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‘A Moment in Time’ festivities for Christmas, New Year at Oaga Art Resort

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In a blend of artistic talent and tropical splendour, Oaga Art Resort, located in the heart of the Maldives, is gearing up to host a series of festive activities under the theme “A Moment in Time.” It promises a celebration that transcends the ordinary, offering guests an immersive experience that combines the beauty of the Maldives with the allure of art.

Warming up to Christmas Eve

As the sun sets over turquoise waters, the festivities kick off with the Liquid Groove DJ Pool Party on the 20th of December. The Christmas spirit continues to infuse the atmosphere with the Christmas Tree Toast on the 21st, marked by a Tree Lighting Ceremony to the serene sound of the harp played by Saif, and followed by live music at Raa Baa, the main bar, courtesy of the local talent named Naail Trio. The 22nd of December brings a flurry of activities, starting with the Merry Market opening at the main restaurant, Kaa Kada, followed by the Garden of Gingerbread, where guests can display their creativity in decorating gingerbread men. The night concludes with the Mix & Mingle Soiree at Sobi Bar, the beer and gin garden, featuring live music by our very own Vibe Director, Shiuz.

Artistic Vibes and Christmas Feasts

On Christmas Eve, from noon onwards, Raa Baa transforms into a local artist pop-up exhibition. From the 24th to the 29th, this Veyoge Caravan exhibition by Suvāsthi will feature “Of the Palm”, a selection of artwork that explore the sacred language between man and craft by local artist Hassan Niyaz. The evening continues with a festive feast later on in the night at Kaa Kada, followed by a Christmas Movie Night and live music by the talented local artist Shiuz.

Christmas Day itself promises a cheery brunch at Kaa Kada, complemented later on by the arrival of Santa Claus to Oaga. The festivities continue with live music by Dupa Trio during Christmas brunch, a Christmas show by Valerie Sealey (Solstix), and a beach party with DJ Afruh.

The last Full Moon of the Year

As the year draws to a close, the resort’s vibrant energy continues. On the 26th of December, guests can enjoy sun-kissed beats with DJ Afruh, live music by Naffah, and an O-Fire bonfire with live music by Zaki at Raa Baa Beach. The 27th brings the full moon ritual with Hoba Spa to celebrate the final full moon of the year, followed by a Handhuvaru Sound Healing Concert at Hoba Deck beach and culminating in a Moonlit full moon afterparty.

Warming up for New Year’s Eve

Jewellery-making sessions with the multi-talented Cinta Damerell will be held from the 27th to the 29th. On the 28th, guests can savour Maldivian cuisine at Kaa Kada, followed by live music by Dupa Trio at Raa Baa. On the 29th, the golden hour evening cocktail party is to be made extra special accompanied with flyboard performances, with the local talent Amruh serenading with the violin later on in the night.

New Year’s Eve – A Moment to Ash

New Year’s Eve at Oaga Art Resort promises to be an unforgettable night of cherished moments. The evening begins with a gala dinner at Kaa Kada, followed by a DJ party at Raa Baa Beach featuring DJ Afruh. As the clock strikes 11:45 PM, travellers will participate in the “Moment to Ash” ceremony, symbolising the burning away of the past year’s moments with fireworks lighting up the sky afterwards in celebration.

Welcoming the New Year 2024

The first day of 2024 begins with a rejuvenating New Year’s brunch, followed by a New Year ritual at Hoba Deck, live music by Dupa Trio and an outdoor movie night at Raa Baa. The festivities continue in the days that follow with a sculpting workshop by Cinta Damerell alongside a pool party, live music by local duo Something Lovely, a Boduberu pool party with Harubee, and a bonfire art exhibition with live music at Raa Baa.

On the 5th of January, guests can experience a Galactic Gallery – a bonfire art exhibition at night with live music at Raa Baa. Simultaneously, an immersive sound installation inside Samaasaa, based on the Maldivian musical giant Zero Degree Atoll’s “Dhoni” Album, awaits at the other end of the island.

