News
JOALI Maldives announces Wonders of Ocean Festive programming for 2023/2024
JOALI Maldives, the first and only art-immersive resort in the Maldives located in the Raa Atoll, invites guests to experience festive season on Muravandhoo Island with an underwater theme, visiting practitioners and unique lineup of daily offerings for the whole family on December 21, 2023 through January 10, 2024. The island will be transformed into a magical underwater world of vivid colours and lights throughout for an unforgettable holiday celebration.
“Each year during our festive season, there is a different type of magic at JOALI Maldives and we look forward to having our guests experience this with their loved ones and feel the joie de vivre or “Joy of Living” during this special time”, says Area General Manager Enver Arslan.
In addition to holiday celebrations such as a tree lighting ceremony, gingerbread house, visit from santa, and daily entertainment, the calendar of activities during festive season at JOALI will include:
- Culinary: Learn about mixology, whiskey and gin with various classes offered through festive season, in addition to Japanese, Levantine and holiday cooking workshops. JOALI will also feature Christmas and New Year’s brunch and gala dinners.
- Art Offerings: Enjoy ceramics and coral jewellery making at JOALI’s Art House
- Sustainability Focus: Guests can enjoy gardening workshops with the sustainability team, a coral nursery tour, talks with resident marine biologists, and more.
- For The Kids: With daily activities for kids of all ages, they will enjoy marine biology classes, stargazing, cooking classes, magic shows and art classes. Families can also enjoy Muramas Kids Club, discovering the true magic of the land through a number of tailored experiential opportunities, ranging from arts and crafts with sustainable materials, Maldivian language lessons, planting trees to understand JOALI’s corporate responsibility project, connecting with nature, and so much more.
- Wellness for All: From paddle board yoga and sound bowl healing to various yoga and meditation classes, daily wellness offerings during festive season are offered for all levels. For the whole family, JOALI will also host family fitness classes.
- Group Sports: Connect with guests by playing tennis, padel tennis, darts or taking part in JOALI’s Premier Football League together
JOALI will welcome visiting practitioner and renowned Kung Fu Master, Sifu Aniket. Master Sifu is a gold medalist with black belts in three different disciplines of martial arts and an expert in yoga and meditations. Sharing his knowledge and skills around the world, Master Sifu will be hosting a ‘Spirit of Martial Arts’ class during the festive season at JOALI, a comprehensive workshop on martial arts to increase stamina, strength, range of motion, and mind-body coordination, allowing guests to acquire self-defence skills while also reducing stress. Chef Nina Tarasova will also be joining JOALI Maldives as a visiting practitioner during the festive season. A pastry consultant, Chef Tarasova has more than 10 years experience in the culinary sphere, working in Russia and around the world conducting master classes and consulting for pastry shops and restaurants. Chef Tarasova will be hosting a dinner for JOALI guests.
Visitors during the festive season will enjoy JOALI Maldives’ 73 elegantly appointed and expansive guest accommodations with beach and over-water villas. Offering 11 different villa categories, guests may choose from one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom options, all of which come complete with a personal Jadugar, meaning ‘skilled magician’ in Dhivehi.
For further details and booking, please visit joali.com
News
Dr Hetalkumar Doshi returns to Sirru Fen Fushi for extended wellness residency
Sirru Fen Fushi–Private Lagoon Resort has announced the return of internationally recognised holistic wellness consultant and founder of Energy Masters, Dr Hetalkumar Doshi, for an exclusive wellness residency from 1 August to 31 October 2026 and from 1 December 2026 to 28 February 2027.
Renowned for his expertise across more than 60 holistic healing modalities, Dr Doshi brings a unique integrative approach that combines ancient healing traditions with modern wellness practices. As a naturopath, acupuncturist, Reiki Grand Master, energy healer, and wellness educator, he has guided individuals around the world towards greater wellbeing, balance, and personal transformation.

During his residency at Sirru Fen Fushi, guests will have the opportunity to experience Dr Doshi’s signature Four-Dimensional Healing Journey, which explores wellness through the Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual dimensions. Each treatment is tailored to individual needs and designed to identify and restore energetic imbalances affecting the body, mind, emotions, and soul.
At the heart of Dr Doshi’s philosophy lies the wisdom of the Five Elements–Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, whose harmonious balance is believed to support vitality, emotional resilience, mental clarity, and spiritual alignment.

Guests may choose from a variety of personalised healing experiences incorporating modalities such as acupuncture, acupressure, Reiki, chakra balancing, sound healing, breathwork, meditation, cupping therapy, and energy healing. Signature experiences are available in 30, 60, 90, and 120-minute sessions.
