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Amari Raaya Maldives’ opening offer: 40% off, free seaplane transfers, and more

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Amari Raaya Maldives, the Maldives’ newest luxury destination resort, welcomed its first guests on August 1. In celebration, Amari Raaya Maldives has announced an exclusive opening offer for guests to be some of the first to experience this un-touched island haven, with 40% off room rates, complimentary seaplane transfers for two, a 30-minute private photo shoot, and a memorable group sunset cruise.

The brand-new resort is located on one of the largest natural islands in Raa Atoll – easily accessible just 45 minutes by seaplane from Velana International Airport. Amari Raaya has been sympathetically designed with much of the lush forest and exquisite natural beauty preserved.

This large island, with its natural greenery and wide range of activities and experiences, presents quite a different option to the ‘typical’ Maldives experiences and, whilst romantic experiences are aplenty, also works well for families and groups. There is much to explore, activities such as diving with the certified PADI instructors to spot the local sea turtles – or swimming with whale sharks, paddle-boarding, jet-skiing or kayaking on the azure blue waters. Extra special experiences are also on offer such as welcoming sundown from atop a canopy of palms or dining on a private corner of the beach.

Couples, families or friends can enjoy spectacular dining, exciting activities and unobstructed ocean views from 187 beach and ocean villas – which each offer direct access to the beach or ocean.

Explore untouched nature

Guests looking to escape the world and relish exquisite natural beauty should look no further. Situated on one of the largest natural islands in Raa Atoll, at 390,000 square metres (39 hectares), Amari Raaya has been sympathetically designed with much of the lush forest reserved for guest enjoyment, including a natural mangrove with forest trails for walking, and sky-high watchtower views to enjoy. Interwoven into the experience is the fictional story of Seb, a portrait artist who was shipwrecked on the island and who has inspired the resort’s concept. Discover the remnants of his castaway story, including his art studio, ship and watchtowers converted to private dining and star-gazing venues.

For families

Not just for couples, Amari Raaya Maldives offers comprehensive facilities for young children and teenagers, from sports to play areas. The kids’ club offers fun for all ages – younger children can enjoy arts and crafts whilst older children can venture out armed with a map and compass in search of puzzles, art and treasure. Families and groups can opt for a Family Beach or Family Beach Pool Villa, a unique accommodation style, offering two-interconnected villas and a shared private outdoor living space for quality time together.

For activity hunters and thrill seekers

The local reef is home to an abundance of ocean life including sea turtles, and in season the famous bioluminescent plankton. Venture into the deep blue Indian Ocean and dive with the onsite certified PADI instructors – spot the local sea turtles, or enjoy fun-filled water activities. Alternatively, guests can try archery, zip lines, mini-golf, paddle tennis, badminton, or take a dip in the two stunning pools.

For romance and relaxation

Romance knows no bounds at Amari Raaya Maldives. Start the day with one of the Maldives’ most iconic experiences – a floating breakfast served in your very own private pool. Relax in the sumptuous Maai Spa, offering unique, personalised treatments inspired by Thai traditions. Later, enjoy a candlelit dinner on the beach surrounded by fresh flower petals as the sun sets beyond the ocean. Alternatively, dine beneath the island’s lush forest canopy, with twinkling lights providing an atmosphere of true romance.

For foodies

Guests will be in gastronomy heaven with seven dining options serving up vibrant flavours, combining Thai, Asian, Maldivian and International cuisine. Each dining destination offers something special, from bustling hawker food stalls at the signature Amaya Food Gallery to sunset snacks and cocktails on rooftops, Italian favourites served poolside, mobile snacks and ice-creams served from a bus, and sumptuous freshly caught seafood daily.

For bucket-list experiences

Those looking to tick something extra special from their life to-do list can take their pick from experiences including welcoming sundown from atop a canopy of palms or dining on a private corner of the beach whilst feeling the sand between your toes and watching the sun slip from the horizon. Or how about the thrill of swimming with whale sharks beneath the ocean waves, or paddle-boarding, jet-skiing or kayaking on the azure blue waters – moments never to be forgotten.