The celebration comes to a grand finale on the 6th of January with live music by local talents Yani & Iqyan, followed by the Wave Rave – a beach party with DJ Afruh.

Featured artists at a glance:

  • Hassan Niyaz: A graphic designer and self-taught artist from Male’, Maldives. His debut solo exhibition was recently showcased at Art Gallery Male’, and is now exploring new terrain with his second solo showcase ‘Of the Palm’ at Oaga Art Resort.
  • Dupa Trio: A unique jazz band creating a dynamic and colourful musical environment reminiscent of the golden age of jazz music.
  • Valery Sealey (Solstix): A highly skilled circus and fire performer, specialising in object manipulation and captivating audiences with staff manipulation, fire spinning, and contact juggling.
  • Cinta Damerell: A multi-disciplinary creative whose aim is to create art and experience which encourages a utopian paradise, whether this be through film, exploring the wonders of the natural world or creating safe communities for arts to thrive.
  • Alikko (Aleef): A curious creative exploring the vast world of art. With experience in music, design and performance arts, he loves to find the connections between these different forms and combine them. You will be seeing him play various instruments in his musical showcases aside from his fire poi and other object manipulation performances.
  • DJ Afruh (Ali Afruh): A processional DJ / musician and multi-instrumentalist with influences rooted in blues, jazz, reggae, and world music.
  • Ismail Affan: A talented musician and a performer famously known for his unique voice and vocal range.
  • Something Lovely: An acoustic duo from the Maldives comprising childhood friends and musicians Shafyau Rameez (Thappu) and Dhifla Ahmed (Dhifoo).
  • Harubee Boduberu Group: A group of young men passionate about traditional Maldivian music, Boduberu, who have won the hearts of Maldivians with their beats.
  • Yani & Iqyan: two passionate musicians on a lifelong journey with music. As a dynamic duo, they bring a harmonious fusion of talent, creativity, and a shared dream to blossom into full-fledged musicians.
  • Naail Trio: Naail Trio unites three prominent music talents from the Maldives, Naanu, Amir and Inan coming together to present an assorted blend of music deeply rooted in Jazz and Maldivian traditions.
  • Shiuz: Oaga’s irreplaceable Director for all things vibe, a powerhouse performer with a charismatic career spotlighting the best of the Maldives’ musical arts.
  • Naffah: An in-house musician, a soul-soothing busker, and a solo artist extraordinaire capable of serenading troubles away with his soothing voice.
  • Zaki: A musician, singer, entertainer, host, surfer, and more, contributing to the Maldivian tourism industry with creativity and talent.
  • Dumb & Dumber: An in-house collaboration of musicians Naffah and Humam, providing a perfect fusion of acoustic soulful music.
  • Special features by local talents: Samooh Thaufeeq the saxophonist, Amru on violin, Husen Thaufeeq on keys & saxophone, Saif the harpist, Shaman the magician and more.

Oaga invites you to join in this momentous celebration with an unbeatable offer, where time stands still and memories are etched in the heart forever.

For Maldives lovers searching for an all-inclusive holiday, Oaga Art Resort’s Greatest All-Inclusive plan re-defines the limits of what All-Inclusive is all about; with inclusions such as Creative Expression (art) classes, Take Notes (music) experiences, In-Villa Dining to floating meal, choices of excursions, motorised watersports and many more.

Situated in North Malé Atoll, Oaga Art Resort is 45 minutes by speedboat from Malé International Airport. A small island with 60 villas with beach and over water options, 5 dining venues and a spa inspired by Maldivian traditional healing practices, Oaga Art Resort’s artistic and creative spaces offer an immersive experience curated by local and visiting artists, and craftsmen from the Maldives.

Guests looking to book the resort can visit the website, www.oagaresorts.com to book your stay, don’t miss out!

Family

Kuda Villingili to host ‘Friendly Spirits & Ghosts After Dark’ this Halloween

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This Halloween, Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives invites families to reconnect over a week of island celebrations. From 28 October to 1 November 2026, Friendly Spirits & Ghosts After Dark brings together imaginative children’s activities, Halloween evenings and time shared in the Maldives.

