Best of the Maldives: Radio Show – Heritance Araah

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Heritance Aarah - radio 2

If you can have a show breakfast in the pool, then why not a breakfast show in the pool? German radio station RTL has flown its morning crew to Heritance Aarah for a month of pool-side performances: DJ Arno reports:

  • “I am lucky enough to be able to broadcast from the Maldives with my morning crew team for the next three weeks. Wonderful in the middle of one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives. Villas on stilts, crystal-clear water, endless white beaches, luscious palm trees and super great restaurants – really everything you only know from postcards. Beautiful! I hope I can bring you that holiday feeling to Berlin on the radio. Or even better: You win the dream trip yourself. Every day at 7:05 am I give you a trip to the Maldives worth 15,000 euros. I hope we listen to 104.6 RTL. And maybe in the Maldives instead of in my dark living room.”

No better way to start you day. In the Maldives, that is.

Heritance Aarah - radio 1

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Best of the Maldives: Dhoni Pool Breakfast – Fushifaru

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Fushifaru - dhoni pool breakfast

A number of resorts offer breakfast in a boat, but I think Fushifaru is the only resort that offers breakfast in a boat (thanks Paola). A number of resort offer breakfast in the pool, but again Fushifaru seems to be the first to offer breakfast in a boat in the pool. And not just any boat, but a charmingly stylish traditional dhoni.

Whatever floats your boat (that certainly does).

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Best of the Maldives: Hydrofoiling – Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

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Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru - hydrofoiling 1

The hottest addition to the Laccadive ocean is yet another flashy water sport in the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru stable – hydrofoiling. Featured in Maldives.net:

  • “Brought to the Maldives in partnership with ocean innovators Ocean Group Pvt Ltd, hydrofoils redefine what’s possible on a board: a unique chance to become one with the water, gliding knife-like over its surface at thrilling speeds using a hydrodynamically designed fin with wings.”

There are four “experiences” to chose from:

  • Kite Foiling
  • Slingshot Wake Foil
  • Lift Foil
  • Naish Wing-Surfer

Hydrofoiling is a long standing “Finally Seen” (#20 from post #8) as well as a handy prompt to add the long overdue tag for “Water Sports”.

Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru - hydrofoiling 2

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Best of the Maldives: Vegan Beef – LUX South Ari Atoll

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LUX South Ari Atoll - vegan beef

The ecological impacts of what you eat affects both the surf and turf of your dinner plate. Beef cattle methane flatulence is a major contributor of global carbon which contributes to ocean warming which kills coral. Concern over beef consumption has led to many initiatives to take the beef out of the most classic beef dish of all – the burger. Even mainstream chains like Burger King have introduced vegan versions like its “Impossible Whopper”. In the Maldives, LUX South Ari Atoll has introduced its own vegan “beef” burger

  • “Embraced by leading brands, tech companies and major news media, the plant-based protein, formally known as ‘Beyond Burger™’ is now available at three of the resort’s eight restaurants to provide additional vegan and kosher options.”

Inspired by LUX’s culinary carbon-reducing crusade, I found myself trying my first vegan burger yesterday in London. It was a Avocado Chipotle Burger by the UK chain, Leon’s. Admittedly, my expectations were pretty low, but I must say that they were handily exceeded. Eating it, you realise that the taste of a “burger” is a real collection of tastes – bun, condiments, lettuce, charcoal grilling. So getting a patty of something that is remotely evocative of a burger in texture and even some flavour make the whole sandwich a pretty close facsimile to the original. But with much less impact on the coral reefs you are enjoying during your stay.

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Best of the Maldives: Groupers – Six Senses Laamu

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Six Senses Laamu - Grouper 1

You’ll should see more groupers at on the Six Senses Laamu house reef if Blue Marine work succeeds:

  • “Grouper in the Maldives are in trouble. Due to high demand and market prices, the Maldives grouper export fishery has escalated since the 1980s, spreading throughout the country. The most recent study in 2011 revealed a concerning situation: grouper stocks are declining and smaller sized fish are being taken. Larger fish have selectively been removed and fishers are targeting spawning aggregation sites. Recent catch data show that for the ten most commonly exploited species of groupers, 70% of individuals are taken prior to reaching sexual maturity, meaning that they had not had a chance to reproduce before being caught. The Blue Marine Foundation has formed a partnership with the Maldivian Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture (MOFA) and Six Senses Laamu, a beautifully sustainable, luxury resort with a passion for marine conservation. In collaboration with MOFA, BLUE has designed a project to promote a better documented and more sustainable grouper fishery in the Maldives by protecting threatened grouper spawning aggregations. Research suggests that grouper have been overfished for at least 15 years in Laamu Atoll.”

Blue Marine are the grouper groupies of the Maldives.

With this post, I’ve added the tag “Marine Life Conservation” to cover post about initiatives to save various aquatic creatures (bigger than coral polyps as those projects are covered extensively in the “Reef Regeneration” tag).

Six Senses Laamu - Grouper 2

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Best of the Maldives: Glass Bar – Soneva Jani

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Soneva Jani - glass bar

Best place in the Maldives for a glass of something. Soneva Jani’s “The Gathering Bar” features a captivating vitreous sculpture for its bar and seating:

  • “Drinks and tapas can be enjoyed at any time at this day-into-evening overwater bar. As the sun begins to set, ease into an organic aperitif. Our main bar has one of the best selections of freshly made cocktails, spirits and liqueurs in the Maldives.”

Glass has long been a very fitting material for the Maldives with its aqua-green hues and light refracting properties evoking the glassy lagoons themselves.

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