First flight of THAI AIRASIA lands in Maldives…

The first flight of Thai AirAsia landed in the Maldives on 11th of August . The new route from Bangkok to Male’ was launched on 14 June 2017 with a  special promotional fair starting from USD99.

According to AirAsia, direct flights will be held daily from Bangkok to Male’. With the first flight of Thai AirAsia to Maldives will open doors for not only travelers looking for a luxury stay but will cater to all types of travelers since Maldives offers a wide variety of accommodations starting from guest houses to luxurious resorts.

This is a huge milestone achieved to the tourism industry of Maldives and AirAsia which will change the perspective of travelers which portrays Maldives as only a luxury destination.

Thailand is a emerging market market for Maldives with an increasing number of arrivals from the market in previous years. In 2016, 16,451 arrivals were recorded from Thailand which is an increase of 3.4 percent compared to the previous year. Looking to the latest arrival figures, by June this year Maldives have welcomed 9,276 which is an increase of 18.9 percent compared to the same period last year.

Maldive's new eco-resort setting a whole new standard to travel experience

As beach holiday destinations go, the Maldives is about as good as it gets. Hot sun, over-water villas, white, talc-like sand, psychedelic snorkelling, glittering turquoise water stretching for miles… it’s all par for the course if you book a holiday here.

Soneva Jani, the new luxury eco-resort and latest A-list bolt-hole on Medhufaru in Noonu Atoll, about 125 miles north of the country’s capital Malé, is on quite another almost nutty level.

Set on a lagoon large enough to hold 7,000 Olympic swimming pools, and so fluorescently blue it looks as if someone has switched on a lightbulb underneath the sea, it almost doesn’t feel real when you arrive.

Imagine Cubby Broccoli’s reinterpretation of Robinson Crusoe, and that goes some way to describing the childish wonderment we felt after stepping off the seaplane and being greeted at the dock by our ‘Man Friday’, Roman.

A young ex-soldier from Ukraine with flawless English, Roman welcomed us with fresh coconut water and icy towels infused with orange water. Then he golf-carted us through forests of screwpine and banyan trees to our villa, the last on the bleached-wood boardwalk that runs higgledy-piggledy through the middle of the island.

To the south are four more islands that belong to Medhufaru – an archipelago, really, more than an island – all of which are deserted.

In terms of space, Roman told us, Soneva Jani (the Sanskrit word for ‘wisdom’) is one of the lowest-density resorts in the world, with only 25 villas on 150 acres of land. If you are seeking seclusion – like former guests Will Smith and Kate Winslet – then this is the place for you.

Many of the villas have a water slide running from the living room to the lagoon – though sadly not ours.

However, we did have a remote-controlled retractable ceiling over our bed so we could stargaze from our pillows – forget rose petals strewn over the sheets, this, surely, is the definition of romance, no?

Oh, and the view. We could have gone on a dolphin cruise but often we could see them from our villa. Sightings of 100-strong pods of bottlenoses spinning and somersaulting along the reef are by no means an unusual sight, according to Roman. (There are harmless baby sharks too, deposited by their mothers in the lagoon to avoid predators.)

Sonu Shivdasani and his Swedish wife Eva, pioneers of the luxury eco- resort concept and founders of the Soneva ‘chain’ (Soneva Fushi, Jani’s sister resort, is about 80 minutes away by speedboat, and there is also Soneva Kiri in Thailand), they know their jaded luxury traveller inside out.

The guest who wants something a bit purer, a bit more authentic than the normal, no-holds-barred, seven-star experience, but at the same time needs his or her creature comforts.

From our lime-green Smeg fridge to the undulating roof shingles of the villas mimicking the ocean; from the purple cushion pads on our pedals so we could ride our bikes everywhere shoeless; to the glass floor in the guest bathroom so you can watch the fishes while you, er, ablute… no detail has been overlooked.

In the ‘gathering’, the three-storeyed beating heart of the resort, eerily lit at night by giant neon-blue jellyfish sculptures suspended from the ceiling, there is a sushi room, a 24/7 home-made chocolate and ice-cream room with 50 flavours, and an overwater spa.