Opening Offer: Up to 40% off stays, complimentary transfers for two, a 30-minute private photo shoot, and a memorable group sunset cruise. The offer is valid for bookings made between 1st August to 23rd December 2023, creating an opportunity for travellers to be among the first to experience this paradise island destination. Rates start from USD 420++ (approximately 380 GBP) per villa per night with daily breakfast.

For reservations and more information, visit the official website of Amari Raaya Maldives.

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Four Seasons Maldives combines celebrations with conservation, wellness and private dining

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Four Seasons has highlighted its Maldives properties as destinations for personalised celebrations and private gatherings, offering experiences ranging from exclusive island buyouts and weddings to family reunions, corporate retreats and conservation-led activities.

The Maldives features prominently in a new collection of group and celebration experiences unveiled by Four Seasons Resorts of Asia, with Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa offering distinct options for couples, families and small groups.

At Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru in Baa Atoll, couples can take part in Tales from a Treetop Table, a private dining experience set within the island’s canopy. The resort also offers multi-day celebrations combining private dining, marine encounters, wellbeing and conservation activities.

Its Overwater Wedding Pavilion, accessible only by boat, features a glass-bottomed aisle surrounded by the waters and marine life of the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

For larger gatherings, the resort’s four-bedroom Landaa Estate extends across 80 metres of private beach and includes a 20-metre swimming pool. Four Seasons said the estate can be used for family reunions, corporate retreats, micro-wedding receptions and milestone celebrations.

Marine conservation is also incorporated into group itineraries at Landaa Giraavaru through manta ray research, coral restoration and turtle rehabilitation programmes. Guests can participate in conservation activities together, while the resort’s Manta-on-Call programme alerts participants when manta rays are sighted nearby and arranges speedboat excursions for snorkelling encounters.

Nearby, Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah offers a different model centred on exclusivity. Located within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the five-acre private island has seven rooms and can accommodate up to 30 guests.

The property hosts only one group at a time, allowing guests to create their own programme without having to work around other resort schedules. A team of 30 staff supports full-island buyouts, with experiences including personalised wellness programmes at the Ocean of Consciousness Spa, yacht excursions and private dining.

Culinary experiences can also be tailored for groups, including a Maldivian Fisherman’s Feast built around the day’s catch.

In North Malé Atoll, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa is being positioned for multigenerational gatherings and smaller groups, with the resort located around 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé.

The property brings together beaches, private villas, suites and tropical gardens within a compact island setting, while its ŪRJĀ Naturopathy Island offers wellness programmes and treatments designed around rest and restoration.

Across its Asian portfolio, Four Seasons said it is increasingly designing celebrations around personalised itineraries rather than conventional event formats. In the Maldives, this approach combines private accommodation, dining, wellbeing, marine conservation and access to the country’s natural environment.

The group said the aim is to create gatherings that allow guests to spend more time together while shaping activities around the interests and preferences of each group.

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Patina Maldives welcomes Sean Wotherspoon for ‘Respect the Reef’ collaboration

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Patina Maldives, Fari Islands is set to welcome globally acclaimed designer, artist and vintage collector Sean Wotherspoon for an exclusive collaboration that brings together fashion, art, creativity and the marine environment of the Maldives.

Running from 12 August to 12 September 2026, the collaboration will transform the Fari Artist Atelier at Patina Maldives into a space shaped by Sean’s distinctive visual language, featuring an exclusive capsule collection of original artworks, vintage finds and reworked pieces. The collaboration centers around Respect the Reef, a large-scale ceramic fish sculpture created collectively with guests and designed to eventually become part of the marine environment.

A Collaboration Rooted in the Reef

The collaboration began with a simple idea: everything comes back to respecting the reef.

