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Unwrap enchantment of Maldives this festive season with unbeatable stay at Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives
The festive season is just around the corner, and there has never been a better time to dive into the adventure at the newly opened Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives. To ensure your festive getaway is nothing short of legendary, this breathtaking underwater-themed paradise will present an action-packed lineup of activities to keep the whole family feeling jolly. Promising a series of unmissable adventures like engaging crafts and scavenger hunts for young guests and elegant sunset cocktails for adults, all set against the glistening sea views, now is the perfect opportunity to book your dream holiday getaway.
December 22nd
Kick off the festivities in style at the Kids’ Club from 11am where young guests will have the chance to make their very own holiday ornaments, the perfect souvenir to remind you of your family getaway. Alternatively, venture to the Sailhouse for an afternoon of crafting delicious gingerbread houses, followed by a magnificent tree decorating and lighting ceremony at Mirage Bridge to finish the day on an extra merry note.
- Holiday Ornament Making: 11am to 12pm at Kids’ Club
- Festive Gingerbread House Making: 3pm to 4pm at Sailhouse’
- Festive Tree Decorating & Tree Lighting Ceremony: 30pm to 7.30pm at Mirage Bridge
December 23rd
Promising a splash of adventure from dawn till dusk, kick off the day with the Beach & Sand ‘Snowman’ Challenge and sculpt your own sandy masterpiece. Stick around as the whole family dives into the fun with the Pirates of the Sea treasure hunt, where mysteries of the Mirage await to be uncovered. Finally, join the fun with Uncle Octopus’ Lazy River Race, bringing the island community together for waves of laughter and celebration.
- Beach & Sand ‘Snowman’ Challenge: 10am to 11pm at the Beach
- Family Fun Day/Pirates of the Sea: 3pm to 4pm at the Beach
- Uncle Octopus’ Lazy River Race: 4pm to 5pm at the Lazy River
December 24th
This festive eve, there will be an extra sprinkling of magic in the air at Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives as Santa makes his way to the island to deliver toys to all the children. As the excitement builds, gather the gang for a special holiday scavenger hunt to find things left by Madame Stingray on her first visit to the Mirage or let your little ones show off their skills at the Seaside Strikers Beach Football Match. To finish the day off, kids can unleash their creativity with a festive eve art activity at the Kids’ Corner, where they can count down to the big day with paint, glitter, and plenty of holiday cheer.
- Magical Island Scavenger Hunt – Festive Edition: 10am to 11am at the Kids’ Club
- Seaside Strikers – a Beach Football Match: 4pm to 5pm at the Kids’ Club
- Christmas Eve Kids’ Art Corner: 6pm to 9.30pm at the Kids’ Corner at the Main Pool
- Festive Eve Cocktail & Gala Dinner: 6pm to 9.30pm at the Sailhouse and Main Pool
December 25th
On December 25th, the elves at Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives will be pulling out all the stops to ensure your holiday is anything but ordinary. Begin the big day at the Kids’ Club where young guests will have one more chance to get a good word in with the big man with a Letter to Santa & Santa’s Arts & Crafts session. Next up, head to the Sailhouse to tuck into a festive day brunch packed with all your favourite holiday goodies before enjoying a special appearance from Santa on the beach. Once the sun has set, treat the kids to a fun-filled evening at Madame Stingray’s Pyjama Party.
- Letter to Santa & Santa’s Arts & Craft: 11am to 12pm at the Kids’ Club
- Festive Day Brunch: 30pm to 3pm at the Sailhouse
- Santa’s Arrival: 3pm to 4pm at the Beach
- Madame Stingray’s Pyjama Party: 7pm to 9pm at the Beach/ Main Pool
December 26th
Still got some holiday spirit left in you? Dive into a day packed with fun, starting with Jellyfish Limbo and Shark Attack Tag at the Kids’ Club. Then, embark on an Underwater Treasure Hunt with Papa Turtle before he returns, and wrap up the day with a beach volleyball match for the whole family at the E-Zone – because nothing screams the holidays quite like some friendly competition!
- Jellyfish Limbo & Shark Attack Tag: 11am to 12pm at the Kids’ Club
- Underwater Treasure Hunt: 2pm to 3pm at the Kids’ Club
- Block Busters – A Friendly Volleyball Match: 4pm to 5pm at the E-Zone
December 27th
Prepare to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of the Maldives as you explore the pristine beaches as a family with a seashell hunting and crafts activity or take the plunge with guided lagoon snorkelling and an underwater scavenger hunt. For something a little more chill, make yourself cosy at the Kids’ Club for a festive movie night under the stars.