At So Starstruck, the resort’s turreted open-air observatory, the first of its kind in the Maldives, you can have dinner with the resort’s resident astronomer Mike Dalley (low-light pollution means the Maldives is a magnet for astronomers all over the world) and, while you’re having dessert, witness the resort’s ridiculously large telescope emerging silently, like something devised by Q, out of the glass floor in the middle of the deck.

The high-tech experience is the perfect foil to the resort’s ‘No Shoes, No News’ ethos (each guest is given a beautiful linen bag to put his or her shoes in at the beginning of the holiday and strongly urged not to put them back on again until they leave).

Only marginally less Bond-like than the telescope is the overwater ‘silent’ cinema, again the first of its kind in the Maldives, kitted out with divinely comfortable, yards-deep sofas and overwater hammocks, where guests are all provided with Bluetooth headphones.

This is in part not to disturb the giant mangrove crabs which, like all the flora and fauna here, are treated with the utmost respect (golf carts brake for them and they are never eaten). They are out in force immediately dusk falls and, with their massive pincers, you wouldn’t want to brave this particular part of the island shoeless at night.

The Shivdasanis are passionate environmentalists and the resort’s central ethos is to keep its ecological footprint as faint as possible.

Light shades set out on the beach for night-time barbecues are made out of recycled bedsheets, straws out of recycled paper, and drinking glasses out of recycled glass… with no plastic bottles anywhere.

Solar is a big part of the resort’s power source and each of the pools uses seawater that has been UV-filtered. All the fresh water is also produced on site, via the resort’s own desalination system, and, through the resort’s Eco Centro ‘Waste to Wealth’ Centre, 81 per cent of waste products are recycled.

An extensive organic vegetable garden supplies most of the resort’s produce. (Tomatoes, apparently are tricky, but the rocket, asparagus and baby bananas are absolutely to die for…)

Home-made kiln-baked pizza, ‘build your own’ stir-fries, giant grilled shrimp or freshly caught reef fish, burrata and heirloom tomato salads… the food caters to the fussiest eaters.

Please, though, try the Maldivian cuisine, especially a local breakfast speciality called mashuni, a mixture of freshly grated coconut, chilli and canned tuna.

The icing on the cake was the last day when I wistfully put on my ‘real’ clothes to go home. I didn’t hold back on the basil and yogurt sorbet or focaccia bread and tapenade, and yet, amazingly, my jeans felt at least a size too large.

I returned home a week ago, and ever since I’ve been plotting ways to somehow get back.

Laid-back luxe:Maldives holiday homes and private islands for sale from £2.3m with virgin beaches, crystal water and winter sun

The popularity of the Maldives among big spenders has never been greater — anyone looking to buy a home on one of the 1,200 tiny, low-level islands will find only a handful of options, all top dollar.The popularity of the Maldives among big spenders has never been greater — anyone looking to buy a home on one of the 1,200 tiny, low-level islands will find only a handful of options, all top dollar.

The exclusive Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives is not your typical holiday home destination.

There are no golf course resorts, no Renaissance homes layered in culture and certainly no Florida-style theme parks. Anyone looking to buy a home on one of the 1,200 tiny, low-level islands will find only a handful of options, all top dollar.

Yet the popularity of the Maldives among big spenders has never been greater, with the number of recent five-star hotel openings reaching fever pitch. Ten opened in just a few months last year, each trying to outdo the other with underwater restaurants and resident mixologists.

The Maldives hasn’t always been a five-star destination, say Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, husband-and-wife hoteliers whose newest offering, Soneva Jani, was one of the most anticipated openings of last year.

Their first resort, Soneva Fushi, opened in 1995 and arguably did more than any to put the Maldives on the map.

There are now 120-plus resorts keeping to the model of one island, one resort. Yet when Eva first visited in 1980, there were four hotels in all.

“Even when we opened Soneva Fushi, the Maldives were regarded as more of a three-star destination,” says Sonu. “The Maldives truly were mass market well into the Nineties.”

Soneva Fushi knocked that concept out of the crystal-clear Indian Ocean waters, attracting a wealthy A-list crowd of holidaying celebrities, Paul McCartney and Madonna among them.

Beach living: Soneva Fushi homes, built largely from bamboo, wood and palm leaves, start from £2.6 million

After 22 years of operation its repeat rates are nearly double the region’s average, thanks to its “barefoot luxury” concept of personal butlers and laid-back desert island charm.

