Kurumba Maldives will be celebrating Earth Hour, this Saturday 28th March from 20:30 pm to 21:30 pm, local time and contributing to the Earth Hour movement which unites people to take action for the planet and aims to raise awareness of climate change.
During this hour, Kurumba will partake in this movement by turning off air conditioning units and lighting in staff areas, as well as exterior signage lighting and use candlelight in public areas, restaurants and bars. In-house guests have been invited to participate and do the same in their rooms and villas.
The inaugural Earth Hour movement started in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then the event has become a worldwide movement. In 2014, a record 162 countries took part in Earth Hour 2014, showing a huge amount of support from the Maldives, to the UK and beyond. The switch offs start in Samoa and continue finishing eventually in Tahiti.
Jason Kruse, General Manager of Kurumba Maldives commented: “climate change is the one of the biggest environmental challenges our planet faces today, and is especially important in the fragile Maldives. As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility program, we will continue to make efforts to reduce energy consumption, use sustainable energy and protect our environment. Every small action can make a difference”.
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.
NEW LUXURY MALDIVES RESORTS HAVE A DISTINCTLY AUSTRALIAN FLAVOUR
“Our guests expect the unexpected. And that is exactly what we are aiming to deliver them” Michael Flynn, Chairman of The Small Maldives Island Co.
The Small Maldives Island Co. will open two resorts in the Maldives over the next twelve months, both described by Chairman Michael Flynn as “Nu-luxury at its finest”. Located in the UNESCO protected Baa Atoll, Amilla Fushi will launch in December this year, followed by a luxury beach club concept resort called Finolhu late 2015.
Partner with The Small Maldives Island Co. in the venture is Coastline Maldives*, one of the Maldives’ largest private companies and developer of the new Baa Atoll airport.
While Amilla and Finolhu will capture the heart and spirit of the Maldives, there is an enormous Australian influence. Both Flynn and his partner Tom McLoughlin are Australian. However, they have a combined twenty five years experience in International hospitality and tourism; Flynn as senior hotel marketing executive for international hotel companies in Asia Pacific and Tom as the visionary behind the award winning Huvafen Fushi resort in the Maldives.
The highest profile Australian recruit is leading chef and long term Maldives visitor, Luke Mangan, who is eagerly looking forward to taking responsibility for food and beverage at both resorts as “island restaurateur”. “We will be a foam, gel and smear free zone, thank goodness” proclaimed Mangan. “We will have caviar and foie gras and truffles if people want them, but my goal is to deliver the opposite of overcomplicated and stuffy food”.
Ocean House, Amilla Fushi
“It’s all about fabulous fresh produce. We’re blessed with local seafood. Fishermen will deliver straight from their boats to us and the lobster tank will actually be in the ocean under the signature restaurant Lonu. And we are planning to have the world’s best fish and chips at The Fish and Chip Shop in Baazaar”, he added.
“The Maldives has evolved into one of the most sought after luxury resort destinations where resorts have their own island and house reefs abound. It is evolving, however, from being a honeymoon destination to a haven for celebrities and high end families who want anonymity and true luxury for their holiday experiences” said Flynn.
“We are bespoke operators, exclusively in the Maldives. We understand the culture and want to give our guests a genuine Maldivian experience, but with an effortless, understated sense of luxury” said Director Tom McLoughlin.
“Think homes, not rooms or suites” added Flynn. “We are very excited about the uniqueness of the accommodation at Amilla. You can buy a home here with a fifty year lease, or, for a slightly shorter stay there are beach, lagoon, ocean lagoon and ocean reef houses, plus twelve metre high tree houses, all with private pools”. The words Amilla Fushi which are Maldivian for ‘my island home’ are the central theme of the resort. All room categories from one to six bedrooms are designated ‘homes’ as even the smallest accommodation is 200sq metres of space, while the largest is a remarkable 3000 sq metres.
Rates start at $2,000 per night at Amilla. Over a dozen airlines fly to Male from Australia and the breathtaking sea plane flight to Baa Atoll Airport takes just twenty minutes.
http:/www.facebook.com/amillafushi
*Coastline Maldives – supplying and building Maldives history for over twenty years. Developing and investing in Maldives future – airports, resorts and energy.
