Cabinet members allocated Baa atoll Hanifaru, Baa atoll An’gafaru and Alif Dhaal atoll Maamigili as protected areas to commemorate World Environment Day and World Ocean Day on the 5 and 8 June respectively.

“We welcome the whale shark sanctuaries,” said Ali Rilwan, executive director of environment NGO Bluepeace today. “We don’t need paper parks, we need monitoring and more research in these areas.”

In March, the ministry of fisheries and agricultures extended the moratorium on reef shark fishing to cover the whole of the Maldives as part of a move towards a total ban on both reef and oceanic shark hunting.

Speaking to Minivan News today, Ibrahim Naeem, director of the environment ministry, said the main objective of the project was to protect the areas’ megafauna, namely whale sharks.

He explained the areas will be divided into various zones, in which different activities will be permitted. While diving and snorkelling would still be allowed, a set of guidelines would be provided to instruct on how to deal with encounters with whale sharks.

Further, boats will be subject to speed limits in certain areas, he said.

Naeem said the reaction of local residents was “very positive”. “They actively wanted this to happen and this won’t impact any of their activities so they have nothing to lose from this,” he said. “That’s the findings of the consultation.”

He added the decision would have a “global significance” and the areas were among the few in the world where whale sharks could be spotted.

The polka-dotted whale shark is the largest fish on the planet, but very little is known about their existence, according to the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme’s website.

While it is known they swim potentially vast distances across the ocean, eating only plankton, tiny fish and squid, how long they live or where they reproduce remains a mystery.

Guy Stevens, a marine biologist at Four Seasons Resort, said it was crucial to establish a set of guidelines to counter the impact that the growth of tourism would have on whale sharks in future years.

At present, it is estimated that whale shark excursions generate US$10 million annually.

According to Stevens, researchers have spotted 115 whale sharks in the Maldives, although the real number was probably higher.

“Some of these areas are important feeding grounds,” said Stevens. “And out of all of them, there are only two females, so the animals are only spending part of their lives here.”

He added the designated areas would also protect other animal species such as manta rays in Hanifaru and reef sharks in An’gafaru.

As part of its efforts to mark World Environment Day and World Ocean Day over the coming week, the government will also be introducing seven awards in recognition of efforts to go carbon neutral and launch two campaigns: “Walk to School” and “Back to Bicycle”.

NGO Bluepeace will be also hold an event to celebrate World Environment Day this Friday: a beach clean-up at Hulhumale’.

These routes will be operated by Boeing 777 aircraft with a three-class configuration: World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World.

Richard Tams, British Airways’ head of UK & Ireland sales, said: “These new routes will be great assets to the BA network and a real winner with customers. They are both perfect holiday destinations, known for their great beaches and fantastic diving. We’re particularly pleased to be serving a completely new destination, the Maldives and returning to Sharm El Sheikh. We expect both routes to perform well.”

A wide range of good value hotels from independent properties to luxury five-star resorts in both the Maldives and Sharm el Sheikh will be available to book on ba.com giving further choice and flexibility to all holidaymakers.

Judy Jarvis, British Airways’ regional commercial manager, South Asia, said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce the start of non-stop flights from Male to the UK. The Maldives offers sunny beaches and unspoilt lagoons, a perfect combination for the ideal tropical holiday destination. I am confident that it will be very popular with our customers.”

Lead-in fares from Gatwick to Male will start from £629 return including taxes, fees and charges. Flights to the Maldives will depart from Gatwick on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 7:10pm returning from Male’ on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 1:20pm local time.

Tickets will be on sale from Friday May 29, 2009 through ba.com and direct through BA reservations on 0844 493 0787.

Country Brand Index is a comprehensive study of approximately 2,700 international business and leisure travellers from nine countries. It is conducted by FutureBrand, a global brand consultancy company and Weber Shandwick which is a public relations firm.

The main marketing slogan for the destination Maldives is “Maldives…the Sunny Side of Life”. The wellness and relaxation aspect is promoted under the theme of “Maldives…the Spiritual Side of Life”. Maldives was ranked number one in these two areas. Maldives emerged as the number one in both Beach and Rest and Relaxation categories after successfully competing with countries like Tahiti, Bahamas and Australia.

Maldives also won the ‘World’s Most Romantic Destination‘ award at the WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS last year.