During his time at Patina Maldives, Sean spent time with resident marine biologist Nihaan, exploring the reefs surrounding the Fari Islands and the conservation work already taking place at the resort. Their conversations became the starting point for a project that would bring Sean’s creative practice into conversation with Patina’s existing approach to coral restoration.

Two practices came together. Patina’s ceramic coral workshops invite guests to create ceramic pieces that are later planted underwater, while coral frames provide structures where coral can attach and grow. For the collaboration, these practices were brought together in a new form and as a part of the 3-day Fari Islands Festival. Instead of a conventional geometric frame, the structure became a large sculptural fish, covered in individually made ceramic scales which has now been submerged in the lagoon surrounding Patina Maldives, where it begins its next life as part of the reef ecosystem.

The scales also introduced something new to Patina’s ceramic coral process: colour.

While the ceramic pieces created through the resort’s regular workshops are traditionally left unglazed, Sean’s work is deeply rooted in colour. Guests were therefore invited to glaze the individual scales themselves, bringing their own combinations of colour and pattern into the sculpture.

A Creative Language of Colour

The Respect the Reef sculpture forms part of a wider collaboration that sees Sean bring his characteristic use of colour, texture and vintage-inspired storytelling to Patina Maldives. Created exclusively for the resort, the capsule collection includes apparel, accessories and a selection of one-of-one vintage.

Inspired by the colours, textures and energy of the Maldives, the collection reflects Sean’s approach to design, where familiar objects, materials and references are given a new perspective.

“I work in colour, I work in texture, I work in materials. I always say that I want people to close their eyes, feel my projects, and still be able to gain a love for them. It’s the same with vintage shopping, you should be able to do it with your eyes closed. Designs should activate multiple different senses,” he said.

Sean’s creative language also finds its way into the Fari Artist Atelier, where guests can discover the exclusive capsule alongside original artworks, vintage ephemera and curated objects from his world.

The Fari Artist Atelier, Reimagined

From 12 August to 12 September, the Fari Artist Atelier becomes a space for guests to explore Sean’s work and the ideas behind the collaboration.

The Atelier brings together fashion, art and objects, while the Respect the Reef experience extends that creative exchange beyond the gallery and into the natural environment of the Fari Islands. For Sean, the project offered an opportunity to work within a creative framework that was already part of Patina’s identity, while giving it a new form.

“I have this thing I do really well. I don’t need to reinvent the wheel every time. Even if it’s my same art direction, based on whatever the vehicle is, the designs are always going to be fresh,” he said.

At Patina Maldives, that vehicle became a fish, made from many individual pieces, painted by many different hands and ultimately returned to the reef that inspired it.

Everything Comes Back to the Reef

Lexie Rodriguez, Vice President of Lifestyle, Capella Hotel Group, says: “Transformative luxury is about creating experiences that leave something behind — in us, between us and in the places we inhabit. What I love about this collaboration is how that idea lives at every level: through Respect the Reef, Sean’s creativity became a canvas for our guests and community to contribute their own hands, colour and imagination before the work was ultimately given back to the ocean; while the collection creates a tangible memory to take home, carrying a piece of Patina and the Maldives with you. It is creativity that extends beyond the moment — continuing to evolve, create connection and leave an imprint long after you have gone.”

The collaboration forms part of Patina Maldives’ ongoing creative programme, bringing together voices from art, design, music, fashion and culture while creating opportunities for guests to engage with the island in unexpected ways.

Respect the Reef captures that approach in its simplest form. It takes a practice already embedded in life at Patina, gives it a new creative expression through Sean Wotherspoon’s world of colour, and invites guests to become part of it. As the sculpture is now in the water, the process continues without them. Coral will grow, the surface will change, and the artwork will become increasingly intertwined with the reef around it.

What starts in the hands of guests eventually belongs to the ocean.

