Featured
LUX* South Ari Atoll announces spiritual retreat
With the motto of reinventing health and wellbeing, LUX* South Ari Atoll Resort & Villas has announced their upcoming wellness retreat – Spirit of the Sea – in collaboration with Lee Wellness.
During this three-day experience, energy healing practitioners will guide you through a spiritual journey to help you understand energy healing and balancing techniques.
The retreat is designed in a way that each individual attending the session feels valued and energised from their minds, heals from within and is inspired, at the same time.
The Spirit of the Sea retreat is based on the element of ‘water’, and what better location than the stunning and relaxing LUX* South Ari Atoll Resort & Villas to experience an energy shifting experience.
Past attendees have had profound and powerful experiences through retreats curated by Lee Wellness.
The Spirit of the Sea retreat promises healing of the body and mind from trauma, anxiety, emotional distress and limiting beliefs in a safe space that is indulgent and will relax you.
The attendees can benefit from ‘unlimited’ private energy healing sessions, a benefit that is not offered in any other wellness retreat, which also ensures that attendees get the maximum benefits out of their participation.

The highlights of this retreat include, getting to know your chakras, psychic supper, live stories around a bond fire, psychometry, learning about good crystals to promote productivity and focus, learning intuitive eating, clairvoyant evening, yoga and meditation, past lives and Akashic records, tradition-al healing with Reiki, quantum jumping at Jungle Gym, a powerful gratitude and healing circle and unlimited private energy healing sessions.
Attendees will also learn about energy from a scientific perspective, how to open and use their intuition, how to release fears and limiting beliefs, how to work with energy from a quantum physics perspective and how to imbibe it into their daily lives to become more abundant, happier and bring mental peace and physical harmony.

Lee Wellness is a Dubai based wellness centre that teaches, inspires and practices meditation, energy healing and balancing techniques. It is a space created out of Passion and Ingenuity by world renowned energy healer Lee Whyberd. Most of the energy techniques practiced at Lee Wellness are based on metaphysics and quantum physics.
Several ancient methods and practices re-incarnated from ancient civilisations of Egypt, India and other countries in the world are practiced and will be implemented in The Spirit of the Sea retreat as well.
Lee Wellness’ experienced practitioners will guide you through this spiritual retreat to bring about peace within yourself so that you get the true potential of being abundant, successful and living healthy, fulfilling lives.
Lee Wellness in association with ‘Happy UAE’ is also part of the School of Life podcast focused on happiness and well-being, which is an initiative that is part of UAE’s National Wellbeing Strategy 2031.

Get keen on green with your breakfast, lunch and dinner, as part of the retreat, with a choice of vegan and vegetarian menu.
The Lux Collective’s Keen on Green concept offers a range of plant-based cuisine incorporated into the à la carte menus of every restaurant.
Highlighted by a Keen on Green logo, these veggie-driven, plant-based dishes feature a calorie count. A set of guidelines and standards are drawn up to prioritise healthier cooking methods such as steaming, baking, grill-ing, slow cooking at low temperature and pressure cooking. Wherever possible, raw methods of food preparation are favoured over cooking.
Additionally, you get one complimentary spa treatment at the multi-award-winning LUX* Me Spa, seaplane roundtrip transfers, arrival PCR Test at the LUX* Lounge and much more, as part of this retreat.
- Booking window: Till July 20
- Booking link: www.luxresorts.com/en/maldives/hotel/luxsouthariatoll
- Booking code: spiritofsea
- Retreat dates: July 27-29
For more information, visit www.luxresort.com. To make a reservation, email at STAY@luxmaldivesresort.com.
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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