Source: visitmaldives.com

A total of 13 tourism related companies from Maldives participated in the fair. The four day long fair attracted over 90,000 visitors. The visitors included 40,000 public and 50,000 travel trade and media. Maldives takes part in this fair every alternative year when it is held in Shanghai.

China has emerged as one of the most important and potential emerging markets for Maldives from Asia region. China attracted 35,797 visitors to Maldives till the end of October 2008. This is an increase of 15.5 percent compare to the same period last year. Last year Maldives received a total of 35,976 Chinese visitors.

Source: visitmaldives.com

World Luxury Hotel Awards 2008 Winner

The gala ceremony was opened by the Provincial Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Tourism in the Western Cape, MEC Garth Strachan with a key note address to the distinguished gathering from all across the globe. “The sheer number of participants in my humble view shows that there is indeed a demand internationally for an award system for Luxury Hotels, Lodges and Resorts”, said Brandon Lournes, CEO and Founder of World Luxury Hotel Awards.

The ‘World Luxury Hotel Awards’ are accepted as the pinnacle of achievement for Luxury Hotels worldwide. This Award was established as a celebration of ultimate achievement in hoteliering. It is about congratulating hotels that have taken the extra step and have as such differentiated themselves from “good hotels” to “exceptional hotels”. The World Luxury Hotel Awards accounts for all categories in the Luxury Hotel industry. Award winners set the benchmark for luxury hotels in achieving recognition for their world class facilities and service excellence.

Hulhule Island Hotel was one of the three finalists under the ‘Luxury Airport Hotel’ category of ‘World Luxury Hotel Awards 2008’ – the other two finalists being, the newly opened Crowne Plaza Hotel, Singapore and Emperor’s Palace, South Africa – each with more than 300 rooms. During the award ceremony, Hulhule Island Hotel was officially declared the ‘Winner’ under the ‘Luxury Airport Hotel’ category.

Hulhule Island Hotel was officially inaugurated by His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, President of Republic of Maldives in 2001. Since then, the Hotel has been a key member of the travel and trade business in the Maldives. The Hotel has become well-known for its excellent services and the hospitality offered to tourists.

Hulhule Island Hotel has 136 rooms in all inclusive of various categories of rooms on offer including Superior, Deluxe, Super Deluxe, Super Deluxe with Jacuzzi and the Suites. The facilities for the guests at the hotel include the Spa, Gymnasium, Swimming Pool, Beach area,Landscaping, Tennis court, Golf putting green and extensive Food & Beverage options. The diverse dining selections include a rooftop restaurant ‘Uduvilaa’ with a panoramic view of both Male and the Indian Ocean catering to the multi-cuisine creations for the International clientele.

It is worth mentioning that Hulhule Island Hotel was adjudged as the ‘Best Culinary Establishment’ at Maldives in the Hotel Asia Exhibition & Culinary Challenge successively twice i.e. in 2006 and 2008. Hulhule Island Hotel is an ISO 9001-2000 certified hotel and has also been certified for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) which is unarguably the ultimate food safety certification worldwide, with a reputation of covering A-Z of the food processing cycle, right from purchase and selection of suppliers, to the storage, preparation and service of the food products.

On receiving this coveted award, Mr. Utkarsh Faujdar, General Manager – Hulhule Island Hotel stated ecstatically, “This is indeed recognition of the par excellence Hulhule Island Hotel has attained by achieving the highest standards in the hospitality industry”. He further added “The relentless efforts of the team have been instrumental in bringing this International award of repute to the Republic of Maldives.”

It is the first time that MTPB has organized a road show targeting the South East Asian market. The main objectives of these road shows are to diversify further into the South East Asian market and also try new ways of promoting the Maldives as a destination for visitors from this region.

The Maldives won the title of the World’s Most Romantic Destination at the World Travel Awards 2007.

Luxury resorts, award winning spa’s and some of the best snorkeling, fishing and scuba diving in the world, the Maldives offers a unique holiday experience to visitors.

Last year Maldives welcomed a total of 675,889 visitors. The Asian market represents 144,363 visitors a market share of 23.3%.

In Singapore, booth exhibitions and presentations will be set up at the Singapore Art Museum – The Glass Hall, to update industry guests on the latest development about this unique tropical holiday destination. Participating partners include the Adaaran Group, The Regent Maldives, and Dhoni Stella Private Yachts.

