Featured
Hideaway celebrates wellness
June 12 was Global Wellness Day, a dedicated day meant to highlight wellness as a sustainable lifestyle.
A slightly broad concept, Global Wellness Day (GWD) defines ‘wellness’ as an active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a healthy and fulfilling life. This desire to improve ourselves is a shared lived experience among all humans and directly affects our quality of life, the organisation states.
As wellness is a personal development, GWD is all about slowly changing habits one at a time to make an overall healthier life. Several activities are highlighted to cover different aspects of life, like walking for an hour, drinking more water, avoiding plastic water bottles, doing a good deed for someone, sharing a dinner with a loved one, and going to sleep early.
Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa understands the importance of a balanced, positive, and proactive lifestyle, and wanted to especially celebrate Global Wellness Day and share it with others.
To spread awareness and encourage others to highlight the date on their calendars, Hideaway hosted a social media countdown the week before Global Wellness Day. Each day came accompanied with a new post that highlighted a unique wellness aspect of the resort: adventure, relaxation, activities, healthy eating, and mindfulness.
On June 12, Hideaway also offered a special wellness programme for its guests — a whole day of activities to promote healthier living.
Morning yoga on the beach kicked off the event, and Zumba later in the day helped to keep the activity levels high. A degree of friendly rivalry was also present at a water sports competition and a beach volleyball match between staff and guests. Sprinkled throughout this wellness day was healthy cuisine options like detox smoothies, coconut water, and a cooking class.
The luxurious Hideaway Spa held an afternoon special “Coconut Beauty Treatment” with aloe/cucumber shots and Hibiscus tea to sweeten the deal.
A DJ night at Meeru Bar got everyone up on their feet one last time to dance and close out the night.
This was a very successful programme, and guests thoroughly enjoyed the activities.
Want to know the best part, though? It was not just a one-time event: Fresh homegrown food is picked daily; a well thought out and curated ocean/farm to table concept cuisines are there, fun and diverse activities are always available; the spa and yoga instructor are ready for any willing guests; and adventure awaits around every bend of the island. Healthy choices are a daily occurrence, and wellness is engrained in the Hideaway experience.

A hidden jewel tucked away deep in the Maldives, Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa offers the rare opportunity to experience true luxury and seclusion.
Located on Dhonakulhi Island in Haa Alifu Atoll, this five-star resort is a scenic 50-minute domestic flight from Velana International Airport, followed by a 15-minute speedboat ride.
It is pristine, untouched, and picturesque; with only 10 per cent of the island occupied, it remains an oasis that perfectly balances recreation, relaxation, and natural beauty– and, of course, wellness.
Come treat yourself to an ultimate wellness journey that you deserve at the Best Luxury Hideaway Resort in the Maldives.
Featured
‘Eutopia: The Infinite Bloom’ comes to Sun Siyam Vilu Reef this festive season
Sun Siyam Vilu Reef, part of the Privé Collection within the House of Siyam, has announced its festive programme, “Eutopia: The Infinite Bloom”, which will run from 22 December 2026 to 7 January 2027.
The seasonal programme features activities and experiences for guests of all ages. Dining will take centre stage with Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve gala dinners by the water, exclusive Chef’s Table experiences and seafood barbecues on the beach.
The evening entertainment programme will include live acoustic performances, island DJ sets, aerial dance shows and Maldivian cultural performances.
During the day, guests will be able to explore the resort’s lagoon through activities such as house reef snorkelling, sunset Jet Car rides and sandbank excursions. The Spa will offer wellness rituals and couples’ therapies, while younger guests can take part in gingerbread decorating, a fashion show and Santa’s arrival on the beach.
“Eutopia is our invitation to celebrate and embrace nature, meaningful moments, and the relaxed luxury that defines Sun Siyam Vilu Reef through our festivities,” said Masdhooq Saeed, Cluster General Manager.
“From unforgettable ocean adventures to starlit beach celebrations, every experience has been thoughtfully designed to create lasting memories that will continue to flourish long after the season ends.”