Home to a 150-metre swimming pool—one of the largest in the country —Kuda Villingili is among the best places to stay in the Maldives for families seeking space, privacy and experiences to enjoy together. Spacious one- to four-bedroom private pool villas provide space and privacy for multi-generational stays, complemented by eight restaurants, a dedicated Kids Club, spa and wellness experiences, watersports, surfing, tennis and pickleball. The five-star luxury resort in the Maldives is located just 30 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport.

Designed for young explorers, this year’s celebration introduces Kuda Fiyo & the Friendly Ghosts, an original island story that brings Halloween to life through imagination and discovery. Throughout the week, children can follow Kuda Fiyo on an adventure featuring creative workshops, themed games, arts and crafts, treasure hunts, cookie and cupcake decorating, mocktail experiences and a Halloween Party— giving families a collection of family experiences in the Maldives to enjoy together.

As the sun sets, Ghosts After Dark takes over with Halloween-inspired experiences for families, couples and friends. Guests can enjoy haunted cocktails at sunset, set sail on a themed sunset cruise, explore the house reef during guided night snorkelling, try their hand at Halloween mixology or settle in beneath the stars for an open-air movie night. A Halloween Buffet Dinner with seasonal dishes and live entertainment anchors the celebrations, while themed cocktails and mocktails are served throughout the week.

Beyond Halloween, families have the freedom to shape each day around what they enjoy most. They can discover the marine world together, dine across the resort’s restaurants, retreat to the privacy of their villa or spend an afternoon beside the expansive pool. With experiences for different ages and interests, there is space to come together as well as time to enjoy the island individually.

This Halloween, Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives offers families the chance to reconnect, create new traditions and experience the season differently. Friendly Spirits & Ghosts After Dark brings together children’s adventures, evenings by the sea and the freedom of an island holiday.

Because the best family traditions are not simply celebrated—they are created together.

View Kuda Villingili’s Halloween 2026 brochure here. For more information about Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives, please visit www.kudavillingili.com.

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ELE|NA ReFine Body Collection taps into restorative power of island life

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Ask a guest on their last morning what the holiday did for them and the answer is usually vague. Rested. Switched off.

Ask on the third day and it is more specific. Sleep arrived earlier and held longer. Skin that looked tired at the airport looks like itself again. By the third day, the body has caught up with the holiday.

The Conditions Behind It

Most of what restores a guest here is unremarkable. Consistent sunrise and sunset give the circadian system a signal most travellers arrive without. Warmth supports circulation. Humidity rehydrates skin. Ordinary mechanisms, unusual concentration.

Less obvious is that the island supplies materials as well as conditions. Sand at this latitude holds heat evenly and releases it slowly, which is why it reaches muscle at a rate the tissue accepts without guarding. Warmth is what lets deeper work happen at all, and deeper work is where elasticity, tone and drainage actually respond.

Which is the difference between a holiday that rests you and one you leave looking different.

Ageing Well Is Not the Same as Fighting It

Anti-ageing treats time as an opponent. It works on surfaces and rests on a premise nobody wins.

ReFine, one of ELE|NA’s Pillars of Vitality, asks what the body needs in order to keep doing well what it already does. Skin that holds its tone. Circulation that reaches the extremities. Lymph that clears rather than pools. Those are conditions rather than treatments, which is precisely what a week on an island supplies. The question, then, is what a therapist adds to a process the setting has already started.

Where Treatment Fits

ELE|NA’s body collection therapies are built on that logic. They are designed to work with the recovery already underway rather than to substitute for it. Sculpt & Smooth, a contouring massage that exfoliates and brings circulation to the surface. Firming Flow, a warm Maldivian sand poultice followed by deep firming work for elasticity and lift. Lymphatic Lightness, dry brushing and light-pressure drainage to reduce puffiness. Taken in sequence across a stay, each prepares the tissue for the next.

At OBLU SELECT Sangeli, the therapies can be paired with the resort’s ice bath and steam. Heat opens circulation, cold prompts it to constrict, and the alternation moves blood and lymph more forcefully than either alone.

