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Six Senses Kanuhura: Maldivian island life, reborn

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Iconic Maldivian resort reimagined with bold design and multi-bedroom retreats on an incredible natural island

Six Senses Kanuhura is now open for bookings for stays from September 1 onwards. Home to one of the largest and most iconic natural beaches in the Maldives, the resort encompasses another two white-sand private islands, one for intimate desert island dining and the other for the ultimate castaway escape. Days are lived adrift, sun-soaked and sandy, surrounded by luminous waters. Time well spent under a gently swaying palm tree is interrupted only by the lure of food, fun, “me time” in the spa, or “we time” with loved ones or a passing turtle.

Six Senses has intentionally opted to reinvent a Maldivian icon, reimagining the existing resort and resources while continuing to protect the natural beauty of the island. What stays has been enhanced, from the Drift and Bottega dining outlets to the organic gardens, where a microgreens nursery mingles with the beauty of wild orchids. The 91 beachfront and overwater villas include 12 new Beach Retreats. These offer one to three bedrooms and private pools just steps from the ocean, spot on for families or larger groups.

Bryce Seator, General Manager, says: “Watching the island transform in the past few months has been an exciting journey, and we all look forward to revealing the new Six Senses Kanuhura. Following its long history, the island has been reborn, and the overall experience has been reinvented to bring the brand’s sustainability and wellness ethos to a new corner in the Maldives.”

Tropical island sophistication

Whether staying on the shore or perched on stilts over the tranquil lagoon, all accommodations offer a sophisticated yet charming style to combine elegance with feet-up comfort. Inspired by turquoise lagoon waters and lush tropical nature, the interior color palette includes marine hues and down-to-earth tones that fully blend with the natural environment. The design is purposely bold, polished over rustic, and resolutely eco-friendly: everything is crafted from local and sustainable materials. The villas and retreats feature large windows allowing natural light to enter throughout the day and draw the eye to the island’s lagoon and the Indian Ocean. The outdoor rain showers give a sense of bathing in nature under the expansive starlit sky.

The reinvented experience

Adventures and stories begin at Six Senses Kanuhura. Suitable for families, couples, or friends traveling together, there is an array of activities, on land, on the waves, and underwater, for everyone to enjoy. Younger guests from three to 11 years old can discover their creativity or more of the island and marine life at the Grow With Six Senses kids club, which offers fun and educational activities, such as treasure hunts, kids’ yoga, crafts, and upcycling. Families can opt for family cooking classes, watersports lessons, or private beach dining, spending quality time together. The Island Hideout is a place for teenagers to sit back, relax and enjoy games with their peers, in a space specially designed for them. Couples can enjoy romantic and intimate moments gazing at Lhaviyani’s famous sunsets at the new multi-deck Point restaurant and bar, or an “I do” moment during a private dinner on the beach under the stars.

This island escape will fit so snugly around everyone’s vacation hopes that there’s no need to escape each other after all.

Getting there

Six Senses Kanuhura is located in one of the most pristine corners of the Lhaviyani Atoll, 150 kilometers north of Male, a short 40-minute seaplane ride from Velana International Airport (MLE).

The Six Senses Kanuhura team is excited to welcome its friends, old and new, and celebrate the latest addition to the Six Senses family.

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Milaidhoo Maldives introduces high-end wellness residency led by Dr Lim Xiang Jun

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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

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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.

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New era in reef conservation: Six Senses Kanuhura launches data-led Coral Census

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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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