Read more about Maldives honeymoon

President Nasheed was conferred GCSK at the luncheon hosted by President Anerood in his honor today.

Among the few foreign dignitaries who has been conferred the award are Former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela, and Former President of Guyana Cheddi Jagan.

As part of his visit to Mauritius, President Nasheed today visited Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, and laid a wreath at the Memorial of Former Prime Minister of Mauritius, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who is also considered by Mauritians as the Father of the Nation.

I have just described a vacation at one of the Maldives resorts. Maldives is a great place to take a holiday, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is the Indian Ocean version of the Hawaiian Islands, except that it is much nearer to many more people. With its sparkling blue waters, its beautiful tropical climate, gorgeous beaches and interesting array of sea-life this is a perfect place for any trip regardless of the reason.

Just married? Searching for places to go on your honeymoon, I now declare your search officially over. With its many resorts, a honeymoon in Maldives is a great treat for a couple just starting their lives together. Been married for a while? The Maldives still has you covered, stir up a little romance by taking a second honeymoon.

If Nature is the thing that drives you, then you will be happy if you travel to the Maldives because of the fact that there are over 700 common fish species and many more still to be classified. You may encounter Frogfish, leaf fish, ghost pipe-fish, a multitude of nudibranchs and watch Grey Reef sharks hunting by night. If diving and snorkeling is up your alley then the Maldives should be right up there also because of its swift moving waters on the corners of the channels offer exciting drift dives, and since it’s many atolls give you relatively shallow depths of about 35 to 85 meters it is an excellent spot for beginners to dive alongside the advanced diver. Also its many complex reefs make for unsurpassable snorkeling.

By now you should be ready to leave that straight backed chair behind and enjoy yourself in the Maldives.

Velassaru Maldives is a 45-minute scenic speedboat ride from Malé International Airport. Welcome drinks would be served as you step ashore. You’re greeted by name. Slip into something light, comfortable, island.

The Island Honeymoon Offer

from US$ 380 per night

Package Inclusions

• Two way airport transfers
• A basket of tropical fruits and wine
• Daily breakfast buffet
• Welcome breakfast in bed
• Turn down service with enchanting bath set up
• Candlelit dinner on the beach
• Champagne sunset cruise on a small traditional dhoni

Minimum stay – 4 nights

Villa type – All

Valid till October 31, 2009

For further information and reservations, please contact
Tel: (+960) 6643042
Email: sales@velassaru.com

Unique Choice group is identified as one of the top wholesale tour operator in the Middle East region. These workshops are marked as one of the important events each year due to its success targeting tour operators/ travel agents in the GCC region. The main objectives of Maldives participation in the road show was to increase market share from the Middle East countries by providing the travel trade with the most updated tourism information on the Maldives and secure commitments for the future promotions of the Maldives among their clients. Furthermore, to ensure that as many travel agents and tour operators as possible have the tools they need to be able to effectively promote Maldives island resorts.

The workshops started in Abu Dhabi on the 30th May, with a networking session followed by a lunch at the Crowne Plaza in Abu Dhabi. More than 50 travel agents and tour operators were invited to the work shop, while majority of the visitor showed a keen interest in visiting the Maldives booth to collect information. Emphasis was placed on the warm welcome that GCC nationals and resident expatriates will receive when visiting the islands and the easy accessibility to the country in terms of flight connections and visa procedures.

The Maldives is currently the ultimate getaway for those who are attracted by private islands, stunning beaches and crystal clear waters. The Maldives provides the perfect backdrop for a relaxing, rejuvenating holiday, which is a welcome contrast to the frantic pace of life in the Arabian Gulf.

The workshop session was concluded by a raffle draw held among the visitors by giving away several free vacation prizes from the participating hotels/resorts. Among other participants include destination such as Malaysia, Singapore, Oman and a collection of resorts/hotels from these destinations.

Similar format was adopted for the event in Dubai on the same day, where more than 75 travel agents and tour operators were invited to the JW Marriot Hotel in Dubai which was concluded by a dinner.

Last year Maldives welcomed a total of 683,012 visitors while a total of 9,141 tourists represented the Middle East region. By end of May 2009 Maldives received 3,082 tourists from the region showing a growth of 2.5 per cent compared to the same period of 2008.

History created on day five at the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) PRIME 6-star rated SriLankan Airlines Pro in the Maldives with USA surfer Pat Gudauskas successfully executing one of surfing’s most difficult manoeuvres, the aerial “rodeo clown”, the first time ever at a high level ASP event.

Under extreme pressure Gudauskas was in third place and looking at elimination with 30 seconds remaining in his heat when he found a reasonable wave and chasing a 7.23 score completed some good turns but still required something special toward the final stages of the ride.

The powerful 23 year old Californian surfer then went for broke and launched into the air, rotating the 540 degree inverted flip and riding out of the manoeuvre.

