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St. Regis Maldives launches exciting new guest chef series
Luxury resorts in the Maldives come a dime a dozen, where dazzling turquoise lagoons, plush overwater villas, and first-rate hospitality are baseline expectations. Where these five-star escapes differ, though, is the food. Since its 2016 opening, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort set itself apart as a culinary tour de force with its selection of six gourmet, globally inspired restaurants and splashy wine cellar degustation menus. Now with a new guest chef series, foodie travelers have another delicious reason to book their next Maldivian getaway.
The resort’s rotating guest chef series rolled out in late 2021 and will continue through 2022, attracting a global roster of exceptional chefs to the five-star getaway two days per month. Early December, for instance, saw acclaimed chef Prateek Sadhu transfer his brilliant cooking techniques from his lauded Mumbai restaurant Masque to the Maldivian coastline with special dinners and intimate cooking classes. Previous headliners include chef Dharshan Munidasa, the maestro behind Sri Lanka’s world-famous Ministry of Crab, and Valencian-based chef Eduaro Torres of Molino Roca, with the 2022 line-up soon to be announced. Even if you miss out on the special guest chef dates, the resort’s bevy of restaurants and special dining experiences will still sate your gourmet appetite.
The St. Regis Maldives’ centrepiece restaurant is Alba, where a decadent buffet breakfast is served (if you’re not having breakfast in your own swish pool villa) as well as international choices for lunch and Italian for dinner. On an agreeable morning, guests enter the elegant, airy space to choose from a lavish buffet spread — from fresh dim sum and South Asian delicacies to continental bits — before settling onto beachfront tables on the sand. The breakfast à la carte menu is excellent, too, featuring sweet and savoury favourite waffle and duck leg confit and Maldivian-inspired omelets.
Tucked underneath Alba is the resort’s gastro magnum opus: Decanter, a subterranean wine cellar hosting multi-course degustations with wine pairings to a lucky few. It’s the experience to book well in advance for the chance to have executive chef Pedro Samper and Maldivian wine sommelier Ahmed Athif personally guide you through a memorable evening of food (think caviar-topped reef lobster poached in butter) and wine (a selection of vintages sourced from the resort’s 2,000-plus bottle collection).
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Crust & Craft, the designated “beach shack” pizzeria, the resort’s most casual and cost-friendly restaurant. Fresh-from-the-oven pizzas with toppings ranging from parma ham and organic basil to Maldivian smoked tuna are served here, as well as tacos, assorted bruschetta, and burgers (including the must-try Maldivian lobster burger).
Orientale, the resort’s dinner-only Asian dining space, recently removed Indian cuisine from the menu to focus on Chinese and Japanese flavors. Under its sleek open-air terrace, you’ll now find delectable sushi rolls, Wagyu beef dishes, and other souped-up classics on the Japanese list, while the Chinese menu features dim sum (some topped with caviar) and wok-fried varieties such as lobster and fiery Sichuan chicken. The special beachside Orientale Express offering takes things up a notch with an exclusive five-course Chinese omakase dinner.
For the cocktail lovers, there are few more striking places in the Maldives to enjoy a sundowner than at Whale Bar. The aptly named overwater lounge resembles a curvaceous whale shark; a pyrographic mural by artist Maya Burman depicting coral and sea life adorns the “belly” (ceiling) of the space. It’s a plum spot to try St. Regis Maldives’s flagship cocktail, the Island Mary — a localised answer to the Bloody Mary — prepared tableside and served inside a seashell.
Cargo provides a marked change of scenery from the beachfront restaurants, plopped within the island’s jungle landscape and perfect for starry nights. The shipping-container-turned-food-kiosk serves Middle Eastern staples such as hummus (their signature), falafel, and mouth-watering lamb dishes.
With its bevy of restaurants, cracking wine collection, new guest chef series, and a lengthy list of private dining experiences in special locations (from sandbank picnics to jungle cinema screenings for two), The St. Regis Maldives is your gourmet fix in the middle of the Indian Ocean — be sure to pack your appetite.
Featured
Milaidhoo Maldives introduces high-end wellness residency led by Dr Lim Xiang Jun
Milaidhoo, an intimate island retreat located within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, has announced a once-in-a-season wellness residency with internationally renowned integrative medicine specialist Dr Lim Xiang Jun, taking place from 22 to 28 February 2026.
For the first time, guests will have the opportunity to experience Dr Lim’s integrative approach to wellbeing in a private island setting. The founder of a leading modern Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice in Singapore, Dr Lim brings more than 20 years of experience and a rare mastery of both Eastern and Western healing traditions, including acupuncture, TCM, energy medicine, yoga, Ayurveda, meditation and metaphysics Bazi astrology.
During her residency, Dr Lim will offer bespoke one-on-one consultations and signature therapies aimed at restoring vitality, balancing energy and supporting transformation of mind, body and spirit. Guests will have access to her globally recognised treatments, including facial acupuncture, gua sha, reflexology and Chi Nei Tsang, as well as immersive sessions in meditation, qigong, yoga, sound healing and energy therapy. The residency’s distinctiveness lies in its integration of ancient wisdom, modern clinical practice and metaphysical insight, creating a personalised journey for every guest.
“Milaidhoo is an ideal sanctuary for guests seeking to reset, recharge and reconnect with themselves,” said Paul van Frank, General Manager of Milaidhoo. “By pairing the island’s serene, barefoot elegance with Dr Lim’s transformative expertise, this residency delivers an experience that is intimate, exceptional and truly unique.”