It’s all wrapped up with a genuine drive for marine sustainability in one of the Earth’s most photogenic but fragile areas. Soneva Fushi was first to offer property for sale in the Maldives, selling detached beachfront Robinson Crusoe-style homes on 50-year renewable leases.

The rustic homes, constructed largely from bamboo, wood and palm leaves, start from £2.6 million. So far 10 have sold, all placed back into the rental pool for hotel guests.

​Soneva Jani is in the northern Noonu Atoll, 40 minutes by float plane from the capital Mal, on five palm-fringed islands around a remarkable turquoise lagoon. It has the largest overwater villas in the Maldives with a fun factor that includes retractable roofs to watch the night sky, a slide from your private roof terrace into the lagoon, and an open-air, overwater cinema.

Residents might be living in barefoot bliss but they are being looked after in five-star luxury, complete with a world-class sommelier managing an extensive wine cellar.

These are trophy homes, agrees Sonu, normally a fourth or fifth property for the fortunate few buyers, but with the additional benefit of a demonstrable net cash yield of four per cent achieved annually for owners at Soneva Fushi.

Luxury facilities: Soneva Fushi has operated for over 20 years as a five-star hotel and was the first Maldives resort to offer property for sale

Four buyers have signed up at Soneva Jani — Swedish, American, Chinese and British purchasers — paying from £2.3 million for the 24 completed overwater villas or 30 off-plan island homes.

OWNING AN ISLAND

Vladi Private Islands is selling entire islands in the Maldives, from four undeveloped acres 15 minutes from the international airport, up to a five-star resort on 38.8 acres with 100 hotel rooms.

Small virgin islands with a development permit start from about £3.8 million, says Tatjana Simonsen from Vladi. The distance to Mal’s international airport, the quality of the house reef, any existing infrastructure and how the island will be used all influence the price.

Along with the other, more affordable Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Seychelles, projects in the Maldives are encouraging British buyers to look east from more familiar Caribbean winter sun homes.

“The Indian Ocean’s excellent marine environment, high level of service and cultural diversity have all helped the region gain ground from the Caribbean,” says Sonu. “For property owners we can demonstrate that like-for-like villas have risen 40 per cent in price.”

Tourist arrivals to Maldives grow 7.8% in June

The Maldives attracted 85,222 visitors in June 2017 recording a 7.8 percent growth compared to 12 months ago, with the momentum of arrivals growth from Europe cushioning a decline in visitor levels experienced from China.

Sri Lanka’s John Keells, Aitken Spence and several other own and operate resorts in the archipelago.
The largest tourism market for the Maldives, the Asia and the Pacific declined 0.9 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 48,437 visitors, with the Chinese arrivals falling 12.5 percent YoY to 24,160 tourists. The 48.5 percent YoY growth from India, with 6,919 tourists helped partially offset the regional figures.
The archipelago, experienced a 13.8 YoY percent arrivals growth from its second largest regional market in Europe, with 29,194 arrivals. The number of German arrivals increased 49.1 percent YoY to 6,885 tourists.

The UK another major market, increased just 3.2 percent YoY to 6,081 tourists, while Russian arrivals grew 11 percent YoY to 3,262 tourists and 2,768 Italians arrived, growing 7.2 percent YoY
The Middle East market grew 259 percent YoY hauling in 2,603 tourists to the Maldives.

Tourist arrivals to the archipelago for the first half of 2017 increased 6.1 percent YoY to 657,540 visitors. 

Arrivals from the Asia and the Pacific remained unchanged at 281,261 tourists, with half of them coming from China, a market which contracted by 10.3 percent YoY for the Maldives, with the growth from India helping relieve downward pressure from the region.

Arrivals from Europe from January to June grew 10.7 percent YoY with growth from mid-sized markets such as Russia and Italy helping drive growth, since the British and German markets remained fairly unchanged.

Maldivian accommodation units experienced an occupancy rate of 61.4 percent for the first 6 months, falling 3.9 percent YoY while the average duration of stay of tourists increased to 6.3 days from 6.1 days YoY.

Source:DailyMirror

Happy Independence Day! - Maldives

                                                 Happy Independence Day ! Maldives

After a long 78 years of being a British Protectorate, on 26th July 1965 Maldives was granted full independence from the British. To celebrate this independence, the Republic of Maldives, marks the 26th of July and declares it a public holiday. This is the 49th anniversary of independence for Maldives.