Smooth and precise in execution, the ride was awarded a perfect 10 points and Gudauskas moved from 3rd to 1st to advance to the final 16 surfers remaining in the event.

“I knew I needed a very solid score on that wave and as that final section approached I could see it lining up ideally so I focused on going for the rodeo, it was there to be done and I had to do it” said Gudauskas.

“Riding out of it I was nervous as there were bumps to deal with and while the aerial rodeo was complete I had to ride free of the white water, it was a relief when I had realised the move was complete” added Gudauskas.

“It’s a move I regularly practice and I’m really excited to be the first to achieve it at ASP level.”

In excellent 4feet (1.5m) waves most of the final 24 surfers combined power surfing with aerials in a day of memorable performances.

Exciting 19 year old emerging surfers Owen Wright (AUS) and Jadson Andre (Brazil) were again dominant in their winning performances.

Andre continues to successfully perform multiple aerial moves on every wave while Wright focuses on power on face moves but is always ready to include aerials when the opportunity looks right.

“These waves are really ideal to drive powerful turns from start to finish and I’m trying to blend power turns and aerials to maximise my scores” said Wright.

“It’s exciting to see all the surfers really pushing the levels up and you enter every heat knowing that excellent scores are essential to progress.”

Veteran ASP World Tour surfers Cory Lopez (USA) and Travis Logie (South Africa) continued their charge and both surfers progressed to the final 16.

Other impressive heat winners today included Jonathon Gonzales (Canary Islands), Drew Courtney (AUS) and Daniel Ross (AUS).

With good clean waves forecast throughout the weekend organizers stopped the event today after round four was completed, leaving 16 surfers remaining in the event.

An early start is expected tomorrow and finals at this stage likely to run on Sunday.

Follow this event live at http://www.srilankanairlinespro.com/

Round five draw when event resumes tomorrow:

Heat 1: Pat Gudauskas (USA), Cory Lopez (USA),
Heat 2: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)
Heat 3: Shaun Gossman (AUS), Romaine Cloitre (FRA),
Heat 4: Travis Logie (ZAF), Jadson Andre (BRA)
Heat 5: Owen Wright (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 6: Heitor Alves (BRA) ,Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 7: Leigh Sedley (AUS), Jonathon Gonzales (CNY)
Heat 8: Austin Ware (USA) Drew Courtney (AUS)

SriLankan Airlines Pro 2009 is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: SriLankan Airlines, John Keells Group, Chaaya Island – Dhonveli, Atoll Travel, Atoll Adventures, Ocean & Earth International, Dhiraagu, Maldives Tourism & Promotions Board, ASP Australasia.

ASP Australasia as the event managers will deliver a quality live Webcast along with Television News Feeds, complimentary Digital Images for newspapers and websites, Web highlight packages and a dedicated 30 minute international television program.

Jadson Andre (Brazil) is having a great season on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), came into this event in 5th position on the season ratings and a strong result here is certain to enhance his goal of qualifying for the ASP elite World Tour for 2010.

He began his SriLankan Airlines Pro campaign in fine style taking an impressive round two heat win in the opening heat of the day by scoring the events highest scoring ride to date using his tremendous aerial skills to notch an outstanding 9 point score and his 16.60 heat tally was the highest for the day.

Andre at just 19 years of age is one of the youngest competitors on the WQS and narrowly missed qualification last season but believes he’s better prepared this year.

“Since last year when I just missed qualification I have prepared myself better and I believe I know what I must do to qualify for 2010.”

“My aerial surfing is a strength that I work on as aerials are probably the best way to really score big and I’m always looking for opportunities to fly” added Andre.

“Pasta Point is just the perfect wave for aerials and I think I will be flying in every heat I surf here, that’s definitely my plan!”

The large Brazilian contingent here mostly enjoyed a great day with former event champion Heitor Alves also very strong winning his heat with Kai Barger (Hawaii) also progressing while Miguel Pupo and Leonardo Neves both easily won their round two heats.

Strengthening winds through the middle part of the day forced the event to go hold as organizers waited for these unseasonal winds to abate.

When the action resumed late in the day 19 year old Australian young gun Owen Wright proceeded to put on his own aerial display to take an exciting win over Dane Gudauskas (USA) who advanced in 2nd place to join both his brothers Pat and Tanner into tomorrow’s round three.

Other heat winners to impress during the morning included Travis Logie (South Africa), Glenn Hall (Ireland), Bernado Mirandia (BRA), Jarred Howse (AUS), Autin Ware (USA) and Shaun Gossman (AUS) while surprise eliminations came from ASP World Tour pair Marlon Lipke (Germany) and Nic Muscroft (Australia).

Five round two heats will be completed first thing tomorrow morning before the event moves into round three with lighter winds expected tomorrow.

SriLankan Airlines Pro 2009 is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: SriLankan Airlines, John Keells Group, Chaaya Island – Dhonveli, Atoll Travel, Atoll Adventures, Ocean & Earth International, Dhiraagu, Maldives Tourism & Promotions Board, ASP Australasia.