Six Senses Laamu is eager to welcome the Festive Season with a new swimming pool and restaurant along with the addition of private plunge pools to 21 of the resort’s villas. The Christmas and New Year celebrations, from December 23, 2014 to January 3, 2015, include tailor-made experiences and events for all ages. Six Senses is excited to welcome returning guests and first time visitors to the resort as the entire team pulls out all the stops to extend a rich celebration of festive activities.
Longitude, Six Senses Laamu
Some of the holiday highlights include:
A lobster barbecue on a private sandbank for an unreal seafood experience in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The delicious menu includes local seafood, freshly caught reef fish and salads made with organic ingredients grown in in the resort’s own gardens.
DJ Vifak will be behind the turntables of the specially installed beach decks! He will be the host DJ at the Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve party, inviting all guests to dance to the hottest island sounds. Then on December 31, the New Year countdown will bid farewell to the old year and welcome a promising 2015.
Over this period Des Mitchell will be on the decks of Chill Bar and Sip Sip providing a soulful highlight to the evenings accompanied by the lyrical voice of his fellow performer Sara France.
Six Senses Spa experts have made a selection of wellness and fitness activities and added them to the extensive and comprehensive range of award-winning signature treatments. An array of classes from asanas and yin yoga, to power walking and beach body training, will be held daily at the yoga pavilion. The spa will also offer the latest aerial experiences trend. Reach new heights with Six Senses aerial yoga, aerial fitness, aerial pilates and aerial meditation sessions.
Deck-a-Dense, Six Senses Laamu
Visiting Practitioner Benson Spiers will be available at Six Senses Spa throughout the festive period. Benson specializes in a variety of physical, emotional and spiritual therapies, such as tai chi, energy flow, fu shen massage and more. His sunset tai chi sessions are a must for fitness enthusiasts.
For younger guests, resort hosts have put together a series of fun activities and adventures. Pirates will be invading the shores of the island and they will take young guests aboard their boat for a snorkeling adventure. Fitness and spa activities will be available during this time, while a treasure hunt and a children’s disco party are not to be missed.
This is the season to share with family and friends and special excursions will be offered daily to ensure guests get the most out of their activity time with loved ones. Experience the Maldivian way of life on a nearby island or enjoy a true Robinson Crusoe escape on a secluded private island for a castaway picnic, Six Senses is ready to make all the arrangements. Sports activities and games will be organized, a few of which will include resort hosts.
Astronomer Parag Mahajani will also visit Six Senses Laamu during the Festive Season. He will set his telescope on the beach each evening and provide an introduction to the universe.
About Parag Mahajani
Astronomer Dr Parag Mahajani, an independent consultant and trainer in the fields of Science and Technology and Fellow of Royal Astronomical Society, London (FRAS) will be returning to Six Senses Con Dao from 12 to 23 August 2013
Following a very successful and popular visit in November 2012, Dr Parag has been invited back to Six Senses Con Dao to fascinate guests and hosts about the skies above.
Dr Parag is an expert in the field of astronomy with twenty-five years experience. He frequently visits Six Senses resorts to delight guests with his slide shows, talks and sky observation programs.
During his career he has received prestigious awards such as State Level Best Literature Award Winner (C. D. Deshmukh Puraskar) for Science and Technology for the book “Tarakanchya Vishwat” from the Maharashtra Government in 2005-06. He has written around five hundred articles in various Indian and international publications on science and technology, and he has given close to one thousand lectures on astronomy and related subjects.
Daily programs will include:
Evening Slide Shows at By The Market from 19:00 to 19:30.
Astronomical Observations and talks will take place every clear night during his visit, from 21:00 to 23:00.
Solar Observations, where guests can look at the Sun, witnessing first hand flares and magnetic storms, from 10:00 to 11:00 in the morning.
Exclusive Zodiac Dinners hosted by Dr Parag will take place twice during his stay where a Zodiac-themed 4-course meal prepared by our chefs to coincide with the Zodiac’s four base categories. A brief talk introducing each Zodiac grouping will be given by Dr Parag before each serving.
Private and exclusive astronomy sessions packed with dazzling slides of telescopic sky-observation experiences can be organized by request in guests’ own villas.
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