Renowned as a stylish small resort with only 30 villas, Kandolhu Maldives strives to continually innovate with fresh ideas, ideal for their ever-growing repeat guest following and new visitors alike.
This month Kandolhu Maldives are very proud to announce the opening of its 5th outlet “Ata-Roa”, serving up Mexico and Peru’s best street food. The menu is straightforward, simple and light, with classic and unique takes on ceviche and tacos on offer. Due credit goes to Executive Chef, Mickaël Farina whose recent trek across South America last year helped develop the concept of mouth-watering dishes being served.
Open daily (except Wednesdays) from 12 pm to 4 pm, Ata-Roa has a strong emphasis on intimate service and authentic execution using the finest ingredients with focus on local. It is located on the Noovilu Sports jetty; guests are invited to sit down grill-side to watch their food being prepared by the skilled team whilst enjoying a gentle sea breeze and beautiful ocean views, or grab their selections take-out style and head back to their villa to enjoy. All is perfectly paired with Mexican beer and craft mescal and pisco cocktails.
Ata-Roa draws inspiration from the “Day of the Dead” Mexican traditions, and Peruvian Nazca lines
The design and branding of Ata-Roa draws inspiration from the “Day of the Dead” Mexican traditions, and Peruvian Nazca lines, which add an additional level of authenticity and is already receiving wide acclaim from guests. The space will also be used as a pop-up location for various food-related events, including Spanish wine and Basque pintxo nights, and exclusive degustations with Chef Mickaël.
New menus and a full range of dining experiences at Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort
The Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort has unveiled three scintillating new Asian dining initiatives full of flavour, variety and fun. The sizzling new sensations include an Asian Street Food Market, the Konotta Hot Pot Experience, and the Indian Ocean Thali Taster Meal.
“Variety, informality and authentic flavours are at the heart of our new creations at the Outrigger in Konotta,” says Executive Chef, Chris Long. “Guests can now enjoy a full Asian culinary journey from our island paradise in the Maldives.”
Chris Long, Executive Chef, Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort
Outrigger’s Asian Street Food Market has a mostly outdoor set up with Chinese lanterns and live music. The best of Asian street food is present, including Japanese favourites such as Sushi, Nigiri Sushi, Makimono and Maguro Tataki (seared Maldivian tuna with ponzu sauce). There is Teppanyaki (including tenderloin beef) Laksa spicy noodle soup and Pho noodles. And look out for other classics from around Asia such as Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts (Thailand), Spring Rolls (Vietnam), Nasi Goreng Kambing from Malaysia, and tasty Batagor from Indonesia. The Asian Street Food Market will take place every week from August and throughout the high season. See full menu here.
The Konotta Hot Pot Experience takes inspiration from over 1000 years of culinary history and was probably created by the Mongolians. Embraced across Asia and known variously as Huoguo, Shabu-Shabu or Steamboat, the concept is basically a communal hot plate for cooking the meat surrounded by a pot of simmering soup.
“At Konotta, we have taken the best of hot pot culture and designed a hot pot that, we think, suits the palettes of all our guests,” says chef Long.
The Hot Pot Experience is available each day (with 24 hours notice for preparation) and served in the Rotunda.
The Indian Ocean Thali Taster Meal is based on the concept of presenting the six flavours of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, astringent and spicy in a single Thali (tray) of Indian dishes. The flavours come from all corners of the Indian sub-continent and are available each evening in the Blue Salt restaurant.
The three culinary innovations at the Outrigger are augmented by a new lunch and dinner menu with the emphasis on organic ingredients and health, a Teppanyaki Dinner Experience prepared by Teppan Chef Endar, and a variety of unique island dining options such as romantic beach tables, sand bank lunches, wedding and vow renewal celebrations.
The chef is particularly proud of the weekly Maldivian Lobster and Angus Beef Sunset Beach BBQ, which is ideal for couples that want a private dining table set up on the beach.
Beach dining, Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort
Further information on dining at the Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort is available here.
Summer Island Maldives resort’s Advisory Executive Chef, ‘Jack’ Tiang Toh Huat, has been declared one of the world’s Top 50 ‘Outstanding Chefs’, in a prestigious awards ceremony held last week in Shanghai, China.
Summer Island Maldives also received an award for ‘Outstanding Dining Venue’ at the 2016 Global Gourmet Chef par Excellence World Culinaire Competition awards ceremony.
