Connect with us

News

‘Spark Your Vitality’ with JOALI BEING’s 2023/2024 festive programming

Published

on

JOALI BEING, the first wellbeing island of its kind in the Maldives, invites guests to embrace the festive season on Bodufushi Island with an underwater theme, visiting wellbeing practitioners and a unique lineup of daily offerings. From December 21, 2023 to January 10, 2024, the adults-only retreat will welcome kids of all ages to the island as it transforms into a magical underwater world filled with vivid colours and lights for an unforgettable holiday celebration.

In addition to classic holiday traditions such as a tree lighting ceremony, gingerbread house and visit from Santa Claus, JOALI BEING’s robust activity calendar during the festive season will include:

  • Wellbeing For All: From various fitness and meditation classes to learning about JOALI BEING’s Four Pillars concept (Mind, Microbiome, Skin and Energy), daily wellbeing offerings will be available for all levels.
  • For the Kids: Younger wellbeing seekers can find the ‘Joy of BEING’ through daily activities, including junior mixology classes, young yogi classes, fish identification workshops, coral reef discoveries, snorkelling, bubble-making and much more.
  • Group Activities: Connect with guests by playing tennis, participating in a cacao ceremony and sunset gathering, running a 5K, taking a dance class, learning about natural healing remedies through a medicine garden workshop, make your own perfumes and more.
  • Culinary: Gastronomes can embark on a sleepscape dreams dining experience, take cooking classes, learn about mixology and organic and biodynamic wines, learn how to properly fuel their bodies through nutrition, participate in a tea celebration at SAI, and more. JOALI BEING will also feature a Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day breakfast, New Year’s Eve dinner and New Year’s Day brunch.
  • Sustainability Focus: Craft Christmas ornaments through a recycling workshop, make bracelets from ghost nets, talk conservation with the resident marine biologist, and more. Home to one of the turtle rehabilitation and conservation sanctuaries in the Maldives in partnership with The Olive Ridley Foundation, island guests can partake in the efforts to care for these intelligent animals.

JOALI BEING will also welcome several global wellbeing practitioners and fitness athletes over Festive to further enable guests to take their wellbeing journeys to a new level, bringing them closer to experiencing the joy of weightlessness. The Festive Season visiting wellbeing practitioners include:

  • Dr. Rachel Woo (November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024): Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner Dr. Rachel Woo specializes in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and TCM nutrition. Dr. Woo holds more than 10 years of experience conducting workshops in Australia, China, Malaysia, Nepal and New Zealand teaching scalp acupuncture to medical staff and healthcare professionals in private and hospital settings. In addition, Woo holds a clinical supervising role at the Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and volunteering with the Acupuncture Relief Project to provide free primary healthcare to rural villages in Nepal. Focusing on mental health, stress management, hormonal imbalance, menstrual regulation, cosmetic rejuvenation, digestive health, musculoskeletal health and chronic pain management, guests can discover wellbeing with Dr. Woo during the festive season through TCM consultations and natural therapy sessions, including acupuncture, cupping, gua sha and moxibustion.
  • Javier De Prado (November 23, 2023 – March 1, 2024): A master of craniosacral and Watsu therapy, visceral manipulation and Osteothai, De Prado will bring a deep understanding of diverse massage techniques. Guests can achieve a comprehensive state of wellbeing through the seamless merging of Eastern and Western healing traditions, including craniosacral therapy, visceral manipulation, Osteothai and liquid light.
  • Sandro Thiara Mota (December 4, 2023 – January 4, 2024): Leading human enhancement coach Sandro Thiara Mota will guide JOALI BEING guests through transformative and restorative experiences. A former professional athlete and Mr. Universe finalist with more than two decades of experience in helping clients elevate their lives, Mota developed the “Mota Method,” a combination of restorative breathwork, Wim Hof techniques and high-performance fitness training that has benefited elite athletes, high-level executives and guests of all ages and backgrounders seeking to work through traumas. During the festive season, guests can experience a Mota Method emotional release workshop, Janzu (an intuitive therapy that allows you to deeply relax at the surface of the water), an energy activation breathwork and ice bath, water rebirthing, a two-day stress management and breakthrough workshop and a five-day private retreat.
  • Andrea Suto (December 20, 2023 – January 15, 2024): Rounding out the visiting wellbeing practitioners, former professional beach tennis athlete Andrea Stuto will bring his expertise as a coach educator for Beach Tennis School and the head coach for Beach Box Camp to JOALI BEING.