Although governed as an independent Islamic sultanate from 1153 to 1968, the Maldives was a British protectorate from 1887 until 25 July 1965. On December 16, 1887, the Sultan of the Maldives signed a contract with the British Governor of Ceylon turning the Maldives into a British protectorate, losing her sovereignty in matters of foreign policy.

The British government promised the Maldives military protection and non-interference in local administration in exchange for an annual tribute paid by the Maldives. In 1957 the British established a RAF base in the strategic southernmost atoll of Addu, where hundreds of locals were employed. Fiscal feasibility in question, 19 years later the British government decided to give up the base, as it was too expensive to maintain

In 1953, there was a brief, abortive attempt to form a republic, but the sultanate was re-imposed. In 1959, objecting to Nasir’s centralism, the inhabitants of the three southernmost atolls protested against the government. They formed the United Suvadive Republic and elected Abdullah Afeef as president and Hithadhoo as capital of this republic.

The agreement giving the Maldives full political independence was signed on behalf of His Majesty the Sultan by Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, Prime Minister; and on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen by Sir Michael Walker, British Ambassador designate to the Maldive Islands. The Ceremony took place at the British High Commissioner’s Residence in Colombo on 26 July 1965. After independence from Britain in 1965, the sultanate continued to operate for another three years under King Muhammad Fareed Didi.

On 11 November 1968, the monarchy was abolished and replaced by a republic under the presidency of Ibrahim Nasir, although this was a cosmetic change without any significant alteration in the structures of government. The official name of the country was changed from Maldive Islands to the Maldives. Tourism began to be developed on the archipelago by the beginning of the 1970s. The first accurate census was held in December 1977 and showed 142,832 persons residing in Maldives.

Source : MaldivesNet

Grand Park Kodhipparu opens in Maldives

The Park Hotel Group has opened the Grand Park Kodhipparu, a luxury island resort in the Maldives.

With 120 luxurious villas, of which 65 feature private pools, Grand Park Kodhipparu offers guests a variety of choices. Beach Pool, Ocean Water, Lagoon Water, Ocean Pool and Lagoon Pool Water villas offer direct access to the beach.

All villas come with sunrise and sunset views, a sun terrace, and indoor and outdoor shower facilities. Those looking for ultimate privacy can select one of the five Grand Residences featuring two bedrooms and bathrooms, an exclusive living space and large private pool.

Situated next to the ocean, The Edge all-day dining restaurant will serve a changing selection of buffet dishes from breakfast through to dinner and guests can enjoy an unblocked view of the horizon from the indoor lounge seating or while dining at the overwater private pods.

Adjacent to the infinity pool, Breeze Poolside Dining and Bar iserves light bites throughout the day. At sunset, it transforms into a laidback resort bar offering cocktails and cigars. Nestled away from the other resort facilities, Firedoor serves a selection of grilled meats and fresh seafood.

AirAsia launches cheap direct flights from Bangkok to Maldives

Thai AirAsia is launching daily direct flights between Bangkok and the Maldives in August, and the fare is a fraction of the service offered by Bangkok Airways, who was previously the sole operator of the non-stop route.

Starting from Aug. 11, the daily AirAsia flight to the Maldives will leave Don Mueang at 9:30am. The return flight to Bangkok departs Malé International Airport at 12:30pm.

Thai AirAsia launched a promo fare of THB1,990 one-way, inclusive of taxes and fees, which you can book until June 25. Note that prices vary depends on the dates.

Still, it is big drop compared to a one-way fare of THB13,500 plus tax fare from Bangkok Airways.

The low-cost airline expects the route will be at least 85 percent booked, as Maldives has long been a popular beach destination, according to Bangkok Post.

For this route, the airline will use 180-seat Airbus A320 single-aisle jets.

Sun Siyam Resorts keen on India’s prospective MICE business

Evgenia Boyankova - Group Director of Business Development, Sun Siyam Resorts, looks at making the

most of the teeming Indian wedding and MICE market.