The programme will culminate with a New Year’s Eve celebration on the beach on 31 December, featuring live music, midnight toasts and a fireworks display over the water.
The resort’s festive programme is available to view online, with bookings open for stays between 22 December 2026 and 7 January 2027.
Awards
Sun Siyam Iru Veli earns top wedding destination honour at TTM Awards
Fresh from being named Best Honeymoon Destination in 2025, Sun Siyam Iru Veli was recognised as Best Wedding Destination at the Travel Trade Maldives Awards & Gala 2026, held at Crossroads Maldives on 27 August. The award further reinforces the resort’s commitment to celebrating romance in all its forms.
Surrounded by turquoise lagoons and white-sand beaches, Iru Veli provides a natural setting for couples seeking an intimate island retreat. Every villa features a private pool, while secluded beaches, private sandbanks and a 24-hour all-inclusive dine-around experience offer guests privacy and flexibility throughout their stay.
The resort hosts celebrations of different scales, ranging from barefoot ceremonies by the ocean to larger events encompassing the entire island. Dedicated wedding planners work closely with each couple to personalise every element, ensuring that both the ceremony and the wider stay reflect their individual story.
This flexibility extends beyond the resort’s wedding packages. Simple Romance, Grand Gesture and Sandbank Magic provide couples with a starting point, with each celebration customisable through décor, dining, wellness, entertainment and island experiences. For occasions requiring complete exclusivity, full-island buyouts allow the resort experience to be tailored around the couple and their guests.
The celebrations can continue beyond the ceremony through candlelit dinners beneath the stars, spa rituals for two, sunset cruises and time spent together across the island. These experiences enable couples to shape the occasion around their preferences, with personal moments unfolding throughout their stay.
“Every couple arrives with a different story and a different vision for their celebration. There is no template here. From intimate ceremonies for two to full-island celebrations with family and friends, our role is to create moments that feel completely personal. That is exactly what our team does. They listen first and then create a ceremony that truly reflects the couple. This award is a testament to the dedication and care they put into making every moment memorable,” said Masdhooq Saeed, Cluster General Manager of Sun Siyam Iru Veli and Sun Siyam Vilu Reef.
The annual TTM Awards & Gala brings together travel professionals and hoteliers to recognise achievements across the Maldivian hospitality industry. Iru Veli’s latest award further strengthens its position among the Maldives’ leading destinations for weddings and romantic escapes.
Action
Chef Jake Norman and Molly O’Donoghue join Niva Dhigali for November programme
Niva Dhigali Maldives will welcome visiting chef Jake Norman and British pickleball champion Molly O’Donoghue for a curated programme of island experiences this November, bringing together dining and active wellbeing in the Maldives.
Norman began his culinary career making pizza in the markets of Guadalajara, Mexico, before working in several London restaurants, including St John, Ottolenghi and Sabor. He now leads the kitchen at Updown Farmhouse in Kent, where his cooking focuses on seasonal ingredients, live-fire techniques and Mediterranean influences.
On 18 November, Norman will host an exclusive dinner at Faru, presenting a menu that combines Mediterranean flavours with influences from Mexico and the Middle East, while incorporating ingredients sourced from the Maldives.
The shared dining experience will feature Indian Ocean produce, grilled dishes and smoky flavours, with a menu designed to reflect the setting and encourage guests to dine at a relaxed pace.
The programme will also include pickleball sessions hosted by British champion Molly O’Donoghue. A national champion in mixed and women’s doubles, as well as a European champion in mixed doubles, O’Donoghue first discovered the sport while studying in Australia. She has since competed internationally and worked to introduce the sport to players around the world.
At Niva Dhigali, O’Donoghue will conduct beginner sessions and advanced coaching, giving guests of different skill levels the opportunity to learn, play and develop their technique.
Located in Raa Atoll, Niva Dhigali Maldives is surrounded by tropical vegetation, a lagoon and the Indian Ocean. The November programme, featuring Norman’s dining experience and O’Donoghue’s pickleball sessions, forms part of the resort’s approach to offering guest experiences centred on food, wellbeing and the island environment.
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