Featured
Where magic meets Maldivian shore: One&Only Reethi Rah’s ‘BELIEVE’ festive season
This festive season, One&Only Reethi Rah invites guests to embrace the spirit of the holidays with BELIEVE — a celebration of joy, connection, and wonder set against the serene shores of the Maldives. The 2025 festive programme combines cherished family traditions, exceptional culinary experiences, and mindful wellness rituals designed to create lasting memories and meaningful connections.
The season commences on 20 December with a glittering Tree Lighting Ceremony, where twinkling lights, carols, and seasonal cocktails capture the essence of the holidays. The evening also marks a milestone with An Ode to Tapasake, an anniversary celebration of one of the resort’s signature dining venues, featuring curated dishes, fine wines, and live music.
In the days leading up to Christmas, younger guests can enjoy creative workshops, from gingerbread house making and letter writing to Santa to crafting Maldivian-inspired ornaments. Families gather in the evenings for elegant cocktail receptions and festive dinners. On Christmas Eve, guests are welcomed beneath the palms for a night of live music and a grand dinner, followed by Santa’s tropical arrival and a vibrant Christmas Day brunch with live entertainment and international cuisine.
The celebration continues with experiences focused on wellbeing and renewal. Guests can take part in Glow & Flow sound healing on 22 December, Tales & Traditions on 28 December — exploring Maldivian healing customs — and sunrise yoga sessions on 2 January. For those seeking spirited fun, festive tennis, padel, and badminton tournaments bring a dynamic edge to the season.
As the year draws to a close, the Believe Ball — One&Only Reethi Rah’s renowned New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner — invites guests to an evening of grandeur. Beginning with a beachfront cocktail reception, the night unfolds into a feast of gourmet discovery, live performances, and a spectacular countdown to 2026. The following morning, the New Beginnings Brunch offers a relaxed and indulgent welcome to the new year.
Festivities extend into January, with immersive experiences such as a five-course Sake Pairing Dinner on 2 January, family-friendly sunset painting classes, and fitness sessions accompanied by a live DJ. The celebrations culminate with a series of Orthodox Christmas and New Year events from 6 to 13 January, concluding with a gala dinner that brings together guests in celebration of culture, cuisine, and community.
Throughout the season, guests can savour culinary journeys inspired by both innovation and heritage, take part in wellness experiences rooted in local traditions, and enjoy the refined warmth that defines every stay at One&Only Reethi Rah. Whether gathering with loved ones or seeking moments of reflection, the festive season invites all to believe — in joy, togetherness, and the magic of the holidays.
Celebration
Villa Park sets holiday line-up with sunset welcome, Santa visit and NYE gala
Villa Park has announced its Festive 2025–2026 programme, running from 20 December 2025 to 6 January 2026. The schedule moves from lagoon-side mornings to music-led evenings on the beach, beginning with a sunset welcome and continuing with beach barbecues, creative workshops, Christmas Eve dinner, Santa’s visit on 25 December, and a New Year’s Eve gala with a midnight countdown. The season concludes with programmes on New Year’s Day and Orthodox Christmas.
Daytime activities include chef demonstrations, shoreline art sessions, and live music. Evenings feature romantic tables, treetop dining for two, and simple set-ups that highlight the island setting. The programme is designed for couples, friends, and families to join as they wish.
Family programming centres on Park Players, presented as the Maldives’ largest kids’ club, with letters to Santa, gingerbread crafts, ocean-themed art, movement classes, story time, and film nights. Group sizes are kept small to ensure attentive supervision.
Villa Park’s family offering has been recognised beyond the festive season, with the resort named among the Best Resorts for Families in the Maldives at the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2025, a reader-voted accolade reflecting guest feedback on space, programming, and flexible pacing.
Throughout the calendar, private experiences sit alongside larger celebrations, including candlelit beach dining, treetop tastings, floating breakfasts, and open-air cinema for two. Guests can set their own rhythm, whether opting for lively beach gatherings or quiet evenings under lanterns and palms, from sunrise through to the New Year countdown and beyond.
Featured
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas introduces season of wellness with three practitioners
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas is inviting guests to embark on a holistic journey guided by three visiting wellness practitioners, each specialising in distinct approaches to healing. Drawing on traditional knowledge and contemporary practice, the practitioners will offer therapies at the resort’s overwater spa designed to align body, mind, and spirit in a tranquil Maldivian setting. Disciplines include Ayurveda, energy-based therapies, sound healing, and mindful movement, with personalised consultations and bespoke treatments available.