Source: www.asiatraveltips.com

Worlds First Underwater Spa

The ground-breaking underwater spa treatment rooms at Huvafen Fushi, the Maldives’ most spectacular island-chic resort, have undergone an innovative transformation that takes cutting-edge cool to another level and makes an already sublime experience truly spellbinding.

Masterminded by the award-winning British designer and architect Richard Hywel Evans, the two underwater treatment areas have been completely reinvented, with the addition of a separate relaxation pod where post-treatment guests can chill out on an oversized day bed and be mesmerized by the soporific, sun-dappled aquamarine seascape. Says Hywel Evans: “We wanted to create an interior that was in keeping with the spa’s position – at the bottom of the sea! The underwater spa has always been a sensational concept and the new interior was designed to reflect and amplify this extraordinary environment and add flexibility too; one of our main challenges was dividing the space into three separate areas using room dividers that could disappear, unifying the space so that it could be used for a variety of functions including ‘underwater’ wedding ceremonies. The underwater spa is now truly the world’s most
unique spa experience.”

Huvafen Fushi Maldives

To enter the underwater spa, guests now pass along a passageway bathed in soft pinks, aqua blues, calming yellows and relaxing greens. These colours reflect off wooden walls that retract to reveal the treatment and relaxation spaces beyond. Interior walls have been uplifted to a silver white, providing an ideal canvas for the chromotherapy lighting; a Barrisoltm ceiling has been installed, creating an ethereal canopy of light, with variable colour and intensity to enhance or tone down the mood; while pebble marble tiles underfoot appear to bring the sea floor inside.

Jane Quinn, Managing Director Per Aquum Spa Collection, says: “Constant evolution has been, and will remain the key to our success at Per Aquum. Guests who truly want to experience one-on-one quality time with our superb therapists, in a super sexy underwater cave that connects them instantly with the Indian Ocean and its inhabitants, should experience this iconic journey. It is a visual feast and a truly authentic experience that leaves you truly nurtured by nature.”

To celebrate the evolution of the underwater treatment rooms, Per Aquum Spa Collection has created a sensational new signature spa experience. The Unite Me – Crystal Ritual offers guests the opportunity to embrace the essence of the Maldives with a truly indigenous combination of body brushing; a sand and lime mineral poultice, using Maldivian sand and lime from local lime trees; and a local Maldivian virgin coconut oil massage using coconut wood massage tools designed exclusively by the spa team at Huvafen Fushi, and hand-made by the local community. Following the massage, guests retire to the relaxation pod and enjoy mineral water, fresh fruits and herbal teas while savouring kaleidoscopic views of clownfish, stingrays and the other exotic marine life that populates the lagoon.

For more information visit www.huvafenfushi.com

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

On 18 December 2007, Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa re-branded to Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

Reached by a 30 minute seaplane flight from the capital, Male, the resort lies in South Ari Atoll, three degrees north of the equator. Spread over two islands, linked by a 500-metre walkway and surrounded by a deep blue lagoon and dramatic coral reef, the resort is an idyllic tropical paradise.

Accommodation:

With the Spa Retreat and Beach Villas on Rangalifinohlu Island and Water Villas on Rangali Island, the resort offers the widest choice of accommodation in the Maldives. Each of the 150 villas reflect the resort’s contemporary and laid-back style, providing each guest with luxurious modern facilities within an indoor-outdoor living space that sits in perfect natural harmony with the Maldivian environment.

Rangalifinohlu:

On Rangalifinohlu island: 35 Beach Villas set in tropical gardens with outdoor bathroom and glass walled living areas. 44 Deluxe Beach Villas with additional private plunge pool and garden.

Spa Retreat:

The only Destination Spa in the Maldives featuring 21 Spa Water Villas each with their own private treatment room and direct access to the Spa Retreat.

Rangali:

On Rangali island: 50 Villas set on stilts over the ocean include 28 Water Villas with Ocean View baths and private sundecks; 12 Superior Water Villas and six Deluxe Water Villas with additional Jacuzzi on the sun deck and DVD player with surround sound system; two Premier Water Villas with a second Jacuzzi in the bathroom with in-built satellite TV and two Sunset Water Villas set in their own lagoon with glass floored living room; circular rotating bed and private ocean pool.