Lastly, JOALI BEING will welcome UK plant-based Chef Bettina Campolucci-Bordi to the island. Passionate about climate change and sustainability, Bettina is on a mission to elevate accessible plant-based eating habits by sharing simple and waste-free secrets via her award-winning cookbooks and Bettina’s Kitchen – an online platform that encompasses food, yoga and mindfulness retreats, plant-based cooking workshops, recipe development and food writing.

During her free time, Bettina also hosts select retreats around the world and runs her own Retreat Chef Academy – that sees her pass on her wisdom, experience and expertise to aspiring chefs, to help them travel the world, live their dream, and enjoy playing with different cuisines, flavour and varieties. At JOALI BEING, Bettina looks forward to sharing her recipes with guests and will be hosting an exclusive workshop for both adults and kids.

For additional details on JOALI BEING’s “Spark Your Vitality” Festive programming or to book, please visit www.joalibeing.com

News

Ayada Maldives unveils its 2025–26 festive season: sea, fire, light and magic

Published

on

Ayada Maldives is set to transform the holidays into an island celebration of sea, fire, light and magic for the 2025–26 festive season. Guests can expect signature dining moments, family-friendly activities and uplifting nightly entertainment in a barefoot-luxury setting just a few kilometres from the equator.

From the moment you arrive, the island wraps you in a sense of relaxed elegance. Here, festive charm mingles with tropical serenity, and every detail is designed to create lasting holiday memories, whether you are travelling as a couple, with family, or simply seeking a beautiful place to reconnect with yourself.

Festive Activities and Island Traditions

Ayada’s festive programme blends cultural authenticity with the joy of the season. Guests can take part in coconut leaf weaving, paint scenes inspired by island life, or join daily yoga and meditation sessions beneath the swaying palms. For something more energetic, aqua aerobics in the shimmering lagoon offers a refreshing start to the day.

Children are treated to a world of creativity and play at the Kids’ Club, where cooking classes, Christmas card-making, and colourful carnival games keep young minds and hands delightfully busy. Every activity is infused with a sense of discovery, making the season as magical for the youngest guests as it is for the adults.

Christmas Day Celebrations

On Christmas Day, the island comes alive with the arrival of Santa and his elves for the Santa Fest Carnival. The atmosphere is filled with laughter, games, and festive surprises for all ages. As evening falls, families and friends gather for a movie under the stars, watching a favourite film beneath the glittering Maldivian night sky – a perfect blend of holiday tradition and island romance.

Evenings of Entertainment and Fine Dining

As the sun dips below the horizon, Ayada begins its nightly transformation. Guests can enjoy captivating light shows, mesmerising fire performances, and live music at Zero Degree and other resort venues. The rhythm of the evening flows from spectacle to conversation, with the ocean always within sight and sound.

December is a time for indulgence, and Ayada’s festive dining reflects that spirit. The Christmas Feast brings together global holiday flavours with the freshest island ingredients, while New Year’s Eve is celebrated with a lavish gala dinner. Guests can expect a luxurious evening of fine dining, mini-cabaret performances, and live entertainment from Firestorm, leading up to a midnight toast under the stars.

Your Festive Escape Awaits

At Ayada Maldives, the holidays are more than a date on the calendar – they are an experience to be cherished. Light-draped gardens, ocean-view feasts, and heartfelt performances create an atmosphere that lingers in memory long after your stay. The combination of tropical beauty and warm, attentive service ensures that your festive season is not just celebrated, but elevated.

Travellers planning to visit during the holidays are encouraged to book early to secure their place at this island celebration. From curated activities to unforgettable dining experiences, every detail is designed to make your Maldivian Christmas or New Year truly remarkable.

Continue Reading

News

Haunted island awaits at Canareef this Halloween night

Published

on

This 31st of October 2025, Canareef Resort Maldives transforms into a Haunted Island for an unforgettable Halloween celebration like no other. From eerie shipwrecks to glowing palm trees, guests are invited to immerse themselves in a night of spine-tingling fun, island rhythms, and festive feasting.

