This December, Heritance Aarah invites guests to experience Christmas in the Maldives through a season built around anticipation, discovery and wonder. Under the theme Unwrap Incredible, the island becomes the gift itself, wrapped in ocean light, white and gold, festive flavours, family moments, wellness rituals and celebrations that unfold one beautiful surprise at a time.

From the first glow of the season, the island begins to transform. The Great Glow-Up Tree-Lighting Ceremony sets the tone on Ranba Beach, where Heritance Aarah’s white and gold Christmas tree comes alive against the Maldivian evening sky. Across the island, the festive spirit continues through sparkling gatherings, elegant dinners, beachside celebrations and moments designed to make every day feel newly unwrapped.

Highlights to look forward to:

• The Great Glow-Up Tree-Lighting Ceremony – a magical white and gold beginning to the festive season.
• Christmas Eve at Aarah – pre-dinner cocktails, gala dinners at Ranba and Ralu, an exclusive eight-course set dinner at Baani, and a midnight celebration with DJ beats, live band entertainment and Santa’s arrival.
• Brunch & Bliss – a joyful Christmas Day champagne brunch flowing from morning to afternoon.
• Lobster Feast by the Sea and Seaside Sizzle – refined beachside seafood experiences beneath the evening sky.
• Midnight Mirage – a glittering New Year’s Eve celebration with music, dancing, entertainment and island energy until late.
• Koka Kids Club – festive crafts, cookie decorating, treasure hunts, colour runs, movie nights and Christmas parties for younger guests.

The season also brings a rich programme of dining and beverage experiences. Guests can explore interactive tasting stations at Sweet Flavours of Aarah, discover tea-inspired creations, join cocktail and tiki workshops, savour rum and wine tastings, or enjoy a global street food festival on Ranba Beach.

For those seeking adventure, the lagoon becomes part of the celebration with guided snorkelling at the house reef, sunset cruises, dolphin journeys, canoe races, banana rides and sunrise fishing. Culture also takes centre stage at the Maldivian Village, where guests can discover island traditions, crafts and stories that reveal the Maldives beyond the view.

Wellness seekers can pause between celebrations with oceanfront yoga, mindfulness sessions and personalised face scan experiences at IASO Medi Spa.

This festive season, Heritance Aarah is not simply a place to celebrate. It is a place to discover. To taste, explore, gather, pause and be surprised.

At Heritance Aarah, Christmas is waiting to be unwrapped.

Dhigurah in Alifu Dhaalu Atoll has been ranked among the world’s 10 most valuable holiday beaches, with its stretch of sand assigned an estimated value of MVR 2.9 billion (€162.7 million) in a study by luxury villa holiday specialist CV Villas.

The island placed eighth in the global ranking, ahead of Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands and Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The study calculated the hypothetical cost of owning some of the world’s best-known beaches by valuing the sand as coastal land. The figures do not represent sale prices or suggest that the beaches are available for private purchase.

Dhigurah was the only Maldivian beach included in the global top 15. Known for its long sandbank and proximity to whale shark habitats in South Ari Atoll, the inhabited island has become a destination for guesthouse tourism, diving and marine excursions.

Florida’s Siesta Beach topped the global ranking with an estimated value of €1.08 billion, followed by Pampelonne Beach in France at €843 million and Praia da Falésia in Portugal at €573.2 million.

Grace Bay in the Turks and Caicos Islands was ranked fourth at €376.4 million, while Bondi Beach in Sydney completed the top five with an estimated value of €365 million.

Hannah Marshall, luxury travel destination expert and marketing manager at CV Villas, said the research highlighted the role of location in determining coastal land values.

“Everyone has a beach that means something to them, so there’s something fun about seeing what those stretches of sand might be ‘worth’ if you valued them like the land behind them,” Marshall said.

“What comes through is how much location drives the figure: a beach in St-Tropez or on Siesta Key carries a value that a quieter shore — even just as beautiful — simply won’t.”

While Siesta Beach had the highest total estimated value, The Baths on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands recorded the highest value per square metre, at €8,846. Princess Diana Beach in Barbuda was the most affordable beach assessed, at approximately €199 per square metre.

Amilla Maldives is hosting holistic wellness practitioner Nongluck Chuaychuang, known as Nikki, for a month-long residency at the resort’s Javvu Spa.

Running from 2 to 30 August 2026, the residency offers guests a collection of treatments focused on physical relaxation, energy alignment and mental wellbeing.

A Reiki Master and sound healing specialist, Nikki has practised at luxury wellness destinations around the world. During her residency at Amilla, she is offering treatments tailored to guests’ individual needs, with sessions designed to release physical tension, support energy flow and encourage relaxation.

“True healing begins when we give ourselves the space to slow down, listen within, and return to our natural rhythm,” Nikki said.

The programme includes The Nikki Essence, her signature holistic massage, as well as Reiki Energy Healing, which focuses on subtle body alignment.

Guests can also take part in sound bath journeys using Tibetan and crystal bowls, or book intuitive bodywork sessions designed to provide restorative release.

The residency forms part of Javvu Spa’s wellness programme, which incorporates treatments and practices intended to support physical and emotional balance.

Sessions are available at Javvu Spa throughout the residency, with advance reservations recommended.