Featured
Anantara Veli named Maldives’ Best Wellness Retreat at World Spa Awards

Anantara Veli Maldives Resort has been named Maldives’ Best Wellness Retreat at the 2017 World Spa Awards.
The 2017 World Spa Awards winners were unveiled in Phu Quoc, Veitnam on Sunday, with the Anantara brand as a whole making sweeping wins. Anantara Veli was named Maldives’ Best Wellness Retreat, a great honour in such a prestigious, luxury category.
Launched in association with the World Travel Awards, voters of the World Spa Awards comprise spa industry professionals and the wider public, a double seal of recognition for excellence.
“We are thrilled to be recognised on a global stage, and I would like to thank the team for their dedication and passion in perfecting each guest’s wellness journey. Discerning travellers with busy lives look for an all-encompassing experience, a total escape for body and mind. Anantara Veli provides the ideal setting for relaxation and invigoration, with a complete suite of consultants and facilities for tailored approaches to wellbeing,” Melissa Dowel, the Spa Director at Anantara Veli, was quoted in a statement, as saying.
Anantara Veli recently launched its new Balance Wellness Sanctuary, offering a multi-dimensional approach to relaxation and health. Balance Wellness offers guests a holistic path to feeling and looking better.
Begin with a personal consultation with one of the resident wellness consultants. Based on your lifestyle and body composition, together devise a programme for your time on the island and back at home. Balance Wellness helps tackle deep-seated issues such as sleeplessness, weight management, detoxification and mindfulness.
Begin each day with healthy food choices catering to your body type. Practice meditation and yoga overlooking the ocean with the resident yogi, or shape up with high intensity circuit training and cardio. Submit to soothing detox rituals such as Udwarthanam, an Ayurvedic massage using herbal powders to increase blood flow and flush out toxins and cellulite.
Visiting Masters of Wellness from as far afield as Hawaii and Portugal bring the latest in holistic treatments to Anantara Veli. Discover your body’s natural ability to heal with Naturopathic Doctor Sohal Shah. Explore the myriad benefits of acupuncture with Dr. Rui Pedro Loureiro. Heal with movement under the guidance of Holistic Therapist Jade Wood.
At Anantara Veli, you are invited to open your mind and find inspiration in the most stunning of everydays. Paint the sunset and explore the artist inside you. Join in a bodu beru drumming session or find wonder diving pristine reefs.
Anantara Veli is an adults-only private island fringed by quintessential Maldives overwater bungalows. A 35-minute speedboat ride from the capital and Velana International Airport, the island lies in a peaceful azure lagoon shared with sister resorts, Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort and Naladhu Maldives Private Island.
Designed for sweeping romance, couples can hide away in luxury or venture into the heart of the island for star-lit moments in an orchid garden or open-air cinema. Candlelight dinners take place over the waters at the Maldives’ finest Thai restaurant, Baan Huraa, or the resort’s private picnic island, Gulhifushi.
For those looking for activity and novel experiences, Anantara Veli features an on-site water sports centre, Aquafanatics, with PADI diving and luxury surfing with Tropicsurf. Daily meditation and yoga sessions are led by the resident yogi in an ocean-facing yoga pavilion.
The lush garden spa in traditional Maldivian style greets with the soothing scent of orchid. Five personal treatment suites with dedicated Ayurveda set-ups offer garden views and a soaking tub in front of a waterfall. A serene relaxation courtyard with hot and cold plunge pools invites pre- or post-treatment unwinding.
Featured
Spellbinding Halloween awaits at Kuramathi Maldives’ Bageecha Kids Club