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JOALI BEING celebrates festive season with ‘Tides of Tradition’

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This festive season, JOALI BEING invites guests to embrace the warmth of togetherness with Tides of Tradition, a joyful celebration inspired by the rhythm of the ocean and the timeless traditions that bring people together. From 22 December 2026 to 8 January 2027, the well-living island will reimagine the festive season through the Joy of Well-Living, bringing together cherished celebrations, transformative wellbeing, exceptional dining, island adventures and meaningful experiences for families.

From moments of stillness to joyful celebration, Tides of Tradition unfolds through experiences that inspire connection — with oneself, loved ones and nature — bringing together festive traditions, transformative wellbeing, culinary journeys and island celebrations.

Festive highlights include:

  • Island of Light: Festive Tree Illumination – The season begins as JOALI BEING’s festive tree comes to life beneath swaying palms, marking a radiant moment of togetherness and the start of the island’s celebrations.
  • Feast of Christmas Wonders: Christmas Eve Dinner – Loved ones gather for an elegant Christmas Eve dinner, bringing together festive favourites, JOALI BEING signatures and thoughtfully sourced ingredients in the spirit of sharing and togetherness.
  • Island Splash Pool Party – Celebrate island style at MOJO Pool with live music, refreshing cocktails, festive bites and playful poolside experiences, all set against a vibrant island atmosphere.
  • Season’s Bells: Santa’s Arrival – Santa brings a touch of festive magic to the island with a special arrival and surprises for younger guests and families.
  • A World of Magic: New Year’s Celebrations – The island welcomes 2027 with an evening of glamour, culinary artistry and live entertainment, beginning with sunset cocktails before a celebratory gala dinner, midnight countdown, fireworks and dancing beneath the stars.

As part of the festive season, JOALI BEING will welcome Visiting Practitioners offering experiences designed to support balance, vitality and renewal:

  • Breath of Life with Javier de Prado – Combining breathwork, Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and OsteoTha with mindful movement and meditation, Javier de Prado’s integrative sessions support nervous-system regulation, inner balance and deeper presence.
  • Holistic Longevity & Facial Rejuvenation with Dr Igor Roganin – Blending Traditional Chinese Medicine with advanced diagnostics, Dr Igor Roganin offers personalised therapies to support vitality, graceful ageing, long-term wellbeing and facial rejuvenation.

Throughout the season, the Joy of Well-Living unfolds through movement, mindfulness and transformative wellbeing, from meditation and hydrotherapy rituals to energising sessions and expert-led experiences. As evening falls, the rhythm shifts to music and movement with signature experiences including the Island Splash Pool Party, DJ Fit Night and Rhythm at the Gate at the iconic Gate of Zero.

Culinary experiences bring guests together through flavour, craftsmanship and connection, from intimate chef-led journeys and the five-course Chef’s Table Collection to Spirit of the Orient, Italian Essence and Japanese specialities at Yutori. Toes-in-the-sand seafood dinners at MOJO and hands-on pasta, sushi and artisan pizza masterclasses add to the season’s culinary celebrations.

The ocean and surrounding nature become part of the journey, with dolphin cruises, guided snorkelling, sunset fishing, coral planting, scuba diving and water sports offering opportunities for discovery, adventure and a deeper connection with the natural world.

At B’Kidult, younger guests and families can share experiences designed around curiosity, wellbeing and connection, from Christmas crafts, nature treasure hunts and culinary workshops to teen fitness, virtual reality and marine adventures. Families can also discover the island’s conservation work through coral planting, visits to the Sea Turtle Care Centre and experiences with the Marine Biology team.

A stay at JOALI BEING is a transformative journey where guests return home feeling lighter, happier and more energised. Villas start from USD 5,392 per night for two guests sharing an Ocean Pool Villa on a B&B basis.

For full details on the festive programme, please visit the resort’s website and discover its Festive Season Offer. For bookings and further information, please contact reservations.being@joali.com.

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