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Ay Kurumba!
By Krista Gray-Donald. Krista is Canadian living with her husband and two small children in India for a year. She is a photographer, wine lover, victim advocate, tomboy, and sports fan, and writes about life, as she sees it at www.lilbunnyrabbitz.com. 
After several long and tiring trips, both within India, and around the globe, we had one important criteria for our summer vacation planning: direct flight. While there are several nice places that fit the bill, the one that interested us the most was the flight to Malé, Maldives. Private resort islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean? Of course we were interested. After soliciting a number of friends, we booked in at Kurumba, a resort that offered some other features that we were interested in; close to the airport, children’s activity centre, and scuba diving.
We arrived at noon on Sunday, and immediately noticed that it was hot and humid. Given that the Maldives are essentially on the equator, we expected this, but it was still noteworthy. Once we connected with the resort employee who was sent to fetch us, we were whisked on to a luxurious and air conditioned boat and sped to the island that housed Kurumba. As with most resorts and hotels in the Maldives, the island consisted only of our resort, a neat feature. We were quickly and efficiently checked in, and shown to our room, which was right on the beach and looked out onto the ocean.
It didn’t take us long to get settled. While I quickly tried to find the sand toys and bathing suits, the lils and Willy ran the fifteen feet to the water’s edge and started playing in the sand. They inched closer and closer to the water until both lils were happily swimming, in their clothes. We eventually got them into bathing suits and later dragged then away from the water to find food. We walked the perimeter of the island to find the restaurant, and watched the lils inch closer and closer to the water until they were wet again. It was a scene that was happily repeated throughout the week.
That evening we headed to the beach bar on the eastern side of the island. We had heard from friends that the patio was a great place to look for aquatic life, and had heard from the resort that they would be hosting happy hour for the guests! On our walk around the island, the waters were calm and we were pleasantly surprised to find that the area within the breakwall and natural reef was teeming with fish and other creatures. Our favourites were the numerous hermit crabs that skillfully* dodged little and big feet on the beach. We sat outside on the deck at the bar, and marvelled at the fish, rays, crabs, squid, seahorse, and baby SHARKS that kept passing by.
Our days followed a lazy pattern of early morning “shark walks”, lavish meals at the buffet, snorkelling in the patch of ocean that was right in front of our door (the snorkelling was really amazing, the reef is really well developed), more eating, some margaritas or other appropriate drinks, a visit to the “kid’s club”, more eating and switching to wine, and finished off with pouring the lils into bed (and occasionally falling asleep with them). I was also lucky enough to get in five dives, which absolutely thrilled me.
While this may sound like it could have been any other all-inclusive vacation that we have been on, it was so much better. The staff was bend-over-backwards friendly to us and the lils. Everyone that we met, including the great staff working at the dive centre, went out of their way to ensure that we were all enjoying ourselves. The food was great for the carnivores and seafood lovers in the family, and the chefs in particular were responsive to Woo’s allergy needs. The rooms were clean and spacious, had nice linens, and were really well maintained for a resort that is around thirty years old! We all loved the bathroom, with a great big soaker tub and a fabulous outdoor rain shower. A nice side effect is that has convinced the lils that showers are not so bad after all. 
One of the best memories that we will all take from the trip was the sunset cruise on Wednesday night. Billed as a dolphin and sunset cruise, I had no way of knowing just how many spinner dolphins we would see, and how they would perform for us! There were literally hundreds of dolphins, swimming in the bow wake, dipping and diving all around us, jumping and doing their patented spin in the air as far as we could see. We were all amazed, and I keep smiling thinking of it. I just wish I had tried harder to get some better shots of them. I was too busy looking on in awe! Now I have to convince Willy that we can go back there before we leave India. I am pretty sure that he wants to go, we just need to know if we will be able to squeeze it in.
*well, all but one skillfully dodged my big feet. RIP lil fella.*
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.
Niva Dhigali Maldives will welcome visiting chef Jake Norman and British pickleball champion Molly O’Donoghue for a curated programme of island experiences this November, bringing together dining and active wellbeing in the Maldives.