ASP Australasia as the event managers will deliver a quality live Webcast along with Television News Feeds, complimentary Digital Images for newspapers and websites, Web highlight packages and a dedicated 30 minute international television program.

Follow this event live at www.srilankanairlinespro.com

Round two to be run when the event resumes tomorrow:

Heat 20: D Ross (AUS), A Riou (PYF), C Waring (USA), S Zeitz (USA)
Heat 21: B Simpson (USA), H Collazo (EUK), S Garcia (HAW), A Gray (USA)
Heat 22: M Polo (BRA), L Sedley (AUS), P MacDonald (AUS), D Graves (PRI)
Heat 23: J Da Silva (BRA), J Gonzales (CNY), N Webster (AUS), E Valiere (HAW)
Heat 24: D Courtney (AUS), D Fahrenfort (ZAF), S Ward (USA), M Giorgi (URY)

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

Officials from the Chaaya Dhonveli Beach Resort where he was staying said that Ishmeeth had drowned between 5:15pm and 5:20pm while in the swimming pool of the resort.

“He went into the swimming pool with a couple of his friends this afternoon,” Marlon Robert, the Assistant Manager of the Resort, said. “None of them knew how to swim so he was using the baby (shallow) swimming pool. Since he didn’t know how to swim we had advised him not to use the big pool. Somehow or other he ended up in the big pool. When he couldn’t get out of it his friends apparently went looking for help.”

According to the Maldives Police Service, Ishmeeth’s body had been immediately brought to the ADK Hospital in Male’ after the incident. The doctor who had attended to him said that the cause of death seemed to be by drowning. Police said that their investigations were now proceeding.

Arrangements are underway to transport Ishmeeth’s body back to India, sources say.

The 19-year-old singer had arrived in Maldives Tuesday morning to take part in a show being held in Male’, the capital city, by his contracting music company. The show was planned to be held during this weekend.

Supporters of the singer voted heavily for him from Punjab during the finals of the contest. Even though Harshit led the votes tally in most regions of the country, the final count went in Ishmeet’s favour due to heavy voting from Punjab.

Ishmeet had won the ‘Voice of India’ singing contest held on November 26, 2007, pipping his closest rival Harshit from Uttar Pradesh in a keen contest. He was given the winner’s trophy by melody queen Lata Mangeshkar.

A holiday is something to look forward to, however, the stresses of modern day life can often take their toll and the sheer effort of getting away from work, let alone packing a suitcase and coping with any airport dilemmas can often be quite traumatic. So much so, that even whilst away in the most tranquil of surroundings, it can take some the entire holiday to begin to relax and catch up on their sleep.

For Adults, the Sweet Dreams programme includes:
- Special afternoon and evening spa treatments to encourage a siesta or good night’s sleep
- A yoga specialist who will offer private classes teaching special breathing techniques and stretching exercises designed to encourage relaxation
- Special teas designed to aid sleep
- Massages and baths with essential sleep-inducing oils
- A special extended pillow menu including buckwheat pillows, memory foam pillows, sidesleeper pillows, etc…
- A sleep concierge who is on-call so if guests can’t sleep they can ring for encouragement
- CD’s of poetry, music or a talking book which can be delivered to the room so Sweet Dreams guests can listen to their very own bedtime story
- A Sleep-All-Night-Cap, a special cocktail created by the resort-team using ingredients to aid sleep

Parents can rest assured that the younger member’s won’t lose sleep on holiday either as the Sweet Dreams resort plan extends to children, too. It includes:
- A selection of children’s books that can be borrowed from the library for a bedtime story
- Early evening dinner buffet, bedtime story groups and slumber parties, hosted in conjunction with the kid’s club
- Audio-book or music-related CD’s for children to listen to as they fall asleep
- Sleep inducing drinks such as warm milk or hot chocolate

Commenting on the new Sweet Dreams concept, Tina Dotzauer, PR & Marketing Manager for IruFushi’s Sun Spa says, “We have customised some of the Sun Spa pavilions to include low and mood lighting and special relaxing aromatherapy. It’s customary spa practice to leave a guest to relax for a few minutes after a treatment, but so many times we hear how they would prefer just to stay where they are and take a nap after their massages. Guests on the Sweet Dreams programme will be able to do just that, leaving the spa not just thoroughly relaxed but also refreshed and energised after enjoying a wholesome siesta.”

“In addition, the Sun Spa yoga specialist will show guests who book the 1-week “Sweet Dreams” program how to fill in a sleep diary, which will be discussed each day and aims to give a useful insight into each individual’s sleep patterns and will ultimately help with techniques for sleeping more soundly.”

The Sweet Dreams packages can be pre-booked via Sun Spa’s website www.sunsparesorts.com or on arrival at IruFushi Beach & Spa Resort.

Prices start from US$160 per adult.