Best of the Maldives: Proposal Coaching – Conrad Rangali Maldives

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Conrad Rangali underwater wedding proposal

Happy Valentines Day. The epicentre of romance in the annual calendar. As such, one of the most popular days for people to propose. And with the Maldives being the geographical epicentre of romance, when the two combine expect big things. Like Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s “Marry Me” packages…

“Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is launching a ‘MarryMe’ package for those planning to pop the question on Valentine’s Day. Priced at US$150, the package includes a bottle of celebratory champagne and assistance from the resort in planning the proposal. As part of the offer, couples dining in Ithaa undersea restaurant on February 14 can use the services of the dive centre for a memorable underwater proposal, complete with a diver swimming outside the windows of the restaurant to help ask the question.”

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Best of the Maldives: Round Bed – Constance Halaveli

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Constance Halaveli round bed

No heart-shaped beds yet (jacuzzi, yes), but a round one. Conrad Rangali has one centered in its sunset water villa master bedroom like a giant bulls-eye. But the circular crib at Constance Halaveli tipped the feature today with the swoosh of a bedside stand and the round villa that lends a curvy Corbusier feel to villa.

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Best of the Maldives: Black Sand – Conrad Rangali

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Conrad Rangali - black sand

“Admire the black volcanic sand imported from New Zealand on the floor, which gives a stylish counterpoint to the white sand floors throughout the rest of the resort.”

The place to celebrate New Zealand Waitangi Day today is in the Maldives is Conrad Rangali. Their distinctive plot of sand is as black as the Maldives beaches are white. The juxtaposition is sort of a geological circle of life. The black sand comes from relatively recent volcanic eruptions while the Maldives themselves are anciently defunct volcanoes.

Their marketing manager Katherine Anthony elaborates…

“Yes, the black sand in the Cheese and Wine Bar (the only place we have it) is volcanic sand from New Zealand. We liked the contrast with the white sand that we have everywhere else throughout the resort.”

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Best of the Maldives: Plankton Spectacles – Conrad Maldives Rangali

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Conrad Rangali plankton spectacles

The legendary Dom Perignon reportedly exclaimed when he first sipped the sparkling wine of his cellars “I am drinking stars.” Well, at Conrad Maldives Rangali, you can sometimes wade in them too. Set in the marine-rich South Ari atoll, Rangali is in the heartland of whale shark country who are drawn by the plankton-rich waters. Also, their marine cousins the mantas can be found so readily that they can be regularly seen of the Rangali jetty in the evening doing loop-de-loops in the pier light feeding on the plankton drawn there. But the possibly the most striking example of plankton spectacles was this photo released by Rangali this month showing bioluminensce on the beaches. The aquatic microrganisms emitting their glow with the gentle stimulation of the equally minute ‘waves’ ticking the shore. When we used to sail in Maine, our friends taught us how to prompt this phenomenon by stirring an oar in the nighttime ocean waters. You can even even swim through this constellation with Rangali’s night dive offer called “ocean of stars”.

May your 2014 be filled with sparkling wonders!

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Best of the Maldives: Champagne Treats – Conrad Rangali

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Conrad Rangali underwater champagne

 

Champagne seems to be the consummate tipple for both celebrating and for romance. So with the Maldives being the honeymoon capital of the world, champagne does flow as copiously as the azure lagoons. Some might say that in the Maldives, every day is “Champagne Day”, but today that decadence is shared around the world.

If you want to pop a little extra diversity into your brut bubbly banquet, then head over to Conrad Rangali who offers a variety of champers pampers…

“With an extensive wine cellar of over 20,000 bottles, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island further enhances its guests’ wine experience this year with the introduction of three new ways of enjoying champagne at this luxury resort: ‘Bubbles on the Beach’, ‘Sparkling Hour’ and ‘The Perfect Sundowner’…Food and beverage director Wolfgang Brandl explains: “Of course there’s never a wrong way to enjoy champagne, but relaxing in the privacy of your own private villa while taking in the beauty of a breathtaking Maldivian sunset with a glass of your favourite champagne in your hand has to be one of the most spectacular ways to do it.’”

