Maldives resort debuts “Underwater Nature Trail”

Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives, opening in the fourth quarter of 2008 in the Addu Atoll, will feature the first “Underwater Nature Trail” in the Maldives, as well as a snorkelling garden “seascaped” with transplanted corals. As part of the resort’s marine initiatives, guests will also be invited to help track some of the archipelago’s largest manta rays found in the Addu Atoll waters.

The Underwater Nature Trail, designed by the resort’s marine specialist, will lead out to the resort’s house reef on the northern end of Villingili Island. Submerged signage will identify resident marine life along the way, including branching corals, sea anemones, Maldives anemonefish, clams, moray eels and the colourful juvenile Oriental Sweetlips. The marine specialist has also created snorkel gardens close to the southwest shoreline of the resort. In addition to offering a marine adventure for less experienced swimmers, the shallow-water snorkel gardens will provide a nursery for corals and reef fish.

Experienced divers will be invited to participate in the tracking of manta rays. Addu Atoll is one of the few places in the Maldives where giant manta rays with wingspans of more than five metres can be found year-round. Divers will be encouraged to photograph manta rays and contribute to the photo database that will be shared with other such centres around the world to help monitor the movement and population of these sea creatures. The resort will also set up a programme to educate and encourage guests to sponsor the satellite tagging of sea turtles and support organisations working on conservation on a larger scale.

This will be the first resort in the Maldives to offer nature trails – both above and below water. With lush vegetation providing the backdrop for trails through the coconut trees and ancient Banyan trees on the three-kilometre-long island, guests will be able to enjoy all the natural wonders of Villingili Island, on land and sea.

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.

Source: www.easier.com

Sangri-La's Villingili Resort And Spa, Maldives is The First Resort in The Maldives to Feature Natur

Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives will open in Addu Atoll during the fourth quarter of 2008 as the first Maldives resort with nature trails and weekly guided nature tours for guests provided by a resident expert.

Unlike many resorts in the archipelago, Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives features a varied and natural landscape with 12 hectares of lush foliage, lagoons and native bird life.

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.

Source: www.pr-usa.net

More Than Ten Islands Hit By Swell

"More than ten islands across the Maldives have been hit by a large swell, and the Maldives Meteorological Office is warning all islands to be braced for further unusual tides on Tuesday evening and Wednesday.

The Met Office can not explain why the sudden swell has taken place but have said it is definitely not the result of a tsunami.

A swell of between one and two feet washed through beaches and onto the western sides of the islands at around 9.30am this morning, causing much flooding.

There are no confirmed reports of any loss of life, or of structural damage to buildings or harbours. But many homes have been flooded by the swell, and many families have been left without electricity.

The swell hit Hithadhoo, Feydhoo, Maradhoo, Gan and Maradhoo-Feydhoo islands in Addu (Seenu) atoll. It also affected Dhidhdhoo in Haa Alifu atoll, Naivaadhoo island in Haa Dhaal atoll, Funadhoo island in Shaviyani atoll, Hinnavar island in Laviyani atoll, Madaveli island in Gaaf Alif atoll and Dhidhdhoo island in Alif Daal atoll."

- Minivan -

Direct flights from Europe to Gan

Maldives Tourism Development cooperation (MTDC) announces that Hotel Plan and Thomas Cook will start their charter flights to Gan island in Addu atoll in December this year.

During the press meeting held on 19 March 2007 , Hotel Plan said that charter flights will travel on the route to Milan/Male’/Gan on Panorama airlines. Thomas Cook also announced that in November fights will start from Frankfurt to Gan by Condor airlines.

The two tour operators said that resorts for middle income tourists are important for the Maldives tourism industry and that the government should open more resorts in southern region for middle class travellers so they can fly direct from Europe to Gan, without making a stop in Male’ or any other transit points.

Operators expressed their special interest to this region as it will be a “unique” Maldives experience; tourists will be able to get first hand experience of the local culture, second most populous atoll.

Source: Visit Maldives

Fallen Tourism Minister’s new novel "Trial" now on book stands

Former Tourism Minister Dr. Mustafa Lutfi has released a novel, "Shariah" (Trial), depicting the life of a Addu migrant to Male who dares to dream big.

Lutfi, one of the shortest serving ministers in President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's cabinet, however, said that the novel "is not political" though it depicts the social, economic and political realities of the 1970s and 1980s when the once glorious atoll of Addu started decaying when the British left its military base at Gan island for good. The novel traces the life of a character named Jaleel who hopes to run a successful business in Male when with a twist of fate his world is turned upside down.

Lutfi insisted that his novel was a "romance set in the 1970s and 1980s" tracing the life of Jaleel and a female character named Maryam. Lutfi himself is from Addu and resigned from the government after he was transferred when he was several months into his job. The former minister later criticized the government for not giving him enough time to prove himself.
The book's "premiere" was held on March 17 at the Youth Center in Male; it was launched by Abdulla Sodiq from the National Council on Linguistic and Historical Research, who commented that the book is a good depiction of all facets of current life in Maldives.