Kuramathi Maldives is set to delight its youngest guests with a week of thrilling Halloween festivities at Bageecha Kids Club. From 27th October to 1st November 2025, children can look forward to a magical and mysterious line-up of activities designed especially for them. With haunted adventures, imaginative crafts, exciting games, and vibrant pool parties, every day promises a new and unforgettable experience.
Each Halloween-themed day will offer something unique, encouraging children to unleash their creativity through spooky arts and crafts. Activities include making pirate hats and treasure maps, crafting vampire teeth and pasta skeletons, and engaging in pool games, treasure hunts, and obstacle courses designed to entertain and challenge. Dance lovers can take part in monster dance-offs and zombie limbo, guaranteeing plenty of laughter and fun.
The centrepiece of the week’s festivities takes place on 31st October with a grand Halloween Day celebration. Youngsters will have the chance to show off their costumes in a Trick-or-Treat parade, decorate haunted cookies, and join a lively monster-themed pool party. The celebrations will culminate in a magical finale on Saturday 1st November, featuring rainbow potions, fairy wings, dragon tails, and other enchanting surprises.
With themed meals, creative workshops, and non-stop entertainment throughout the week, Bageecha Kids Club offers an unforgettable Halloween experience. Whether discovering their spooky side or diving into a whimsical world of magical creatures, young guests are sure to take home lasting memories of a truly spellbinding holiday.
Featured
Indulgent island retreat awaits with Cinnamon Velifushi’s limited-time flash sale

Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives is extending an exclusive invitation to travellers with a limited-time flash offer combining exceptional value with indulgent island experiences. Available for bookings made between 3rd and 17th August 2025, the promotion offers up to 85% off stays throughout September 2025, inclusive of complimentary return speedboat transfers and a selection of three curated experiences tailored to elevate each guest’s stay.
Shaped like a manta ray gliding through turquoise waters, Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives is one of the most picturesque islands in the Meemu Atoll. As part of this special offer, guests may personalise their getaway by selecting three of the following signature experiences:
- A four-course beachside dinner featuring premium steak or freshly caught seafood
- A 45-minute spa treatment for deep relaxation
- A scenic island-hopping excursion across neighbouring islets
- A dolphin-watching trip in their natural habitat
- USD 200 in resort credit for added flexibility
From underwater adventures to open-air dining under the stars, or simply embracing the island’s tranquil pace, the offer encourages guests to make the most of their tropical escape — for considerably less.
Ideal for those in search of an elegant end-of-summer retreat, Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives provides a sophisticated setting with both overwater and beachside villas, and a variety of dining options. Among them is the acclaimed Marlin Restaurant, regarded as one of the atoll’s finest à la carte experiences, particularly renowned for its fresh seafood.
Reservations under this flash offer are open from 3rd to 17th August 2025, for stays between 1st and 30th September 2025.
Excursions
COMO Maalifushi launches freediving with Maldivian pioneer Fahd Faiz

COMO Maalifushi has announced the launch of its new freediving programme, developed in collaboration with Fahd Faiz, the first Maldivian freediving instructor and a prominent advocate for marine conservation in the country. This initiative reflects the resort’s ongoing commitment to delivering transformative guest experiences while promoting sustainability, education, and professional development within its team.
Running from 27 July to 10 August 2025, Fahd Faiz’s residency marks the official introduction of freediving training at COMO Maalifushi. The programme centres on equipping the resort’s marine team with advanced skills in breath-hold diving, safety protocols, and heightened underwater awareness. These freediving techniques are set to be incorporated into the resort’s PADI offerings, providing guests with an opportunity to engage with the ocean in a more mindful and unrestricted manner.
Fahd Faiz is the founder of Freedive Maldives, the country’s first locally owned freediving centre, established in 2015. A world record holder in static apnea, he has trained more than 1,000 students and currently serves as President of the Maldives Freediving Association. As the country’s sole PADI Instructor Trainer, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the freediving landscape both in the Maldives and internationally.
Peter Nilsson, Managing Director of COMO Maldives, remarked, “Having Fahd with us at COMO Maalifushi has been an inspiring experience for the team. His passion for the ocean, combined with his exceptional expertise and dedication to education, aligns perfectly with our brand’s ethos of holistic wellness, sustainability, and authentic connection to place. This new freediving initiative not only strengthens our internal capabilities but also enriches the experience we offer our guests, allowing them to encounter the marine world in a deeper and more tranquil way. We are proud to support Fahd’s mission and delighted to introduce freediving at COMO Maalifushi.”
During his residency, Fahd is leading immersive training sessions with the resort’s marine team, focusing on breath control, rescue techniques, equalisation, and mental conditioning—skills essential to freediving and valuable in ensuring guest safety and engagement.
This new freediving experience at COMO Maalifushi is poised to become a signature offering, inviting guests to explore the depths of the Indian Ocean on a single breath, amidst vibrant coral gardens, tropical reef fish, and the meditative silence of the sea.
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