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Maldives win major accolades at World Travel Awards, Indian Ocean 2013

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World Travel Awards

Maldives Promotion House – The industry’s elite, including CEO’s and SVPs of leading travel companies, government ministers and tourist board chiefs, attended the idyllic island gala event hailed as “The Oscars of the Travel Industry”. World Travel Awards celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year and is acknowledged across the globe as the ultimate travel accolade, celebrating those brands that are pushing the boundaries of industry excellence in product and service.

Air Mauritius was one of the shining stars on the night, capturing Indian Oceans Leading Airline. Other Award winners from across the region, saw Indian Oceans Leading New Hotel going to Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island, Indian Oceans Leading Resort to One&Only Reethi Rah, Leading Water Villa Resort and Most Romantic Resort went to Baros and Leading Luxury Resort to Gili Lankanfushi with Lets Go Maldives taking Leading Luxury Tour Operator and a new Award went to SriLankan Airlines for Outstanding services to the Tourist Industry, Indian Ocean.

The Maldives continuing rise to tourism stardom was rewarded too, as it took home top honours for best Airport awarded to Maldives Airports Company Limited for Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Indian Oceans Leading Tourist Board and Indian Oceans Leading Destination.

Graham E Cooke, President and Founder, World Travel Awards said: “The Indian Ocean continues to serve as an example of a responsible eco-tourism region whilst offering the most unique hospitality products and services. It strives to set the highest possible bar to raise the standards of excellence in travel and tourism and it has been an honour to hold the first ever Indian Ocean World Travel Awards here.”

Winners

  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline – Air Mauritius
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Airport – Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Destination – Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Resort – LUX* Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Boutique Hotel – Island Hideaway Spa Resort & Marina, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Car Hire – Avis
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Conference Hotel – Paradise Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Cruise Destination – Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Cruise Line – Royal Caribbean International
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Cruise Port – Port Victoria, Seychelles
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination – Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination – Mauritius
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Family Resort – Lily Beach Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Golf Resort – Le Touessrok, Mauritius
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Green Resort – Sun Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination – Mauritius
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel – Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel Brand – Hilton Hotels
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel Suite – Ocean Haven at W Retreat & Spa – Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Leisure Hotel Hulhule Island Hotel, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Resort – Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator – Lets Go Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Water Villa – Ocean Suites at Paradise Island Resort & Spa, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading New Resort – Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Private Island – Resort Fregate Island Private, Seychelles
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Resort – Baros Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Spa Resort – Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Tourist Board – Maldives Tourism Promotion Board
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Travel Agency – Atoll Paradise
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Villa Resort – Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, Seychelles
  • Indian Ocean’s Leading Villa Resort & Spa – Ayada Maldives
  • Indian Ocean’s Most Romantic Resort – Baros Maldives
  • Maldives’ Leading Boutique Resort – Huvafen Fushi Maldives
  • Maldives’ Leading Family Resort – Paradise Island Resort & Spa
  • Maldives’ Leading Green Resort – Sun Island Resort & Spa
  • Maldives’ Leading Leisure Hotel Brand – Villa Hotels
  • Maldives’ Leading Luxury Resort – Gili Lankanfushi
  • Maldives’ Leading Luxury Tour Operator – Lets Go Maldives
  • Maldives’ Leading Resort – One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah
  • Maldives’ Leading Spa Resort – Ayada Maldives
  • Maldives’ Leading Spa Resort Brand – Villa Hotels
  • Maldives’ Leading Tour Operator – Atoll Paradise
  • Maldives’ Leading Travel Agency – Get Into Maldives Travels
  • Maldives’ Leading Water Villa Resort – Baros Maldives

Awards

Angsana Velavaru achieves 4.8 rating in British Airways Customer Awards

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Angsana Velavaru has received the British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Award 2025, recognising the resort for consistently high levels of guest satisfaction and service.

The award is based on verified customer feedback and reflects guest experiences at the resort. Angsana Velavaru achieved an overall score of 4.8 out of 5, with recognition given for service delivery, attention to detail and guest care throughout the stay.

Located within a lagoon in South Nilandhe Atoll, the resort offers a range of accommodation options, including beachfront villas with direct beach access and its InOcean Villas, situated approximately one kilometre from the main island. These overwater villas provide a more secluded setting with open ocean views.

The resort caters to a variety of travellers, including families, couples and individual guests. Family-oriented programmes and shared activities are available, while other guests can take part in leisure, wellness and exploration experiences. Through its 101 Things To Do programme, guests can engage in activities such as snorkelling, marine excursions, cultural experiences and wellness sessions.

The surrounding reef environment provides opportunities for marine exploration, while the resort’s service approach focuses on delivering personalised guest experiences. This combination of natural setting and service delivery forms a central part of the resort’s offering.

