MALDIVES LIVE

A unique piece of paradise in the Maldives

All Maldivian islands are idyllic, so how do you decide which of the hundreds of resorts to choose from? The recently opened Iru Fushi Beach & Spa Resort offers something truly special for families and couples alike and here are just some reasons why it excels above the rest.

Size matters - many resort islands are rarely large enough to really escape and enjoy a stretch of derelict beach. However, Iru Fushi is unique in that the sprawling 52 acre island is encased by swathes of soft sand and it takes around 30 minutes to walk the whole parameter. So guests can enjoy a piece of paradise without hoards of people to share it with. What’s more, for those who enjoy exercise, approx. 3.5 km jog around the island at sunset with the ocean gently lapping the shoreline and a cool breeze lifting from the lagoon is the perfect way to end a day.

Food, glorious food – when spending a week or two on one island, it is important to pick a resort that supplies a good choice of dining options. If variety is the spice of life, then Iru Fushi offers a gastronomic feast with its five restaurants, each specialising in cuisine from around the globe, and additional intimate dining experiences. Whether for a traditional Maldivian red snapper at the beach fronted Islanders Grill or, for special occasions, a customised á la carte western menu in the over-water wine cellar, there is something to suit every taste bud.

Rest and relaxation - with the economy in crisis, many people are finding their stress levels are invariably increasing and sleep levels are seemingly decreasing which is why some need a little nurture in the art of nodding off and total relaxation. Totally unique to the Maldives, Iru Fushi has devised a Sweet Dreams programme that will ensure guests leave fully rested and revived. The programme incorporates a sleep spa with yoga classes and a sleep diary, relaxing spa treatments, a pillow menu, soothing herbal baths for bed as well as a Sleep-All-Night-Cap.

Diving Delights – Located in Noonu Atoll, which is a new atoll in the Maldives for tourism development, means that Iru Fushi is surrounded by unchartered waters teeming with neon-coloured life. Perfect for beginners and experienced divers wishing to explore the deep delights of the Indian Ocean, Iru Fushi also boasts a PADI Gold Palm five-star dive school with a plethora of diving packages.

Seven nights at Iru Fushi Beach & Spa Resort starts from US$ 1,240 per person. Valid from 20 April to 20 July, the price includes return seaplane transfers from Malé airport and accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis staying in a Jacuzzi Beach Villa.

Visit irufushi.com for more information and bookings.

Special Offer: Get two nights free when staying seven nights in either a Water Villa or Jacuzzi Water Villa on a bed and breakfast basis (guests only pay Government bed tax of US$ 8 per person, per night for the two complimentary nights). Valid from 20 April until 31 October, prices start from US$ 429 per room, per night for a Water Villa.

Source: easier.com

Get body beautiful in the Maldives

Model Saffron Aldridge checked herself into a five-star tropical boot camp to recharge her body and mind.

Last year's growing sense of gloom was hard to escape and in the short days of winter it was tempting to stay home scoffing plates of food while the world fell apart outside. My motivation to keep fit hit an all-time low and, at 41, I had become as lazy as my teenage son. Things had become so bad that I could no longer pull my jeans up over my knees.

Most of the time, I consider myself a healthy person. I do yoga and the odd run and mostly eat well, yet none of this counted for much at my first appointment with Darina, the nutritionist at Reehti Rah in the Maldives.

We had discussed my eating habits and lifestyle for an hour, and she made it clear that I had been getting it all wrong - missing lunch to then fill up on a Starbucks hot chocolate at 4pm was not clever. Then Darina got out the scales and I realised that I had work to do.

Reethi Rah is a beautiful island resort where I went to recover from my overindulgence and weeks of feeling sluggish and lazy. The Maldives are popular with divers, but Reethi Rah offered me exactly what I needed: peace, quiet, health and fitness programmes, yoga, meditation and swimming pools to lounge around.

Darina told me that I needed to eat three meals a day, with healthy snacks in between to keep hunger pangs at bay. That was easy - there are three restaurants serving mouth-watering, nutritionally balanced meals. They are even calorie-counted on the menus. My favourite was Tapasake, serving the freshest sushi I had yet tasted.

The treatments keep you in the right frame of mind for a detox. At the resort's award-winning spa I tried a Balinese massage with hot stones and followed that up with an appointment with Coco, the residential yoga teacher. I found her positive attitude and warm smile contagious; my worries faded away.

I have done many yoga classes in the past 15 years, but under Coco I learnt a new style, Kundalini. This yoga is focused on personal transformation and revitalising your body.

Through deep-breathing techniques, combined with meditation and music, you attempt to shift the “negative energy” in your mind and body. It worked for me. I left the class feeling refreshed and clear-minded.

After a week of scrubs, facials, cycling, meditation, massages and Coco's yoga classes I left Reethi Rah with much more than just a new diet. I had a new outlook. Several weeks on I look and feel a whole lot happier.

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Maldives Foreign Minister met with Qatar''s Ambassador to Sri Lanka

Maldives Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shahid met here today with Qatar''s Ambassador to Sri Lanka H.E. Saeed bin Abdullah al Mansouri. They reviewed the Qatar-Maldives relations and ways of developing them in various domains. The Maldives foreign minister is on a a visit to Sri Lanka to take part in the meeting of foreign ministers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, currently in session in the Sri Lanka''s Capital, Colombo.

Source: qnaol.net

Maldives Foreign Minister met with Qatar''s Ambassador to Sri Lanka

U.N. Says Climate Change Threatens Right To Housing In Maldives

Rising sea levels and coastal erosion, both wrought by climate change, threaten the viability of Maldives, a United Nations independent expert cautioned Thursday.

The UN expert also said that overcrowding and other impacts are already felt by the island nation's 300,000 people.

After an eight-day visit to the country, Raquel Rolnik, Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, said that "Maldives and its Atolls, because of their unique geological and topographic aspects and their fragile and delicate environmental system, are already experiencing the impacts of climate change."

This jeopardizes the survival of the nation, which could be inundated by water, but more immediately, it jeopardizes the right to housing due to the scarcity of land, a UN press statement said.

Over the past four years, donors and agencies have mobilized over $400 million in aid, but the Rapporteur voiced concern over the allocation of the resources and their management by Maldivian authorities.

Over 80,000 migrants from Bangladesh and other South Asian countries live in Maldives, with half of them working in the construction sector, and the Rapporteur said she was concerned over their housing and living conditions.

She called for a "human rights-based approach" to address the housing situation in the country, calling for the government and international organizations to promote public participation in making key decisions.

Source: allheadlinenews.com