Hardman Triumphs at World's Most Luxurious Surfing Event at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa as National Surf Champion Areef Wins the Domestic Event. Four Seasons Resorts Maldives take competition surfing five-star.

Australian surfing legend and two-time world champion Damien "Dooma" Hardman (Narrabeen, NSW, Australia) has won the second annual Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy – organized in conjunction with luxury surf pioneers Tropicsurf – after a sensational week of surfing from five former world champions.

The goofy-footer, age 46, narrowly defeated three-time world champion Tom Curren (USA), 48, in the Champions Trophy Final, following three days of intense competition at the world-class break of Sultan’s Point, located just off Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa.

Contested from August 27 to September 2, 2012, the event saw five world champions – Damien Hardman (Australia), Tom Curren (Australia), Mark Occhilupo (Australia), Martin Potter (Great Britain) and Phil Rajzman (Brazil) – compete across three divisions for the Grand Champions Trophy. Chelsea Hedges, 2005 ASP Women’s World Champion was forced to withdraw after suffering a collapsed lung while training for the event.

Hardman triumphed having returned to the competition for the second consecutive year. During a magical display of surfing excellence, he won both the Single and Twin-Fin divisions to scoop USD 6,000.00 in prize money, before adding another USD 10,000.00 to his total prize tally of USD 16,000.00 following victory in the final. He was denied a clean sweep by Curren’s victory in the Thruster Division.

Buzzing at the end of the contest, Hardman commented: “What a week, I’m stoked. To win two divisions and the Grand Final was a real buzz. I haven’t had a feeling like that since I finished competing.” He also paid tribute to his fellow competitors: “For our ages we are all surfing on top of our game and Curren was amazing today. It was a serious contest out there, but at the same time I had a lot of fun.”

This year’s event also saw eight local surfers battle it out at Sultan’s Point for the inaugural Four Seasons Maldives Domestic Champions Trophy – a thrilling showcase of local talent that was won by Hussain Areef, the country’s reigning national champion.

The trophies were presented by Maldivian Minister of Defense and National Security Mohamed Nazim, who watched the Champions Trophy Final from the three-deck, 39-metre luxury catamaran Four Seasons Explorer, the Maldives' ultimate surf vessel.

The event spilled onto the land with Kuda Huraa’s guests rubbing shoulders with the contest’s participants in the Resort’s vibrant village surround – home to competitors, judges and supporters alike for the duration of the contest. Guests booking Kuda Huraa’s all-inclusive four- or seven-night Champions Trophy package got right on top of the action with competition day passes aboard Four Seasons Explorer and three half-day surfing passes with Tropicsurf.

Following the enormous success of the second annual Surfing Champions Trophy and inaugural Domestic Champions Trophy, Four Seasons and Tropicsurf have vowed to make the events even bigger and better next year.

Four Seasons Resorts Maldives wish to thank its kind co-sponsors of the 2012 Surfing Champions Trophy: Surfboard Traders, Coastalwatch Plus, Wataniya, Dhiraagu, Coca-Cola and SAFCO; as well as its five contestants: two-time world champion and current Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champion Damien Hardman (Narrabeen, NSW, Australia); three-time world champion and true soul surfer, Tom Curren (USA); 1999 World Champion and last year’s Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champion, Mark Occhilupo (Tweeds Head, NSW, Australia); 1998 world champion and aerial-pioneer, Martin "Pottz" Potter (Great Britain); and Brazilian longboard master and 2007 World Champion, Phil Rajzman (Brazil).

Banyan Tree relaunches Maldives resort as all-pool villa property

Located just twenty minutes by speedboat from Malé International Airport, award-winning Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru reopens on 1 September 2012 after a full renovation which now features private dipping pools adjacent to jet pools in each of the resort’s 48 villas. A long-time favoured resort that attracts substantial repeat guests, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru has consistently achieved top ratings in TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice® Awards since 2008.  Following the refurbishment, guests may enjoy the luxury of their own pool and jet pool set within their villa’s private garden area.

