Best of the Maldives: Room Stories – Oaga

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Oaga - tales

A trip to the Maldives can literally seem like a visit to a deserted tropical island, but the archipelago is rich with history and culture. Many times this local backdrop is quite removed from the contrived resort experience. Many guests are interested in it and get a taste with local island excurisions. But Oaga has infused every single one of its rooms with their own stories taken from Maldivian lore (which you can read here). And the XXX villas have their stories written in the pool which connects them all (as a good story should).

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World Travel Market 2024

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World Travel Market 2024

World Travel Market 2024 gave me my annual flesh-and-blood dose of Maldives meeting with so many of the movers and shakers of the Maldives travel sector. I meet new people who have never heard of Maldives Complete (especially the new appointments in the corporate properties) and well as longstanding comrades (like Aminath Hudha, the first Maldivian in the industry to support me – see photo above).

I also caught up with folks from properties I’ve visited, eg. Emerald, Emerald Faarufushi, Sun Siyam, Nika, Centara Ras Fushi. But I also get to meet new people from properties I haven’t visited, eg. NOOE, JW Marriott, Furaveri, Barcelo, Westin, Alila Kothaifaru, Fushifaru, Le Meridien, Drift Thelu Veliga, Plumeria. And especially helpful is meeting people from the brand new resorts coming soon – eg. NH Collection, Avani+, Centara Lagoon, Ananea Madivaru.

I met industry players like Maldives.com, Paula from Magic of Maldives agency, and even Igrahim Shiuree the new CEO of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relationship Corporation. And I uncovered about a dozen new “Best of the Maldives” pieces featuring either new distinctions or ones I hadn’t yet heard about (stay tuned)

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Best of the Maldives: Cocoon Body Steam – Soneva Fushi

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Soneva Soul - Cocoon Body Steam

The costume awards for “Innovation” and “Wellness” goes to Soneva Fushi’s Cocoon Body Steam:

  • ·This innovative treatment balances 02 and C02 and was developed by Anders Olsson, the founder of Conscious Breathing. It improves vagal tone, increases oxygenation of all tissues, and is applicable for chronic pain recovery, energy and treating inflammation.”
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Sun Siyam Spooktacular Soiree

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Sun Siyam - London halloween 2

The dress code was “black, dark, spooky or full Halloween ghouls”. So Lori and I went as the spookiest, ghoulish creatures we could think of in the Maldives…Shark Fin Poachers.

In advance of next week’s World Travel Market in London and on the occasion of the scariest night of the year, Sun Siyam hosted a coterie of writers, operators and agents for some Halloween treats with no tricks. Sun Siyam’s largest market is the UK so it invests in keeping it informed and supported. The hotel group (Olhuveli, Vilu Reef, Irufushi, Siyam World) is focusing on adding as many distinctive experiences to their properties in the Maldives so that your trip of s lifetime it not just about the great place where you are, but also great things you do there.

Sun Siyam - London halloween 1

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Best of the Maldives: Round – Ritz Carlton Maldives

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Ritz Maldives - lounger

  • “Get around, round, round, I get around.” – Beach Boys

Design 101 is it identify a key motif and stick with it, and no “design resorts” (which are abounding in the Maldives) has mastered this concept more completely than the Ritz Carlton Maldives. And that motif is round. The entire property is replete with circular structures from the spa, kids club (complete with spiral climbing frame and Hobbit-like round door), the villas, ocean pool, loungers, pool restaurant. Even a sculpture on the island for sitting and reposing (see directly below).

One could say that the Ritz is indeed the best ALL ROUND resort in the Maldives.

Ritz Maldives - spa

Ritz Maldives - water villa

Ritz Maldives - round kids club

Ritz Maldives - round pool

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Best of the Maldives: Bathroom Graffiti – Oaga

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Oaga - bathroom graffitti

Normally, graffiti on the bathroom walls is considered a bit of a downmarket flag, but Oaga has made such street style into a distinctive feature of its Bodu Haruge Beach Villa with Private Pool villa:

  • “Graffiti Gifili: The bathroom, inspired by Maldivian ‘Gifili’, features bare walls, banana leaves complete the tropical feeling enjoyed by our ancestors, with the graffiti wall providing a contemporary twist. Multi-disciplinary street artist Ahmed Sobah (aka Toxicrew) took inspiration from local animals such as the cat and rooster, transforming each of the walls to one-of-a-kind pieces of street-style art.”

Oaga - Graffitti

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Best of the Maldives: Moon Therapies – Oaga

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Oaga - moon therapies

Just had the Hunter’s Moon this week which could be an opportunity for one of Oaga’s San’dhu Moon Therapies

  • ·“Upholding Maldivian practices and rituals of the past centuries that used the moon’s energy to craft medicinal massage oils and elixirs, our San’dhu Moon Therapies connect with the moon phases and their energies, offering powerful rituals to boost your vital energy and balance the body and the mind, and the overall spiritual wellbeing.”

Great for more than werewolves!

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Best of the Maldives: Stem Cell Treatment – Soneva Fushi

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Soneva Soul - stem cell therapy

Stem cells are truly amazing components of the human body. They are undifferentiated cells that can turn into wide range of cell types (or they can just replicate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell). As a result of these distinctive characteristics, they are seen as the original human cell from which the human organised has evolved. A friend of mine recently had a life saving stem cell transplant where his faulty immune system was destroyed by the doctors and then they introduced the right stem cells to grow him whole new, healthy immune system (forgive the over-simplification).

Soneva Fushi has brought the scientific magic of stem cells to the Maldives offers the first ever stem cell treatments for a range of skin care procedures – Soneva Soul – First And Only Stem Cell Centre In Maldives (maldives-times.com):

  • “By importing stem cells with prescription, Soneva Soul has eminent its collection of bespoke health and wellness services. Operating with the essential approvals from the Maldives Food and Drug Authority and maintenance world-class standards, the resort is now competent to provide targeted treatment and protocols by the power and probable of stem cells. The stem cells used in their treatment are complete by Sweden-based Cellcolabs, a biotech company that’s devoted to growing global access to stem cell treatments. Built on two decades of study at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, they specialize in the high-class manufacture of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).”

The treatments are from Sweden-based Cellcolabs, a biotech company that’s devoted to growing global access to stem cell treatments. Built on two decades of study at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, they specialize in the high-class manufacture of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The procedures include:

  • Ntra-Articular Orthopedic Injetions to assist damaged tissue repair
  • Topical injections with Micro-Needling to promote skin renewal
  • IV system Stem Cell to reduce swelling and aid tissue recovery
  • Intradermal Injections for a range of cosmetic treatments
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