- Down by the Sea – Seashell Hunting & Crafts: 10am to 11pm at the Beach
- Under the Sea Scavenger Hunt – A Guided Lagoon Snorkeling: 3pm to 4pm at the E-Zone
- Kids’ Movie Night: 7pm to 9pm at the Kids’ Club
December 28th
Soar into the holiday spirit with an exhilarating kite challenge on the beach, testing how long your kites can dance in the breeze. After conquering the skies, gather your crew for a game of frisbee in the ‘Game of Throws,’ soaking up the sun and island vibes. When it’s time to cool down, head to the Dolphin Pool Bar for BLU! SPLASH, where the beats are fresh, the cocktails are chilled, and the laughter flows as freely as the island breeze.
- Up Up and Away – A Kite Flying Challenge: 10am to 11am at the Beach
- Game of Throws – A Frisbee Friendly Match: 1pm to 2pm at Teens
- BLU! SPLASH by the Pool: 3pm to 5pm at the Dolphin Pool Bar
December 29th
Keep the festive buzz alive and freshen up your mocktail-making skills as you mix, stir, muddle, and shake up sparkling holiday concoctions at the E-Zone. Meanwhile, young adventurers are invited to step up to the challenge at Papa Turtle’s epic Sea Creature Obstacle race. Finally, reunite the whole family with a blissful ‘It’s a Sunset Affair’, serving plenty of refreshing beverages and mesmerising island views, followed by a spectacular kids’ talent show to mark the end of another day in paradise.
- Bubbly Blast – Holiday Mocktail Making: 11am to 12pm at the E-Zone
- Sea Creature Obstacle Race: 4pm to 5pm at the Kids’ Club
- It’s a Sunset Affair: 30 to 7pm at Mirage Beach
- Get your Sparkle On – Kids’ Spectacular Talent Show: 7pm to 9pm at Mirage Beach
December 30th
Let the countdown to the new year begin with a morning of sea creature-themed arts and crafts at the Kids’ Club or dive into an afternoon of discovery with the Island Sea Creatures Hunt, where little adventurers can uncover the secrets of the Mirage. As the day turns to night, gather at the Amphitheatre for a magical movie experience under a starlit sky, the perfect way to wind down after a day of sandy escapades.
- Create Your Own Sea Creature Crafts: 11am to 12pm at the Kids’ Club
- Discover the Mirage Underwater World Themed Island Playground – Island Sea Creatures Hunt: 4pm to 5pm at the Kids’ Club
- A Theatre Under the Stars: 9pm to 11pm at the Amphitheater
December 31st
Allow your little explorers to bid farewell to 2024 at the Kids’ Club with a DIY Memoir session, capturing all their favourite moments of the year with drawings, photos, and stories. For something more high-energy, head to the E-zone to battle it out in a beach badminton match.
As the countdown approaches, make your first toast with a refreshing pre-dinner cocktail on the beach before heading to the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner for an unforgettable bash. While the kids let their imaginations run wild at the Kid’s Art Corner, adults are invited to ring in the new year in style with a dazzling poolside party packed with live music and a DJ spinning the freshest beats – make sure to reserve your bottle of sparkling in advance!
- DIY Year 2024 Memoir: 11am to 12pm at the Kids’ Club
- Island Smashers – A Beach Badminton Match: 4pm to 5pm at the E-Zone
- The last day of 2024: 6pm to 7pm at the beach
- New Year’s Eve – Kids’ Art Corner: 7pm to 11pm at the Kids’ Club
- New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner: 7pm to 9.30pm at the Sailhouse
- The New Year’s Eve Party: 10pm until late at the Poolside
January 1st
Kick off 2025 with a touch of magic as young adventurers at the Kids’ Club create their own time capsules, filled with dreams and memories, and bury them in the enchanted sands of Mirage Beach. After the little ones have sealed their wishes for the year ahead, the whole family is invited to a flavourful New Year’s Day brunch at the oceanfront Sailhouse. To wash down all the delicious food, continue the festivities with a lavish sunset cocktail on Mirage Beach.
- Make a Special Time Capsule Project: 11am to 12pm at the Kids’ Club
- New Year’s Day Brunch: 7am to 2.30pm at the Sailhouse
- First Toast of the Year – Sunset Cocktail: 6pm to 7pm at Mirage Beach
January 2nd
Continue the underwater-themed adventure at the Kids’ Club where young guests can unleash their inner artist with a unique Stained Glass crafting session. Next, get the whole family involved with an afternoon of unmissable games, crafts, delicious food, and special surprises by the beach or let the little ones loose with a fun-packed Kids’ Night Out at the Kids’ Club.
- Stained Glass Under the Sea: 10am to 11am at the Kids’ Club
- Family Fun Day: 4pm to 5pm at the Beach
- Kids’ Night Out: 7pm to 9pm at the Kids’ Club
January 3rd
Your festive trip to the Maldives would not be complete without exploring its vibrant marine life and the Guided Lagoon Snorkelling and Under the Sea Scavenger Hunt is the perfect option. Follow Papa Turtle’s trail to uncover hidden treasures beneath the waves, then head to the beach for a lively Crab Hunt & Crab Race. To end the day, get comfy with loved ones for a magical family movie night under the open Maldivian sky.
