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Fun for little swimmers and adult water babies

Maldives Promotion House – For active families with little adventurers in tow, Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort in the Maldives has just launched a new PADI Skin Diver Course, available for adults and children as young as eight. While snorkelling is limited to peering down from the surface, this short course enables avid water babies to venture deeper, making frequent surface dives to interact up close and personal with aquatic life.
Located in South Malé Atoll, Olhuveli is a beautiful island retreat with stunning beaches, abundant sandbanks and its own house reef. While on the skin diving course, guests will be provided with information on the equipment, dive science, the environment and safety – and then the fun starts. The best part is learning to use the mask, fins and snorkel so not a moment of action below the surface is missed.
The resort’s house reef, easily accessed from the jetty, provides a safe, current-free environment from which to discover the underwater world. Residing just metres beneath the warm, clear sea, it is inviting and unthreatening – even for little mermaids and mermasters. Basking in sunlight, bright corals line the sandy seabed, offering the perfect habitat for restless damsel fish, bat fish, baby sharks and even turtles. Children will delight in chasing shoals of tiny silver fish from the shallows to the deep, while sea creatures of all types and varieties can be discovered, such as sea cucumbers and endangered giant clams.
The PADI Skin Diver course takes just over two hours, and is available from US$30 to US$60 per person, (including equipment and excluding taxes and service charges). On completion of the course, guests receive a PADI Skin Diver certification card, so they are ready for their next adventure.
Back on dry land, at night guests can watch manta rays, which seasonally come to the jetty to feed on plankton that is attracted by the floodlights. This is a wonderful spectacle for families to encounter after a day of watery adventures.
In addition to a five-star PADI dive centre, Olhuveli offers a fantastic watersports centre with fun tubes, banana boat rides, stand-up paddle-boarding, wake-boarding and the first licensed kite-surfing school in the Maldives. Additional facilities include a selection of restaurants and bars, two large pools, a Sun Spa and a free, daily kids’ programme.
New for 2013 and for the ultimate family celebration or romantic dining experience, the resort has just launched a ‘sand horizon’ destination dining experience, whereby seats are dug into the sand to dine on the beach, creating a beautiful ambiance.
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Ifuru Island Maldives takes part in Burunu Boma sport fishing tournament

Ifuru Island Maldives has announced its participation in the inaugural Burunu Boma Sport Fishing Tournament, taking place from 2 to 4 May 2025. Organized by the Visit Maldives Club (VMC), this premier event aims to position the Maldives as a leading destination for sustainable sport fishing.
As one of the select resorts competing in this prestigious tournament, Team Ifuru Maldives will showcase its commitment to marine conservation and responsible tourism. The competition emphasizes “catch and release” practices, aligning with global efforts to preserve marine biodiversity.
Participants will target species such as marlin, sailfish, mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, swordfish, and bigeye tuna, with a grand prize of USD 25,000 awarded to the top-performing team. The event also features live entertainment and a festive atmosphere, celebrating the Maldives’ rich fishing heritage.
“We are thrilled to be part of Burunu Boma and to represent Ifuru Island Maldives in this landmark event,” said Marcel Sawyer, General Manager at Ifuru Island Maldives. “Our participation underscores our dedication to sustainable practices and our passion for the ocean that surrounds us.”
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Sirru Fen Fushi to host ‘One Ocean, One Breath’ with Freedive Maldives to mark World Oceans Day

Sirru Fen Fushi – Private Lagoon Resort, invites ocean lovers and adventure seekers to a purposeful World Oceans Day celebration in partnership with Freedive Maldives, Guinness World Record Holder for the Most People Performing Static Apnea held last October 2022.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of one of the largest natural lagoons and house reefs in the Maldives, the event promises a deep connection to the ocean through expert-led PADI Freediving courses, ranging from basic to advanced levels. Participants will have the opportunity to earn their freediving certification, explore Sirru’s 9-kilometer-long house reef, and admire vibrant marine biodiversity, including manta ray cleaning stations, nurse shark points, flourishing coral gardens, and turtle habitats, home to 93 resident turtles and 11 successful hatchings this year alone.
“Our house reef, one of the longest and most vibrant in the Maldives, is a sanctuary for marine life and a symbol of our deep commitment to ocean conservation,” said Lukasz Prendke, General Manager of Sirru Fen Fushi. “We are honoured to collaborate with Freedive Maldives in celebrating World Oceans Day, not only to offer our guests an unforgettable underwater journey, but also to empower local talents and inspire our community to protect what lies beneath the surface.”
The initiative aligns with the resort’s ongoing sustainability commitments, including regular lagoon cleaning programs and support for local marine conservation efforts. This collaboration further emphasizes a shared mission to preserve the Maldives’ rich underwater heritage and engage the local community in meaningful environmental action.
In a broader commitment to sustainable tourism, Freedive Maldives has also signed a partnership agreement with the Baa Atoll Council to host another record-breaking freediving event in October 2025, coinciding with World Tourism Day, reinforcing Baa Atoll’s position as a leader in eco-conscious marine tourism.
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Napoli back on top of Serie A as De Laurentiis celebrates in Maldives

Aurelio De Laurentiis, owner and chairman of SSC Napoli and one of Italy’s leading film producers, is celebrating his club’s return to the top of Serie A while holidaying in the Maldives.
Napoli secured a crucial 2–0 victory over Torino in the 34th round of the league, taking full advantage of Inter Milan’s 1–0 loss to Roma. With the win, Napoli now lead the table with 74 points, three points clear of Inter, with four matches remaining in the season.
Many had expected De Laurentiis to be present at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for such a pivotal match. However, according to Italian media reports, he remained in the Maldives. After the match, the Napoli president posted a message from afar, encouraging his team to stay composed during the decisive final stretch of the season: “Cool heads. Calm and steady. Forza Napoli Sempre!”
The radio station Kiss Kiss Napoli suggested that De Laurentiis’ decision to stay in the Maldives, distant from Italy, reflects his strategy of giving space to the team and coaching staff while firmly maintaining control over the club’s direction.
Following Napoli’s historic league triumph in 2023, their first in over three decades, the club endured a turbulent season marked by coaching changes and management instability. Many attributed last season’s struggles to the lack of continuity.
Determined to rebuild, De Laurentiis appointed Antonio Conte, a proven winner, as head coach ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, a move that is already delivering results.
As the race for the Scudetto intensifies, Napoli’s dream of winning a second title in three years remains very much alive, with De Laurentiis steering the course even from thousands of miles away.
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