A graduate in Dhivehi language praised Lutfi for "employing a host of emotions ranging from anger, love, resentment to sentiment" to convey the life of the protagonist as he embarks on his difficult journey in Male. The people of Addu, famed for their enterprising nature, now control most of the Maldives' economy with successes in businesses, trade and tourism. Though Lutfi is not generally known for his literary adventures, "Shariah" is his third novel. He said that his fourth novel, titled "Campaign", will be released in two months. "Shariah", written in Dhivehi, sells at Rf50 (US$3.9).

Source: Haveeru

Hotelplan, Thomas Cook to start European charter flights to Gan

Hotelplan and Thomas Cook on Monday announced that it will start charter flights from Europe to Gan island in Addu atoll in December this year.

In a meeting held by the Maldives Tourism Development Cooperation (MTDC), the two companies said that they were committed to making the MTDC's resort Herethere in Maldives southernmost atoll a success.

Hotel Plan said that charter flights will travel on the route Milan (Italy), Male and Gan (Maldives) on Blue Panorama Airlines.

Thomas Cook also announced that in November flights will be started from Germany's Frankfurt to Gan on Condor airlines.

The two tour operators said that resorts for middle income tourists were important for the Maldives tourism industry, and that should the government open more resorts in the southern region for middle class travellers, they can fly direct from Europe to Gan, without involving Male' or any other transit point.

Tour operators have hailed development of tourism in Addu which they say will be a "unique" Maldives experience; the beaches are "different" and tourists can get a first hand experience of local culture from Maldives' second most populous atoll, they say.

Mohamed Umar Maniku, chairman of Universal Enterprises and also the powerful industrial private lobby group Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), and who also acts as advisor to MTDC, told the meeting that he cannot say anything on the development of Vilingili, a joint venture between the Maldives government and Shangri-La, which has taken several years to go into development.

"However, I will assure you that we will make Herethere a reality," he said.

MTDC's chairman, "Champa" Hussein Afeef who also has his own resort company Crown Tours, said that it took about six months to convince tour operators that Addu atoll was a viable tourist destination.

"Now about 40 tour operators have expressed interest in buying beds from Herethere," he said.

He said that he was sure that local tour operators can also charter flights to Addu but said that he first approached foreign tour operators to make sure that everything will go smoothly.

Afeef said that 50 percent of construction work on Herethere has been completed and that the resort will open in November.

Addu, which has always been at loggerheads with the central government in Male, has been one of the most neglected atolls in the archipelago, resulting in people electing opposition MPs to parliament.

The decaying atoll's revival has always been hindered because according to critics, the central government has never recovered and forgiven the people of Addu for the attempted secession during former President Ibrahim Nasir's term.

Source:- HNS

New Tropical Maldives surf resort on the island of Gan

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 16 March, 2007 : - - This is an amazing surf resort located in the southern atolls away from the surf crowds of the northern atoll breaks. Forget everything you have ever heard about the Maldives – The island of Gan is completely different. With its 5 km length and 3 km width it is the largest island in the Addu Atoll which is situated at the very southern end of the Maldives - south of the Equator.

The transfer to Equator Village will be by air from Male international airport in an unforgettable flight over the atolls and islands, with surf spots opening up before your eyes. Landing on the island of Gan will give you a real surprise. Extraordinary vegetation awaits you; palm trees, bushes, flowers, lush green fields. By the way - most of the bananas served in Maldives are grown in this area.

Addu Atoll is a string of islands linked by road, making overland excursions possible, unlike islands in the northern atolls that are traversed by sea. The atoll is renowned for virgin surf reefs, varied and richly colourful sea life and is truly a wonderful surfing destination.

The Island resort is connected to other local villages by unique causeways so you can freely move to see the local culture and way of life of the Maldivian people. Equator Village- offers bicycle for those who wish to ride and explore the islands on their own. There is a long white sandy beach just 100 meters from the resort for the guest to enjoy the coral and other marine life is ideal for snorkelling.

Surfers will enjoy pre-booking a private surf pass and surf guide “daily” to transfer them to the awesome surf spots located nearby, we are the only surf travel company to feature this new and exciting destination and it offers a true chance to escape the crowds found on the northern atoll islands.

The bungalows of Equator Village total 78 rooms and are located in wonderful garden setting with a profusion of flowers, bushes and trees. All rooms are spacious and equipped with air-conditioning, refrigerator, shower (hot & cold water) sitting area and a veranda.

The accommodation is All Inclusive, which means the following is inclusive: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Alcohol (local brands only), Soft Drinks, Cocktail of the day, and table wine by the glass, Evening Snacks, Tea and Coffee between 1600 to 1800 hours. Use of Bicycles, one night fishing, one island hopping with BBQ lunch during the stay and 2 trips daily snorkelling.

Resort Facilities & Recreational Facilities:
- PADI certificate Diving
- Swimming Pool
- Coffee shop
- Discotheque
- Table Tennis
- Volley Ball
- Squash
- Tennis court
- Badminton
- Darts
- Cycling
- Water sports centre
- Deep Sea Fishing
- Night Fishing
- Sunset Fishing

Source: Global Surfing News