct approaches to healing. Drawing on traditional knowledge and contemporary practice, the practitioners will offer therapies at the resort’s overwater spa designed to align body, mind, and spirit in a tranquil Maldivian setting. Disciplines include Ayurveda, energy-based therapies, sound healing, and mindful movement, with personalised consultations and bespoke treatments available.
A fifth-generation Ayurvedic physician, Dr Jithurag continues a 300-year family lineage rooted in holistic balance. Trained within the Rameswaram Tantric tradition, he blends Ayurvedic principles with elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, integrating marma therapy and acupuncture with Reiki and Pranic Healing. Using wellness screening technologies to assess biomarkers, he designs tailored treatment plans. Guests may book a complimentary consultation and choose from signature therapies such as TCM Acupuncture, Cupping Therapy, Marma Abhyanga, and Back Restoration Therapy.
Holistic therapist and Ayurvedic healer Sharath Ram brings more than 16 years’ experience in supporting physical, mental, and spiritual balance. His work combines Ayurveda with energy practices and therapeutic yoga to encourage both recovery and transformation. His specialities include Chakra Inner Energy Balancing, Ayurveda Deep Fusion Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Maderotherapy, and Mind-Body Healing. He will also lead complimentary workshops, including The Art of Breathing and Dynamic Meditation, focusing on breathwork and movement to promote calm and clarity.
From Kerala, India, Vinod Narayanan offers over a decade of experience in Ayurveda, yoga, and holistic healing across Europe, Africa, and Asia, including service as a personal physician to dignitaries. At Anantara Kihavah he will provide therapies such as Himalayan Sound Healing Massage, De-Armouring Body Therapy, Abdominal Detox, Access Bars Energy Healing, and Gut-Brain Rewiring. Using vibration, touch, and energy alignment, his sessions aim to release emotional blockages, improve circulation, and support the body’s natural rhythm. Complimentary consultations are available, alongside sound-based journeys that seek to harmonise body and spirit.
Together, the practitioners complement Anantara Kihavah’s wellbeing philosophy, extending from Ayurvedic traditions to sound therapy. Guests are invited to the overwater Anantara Spa for bespoke treatments, meditative workshops, and one-to-one consultations that encourage connection with self and nature.
Further enhancing the experience, the resort has introduced reimagined Beach Pool Villas featuring natural textures, open-plan spaces, and private pools set within tropical greenery.
Celebration
Mindful festive escape: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa focuses on connection and renewal
This festive season, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa will welcome guests to a celebration of warmth, wonder and mindful connection. From 19 December 2025 to 7 January 2026, the resort will transform into a serene island sanctuary where nature, gastronomy and meaningful experiences come together in harmony.
Situated in one of the most untouched atolls of the Maldives, Huvadhu Atoll, Hadahaa embodies a refined simplicity that showcases the beauty of the natural world. Throughout the festive period, guests are invited to slow down, reconnect and rediscover the joy of being fully present, surrounded by turquoise waters, lush island greenery and Maldivian hospitality.
“The festive season at Hadahaa is more than a celebration — it’s a homecoming,” said Anshul Sharma, General Manager of Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa. “It’s a time to reflect, to celebrate togetherness and to embrace the island’s timeless rhythm where nature and joy coexist effortlessly.”
Highlights of the Festive Season:
- Holiday splendour and timeless traditions – From the twinkling lights of the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to the New Year’s Eve Countdown by the Beach, each event is shaped by the understated elegance that defines Park Hyatt. Familiar festive traditions are reinterpreted with authentic island touches, creating celebrations that feel both comforting and renewed.
- Beneath the holiday surface – Adventure enthusiasts will be able to join Festive Snorkelling and Diving excursions, Turtle Quests and an Exclusive Christmas Night Dive. Each marine experience offers a deeper connection to the ocean’s vibrant ecosystem, enhanced by the festive spirit of exploration.
- Season of renewal – Guests can restore body and mind with holistic spa journeys at The Vidhun Spa, featuring Ayurveda-inspired treatments, island botanicals and festive rituals designed to support inner balance. The resort will also host Dr Jyoti Kodwani, founder of The Sacred Chakras, for a month-long Festive Wellness Residency offering transformative healing therapies.
- Festive flavours and family moments – From Barefoot BBQs by the Bay to elevated treehouse dining beneath the stars, dining experiences are designed to become lasting memories. Younger guests can take part in creative workshops, treasure hunts and Santa’s seaside arrival, ensuring special moments for families and guests of all ages.
This year, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa’s festive programme captures the essence of renewal and joy, celebrating life’s simplest pleasures with a blend of sophistication and soul.
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