Marine Conservation

Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru is home to a Marine Biology Lab, the first of its kind to be funded and built by a private resort. Guests may join the Marine Lab team to participate in activities such  as reef species inventory checks and reef clean ups. The laboratory is equipped with instruments for research into coral spawning, settlement and transplantation along with green sea turtle and reef shark conservation. The house reef is ideal for snorkeling straight off the beach; rays and fish are fed daily off the pier. Guests need only to walk along the shore to see trumpet fish, small sharks and the occasional turtle swimming by in the translucent lagoon.

Culinary Journeys

Guests may choose from local Maldivian or international cuisine at the beachfront Ilaafathi restaurant or star gaze with cocktails at the alfresco Naiboli bar. A plethora of destination dining options, complemented by the natural beauty of the Maldives, are also available.

With the Sandbank Dining experience, guests are whisked away in a speed boat to a private sandbank with options for breakfast, a picnic lunch or dinner amidst panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. A private butler ensures dedicated service while guests dine on local specialties amidst the most exclusive of settings. The Sunset Jetty experience is designed for the romantic at heart as it takes place on a rustic jetty overlooking the horizon.  Guests experience the dazzling Maldivian sunset Bedouin style while savouring chilled Champagne, canapés and a delightful shisha, or Arabic water pipe.  

Located on the beachfront, Shark Point Dining is complemented by gentle lapping waves and lagoon breezes. The menu features bounty from the Indian Ocean including sea scallops and fresh Maldivian lobster. Couples can dine with their bare feet in the powdery white sand at the Tuesday BBQ Dinner, also on the beach, in which a four-course meal offers tuna and beef fillet or Maldivian seafood.

Rejuvenation

For guests to relax and rejuvenate against the expansive backdrop of the Indian Ocean, Banyan Tree Spa Vabbinfaru features five spacious outdoor spa pavilions with lush tranquil settings, two massage beds and open-air showers. Three of the pavilions feature exotic copper bathtubs handcrafted in Sri Lanka and private Rain Mist Rooms especially equipped with rain shower and steam mist facilities.

Introductory Offer

To celebrate the reopening of Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, guests who book for a minimum of two nights from now through 25 October 2012 for stays from now through 31 October 2012 are entitled to complimentary inclusions such as: complimentary daily breakfast, lunch and dinner for two persons, and a one-time Intimate Moments setup during their stay which features scented oils, candles around the pool and a complimentary bottle of red or sparkling wine. 

Guests are also entitled to a daily complimentary 60-minute spa massage (with an additional 30-minute refreshments and relaxation time) for two persons at Banyan Tree Spa Vabbinfaru.

For reservations, please call the Maldives reservation office: +960 676 7115. Alternatively, please email Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru:  reservations-vabbinfaru@banyantree.com.

VICEROY MALDIVES RESORT TO OPEN 2 APRIL 2012

Viceroy Hotel Group’s Newest Property to Feature Interiors

by Renowned Design Firm Yabu Pushelberg

Viceroy Hotel Group is pleased to announce the resort will officially open on 2 April 2012. The intimate 61-villa island resort, part of the company’s steadily expanding Viceroy Hotels and Resorts brand, is set on the archipelago’s pristine Vagaru Island.

Each of the resort’s luxury beachfront or water villas are nestled on the white sand beachfront or set directly on the turquoise sea. Private plunge pools, ensuite baths and generous outdoor areas in each villa allow for optimal privacy and superior comfort in an awe-inspiring setting. Viceroy Maldives will feature some of the most spacious accommodations in the Maldives, ranging from 1,300 sq feet to 3,000 sq feet. The resort’s five dining options will offer everything from casual beachside cuisine to fine dining Italian fare. Restaurant concepts will incorporate Asian and European influences, and private venues including an underground wine cellar will also be available for celebratory dining and chef’s table dinners.

Those looking to relax and rejuvenate can enjoy indulgent spa treatments at the resort’s over-water spa villas, which will include seven treatment suites for individuals as well as couples. Natural elements such as the sun, sea and Maldivian culture will be infused into holistic treatments, allowing guests to achieve an ultimate sense of well-being and healing. Ayurvedic treatment experiences and yoga classes will all be offered as part of the programming at The Spa at Viceroy Maldives.