The evening begins with a Halloween-themed buffet at Kilhi Restaurant from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm, where guests can indulge in a feast curated by our chefs. Expect spooky culinary creations—from “Witch’s Cauldron Soup” to “Graveyard Platters” and tropical twists like “Cursed Coconut Cream.” Wines and beers will flow freely as the live in-house band sets the mood against a backdrop of cobwebs, skeletons, and pirate ghosts.

As night deepens, the celebration continues at Dhoni Beach from 9:00 pm till 1:00 am with a thrilling Dine, Drink & Dance party. Guests can enjoy creative cocktails such as the Zombie Lagoon and Haunted Rum Punch, while dancing to DJ beats under glowing jellyfish lanterns and misty fog effects.

The night will feature fire dancers, ghostly skits, and even a Thriller dance performance, ensuring plenty of chills and thrills. Guests are encouraged to dress up, with a Best Halloween Costume contest adding extra fun to the festivities. Children are not forgotten, activities like pumpkin (or coconut!) carving and glow-face painting will make it a magical night for all ages.

With eerie soundscapes, themed photo booths, and interactive games like mummy wrapping and broomstick relays, Halloween Night at Canareef promises to be both spooky and spectacular—a one-of-a-kind island celebration under the stars.

So, grab your costume and get ready to join Canareef this Halloween as the island brings the legends of haunted seas and ghostly sailors to life.

Continue Reading

News

Meet Foo: Oaga Art Resort’s playful curator of 2025-26 festive season

Published

on

This festive season, Oaga Art Resort invites guests to step into a living comic book, told through the eyes of Foo, the island’s spiritual curator and timeless soul.

Foo is Oaga’s invisible co-creator, weaving himself into art, cuisine, performances, and stories. Foo doesn’t take centre stage. Instead, he creates space for wonder, curiosity, and connection.

This year, Foo shares the Maldives as he has felt and remembered it over centuries, brought to life in the vibrant, animated aesthetic of a living comic book. From the women who feed islands to the artists who remember how sound feels, this is a story of individualism through tradition.

Guests can expect an unforgettable blend of culture, creativity, and joyful discovery:

  • A 100% Maldivian line-up of artists takes the stage, curating music that’s authentic and soulful, and bringing together a celebration of rhythm and tradition – celebrating authenticity, creativity, and homegrown talent.
  • The heart of festive dining is the local flavours, served from a dedicated local ‘Voyage Around Maldives’ cart with dishes homemade with love from cooking talent scouted across the atolls and islands.
  • Cultural workshops in kasabu gethun, roanu veshun, thundu kunaa, fangi viyun, and liyelaa jehun, curated in partnership with Kiyavahi. Surprise comic panels, flash performances that weave magic into each day.
  • A botanical Christmas tree crafted from island vines and plants, celebrating sustainability and the spirit of creating for the island, from the island.
  • Multi-talented artists-in-residence, Jaime Brown and Karim Jabbari, return for their third visit to host artistic workshops and creative masterclasses.

Every performance is authenticity, emotion, and individuality, ensuring guests experience the Maldives as a living story.

Oaga’s festive season remains an unforgettable celebration, just reimagined with Maldivian soul.

Apart from the main festive highlights, guests staying at Oaga during the season can look forward to a range of exciting new experiences:

  • Samaasaa new show; The First Coconuts: a new theatrical dining show where cuisine and performance bring Maldivian myth to life debuts in October 2025 and available for guests to experience during their stay during festive season.
  • Veyoge Gallery Villa Exhibition 25–26 – Maldives: A Simple Story: 15 local artists transform Veyoge Gallery Villas into exclusive gallery spaces, each villa hosting original works exploring Maldivian life, folklore, and culture. The new exhibition is set to launch in November 2025.
  • A long-stay perk from the newly introduced Sobi à la carte menu: Guests staying 7 nights or more can enjoy complimentary dining at Sobi à la carte during their stay.

Through Foo’s eyes, even the familiar feels new. This season, Oaga Art Resort invites guests not just to celebrate, but to become part of a timeless Maldivian story that is playful, poetic, and unmistakably alive.

Some stories aren’t written. They are discovered.

For art lovers and creative souls seeking a Maldivian escape, Oaga Art Resort’s Greatest All-Inclusive Plan re-defines the very essence of an all-inclusive holiday. Dive into Free Flow art sessions, find your rhythm with Take Notes music experiences, savour Floating Meals, embark on captivating excursions, enjoy thrilling motorised watersports, and so much more.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright all rights reserved by Maldives Promotion House 2023.