To introduce guests to his transformative approach, Sirru Fen Fushi is also offering a complimentary 15-minute wellbeing consultation during the residency period.
Set within one of the Maldives’ most naturally captivating island destinations, Sirru Fen Fushi offers travellers a unique opportunity to reconnect, rebalance and rediscover wellbeing in a serene oceanfront setting.
For further information and reservations, please visit the resort’s website or contact reservations@sirrufenfushi.com.
Action
Coco Bodu Hithi celebrates Women’s Dive Day with marine conservation experience
In celebration of PADI Women’s Dive Day on 18 July 2026, Coco Bodu Hithi invites certified women divers to come together for a meaningful morning beneath the surface, combining marine conservation with the joy of exploring the ocean in one of the Maldives’ most vibrant natural environments.
Inspired by this year’s global theme, “Celebrate Community. Create Change.”, the resort’s Women of the Ocean Reef Clean-Up Dive encourages to connect through shared passion for the underwater world while making a positive impact on the environment. Designed exclusively for certified women divers, the guided reef clean-up dive offers the opportunity to explore Coco Bodu Hithi’s biodiverse house reef while helping remove debris and protect its delicate ecosystem.
At the heart of it all is Coco Dive, the resort’s PADI-certified dive centre, where guests can discover the beauty and wonders of the Maldives through safe, personalised and memorable underwater adventures. Whether taking their very first breath below the surface or exploring advanced dive sites, guests are guided by an experienced, multilingual team of instructors dedicated to creating unforgettable diving experiences.
Just minutes from the resort, divers can access almost 30 renowned dive sites, home to vibrant coral reefs and an abundance of marine life, including hawksbill turtles, white-tip and grey reef sharks, eagle rays, barracuda, Napoleon fish, schools of blue-striped snappers, batfish and fusiliers. Guests looking to begin their marine adventures can also start their certification before arrival through PADI eLearning, allowing them to spend more time exploring the ocean once they reach the Maldives.
“At Coco Bodu Hithi, we believe every dive is an opportunity to build a deeper connection with the ocean,” said Jinn Hui, Dive Base Leader for Coco Bodu Hithi. “PADI Women’s Dive Day celebrates the growing community of women in diving while reminding us that small actions, such as removing debris, can make a meaningful difference to the health of our reefs.”
The activity is available at the resort’s standard single-dive rate and includes a personalised certificate of participation and a complimentary dive video, allowing guests to take home lasting memories of a meaningful day beneath the surface.
Rooted in Coco Collection’s truly Maldivian heritage, Coco Bodu Hithi continues to bring guests closer to nature through experiences that inspire a deeper appreciation for the Maldives and its fragile marine habitat.
Located in North Malé Atoll, just 35 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, Coco Bodu Hithi invites guests to unwind in spacious villas with up to 30% savings through the Discover Coco offer or enjoy exclusive benefits with the Local & Expat Exclusives package. Visit cococollection.com or contact reservations@cococollection.com for further enquiries.
Awards
Baros Maldives ranked world’s no. 2 resort in Travel + Leisure Awards
Baros Maldives has been named the No. 2 Resort in the World and No. 1 Resort in Asia in the 2026 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, as voted by readers of one of the world’s most respected travel publications.
Now in its 31st year, the World’s Best Awards is one of the travel industry’s most respected accolades, with hundreds of thousands of well-travelled readers sharing their views on the world’s leading hotels, resorts, destinations and tour operators.
For Baros, the recognition is the latest milestone in a story that began over five decades ago. Since opening in 1973, the island has built its reputation through consistency and staying true to what guests value most: impeccable service that the island has never felt the need to reinvent and a natural setting of mature jungle, powder-soft sand and one of the Maldives’ most celebrated house reefs. Nearly 30% of bookings come from returning guests, most of whom feel like Baros is a second home.
Ibrahim Shijah, General Manager of Baros Maldives, commented: “To be recognised as the No. 2 resort in the world and the No. 1 resort in Asia by Travel + Leisure readers is an extraordinary honour. Baros has never chased trends, and we don’t intend to start now. What we’ve built over five decades is something more durable than that – a relationship with this island and with the guests who keep returning to it. This recognition is a reflection of that relationship, and we share it with our entire team and our guests.”
The award places Baros among an elite group of properties recognised globally and reinforces its position within the Versa Hospitality collection as the Maldives’ original luxury icon.
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