In observance of International Astronomy Day on 19 September, Anantara Hotels & Resorts celebrates the preservation of our planet’s dark skies by spotlighting the resident SKY Edhurus at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas. As astronomers and storytellers, their mission to bring the universe within reach of guests aligns seamlessly with Anantara’s role as a custodian of tomorrow’s travel and its commitment to protecting the natural wonders that make exploration meaningful.

Ali Arushal, known as Shalli, and Sajidha, or Saji, serve as the resident SKY Edhurus at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, pointing out Saturn’s icy rings and globular clusters to awe-struck guests. Behind them, a cylindrical enclosure, not unlike a sea anemone, houses the most powerful telescope in the Maldives.

Living and working within a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve means they are blessed not only with underwater marvels but with skies unmarked by light pollution. Travellers who come for reef sharks, manta rays and coral fish often find themselves surprised to encounter a state-of-the-art observatory on a private island.

The placement is not accidental. Because the Maldives lies close to the equator, Anantara Kihavah offers a rare vantage point. Planets and constellations hidden from Europe or America rise clearly here, untroubled by horizon or season. With nature on their side, Shalli and Saji encourage guests to look up at the northern and southern skies with the same curiosity they bring to the sea.

In fact, Shalli’s own path to the stars began on the water. A son of the atoll, he first worked with the transport and launch crew, ferrying guests across the lagoon. Astronomy arrived unexpectedly, a curiosity that deepened into devotion. He remembers the first object he saw through the telescope, Omega Centauri, a dense cluster of ancient stars. “It sparked something profound,” he says, as though the memory still glows.

Saji, the resort’s first female SKY Edhuru, also discovered the sky through feeling. A meteor shower over the lagoon caught her unawares, a brief rain of fire that spoke directly to her soul. During her stargazing sessions, she draws on the part of herself that was ignited that night, steadying guests when they feel overwhelmed by the scale and reminding them that awe and calm can sit side by side.

In Dhivehi, an edhuru is a teacher, a bearer of knowledge. But when the subject is the cosmos, 13.8 billion years old and infinite, translating those numbers into something more grounded takes more than book smarts. Skilful storytellers, Kihavah’s SKY Edhurus take the vastness above and draw it close, turning distant light into something that can be held for a moment in the mind. With time loosened, guests feel free of the anxieties that cling to daylight, letting the night arrange itself around them.

Just as the telescope turns a blur into a field of diamonds, every night Shalli and Saji step into their observatory suspended between two worlds to bring into focus the universe that surrounds them — above, around and beneath their feet, a vast, glorious whole that is our shared responsibility.

Learn more about Anantara’s 25th anniversary celebrations on anantara.com.

How Sun Siyam Vilu Reef Is Keeping Maldivian Culture Alive: The smell reaches you before anything else: warm coconut oil, faintly sweet, drifting from a low-roofed beach house. Inside, a woman works patiently with her hands, pressing, turning and drawing the oil slowly from the flesh, just as it has been done for generations on these islands. Standing on a tiny coral island in the South Nilandhe Atoll, time seems to lose its importance.

This is Athireege, the cultural heart of Sun Siyam Vilu Reef, part of the Privé Collection within Sun Siyam. It is not a museum, nor a demonstration staged for the camera. It is a living sanctuary where the crafts, rituals and flavours of traditional Maldivian life are practised by hand, by voice and by fire. Here, an immersive cultural journey invites guests to discover the traditions, flavours and stories that continue to shape island life, offering a deeper connection to the Maldives beyond its postcard-perfect beaches.

Once a week, guests are invited to experience Maldivian Roots Day, a journey that reveals the customs, skills and traditions that have shaped island life for generations. Visitors leave with more than memories of turquoise waters they leave with a deeper understanding of the place they have called home, even if only for a few days.

The experience begins with a hands-on coconut oil making class, uncovering traditional crafting techniques first-hand at Athireege. Authenticity is the soul of this space, where traditional island living is brought to life using real, handcrafted tools. Guests can run their fingers over the very techniques that Maldivians have used to sustain island life for centuries whether witnessing the intricate art of palm weaving known as Fangi Vinun, trying their hand at coir rope making, known in Dhivehi as Roanu Veshun or playing traditional mancala style games like Ohvalhu Gondi Kulhun.

As the afternoon softens into evening, pandan-infused tea is served alongside sweet and savoury local delicacies. As daylight fades, stories take their place. History of Maldives, real experiences with island tales and memories of life before tourism are shared aloud, reviving a tradition that once passed history from one generation to the next.

The centre of this cultural journey is the Malaafaih, a magnificent, traditional Maldivian banquet. Translating roughly to “abundance,” the Malaafaih was historically prepared for grand celebrations, weddings, and community gatherings. This carefully curated feast invites guests to gather, share, and experience authentic local flavours in a deeply communal setting, honouring the true spirit of island hospitality.

At Sun Siyam Vilu Reef, the Malaafaih is celebrated both at sunrise, as a traditional breakfast, and beneath the stars as an evening feast. The menu changes with the season and the day’s catch, but its spirit remains the same, dishes are shared, conversations unfold naturally, and strangers often leave the table feeling like friends. Whether beginning the day with a traditional breakfast or gathering beneath the stars for an evening feast, guests can completely immerse themselves in this rare culinary ritual, tailored exclusively to their stay.

At a time when travellers increasingly seek meaningful connections with the places they visit, Athireege offers something becoming increasingly rare: traditions that are still lived rather than performed. Long after the final stories have been told and the feast has ended, it is often these moments not simply the beaches or the villas that guests remember most. At Sun Siyam Vilu Reef, space has always been made for the culture that made these islands worth travelling to in the first place.

To explore or to book your stay, visit Sun Siyam Vilu Reef. For exclusive offers, join Siyam Rewards and book direct at sunsiyam.com.

Dhigali Maldives recently witnessed two extraordinary natural events on the sands of Haali Bar, offering guests a rare glimpse into the cycle of marine life.

On the night of 27 June 2025, a Green Turtle emerged from the sea and made its way onto Haali Beach, where it laid its eggs in the soft sand before returning to the ocean. Two months later, on 27 August 2025, the eggs hatched, and tiny hatchlings instinctively made their way to the sea under the guidance of the moonlit shore.

The Green Turtle, a long-distance ocean traveller, returns to the beach of its birth by navigating through the earth’s magnetic field. However, survival for hatchlings is far from guaranteed. Exposed to predators, climate change, and marine debris, only one in ten is expected to reach adulthood.

Dhigali Maldives’ sustainability team closely monitored the nest throughout the incubation period, ensuring the eggs were safeguarded from threats and giving the hatchlings the best chance to survive.

The nesting and hatching of Green Turtles at Dhigali Maldives underscore the delicate balance of marine ecosystems and the importance of conservation. For guests, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness nature’s resilience, set against the backdrop of the Maldives.