A fifth-generation Ayurvedic physician, Dr Jithurag continues a 300-year family lineage rooted in holistic balance. Trained within the Rameswaram Tantric tradition, he blends Ayurvedic principles with elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine, integrating marma therapy and acupuncture with Reiki and Pranic Healing. Using wellness screening technologies to assess biomarkers, he designs tailored treatment plans. Guests may book a complimentary consultation and choose from signature therapies such as TCM Acupuncture, Cupping Therapy, Marma Abhyanga, and Back Restoration Therapy.
Holistic therapist and Ayurvedic healer Sharath Ram brings more than 16 years’ experience in supporting physical, mental, and spiritual balance. His work combines Ayurveda with energy practices and therapeutic yoga to encourage both recovery and transformation. His specialities include Chakra Inner Energy Balancing, Ayurveda Deep Fusion Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, Maderotherapy, and Mind-Body Healing. He will also lead complimentary workshops, including The Art of Breathing and Dynamic Meditation, focusing on breathwork and movement to promote calm and clarity.
From Kerala, India, Vinod Narayanan offers over a decade of experience in Ayurveda, yoga, and holistic healing across Europe, Africa, and Asia, including service as a personal physician to dignitaries. At Anantara Kihavah he will provide therapies such as Himalayan Sound Healing Massage, De-Armouring Body Therapy, Abdominal Detox, Access Bars Energy Healing, and Gut-Brain Rewiring. Using vibration, touch, and energy alignment, his sessions aim to release emotional blockages, improve circulation, and support the body’s natural rhythm. Complimentary consultations are available, alongside sound-based journeys that seek to harmonise body and spirit.
Together, the practitioners complement Anantara Kihavah’s wellbeing philosophy, extending from Ayurvedic traditions to sound therapy. Guests are invited to the overwater Anantara Spa for bespoke treatments, meditative workshops, and one-to-one consultations that encourage connection with self and nature.
Further enhancing the experience, the resort has introduced reimagined Beach Pool Villas featuring natural textures, open-plan spaces, and private pools set within tropical greenery.
Celebration
Mindful festive escape: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa focuses on connection and renewal
This festive season, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa will welcome guests to a celebration of warmth, wonder and mindful connection. From 19 December 2025 to 7 January 2026, the resort will transform into a serene island sanctuary where nature, gastronomy and meaningful experiences come together in harmony.
Situated in one of the most untouched atolls of the Maldives, Huvadhu Atoll, Hadahaa embodies a refined simplicity that showcases the beauty of the natural world. Throughout the festive period, guests are invited to slow down, reconnect and rediscover the joy of being fully present, surrounded by turquoise waters, lush island greenery and Maldivian hospitality.
“The festive season at Hadahaa is more than a celebration — it’s a homecoming,” said Anshul Sharma, General Manager of Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa. “It’s a time to reflect, to celebrate togetherness and to embrace the island’s timeless rhythm where nature and joy coexist effortlessly.”
Highlights of the Festive Season:
- Holiday splendour and timeless traditions – From the twinkling lights of the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony to the New Year’s Eve Countdown by the Beach, each event is shaped by the understated elegance that defines Park Hyatt. Familiar festive traditions are reinterpreted with authentic island touches, creating celebrations that feel both comforting and renewed.
- Beneath the holiday surface – Adventure enthusiasts will be able to join Festive Snorkelling and Diving excursions, Turtle Quests and an Exclusive Christmas Night Dive. Each marine experience offers a deeper connection to the ocean’s vibrant ecosystem, enhanced by the festive spirit of exploration.
- Season of renewal – Guests can restore body and mind with holistic spa journeys at The Vidhun Spa, featuring Ayurveda-inspired treatments, island botanicals and festive rituals designed to support inner balance. The resort will also host Dr Jyoti Kodwani, founder of The Sacred Chakras, for a month-long Festive Wellness Residency offering transformative healing therapies.
- Festive flavours and family moments – From Barefoot BBQs by the Bay to elevated treehouse dining beneath the stars, dining experiences are designed to become lasting memories. Younger guests can take part in creative workshops, treasure hunts and Santa’s seaside arrival, ensuring special moments for families and guests of all ages.
This year, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa’s festive programme captures the essence of renewal and joy, celebrating life’s simplest pleasures with a blend of sophistication and soul.
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