- Under the Sea Scavenger Hunt – A Guided Lagoon Snorkeling: 10am to 11am at the E-Zone
- We are going on a Crab Hunt & Crab Race: 4pm to 5pm at the E-Zone
- Under the Stars Family Movie Night: 8pm to 10pm at the Kids’ Club
January 4th
Step up to the challenge as Papa Turtle invites young guests to the Waves of Fun Obstacle Race, promising to be an absolute whale of a time. Additionally, stick around the Kids’ Club for a friendly water balloon fight.
- Waves of Fun Obstacle Race: 10am to 11am at the Kids’ Club
- Jellyfish Races – A Water Balloon Friendly Fight: 4pm to 5pm at the Kids’ Club
January 5th
Let the spirit of adventure continue well into the new year at the Kid’s Club. On January 5th, kids can test their wits with a series of mind-bending puzzles at the Might Mind Ocean Adventure or take the fun to new heights with an exciting kite flying challenge.
- Mighty Mind Ocean Adventure: 11am to 12pm at the Kids’ Club
- Up Up and Away – A Kite Flying Challenge: 4pm to 5pm at the Kids’ Club
January 6th
Wrap up your festive island escape with activities to enchant the whole family. Beginning at the Kids’ Club, youngsters are welcomed to a sandcastle-building competition followed by a beach football match. Finally, promising the perfect ending to an unforgettable trip, gather your nearest and dearest for an evening of dazzling festive colours, scrumptious food, and live music at Suan Bua Beach.
- Build Your Own Sand Castle Challenge: 10am to 11am at the Kids’ Club
- Seaside Strikers – A Beach Football Match: 4pm to 5pm at the E-Zone
- An Orthodox Christmas Evening with Traditions & Toasts: 7pm to 11pm at Suan Bua Beach
For bookings and more information, please call +960 401 5555 or email cmlm@chr.co.th
Aman has announced that its first resort in the Maldives will be named Amanolu, with the property scheduled to open in Vaavu Atoll in 2028.
Designed by longtime Aman collaborator Kerry Hill Architects (KHA), Amanolu will take inspiration from the natural setting of the atoll, including its white coral beaches, lagoons and surrounding marine environment.
The development will comprise 52 guest accommodations alongside 16 Aman-branded residences.
Each Aman Residence will occupy its own private island within the development. Some residences will be positioned along a single shoreline, offering either sunrise or sunset views, while others will extend across the island from coast to coast, providing access to beaches on both sides.
Each residence will feature five bedrooms, extensive indoor and outdoor living areas and private beaches. The homes will also include an 82-foot swimming pool and a private berth.
Dedicated staff accommodation will be incorporated into each residence, allowing owners and guests access to Aman’s personalised residential service.
Wellness will form a central part of Amanolu, with a dedicated wellness island planned to house an Aman Spa and the brand’s signature Spa Houses.
A separate activity island will provide facilities for recreation and marine experiences, including diving, snorkelling, watersports and other ocean-based activities.
The resort will also feature a range of dining venues, including concepts from Aman’s global culinary portfolio, as well as family facilities and spaces designed for social gatherings.
Amanolu will mark Aman’s entry into the Maldives, expanding the luxury hospitality group’s portfolio of resorts and residences across Asia and other international destinations.
At Eri Maldives, becoming begins with experiences that invite guests to see the island differently, and art has always offered one of the most powerful ways in.
The resort welcomed Maldivian artist Ismail Maaish for a collaboration that turned a beloved island landmark into something new: Beach Shack, a humble beach bar set beside one of the island’s favourite stretches of reef, became a living canvas for the first time.
Sharing his creative process with guests as he worked, Ismail curated an original mural at Beach Shack over the weekend, inspired by the underwater world surrounding the island — a bow-tied, sunglasses-wearing octopus mixing cocktails amid schools of fish, echoing the plush octopus character that greets guests in their villas on arrival, and weaving local craft and cultural storytelling into the everyday rhythm of island life.
“At Beach Shack, I wanted to bring the energy of the house reef above the water and create something playful, distinctly Maldivian and connected to its surroundings,” said Ismail. “The ocean is part of everyday life here, and this mural celebrates the colour, movement and marine characters found just beyond the shore.”
With a background in architecture, Maaish works across ink, watercolour, acrylic and large-scale murals. His art balances structure with spontaneity, using bold colours and expressive characters to explore Maldivian folklore, island life, culture and identity.