The double award places Summer Island Maldives, which recently underwent a multi-million dollar refurbishment, among the Maldives very best resorts for food and beverage.
The prize ceremony, organised by the Global Gourmet culinary magazine, followed a competition in which chefs from around the world were invited to cook a four-course meal, which was then judged by an expert panel that included the Michelin 3-star celebrity chefs Da Dong and Umberto Bombana.
Chef Jack submitted a menu based on fresh ingredients found on Summer Island Maldives, such as coconuts and passion fruits, and from the surrounding sea.
Commenting on his award, Chef Jack said:
“I wanted to submit a menu that would highlight the elements of the Maldives – the sand, the sea and the natural vegetation. To represent sand, for example, we made a dessert that used fresh, grated coconut and brown sugar, to look like the beach. We also used fresh tuna in the menu because the Maldives is famous for its tuna.”
Summer Island Maldives’ Resort Manager Mariya Shareef said:
“We are delighted that Chef Jack and Summer Island Maldives won these awards, which demonstrate the dedication, professionalism and excellence of Chef Jack and his team. Summer Island Maldives is now recognized as one of the Maldives’ top culinary destinations.”
Summer Island Maldives prides itself on offering guests an authentically Maldivian, barefoot slice of paradise at an affordable price.
One of the Maldives’ first resorts, and wholly Maldivian owned, Summer Island Maldives recently underwent a complete re-development. The resort now boasts fresh and zesty rooms, a spa, international restaurants, a rustic beach bar, a dive center and water sports center.
Summer Island Maldives retains the family-friendly, natural atmosphere that has made it such a popular destination. Summer Island Maldives offers an all-inclusive holiday, with a variety of rooms, at 4 star prices.
The Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives is organising a free concert in the capital city Malé for the 8th January with the acclaimed Senegalese-born and current US-based R&B and hip hop artist Akon.
The event was announced through a video message from Akon which was shown during the Tourist Arrival Countdown show held on New Year’s Eve where two Indian Bollywood musicians Salim – Sulaiman performed.
Salim – Sulaiman perfoming at National Football Stadium on New Year’s Eve. Photo credit: Haveeru
This is the second attempt by the four time grammy nominated artist to perform in the Maldives. The first attempt was in 2010 which was cancelled after the tickets were sold saying the technical assistance and security measures were not up to par.
The 2010 performance attempt was hugely opposed by the then Islamic Ministry and several religious groups. Speaking in response to public discord over two Indian musicians playing in the Maldives on New Year’s Eve and Akon’s performance scheduled for Thursday to the local daily newspaper Haveeru, Tourism Minister Adeeb said that foreign artists and musicians are invited to perform in the Maldives as a means to promote tourism and has nothing to do with religion and that they are simply a means to promote Maldives as a brand.
He also said “These shows are for promoting Maldives’ tourism. While the entire world has started to see Malé City as a lair that harbours members of the Islamic State or extremist militants, foreign artists performing here will show the world what the situation here is truly like. Maldives does not belong to the Islamic State.”
Pop/Dancehall/Reggae singer Sean Paul
Akon’s announcement to perform in Maldives comes after Jamaican Grammy Award winning International star Sean Paul – who was supposed to perform during Tourism Arrival Countdown Show 2014 – cancelled at the last minute after a YouTube video was released threatening the artist with death if he performed in the Maldives.
Press Release: Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) and The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN Maldives) is collaborating with Maldivian artists to celebrate the whale shark in The Second Annual Maldives Whale Shark Festival. Hosted in Dhangethi, this year’s festival will be the culmination of months of community engagement workshops in which school students and community members have come together to create artwork representing their island and celebrating the marine diversity of South Ari Atoll and its Marine Protected Area (SAMPA).
This unique festival, which places island communities at the centre of creative decision making, will transform the host island on Saturday December 6th, festooning the streets with colour, filling the air with ‘Boduberu’ and providing an unmissable learning experience for over 250 people who have participated in its development. The carnival procession at 1pm will see 3 whale sharks swim above the heads of the crowd, a giant green turtle, butterfly fish and manta ray dance through the streets and a feast of brightly coloured costumes created by each island.
Considering the dimensions for their kinetic sculpture of a butterfly fish.