Sun Siyam Resorts witnessed huge growth from the Indian market, particularly for its four star property Olhuveli Beach & Spa Maldives. Talking about the response from the Indian market, Evgenia Boyankova, Group Director of Business Development of Sun Siyam Resorts, observed that most of their guests checked into Olhuveli Beach & Spa Maldives for short stays. “We have also seen that there is an upward flow for high-end Indian customers who are looking for five-star properties such as our Sun Aqua Vilu Reef and the Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives. In Asia, India is the second largest source market to the Maldives after China. We have noticed an upward rise in 2016 compared to 2015.”

Marketing Plans

This year Sun Siyam Resorts plans to capture as much market share as it can by taking part in major travel shows, workshops, roadshows and by covering major metros and sub metros in India. “Also India is a very dynamic market; each region has a different target audience and is also driven on relationships. So, we will continue working closely with our preferred partners, trade associations and key travel partners for increased growth and conversions. We plan to build and increase our market share in terms of family travel, high-end MICE, honeymooners, single women groups.”

Business from India

While the MICE segment is a key focus, the properties are also popular among honeymooners besides being favoured by family travellers. “At Sun Siyam Resorts, we are focusing more on MICE group enquiries for conferences, events as well as weddings; hence a mix of corporate plus leisure. India’s destination wedding concept has been growing over the past few years. We are also catering to corporate travel as we have ideal setups at our resorts.The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Maldives has a variety of full-fledged meeting rooms which cater to different needs. Our lagoons with crystal clear water and soft sandy beaches are ideal for various motorized and non-motorized water activities.” On the other hand, Olhuveli Beach & Spa Maldives has the first-of-itskind kite surfing school. Activities for adventure lovers include wake boarding, fly boarding and knee boarding, apart from banana boat riding and jet skiing for families. “Maldives is a popular destination for Bollywood stars like Katrina Kaif, Mandira Bedi among others. With the launching of new flights in Mega Maldives we can expect more volume of Indian travellers.”
The destination is welcoming more resorts including big brands like Accor and St. Regis.

“The luxury properties continue to increase due to the demand and India has both very affluent travellers and budget conscious travellers.” Evgenia concludes by saying that there is room for all as Maldives boasts of a sustainable hospitality industry.

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AirAsia launches flights from Thailand to Maldives with prices starting from S$80.70

AirAsia is launching new daily direct flights to Maldives and the route is being introduced with a special promotional fare starting at Bt1,990 ($80.70) per trip from Wednesday (June 14) until June 25 for travel between August 11 and 28.Maldives is among the world's top destinations among Thai and international travellers alike with plenty of activities that range from coral diving and dolphin viewing to water sports and relaxation at private resorts.The islands also provide a wonderful opportunity to experience the unique Maldivian lifestyle, and exciting activities that can be enjoyed equally by families, friends and couples.AirAsia's director of commercial Santisuk Klongchaiya said: "Many people's perception of Maldives is that it is costly and only caters to certain types of travellers, but today AirAsia is launching the flight so that everyone can discover the atolls. There's a wide variety of accommodation, ranging from guest houses to opulent resorts. Without the need for a visa (for Thai people), travelling to the country is now easier than ever and we are confident the route will see robust growth, especially as AirAsia is the first low-fares carrier to offer a Bangkok-Maldives link.

Thailand's Singha Estate to invest $311.5 mln in Maldives resorts

Thailand's Singha Estate Pcl , the real estate development arm of Boon Rawd Brewery, will invest $311.5 million in a series of hotels in the Maldives, it said on Thursday.

Boon Rawd Brewery, which is known for the pale lager, Singha, received a 50-year concession from the Maldivian government to develop hotels in nine islands of the country.

Singha Estate expects to make an initial investment of $83 million while the total investment is likely to reach $311.5 million, Chief Financial Officer Methee Vinichbutr said at an investor briefing.

Resorts on the first two islands are expected to be operational in July 2018 and the firm expects more Chinese tourists in the Maldives in the future, he said.

Earlier this year, the company had finalised a joint venture with Hongkong Land Group to develop a luxury residential tower in Bangkok at an estimated value of $170 million. Singha will hold 51 percent of the venture.

Singha Estate's revenue jumped 89 percent to 1.2 billion baht ($35.16 million) in the first quarter of this year. However, net profit fell by 67 percent to 33.5 million from a year-earlier period when it booked foreign exchange gains. ($1 = 34.14 baht) (Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Orathai Siring and Subhranshu Sahu)