Dr Lim Xiang Jun added: “I am honoured to bring my holistic practices to Milaidhoo Maldives for the first time. The island’s natural tranquillity and energy provide an ideal environment for guests to embark on a personalised wellbeing journey. I look forward to guiding each guest through integrative traditional therapies, meditation and energy healing to help them reconnect with their vitality.”
With a limited number of consultations and treatments available, the residency is designed for guests seeking a holistic reset and a deeply personalised wellness experience within Milaidhoo’s peaceful island surroundings.
Guests wishing to secure their stay for this exclusive residency may visit the resort’s Special Offers page to reserve their wellness journey.
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Year of the Horse celebrated with island-inspired festivities at InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort is inviting guests and visitors to welcome the Lunar New Year with a curated programme of celebrations from 16 to 19 February 2026, marking the Year of the Horse through cultural performances, signature dining experiences, wellness rituals and family-focused festivities.
Set against the natural beauty of Raa Atoll, the resort’s Lunar New Year programme blends cultural tradition with contemporary island living, offering moments of togetherness, creativity and indulgence across the four-day celebration.
Festivities begin on 16 February with a Lunar New Year Cocktail at Café Umi Beach, followed by the resort’s signature Lunar New Year Gala Beach Dinner. This elegant evening will include festive dishes, fresh seafood and live performances such as a Lion Dance and Fire Show under the Maldivian night sky.
Culinary experiences form the core of the programme, with themed dinners and tastings crafted to reflect the spirit of the season. Highlights include wine-led dining journeys, a reunion dinner, a seafood-focused evening at Fish Market and an Asian BBQ pop-up buffet, offering guests meaningful opportunities to come together and celebrate through food.
Wellness will also feature prominently, with restorative experiences encouraging balance and renewal. Guests may enjoy signature spa rituals inspired by local traditions, immersive sound healing sessions and energising fitness activities. A visiting integrative somatic practitioner will be present throughout the festive period to support mind-body wellbeing.
Daily entertainment and cultural performances will enrich the celebrations, including ribbon and fan dances, umbrella performances, fire shows and a full day dedicated to Olympic-style island games suitable for all ages. Younger guests will have access to creative workshops, festive crafts and outdoor activities, while art enthusiasts may join resin art sessions led by the resort’s resident artist.
In addition, the resort will offer relaxed seasonal experiences available throughout the festival period, such as a Lunar New Year signature cocktail and shisha offerings at select venues, allowing guests to enjoy the celebrations at a leisurely pace.
With its combination of cultural expression, refined dining, wellness and island-inspired entertainment, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort’s Lunar New Year celebrations promise a meaningful and memorable beginning to the Year of the Horse.
Featured
New era in reef conservation: Six Senses Kanuhura launches data-led Coral Census
Six Senses Kanuhura has announced a pioneering initiative that positions the resort at the forefront of marine conservation in the Maldives: the Kanuhura Coral Census, the world’s first long-term, 3D reef-monitoring programme implemented by a resort. Developed in collaboration with leading scientists from Newcastle University and University College London (UCL), this advanced methodology delivers an unprecedented level of accuracy, data integrity and ecological insight. The launch arrives at a critical moment, as global research indicates that up to 90% of the world’s coral reefs could be lost by 2050.
For decades, coral-reef monitoring worldwide has relied on clipboards, tape measures and diver observations—methods that, while valuable, only capture small portions of a reef and leave significant gaps. Traditional surveys remain slow, highly subjective and limited in scale, typically assessing less than 0.01% of any given site.
The Kanuhura Coral Census removes these long-standing limitations. Using 3D modelling and advanced AI analysis techniques, including Gaussian splatting, the system maps more than 100 square metres of reef at each site, capturing detail down to half a millimetre. The result is a hyper-accurate, fully repeatable digital reconstruction of the reef—something no other resort has achieved to date.
The new methodology resolves the constraints of conventional surveys in several transformative ways:
- Large-scale digital reef mapping: Entire reef sections are recorded in ultra-high resolution instead of limited snapshots.
- Rapid fieldwork: Only 20 minutes of diving is required to collect all images needed for each 3D model.
- Removal of human bias: AI-driven analysis ensures consistent, objective coral data regardless of the researcher.
- Unmatched ecological detail: Indicators such as rugosity, coral-canopy height, overhangs and habitat complexity—often overlooked in traditional surveys—are fully captured.
- Perfect repeatability: The same reef sections can be re-surveyed every few months, producing the Maldives’ most accurate time-series coral dataset.
- Visual storytelling: Immersive 3D models allow clear communication with guests, researchers and the public, transforming scientific data into intuitive visual insights.
Alicia Graham, General Manager of Six Senses Kanuhura, said: “The Kanuhura Coral Census represents a major step forward for reef science within the hospitality sector. By introducing advanced reef mapping, we are not only elevating how reefs are monitored but redefining what is possible. It allows us to track the smallest changes with scientific precision, share findings transparently and make data-driven decisions that directly support reef recovery. This project signals a new era of accountable and impact-driven conservation for the Maldives.”
The long-term objective of the Kanuhura Coral Census is to develop a next-generation restoration programme that moves away from traditional metal frames and towards sustainable, ecologically informed solutions. With highly detailed insights into which corals are thriving, struggling, recruiting or bleaching—and where—Six Senses Kanuhura will design a restoration blueprint that sets a new benchmark for the region.
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