Each participating island has chosen a mascot to make and has been working with professional artists to realise their designs for large scale, kinetic sculptures and mobile recycled artwork and costumes. Inspired by the stories of their community they have been working with creative practitioner Fazail Lutfe to create high impact, theatrical presentations to share with festival goers. Weaving together the traditional forms of ‘Raivaru’ and ‘Boduberu’ with contemporary storytelling, each island will tell part of the Atoll’s story, giving voice to the area’s rich cultural heritage.
Local artists Nadee Rachey and Kareen Adam from Malé city have been leading on the artistic vision for the festival, collaborating with Festival Director Chloe Osborne from the UK, to provide a series of multi-disciplinary art workshops with 4 main islands – Dhigurah, Dhangethi, Dhiddhoo and Mandhoo, with support from neighbouring islands and resorts.
“This is just the beginning – we plan on putting the festival on the cultural calendar for the Maldives, bringing people from across the country and the world together to celebrate the rich marine and cultural diversity of the archipelago. Nowhere else is uniquely placed to support the collaboration between Marine Biologists and Artists, community members and international researchers. We look forward to building on this year’s success and, with thanks to our generous sponsors, to offering the opportunity to participate to more islands everywhere.”
Chloe Osborne – Festival Director, Maldives Shark Research Programme.
We hope to attract festival-goers from across the Atoll, Malé and beyond with this yearly opportunity to celebrate the craftsmanship and creativity of the island communities and to celebrate the area’s unique role in the International Whale Shark ecology.
The 2014 festival has been created with support from our technical partner IUCN Maldives with sponsorship from Voyages Maldives, FlyMe, Allied Insurance with Mirihi, Lux* Maldives, Lily Beach, Vilamendhoo, Holiday Island and Sun Island resorts, online partner Maldives.com, and our official hydration partner 100PLUS.
MWSRP programme coordinator Ibrahim Shameel added “For the past 5 months MWSRP have been working with the local islands to bring this festival to life. Along the way we have been fortunate enough to work with some amazing people without whom this festival would not be possible. The idea of a festival is still a very new concept to the communities but have been delighted at how the openly the idea has been received. Its been an inspiration and an honour to witness this festival bring people of all ages come together in a shared endeavour.”
Ends
Festival Background: Developed by MWSRP and IUCN Maldives in 2013, the festival is designed to provide the island communities of South Ari Atoll with the opportunity to celebrate the Whale Shark and the Marine Diversity of their Atoll whilst promoting environmental sustainability and conservation at a grassroots level.. Seeding the idea of an international collaboration between marine biologists and artists and promoting the use of community art as a tool for social and environmental engagement, the project seeks to boost local and national awareness and tourism to support future generations.
Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme
The Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) is a charity that carries out whale shark research and fosters community focused conservation initiative in the Maldives.
What initially began as a scientific expedition in 2006, the MWSRP has grown to become the only long term organisation dedicated to study the iconic, yet vulnerable whale shark species in the Maldives.
Our goal is simple: we seek to advance the field of whale shark knowledge and to advocate for sound conservation policy in the Maldives. By encouraging and valuing community and industry stakeholder participation, we are able to leverage the scientific research to safeguard the rich biodiversity and fragile marine ecosystems that are the basis for not only whale sharks, but also life, livelihood and culture in the Maldives.
Community mobilisation is one of our core values. Participation from the local residents of South Ari Atoll and throughout Maldives is very important to the work of MWSRP.
contact for more information: Richard Rees, Managing Director MWSRP [email protected]
IUCN Maldives Marine Projects
The objectives of the IUCN Maldives Marine Projects were developed to address the environmental priorities and challenges that the Maldives faces. They include enhancing coral reef resilience (both social and ecological), supporting climate change adaptation, advancing marine species management and increasing environmental awareness across different sectors. These are ambitious but urgent priorities that require vision, dedication, perseverance and commitment by many individuals, groups and stakeholders of society in order to address them.
contact for more information: Ali Nizar, Communications Officer [email protected]
Rifaee Rasheed, IUCN Social Sciences and Outreach Officer [email protected]
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The three culinary innovations at the Outrigger are augmented by a new lunch and dinner menu with the emphasis on organic ingredients and health, a Teppanyaki Dinner Experience prepared by Teppan Chef Endar, and a variety of unique island dining options such as romantic beach tables, sand bank lunches, wedding and vow renewal celebrations. 