Norman began his culinary career making pizza in the markets of Guadalajara, Mexico, before working in several London restaurants, including St John, Ottolenghi and Sabor. He now leads the kitchen at Updown Farmhouse in Kent, where his cooking focuses on seasonal ingredients, live-fire techniques and Mediterranean influences.
On 18 November, Norman will host an exclusive dinner at Faru, presenting a menu that combines Mediterranean flavours with influences from Mexico and the Middle East, while incorporating ingredients sourced from the Maldives.
The shared dining experience will feature Indian Ocean produce, grilled dishes and smoky flavours, with a menu designed to reflect the setting and encourage guests to dine at a relaxed pace.
The programme will also include pickleball sessions hosted by British champion Molly O’Donoghue. A national champion in mixed and women’s doubles, as well as a European champion in mixed doubles, O’Donoghue first discovered the sport while studying in Australia. She has since competed internationally and worked to introduce the sport to players around the world.
At Niva Dhigali, O’Donoghue will conduct beginner sessions and advanced coaching, giving guests of different skill levels the opportunity to learn, play and develop their technique.
Located in Raa Atoll, Niva Dhigali Maldives is surrounded by tropical vegetation, a lagoon and the Indian Ocean. The November programme, featuring Norman’s dining experience and O’Donoghue’s pickleball sessions, forms part of the resort’s approach to offering guest experiences centred on food, wellbeing and the island environment.
Against the backdrop of the Maldives’ world-renowned marine environment, Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives is nurturing the next generation of dive professionals as the exclusive Best Dives Maldives resort authorised to deliver the PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC).
Bringing together Divemasters from Best Dives Maldives operations across the Maldives, the two-week programme reflects the resort’s growing role as the group’s dedicated training hub, supporting the development of the next generation of PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors while reinforcing its commitment to excellence in diving education.
Designed exclusively for certified Divemasters, the IDC combines comprehensive classroom learning with practical teaching workshops, confined and open water assessments, Emergency First Response Instructor Development, and Scuba Dive Instructor training. Participants entered the programme having already fulfilled PADI’s rigorous prerequisites, including logged dives, professional certifications, and medical clearances, before progressing to the Instructor Examination, the final step towards becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.
Sharing his thoughts, Cluster General Manager Jorge Fernandez stated, “Our vision extends beyond delivering exceptional guest experiences. Across Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives and its neighbouring Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives, we are committed to supporting the long-term growth of the Maldives’ diving industry through education, professional development, and marine stewardship. As the exclusive PADI Instructor Development Course centre within the Best Dives Maldives network, our resort plays a vital role in developing the next generation of dive professionals, strengthening industry standards, and reinforcing our commitment to advancing the Maldives as one of the world’s leading diving destinations.”
“Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives has become the dedicated home of professional instructor development within the Best Dives Maldives network,” said Shimal Mohamed, Base Leader, Best Dives Maldives at Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives. “Hosting the PADI Instructor Development Course allows us not only to develop future dive professionals, but also to maintain consistent training standards across our operations. It is a responsibility we are proud to uphold while supporting the career progression of our teams throughout the Maldives. We are equally committed to bringing more Maldivians into the diving profession, creating meaningful career pathways for local talent and helping the industry grow from within.”
With its protected lagoon, vibrant house reef, and diverse marine ecosystem, the resort offers an ideal environment for instructor development, allowing candidates to gain hands on teaching experience in conditions that closely reflect real world diving environments. Beyond delivering certification, the programme strengthens knowledge, confidence, and instructional skills, ensuring graduates are well prepared to guide and inspire future divers.
As the exclusive PADI Instructor Development Course provider within the Best Dives Maldives portfolio, Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives continues to play a pivotal role in advancing professional dive education while enhancing the Maldives’ reputation as one of the world’s premier diving destinations. Alongside its instructor development programmes, the resort welcomes guests of all experience levels, from first time divers discovering the underwater world to experienced enthusiasts seeking unforgettable marine encounters.
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