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Best of the Maldives: Whale Shark Event – Conrad Rangali

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Conrad Rangali whale shark festival

Festival season has begun with Glastonbury kicking off this week. But in the Maldives the festivals are even wetter than the infamous British versions, and instead of willies, snorkel and fins are more de rigeur. And the ‘big acts’ aren’t aging rockers, but prehistoric monsters! A big shout out to Conrad Maldives Rangali for their gala “Maldivian Whale Shark Festival” which takes to the stage today drawing people from all over the Maldives and the world…

“The Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) in association with Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, South Ari Marine Protected Area (SAMPA) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will launch the first Maldivian Whale Shark Festival in South Ari atoll on 29th June 2013. This one-day festival has been created to highlight the potential cooperative initiatives between resorts and local island communities while providing a positive platform from which to raise awareness of this magnificent species….Activities include whale shark excursions, an ecological treasure hunt, cultural demonstrations, guest presentations about whale sharks and coral reef ecology, participatory performance art coordinated by London based arts company Emergency Exit Arts and of course traditional bodu beru music and Maldivian food. Guests from surrounding resorts and local islands are invited to join the day of whale shark related festivities on Dhigurah Island in South Ari atoll.”

Posh mosh!

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Best of the Maldives: Astro-Turf Tennis Court – Conrad Rangali

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Conrad Rangali tennis court

  

The Grand Slam hits its apogee this week with the start of the Wimbledon Championships. In fact, the opening session had a distinctly Maldivian touch as the headline for the day was “Stunned Nadal Mauled by Shark” (reference to unseeded victor Steve Darcis’ love of fish complete with tattoos).

Distinquished by its old school grass courts, I have often wondered why a Maldives resort hasn’t added such a posh surface to its resort. But a few top seeds do have a distinctive court surface that is a step in the right direction – astro turf.

The turf has a number of advantages…

  • Softer so easier on the pounding of legs.
  • Cooler than asphalt or cement which absorbs and holds the tropical heat more intensely.
  • Prettier with a gentle texture and colour.

The elite astro-trio astro-trio includes

  • Conrad Rangali (photo above)
  • Gili Lankanfushi (photo below)
  • Zitahli Kudafunafaru

I had to go to a Hawkeye like line judge to figure out the winner. All are floodlit for evening playing. Gili took the first point with the pristine condition of the court which impressed me when I visited it. But Conrad Rangali came back to take the set and match by having a tennis instructor on staff (see picture at bottom) who provides lessons for less than half the price of Gili (and the instructor has to be arranged).

Advantage Rangali!

 

Gili Lankanfushi - astro turf tennis court

 

Conrad Rangali tennis coach

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Best of the Maldives: Open Room – Conrad Maldives Rangali

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Conrad Rangali open room

 

 

“Conrad beach rooms open on all four sides. What a difference to a/c. The outside comes in. Lovely sleep under the silent fan.”

A pavilion in your villa. The weather and surrounding are so idyllic and perfect that the biggest downside to a villa is having to go into it. The best villas provide lots of ways for you to remain connected to the natural splendour through decks, outdoor showers and bathrooms as well as a design of windows and vistas.

(Thanks Adrian)

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Best of the Maldives: Video Series – Conrad Maldives Rangali

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Conrad Maldives Rangali youtube videos

And the winner of the ‘Best Online Video Series’ for the Maldives Academy Awards goes to…[drumroll]… Conrad Maldives Rangali

One of the first things I put on the design list for the Maldives Complete Resort Profiles was a link to videos. No matter how professional the sumptuous photography of this colourful paradise, a video is worth even more words than a picture. Even photographer extraordinaire Sakis Papadopolous has started doing more videography in his Dreaming of Maldives portfolio.

At first, I was quite frustrated by the available videos of the resorts. The worst were the pictures-set-to-music (with a bit of special effects thrown in). These slide shows really added nothing (except saving some the mouse clicks of going through a gallery. Other clips were amateur holiday clips that sometimes provided a quite thorough guided tour of the island (for the entertainment or envy of their friends and family back home).

We are starting to see some really comprehensive and well done videos on the web now. Leading the way is Rangali who have introduced their own YouTube channel of nicely done videos of everything from the Spa Experiences to Resort Jobs (subtitle: “From Life As A Submarine Driver To Window Cleaner At The Underwater Restaurant.”)

Sunshine, Camera, Action!

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