The British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Award is presented to hotels that achieve high customer ratings, serving as an indicator of guest satisfaction within the travel sector. For Angsana Velavaru, the recognition reflects its continued focus on maintaining service standards and delivering consistent guest experiences.

The resort continues to position its offering around accessibility to nature, varied experiences and a service model aimed at supporting guest comfort and engagement throughout their stay.

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Eri Maldives offers accessible reef diving and snorkelling

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Eri Maldives is located within the waters of North Malé Atoll and is surrounded by a house reef accessible to both beginner and experienced divers. With four direct reef entry points and shore access, the resort offers opportunities for snorkelling, introductory dives and certified diving.

The house reef supports a range of marine life, including white-tip and black-tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, hawksbill turtles, mobula rays and spotted eagle rays, as well as schools of reef fish. The accessibility of the reef allows guests to explore the area over multiple days, providing opportunities to observe marine behaviour and habitats over time.

Turtle encounters

Hawksbill turtles are among the most frequently observed species on the reef. The resort’s dive team has identified 14 individual turtles, each recognised by shell patterns and physical features. These include turtles known as Rosie, Cara and Anna, which have been documented through repeated sightings.

The resort maintains records of these turtles, allowing returning guests to identify individuals over time. Guests may also contribute to this initiative by naming newly identified turtles that have not previously been recorded.

Manta ray season

From December to April, manta rays are known to visit cleaning stations at Bodu Hithi Thila, located approximately one hour by boat from the resort. During this period, ocean conditions support plankton flows that attract mantas to the area, where they can be observed feeding or visiting cleaning stations.

Night diving experiences

Night snorkelling and diving activities provide a different perspective on reef activity. Species such as reef sharks, trevallies, moray eels and nurse sharks become more active after dark, offering guests the opportunity to observe nocturnal marine behaviour.

At Eri Maldives, marine experiences form a central part of the guest offering, with the house reef providing consistent opportunities for exploration. The resort’s dive programme is designed to support repeated interaction with the marine environment, allowing guests to experience a range of underwater activity throughout their stay.

Accommodation is available in studio and beach villa categories, with full board packages offered for direct bookings, subject to availability.

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Sirru Fen Fushi hosts football programme with Marcus Allbäck

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Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort has announced another successful edition of the Sirru Icon Series, a week-long programme that brought international sporting energy, youth inspiration, and meaningful community connection to this private lagoon paradise.

Held from 27 March to 3 April, the initiative welcomed former Swedish professional footballer Marcus Allbäck, whose presence made the week truly exceptional for guests, young aspiring players, and the neighbouring island community. Marcus Allbäck is a celebrated former Swedish international striker, having played 74 games for his country, scoring 30 goals. He represented Sweden in three European Championships and two World Cups, and enjoyed a distinguished club career across Europe, including the Bundesliga, Serie A, the English Premier League, the Dutch Eredivisie, and the UEFA Champions League. Following his retirement, Marcus served as assistant coach for the Swedish national team for six years. Today, he continues to inspire the next generation of footballers, working as a player agent and advisor to help aspiring players achieve their dreams. His visit highlighted the power of sport not only as entertainment, but as a bridge for cultural exchange and social impact. This reflected the resort’s ongoing commitment to purposeful, community-centred initiatives.

Throughout the week, Marcus led a line-up of engaging activities, including friendly football matches with guests, dedicated junior football camps that fostered confidence and skill-building among young participants, and a memorable visit to a nearby local island. This local-island match stood out as a meaningful moment of connection, bringing the resort and community together through shared passion and friendly competition.

Guests also enjoyed an intimate Sirru Signature Sunset Cocktail, where they had the rare opportunity to meet Marcus in person, hear stories from his international career, and enjoy a relaxed, uplifting atmosphere against the backdrop of the resort’s iconic sunsets.

Programme Highlights:

  • Friendly Football Matches–A fun and energetic opportunity for guests to play alongside an international football figure.
  • Junior Football Camps –Inspiring sessions focused on youth development, teamwork, and confidence-building.
  • Local Island Football Match – A memorable moment on the local island Milandhoo, celebrating the power of sport to bring resort guests and the local community together.
  • Meet & Greet Sunset Cocktail – An exclusive experience offering direct interaction with Marcus and inspiring conversation.

The Sirru Icon Series reflects the resort’s dedication to creating exceptional experiences that go beyond traditional hospitality, pairing luxury with purpose and offering guests opportunities to connect, learn, and create lifelong memories.

This remarkable week marked an inspiring chapter of the Sirru Icon Series, with more unique programmes planned for the future to continue delivering immersive guest experiences at Sirru Fen Fushi Private Lagoon Resort.

For further information and reservations, please visit sirrufenfushi.com or contact reservations@sirrufenfushi.com.

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