Guests will be awed by the transcending interiors created by Yabu Pushelberg. The award-winning firm drew inspiration from the islands’ natural beauty and culture, utilizing only the necessary elements in order to avoid competition with the unsurpassed location. From the moment guests arrive on property by seaplane and are transported to their villas by golf cart, they will feel an ultimate sense of calm. Whether lounging in an oversized daybed overlooking the lagoon, socializing beachside at the resort’s Pool Bar & Grill restaurant, or relaxing with children in the sophisticatedly playful kid’s zone, Viceroy Maldives exceeds the expectations of even the most discerning guest.

“Extending the Viceroy brand across the world to the Maldives is a very exciting development for us,” says Nicholas Clayton, President of Viceroy Hotel Group. “We look forward to welcoming our clientele to this breathtaking resort in early 2012.”

For additional information on Viceroy Maldives, please visit www.viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/maldives. More information on Viceroy Hotel Group can be found at www.viceroyhotelgroup.com.

Diva Maldives rebrands itself as Lux* Maldives

Diva Maldives has rebranded itself as 'Lux* Maldives' in a move aimed at making a difference in the hotel industry and providing a unique experience to its guests.

General Manager Dominik Ruhl told journalists and tour operators during a ceremony held at Traders Hotel's Azure restaurant yesterday that "not much is happening" at the "saturated" five star tourism market in the Maldives.

"Resorts tended to define themselves in terms of the hardware, which we all have – villas, pools architecture. They are all fairly similar – but people don't come to the Maldives to sleep in a 1950s boudoiur. We don't want to follow the same thoughtless patterns we learned in hotel school some 20 years ago," he said.

Ruhl identified the problem with the hotels and resorts in Maldives as the "slow development of the industry" which makes the hotels and resorts "look and feel the same".

"We realised that in order to be different, we have to take certain drastic steps. Luxury is over-rated, so we wanted to give our clients something they don’t expect from a five-star resort based in the Maldives. We want to help them celebrate life in its simplest form," he said.

Among the new features to be introduced, ice cream carts selling homemade low-fat ice cream will go on around the island, fitness instructors will hold outdoor exercises and guests will be exposed to the "Lux-style" of traditional Bodu Beru performances.

Lux* Maldives, as it will be known from today, has imported roasted coffee beans that will undergo grinding on the island and made into its own brand of coffee to be served from a reception-turned-coffeehouse in the lobby complete with newspapers and Kindle e-readers loaded with the latest magazines and papers.

The resort is also collaborating with a company called Carbon Footprint to offset its carbon emissions by year-end and looking at alternative green energy sources such as wind and solar. It will also begin using homemade still and sparkling bottled water to avoid having to dispose of 170,000 plastic bottles a year.

The parent brand – Naïade, now Lux* Island Resorts – has also rebranded its other properties in the Indian Ocean.

About Maldives

Heavenly like islands are scattered in the Indian Ocean, perched on the Equator, 435 miles southwest of Sri Lanka, Measuring 820 kilometers north to south and 120 kilometers east to west at its greatest width, the closest neighbors are India and Sri Lanka. Its capital Male’ being situated in the center of the country and International air link to the capital is just 5 minutes by a speed boat

Just consider this - sparkling white sun-kissed beaches; crystal-clear lagoons studded with profusely-coloured corals; azure warm seas with an undisturbed, exotic marine life; palm-fringed islands; the pervading serenity; all of it summarised by the famous Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta on describing Maldives as One of the wonders of the world.

The Sun, the Sand and the Sea. These are just the three simple realities beckoning tourists from far and wide to these little islets, giving as a result, a glorious sense of happiness and proving to be a heavenly getaway from the world and its worries. The Maldives teaches the visitors the pleasurable art of doing nothing, simply lazing around and enjoying some of the most spectacular and colourful vistas offered by Nature.

Where is Maldives

This is perhaps the first question if you have no idea about this island nation and its rich natural beauty. If you are planning your next holidays, Maldives can be the perfect choice for you because it has everything that a tourist requires for ideal holidays.

One glance at the atlas will answer your question - Where is Maldive. Right on the Equator, you will find that situated in the southwest of Sri Lanka, Maldives stretches 823 km from North to South and 130 km from east to west.

Only about 200 islands are inhabited and only about 89 islands have resorts in them. Male is the capital city where 2/3 of the populations of Maldives reside.

 

Click to enlarge the Map of the Maldives