All guests staying in Deluxe, Premier, Superior and Sunset Water Villa enjoy the services of a private Island Host.

Dining

Ithaa Underwater Restaurant

With seven restaurants, three bars and over 10,000 bottles of wine, the resort offers the widest choice of dining in the Maldives.

Ithaa – World’s first all-glass underwater restaurant
Underground Wine Cellar – Gourmet dégustation Wine experience
Koko Grill – Al Fresco Japanese Teppanyaki
Vilu Restaurant – A la carte dining with extensive wine list
Sunset Grill – Over-Water dining
Mandhoo Spa Restaurant – Organic Bio-Dynamic Spa Cuisine
Atoll Market – sand floored restaurant serving global cuisine
Vilu Bar – Serving 80 types of Martini Cocktails
Wine Bar – Home to 101 types of cheese with resident Maître de Fromage
Rangali Bar – Pre-dinner cocktail bar and chill out area

Leisure Activities:

Watersports; snorkelling safaris; Lucky Dolphin trip; Dream Island trip; private yacht excursions; glass bottomed boat; big-game fishing; yoga; aerobics; meditation; Pilates; beach power walking; jogging trail.

Facilities:

Kids Paradise; shopping piazza; internet centre; two-storey gym; dive centre; tennis court; infinity pool; games room.

Weddings:

Four different ‘Renewal of Love’ ceremonies cater to every taste: – ‘Underwater’ especially for divers; ‘Undersea’ in the resorts’ all-glass Ithaa restaurant; ‘White Sands’ barefoot on the beach; ‘Chapel of Love’ wedding pavillion ceremony.

Contact Details
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Rangali Island, 2034
Maldives
Tel: 960-6680629
Fax:960-668-0619
Email: maldivesinfo@conradhotels.com
Website: http://conradhotels1.hilton.com/en/ch/hotels/index.do?ctyhocn=MLEHICI

Angsana Velavaru, Maldives

On the remote South Nilandhe Atoll lies Angsana Velavaru, Maldives. This is a perfectly placed holiday resort, which blends contemporary design and marine biodiversity, with private beach villas and the acclaimed Angsana Spa.

So that you have the opportunity to visit, The Times is joining with Angsana Velavaru to give readers the chance to win a trip to the resort. The prize includes a seven-night stay for two people in a beachfront villa, including breakfast, and economy flights to Malé International Airport, which is a 40-minute journey by seaplane from Velavaru.

Find more information about this promotion on Times Online

Find more information about the Maldives and Maldives Resorts.

The three-kilometre-long island offers guests the expected pristine sandy beaches and clear waters, but being surrounded by towering ancient Banyan trees and nature trails adds a different experience for seasoned travellers to the Maldives. The landscape of Villingili is dominated by 17,000 coconut trees and 45 plant species, including the noni plant, which is believed to be useful for the treatment of ailments such as arthritis and hypertension.

Guests looking for an energetic afternoon to commune with nature can catch the guided weekly walking tours to learn more about the flora on Villingili. Guests that are more adventurous can pack a picnic and explore the nature trails. The resort will provide trail maps and there will be plaques providing information about the plants along the route. Guests can stop for a picnic break by one of the three natural lagoons, naturally tinged in red, blue or green.

For guests who prefer to take in the views from the comfort of their villas, all land-based villas will offer views of the ocean and the verdant vegetation. Some, like the luxurious Tree House villas, are secluded and perched on three-metre stilts among the treetops. The Pool villas are surrounded by lush forest with views of the beach through tropical foliage.

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives is the first luxury resort in Addu Atoll. The resort, which is currently under development, will feature 142 villas with views of the ocean or the island’s natural lush vegetation. The Maldives’ second international airport, Gan International Airport, is an eight-minute boat ride away from the resort and Male International Airport is 70 minutes by air.

Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and manages 55 hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders brands with a rooms inventory of over 28,000. Shangri-La hotels are five-star deluxe properties featuring extensive luxury facilities and services. Shangri-La hotels are located in Australia, mainland China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.

The group has over 50 projects under development in Austria, Canada, mainland China, France, India, Japan, Macau, Maldives, Philippines, Qatar, Seychelles, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. For more information or reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com