From 8th to 12th June 2026, Meyyafushi Maldives invites its guests to experience an unforgettable blend of padel, luxury and island living as professional player Dilara Torssell takes up an exclusive guest residency at the resort.

Ranked as Türkiye’s No.1 female padel player, Dilara Torssell has reached a career-high world ranking of 141 and continues to compete internationally on the Premier Padel and International Padel Federation tours. Now based in Dubai, she represents Türkiye on the global stage while actively promoting the sport through exhibitions, partnerships and international collaborations.

Known for her dynamic playing style, competitive spirit and engaging approach to the game, Dilara Torssell will host interactive padel experiences designed for players of all levels, from beginners to experienced enthusiasts. To make the experience even more memorable, games will be enjoyed at Meyyafushi’s iconic overwater padel tennis court – recognised as the world’s first fixed overwater padel court – offering guests a truly one-of-a-kind sporting experience in the Maldives.

Dilara will offer the opportunity for guests to enjoy friendly matches while receiving personalised tips, techniques and insights into the fast-growing sport. The programme will also feature exciting Pro-Am matches, and a series of exhibition matches which will further showcase padel at a professional level, transforming the resort’s overwater court into one of the Maldives’ most unique sporting stages.

“At Meyyafushi, we are continuously looking for meaningful ways to elevate the guest experience through unique lifestyle and wellness experiences,” said Ahmed Siaar, Cluster General Manager of Meyyafushi Maldives and Fushifaru Maldives. “Hosting Dilara Torssell on our overwater padel court brings together sport, connection and the beauty of the Maldives in a truly unforgettable way.”

As a Premium All-Inclusive resort, Meyyafushi continues to redefine luxury hospitality in the Maldives through immersive experiences such as world-class dining, Pool Villas and Suites with Slides, an Underwater Restaurant, an Overwater Wine Cellar and an adults-only Sky Lounge.

Dilara’s residency forms part of Meyyafushi’s growing calendar of lifestyle collaborations and curated guest experiences, designed to offer travellers something beyond the traditional Maldives escape – a place to connect, within and beyond.

For sales enquiries and bookings, please contact reservations@meyyafushi.com or visit www.meyyafushi.com.

There’s something quietly thrilling about stepping into the ocean after sunset. At Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon, when daylight fade and the reef slips into darkness, a completely different world begins to stir. What feels familiar by day transforms into something far more mysterious and far more alive.

Night snorkelling at Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon begins at around 6:30pm, when guests gather with the experienced team from Dive & Sail Maldives. Equipped with underwater torches, snorkellers ease into the slighly cooler waters surrounding the island, where every beam of light reveals a new discovery hidden within the reef.

What makes night snorkelling so fascinating is the dramatic shift in marine behaviour after sunset. Species that remain tucked away during the day begin to emerge from coral crevices and sandy seabeds. Moray eels weave through the reef in search of prey, octopuses glide silently across the ocean floor, and crustaceans slowly crawl out from their hiding places.

One guest described one of the most unforgettable moments of the experience as watching a group of reef sharks glide past in near-perfect formation. According to the guest, the sudden appearance of six to eight sharks emerging from the darkness was initially startling, but the feeling quickly shifted to awe as they moved calmly and effortlessly through the water, illuminated only by torchlight. The encounter, they shared, felt both thrilling and surreal in the stillness of the night reef.

Beyond the larger marine life, the reef reveals countless smaller details at night that are often missed during daytime snorkelling. Brightly coloured reef crabs, lobster-like crustaceans believed to be spiny lobsters, sleeping parrotfish hidden within the coral, and lionfish hovering near the reef edge all become part of the experience.

The corals themselves also appear remarkably different after dark. Under torchlight, sections of the reef glow with deeper shades of orange, gold, and crimson, while certain soft corals and coral polyps extend outward to feed in the currents.

The house reef at Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon is widely regarded as one of the Maldives’ most vibrant reefs, celebrated for its rich biodiversity and easy accessibility from the shoreline. Guests planning their next island escape can also take advantage of the resort’s ongoing summer offer, which includes complimentary roundtrip speedboat transfers for stays of seven nights or more along with added benefits through Cinnamon DISCOVERY, the loyalty programme by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.

The Indian Ocean does not need much convincing to put on a show. But for one week each September, it outdoes itself. From September 4 to 11, 2026, Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy returns to the Sultans break for its 14th edition, with multi‑discipline world champion Kai Lenny confirmed as the first athlete in the 2026 line‑up.

Most surfers build careers in one lane. Lenny has built his across all of them. From Jaws to playful walls, thrusters to twins, singles and foils, he has forged a career defined by versatility across disciplines, reflecting the ethos the Surfing Champions Trophy was created to celebrate.

Hosted by Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, the invitation‑only event brings together six of surfing’s most celebrated athletes to compete across three board divisions: single fin, twin fin and thruster. Set against the high‑performance walls of Sultans, the format rewards adaptability as much as power, style as much as strategy, and timing as much as talent.

For Lenny, that challenge feels less like unfamiliar territory and more like home. A multi‑time world champion with a reputation forged in big waves and emerging disciplines such as foiling, he is among the athletes well suited to a format that requires competitors to shift craft, rhythm and approach throughout the week.

When Lenny first competed in the Surfing Champions Trophy in 2019, it was not only his performance that stood out, including a win in the thruster division. It was the way he appeared suited to the event itself: a week of changing boards, shifting conditions and high‑performance surf, shaped around a format that values exploration alongside competition.

“Every heat is a final,” says Lenny. “You’re surfing epic waves in paradise against some of the best in the world, but it’s still rooted in having fun. Being able to ride different types of boards is something I love doing every day, so to compete across all of them is epic.”

For 2026, Lenny takes that connection one step further by shaping the boards he will ride throughout the event, adding an additional layer of intent to a competition defined by craft, adaptability and feel.

At a wave like Sultans, defined by consistent conditions and open to interpretation, the ability to adapt across boards and conditions becomes a clear advantage. It also positions Lenny as a fitting first announcement for an event known for attracting athletes recognised for both approach and performance.

Where Champs Come to Surf

First staged in 2011, the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy has become one of surfing’s most distinctive invitation-only events, bringing six celebrated athletes to Sultans to compete across single fin, twin fin and thruster divisions. Past participants include Mark Occhilupo, Taj Burrow, Josh Kerr, Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, Michel Bourez, Carissa Moore, Maya Gabeira and more. Following Bourez’s 2025 win, marked by a return from injury and the event’s only perfect 10, the 2026 edition carries strong momentum. With Kai Lenny now confirmed, the event is already shaping an anticipated return.

The Garden-Island Base at Kuda Huraa

Located 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa gives the event its warm, garden-island base, with easy access to North Malé Atoll’s best breaks and a longstanding collaboration with Tropicsurf. Between heats at Sultans, guests can expect post-surf stories, recovery rituals, sunset gatherings and the rare chance to swap board talk with world champions in boardshorts.

The Surf’s Up Package: For Those Who Want In

For guests interested in participating in the week’s program, the Surf’s Up package includes round-trip shared speedboat transfers for two, daily breakfast, four days of Tropicsurf coaching, guided boat transfers to local breaks, use of surf equipment and stand-up paddleboard, daily group yoga, and a 90-minute Myofascial Renewal treatment for two at ŪRJĀ Naturopathy Island.

The remaining 2026 competitor line-up will be revealed in the coming weeks, with updates shared across surfingchampionstrophy.com and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa channels.

To reserve a stay during the 2026 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy or enquire about the Surf’s Up package, contact reservations.mal@fourseasons.com or call +960 66 00 888.