Ageing Well, Visibly

None of which is how guests describe what they are after. They want to look well on holiday, and that motivation happens to align with the physiological one more closely than it is usually given credit for. Skin that looks better on the last day looks that way because circulation improved and sleep did its work. Less puffiness is drainage functioning. Better tone is elasticity responding.

A holiday ends. A body that has slept properly for a week does not.

“The most lasting results come when we work with the body’s natural rhythms, not against them. ReFine Body Collection is designed to enhance the restorative benefits of a Maldivian escape, leaving guests feeling renewed from within,” said Heidi Grimwood, Senior Vice President, ELE|NA.

ELE|NA is a global spa and wellness management company dedicated to redefining personal well-being through tailored, immersive experiences. Operating in the Maldives and India, ELE|NA blends traditional healing practices, contemporary therapies, and wellness science to craft journeys as unique as each individual. Beyond exceptional spa and wellness experiences, ELE|NA provides expert management solutions for resorts and properties, helping them deliver personalized, elevated wellness offerings. Guided by the philosophy of Wellness Your Way™, ELE|NA empowers both guests and partners to discover their own path to vitality, balance, and inner harmony.

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Drink

Atmosphere Kanifushi welcomes back BOTTEGA Gala Gold for second edition

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BOTTEGA Gala Gold returns to Atmosphere Kanifushi from 12 to 14 November 2026 after a successful debut last year. Created with Italian winery Bottega S.p.A., the three-day event gives guests the chance to enjoy wine-led dining experiences, relaxed lifestyle events and a grand Gala Gold celebration.

This year’s edition will be led by Dario Camilotto, Export Manager for India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, East Europe and Oceania at Bottega S.p.A., together with Elena Schipani, Bottega’s Head Sommelier. They will guide guests through the wine pairings, sharing the stories behind each selection and why they were chosen for the menu.

Sandro Bottega, President of Bottega S.p.A., said, “We’re delighted to return to Atmosphere Kanifushi for a second year. Sharing our wines with guests in the Maldives is always special, and this event is a chance to celebrate Italian winemaking in a setting that encourages people to slow down, taste and enjoy.”

As part of the Kanifushi Plan™, all experiences at the Just Veg Festival are complimentary for resort guests. Fine dining and lifestyle events are available on advance reservation due to limited seating, while the grand BOTTEGA Gala Gold celebration is open to all guests staying at the resort. BOTTEGA wines and Prosecco are also available year-round as part of the Kanifushi Plan™, allowing guests to enjoy these offerings throughout their stay.

The programme begins with two evenings at JUST VEG, the Maldives’ first fully vegetarian restaurant. Guests can expect a specially created tasting menu paired with a selection of Bottega wines, starting with a sparkling welcome and ending with a classic Italian finish. The pace changes the next day at PIER SIX. Here, Asian flavours, handcrafted dim sum and signature Bottega wines and cocktails set the scene for a relaxed afternoon by the water.

On 14 November, the celebration moves to SPICE for BOTTEGA Gala Gold. An expansive international buffet, live cooking stations, Bottega wines, signature cocktails and Italian liqueurs, along with a five-piece live band, set the stage for an unforgettable evening beneath the Maldivian stars.

Ram Bhoyroo, General Manager, Atmosphere Kanifushi said, “Guests are looking for more than great food and beautiful surroundings. They want experiences they can share and remember. BOTTEGA Gala Gold brings all of that together over three days in a relaxed island setting.”

“Atmosphere Kanifushi is the perfect setting to discover great wines in a relaxed way. Together with Bottega, we’re creating experiences that bring people together over exceptional wines, good food and memorable moments. That’s what the Atmosphere Core Wine Program is all about,” added Nicolas Laguette, Director of Wines, Atmosphere Core.

The celebrations don’t end in November. Guests visiting Atmosphere Kanifushi in December can also look forward to the resort’s spectacular Festive Extravaganza, featuring a vibrant calendar of seasonal dining experiences, live entertainment, themed celebrations and memorable moments designed to make the festive season truly unforgettable.

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