“Through the Beach Shack Artist Takeover, we bring the essence of Eri as The Island of Becoming to life—a place where nature inspires creativity and every experience opens the way for discovery and connection,” said Haroon Mohamed, General Manager of Eri Maldives. “Together with Ismail Maaish and the KULA Initiative, we are proud to provide Maldivian talent with a meaningful platform while inviting guests to experience our house reef and island culture from a fresh perspective.”
The project was presented under Pulse Resorts’ KULA Initiative, which gives local artists a platform to share their work and cultural perspectives with a wider audience, keeping Maldivian creativity and heritage visible within contemporary island life.
It’s the first of the Beach Shack Takeovers, an evolving platform inviting artists and creative talent to reinterpret the venue through their own craft.
The Maldives’ Fari Islands archipelago came alive from 13–15 August as the second edition of the Fari Islands Festival unfolded across Patina Maldives and The Ritz-Carlton Maldives. Guided by its ‘One Festival, Every Sense’ philosophy, the festival welcomed an international community of artists, cultural voices, chefs, musicians, wellness practitioners and conservationists, including headline contributor Rosamund Pike and acclaimed designer Sean Wotherspoon.
The three-day celebration of creativity, connection and discovery invited guests to experience the Fari Islands through every sense, from mindful mornings and ocean experiences to creative workshops, culinary discoveries, thought-provoking conversations and music beneath the Maldivian sky.
At the heart of this year’s festival was Rosamund Pike, the Golden Globe, Emmy and Olivier Award- winning and BAFTA and Academy Award-nominated actor and humanitarian. Pike opened the festival with a charity dinner supporting MAG (Mines Advisory Group), the humanitarian organisation dedicated to clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance from conflict zones around the world. Throughout the weekend, she explored the relationship between creativity, performance and the roles we choose to play in life through a solo address, before leading guests through a guided meditation in partnership with Lumenate, the psychedelic meditation app. Pike also embraced local culture through an intimate Maldivian cooking class at Patina Maldives’ newly launched Kandu restaurant.
Globally recognised designer and cultural tastemaker Sean Wotherspoon led a collaborative art residency, bringing his vibrant, sustainability-focused aesthetic to the islands. Throughout the festival, Wotherspoon worked alongside guests on a large-scale, reef-inspired sculpture, built collectively across the festival.
The completed sculpture will become part of ongoing coral regeneration efforts in the Fari Islands lagoon, where it will continue to evolve as marine life takes hold. Wotherspoon also transformed the Fari Art Atelier into a dedicated festival pop-up, showcasing an exclusive Fari Islands merchandise collection and limited pieces created especially for festival guests.
Wellness and movement provided a constant rhythm throughout the three days, with the Maldives’ leading running community, iRunners, bringing guests and participants together for a 5km Charity Island Run as part of the festival’s ‘Protect the Reef’ campaign. The run raised USD 5,000, which was donated to Save the Beach in support of marine and coastal conservation.
Meanwhile, Wellness by Bamford returned for a second year, with sound healer Stephanie Waxberg and aromatherapist Louise Riby leading immersive wellness experiences, joined by Noble Panacea for sessions centred on longevity and holistic wellbeing.
This year’s programme also welcomed Malin Fezehai, a National Geographic Explorer, offering guests a unique opportunity to explore the natural world through the lens of observation, storytelling and conservation. Alongside Olive Ridley Project, experiences throughout the festival centred on the Maldives’ remarkable marine ecosystems, biodiversity and ongoing conservation efforts.
As the sun set, French musician and creative icon Sébastien Tellier mesmerised festival goers with a live piano performance, while Thai multidisciplinary artist NOTEP wove together music, nature and storytelling. The festival culminated in a beachfront celebration led by acclaimed Dutch DJ and producer FS Green, one of Amsterdam’s finest talents.
Food and drink became an essential part of the ‘One Festival, Every Sense’ journey, inviting guests to slow down and savour new flavours. Michelin-starred chef Samuel Lee, founder of Parisian neo-bistrot SENsation, joined Tokyo-born dining collective WAGYUMAFIA for a series of distinctive culinary experiences, while Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, ranked No. 5 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025, joined Michter’s Whiskey for narrative-led cocktail experiences, alongside curated spirits sessions from Sei Bellissimi’s Danilo Pozone.
With its second edition now wrapped, Fari Islands Festival continues its evolving reputation as an annual gathering where creativity, culture, wellbeing and conservation meet the natural beauty of the Maldives. Following the success of the 2026 edition, Fari Islands Festival will return in 2027, inviting a new generation of artists, thinkers, chefs, performers and cultural voices to Fari Islands for its next chapter.
The Fari Islands Festival is set to return from 8-10 July in 2027. Stay up to date and reserve a stay at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives or Patina Maldives. For more information visit fari-islands.com.
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