Best of the Maldives: Jain Vegetarian – Kurumba

Kurumba - Jain vegetarian cabbage with capsicum

 

 

Happy Paryusana!

Paryusana is the “most important Jain festival”. It is a feast after 10 days of fasting. Mind you the ‘Jain vegetarians’ aren’t exactly gorging themselves in food in the normal times so I imagine that Paryusana must be particularly enthusiastic for them.

‘Jain’ vegetarians follow a very strict regimen based on their philosophy of “ahimsa” literally translated as "non-injuring". The notion of ‘karma’ is central with their belief that every act by which a person directly or indirectly supports killing or injury is seen as act of violence (‘himsa’). As a result, even root vegetables (eg. potato, onion, garlic) are excluded because the ‘uprooting’ of them is seen as a violent act. The food they do include is referred to in Sanskrit as 'sattvic' food which means that it is “based on the qualities of goodness, lightness and happiness.”

A very common question on TripAdvisor Forum is the availability of vegetarian food. Not just from the surging growth in guests from India and the sub-continent, but also around the world where vegetarianism continues to grow in popularity as a part of a healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle.

With vegetarian dishes being quite prominent in the region, a vegetarian always has a broad range of choices at the Maldives resorts. But Kurumba went a step further to create a special range of Jain vegetarian dishes. The Jain menu was implemented by prior Food and Beverage Manager Dave Minten and includes such delicacies as…

  • Cabbage with mixed Capsicum (above)
  • Cauliflower and Green Peas (below)
  • Cottage Cheese with Green Chili Tomato (bottom)

Wishing you all goodness, lightness and happiness on Paryusana.

 

Kurumba - Jain vegetarian cauliflower and green peas

 

Kurumba - Jain vegetarian cottage cheese with green chili tomato

Best of the Maldives: Business – Kurumba

Kurumba board room

 

 

Happy Labor Day!

Americans are celebrating the end of the summer and the end of wearing white with countless final BBQs and beach trips this weekend. The holiday commemorates “celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers”.

The last thing one wants to do is ‘labor’ when you are visiting the Maldives, but it you have to, the place to do it is Kurumba

  • Best Conference Facility
  • Closest to Male (for access to Maldive businesses and HQ as well as other business facilities and support not available on a resort)
  • Most Restaurants (if by any chance you are doing some business entertaining)
  • Business centre
  • Wifi (pervasively supported across the resort free of charge)

With the rise of remote working, people often protest at work’s intrusion into one’s private life. In actuality, the technology works both ways and can also be a windfall to extending one’s leisure time. One example is people being able to extend their time off and holidays with the investment of a small amount of work during them in order to keep things ticking over back at the office. Checking in for a short period might not be everyone’s idea of a vacation, but if a day of work allows one to extend their time in paradise by several days, then it seems like a good payback. And if you are going to adopt that strategy, choosing a resort set up for a bit of business is a wise move to make the work you do have to do as painless and easy as possible.

Best of the Maldives: Jet Ski Safari – Kurumba

Kurumba jet ski safari 2

Your voyage to a deserted island doesn’t have to be on a seventeenth century tall ship. At Kurumba, you can zip over on the latest jet skis. With the revamp of their new Extreme Maldives watersports centre, they have introduced the Maldives first jet ski safari

“Jetski Safari, which is the first in the Maldives, has been developed exclusively for Kurumba guests. This tour takes an environmentally friendly approach to jet skiing – using the latest craft with low emissions and noise levels, without disturbing the tranquillity of the ocean’s natural beauty. This experience will bring new level of fun while navigating some of the Maldives Islands and snorkelling on its magical reefs. This is an island hopping jet ski tour at a contained speed that is interpretive, respects the environment and allows for a new perspective in seeing the Maldives. It allows guests a sense of adventure with an experienced guide as well as allowing guest to snorkel on a remote reef and see other Islands in the Maldives.”

During the safari, guests can find special banks and remote reefs to visit or snorkel. The excursion includes a guide to both make sure everything goes smoothly, help in case of any difficulties and show you the best spots to visit.

Our family regularly jet skis when we visit my wife’s sister who lives by the ocean in North Carolina. They are loads of fun. A number of Maldives aficionados protest the sound they (and other motorised water sports) make disturbing the ildyllic tranquillity that draw so many to the destination in the first place. The safari is also a plus to them because it takes the guests on their buzzing boats (though Kurumba has brought the latest models that have the lowest noise) far away from the resort island itself to places where no people are.

A 90 minute excursion for 2 people costs $300.

Rev your engines for adventure.

Kurumba jet ski safari 1

Best of the Maldives: Historical Celebrations – Kurumba

Kurumba heritage

The first resort to get a Snorkel Spotting was Kurumba which is just one of many firsts for this proud pioneer in Maldive resort history. It is the ‘Delaware’ of the Maldives resort union.
In a crowd of glitzy up-and-comers in the Maldivian resort scene, Kurumba stands out at the revered silverback of the pack. Already distinquished for extent of its experience and customer loyalty, they are hit their Ruby anniversary a fortnight ago. To celebrate, they are hosting with an unprecedented schedule of 40 ceblebrations through the year to mark their 40 years business which include such fun as…

  • Rescue Swimming Diploma competition for staff
  • Kurumba’s staff “Have For Talent” evening
  • National qualification commences for our Maldivian team
  • Opening of the Kurumba 40th year Museum
  • Inter-island Olympics (fusbal, volleyball, cricket and netball)
  • Maldivian Mothers cooking classes
  • Alternative languages classes round one completion
  • Lunch for employees with 20 years service
  • Kurumba History Coffee Table Book launch
  • Local Children Art Competition
  • Lagoon cleaning
  • Malé history tour
  • 40 Divers on Kurumba house reef
  • Family Day for staff with over 30 years service
  • Staff Anniversary Party
  • History presentation
  • 40th Anniversary Gala Evening

Congratulations and happy festivities!

Kurumba Heritage 2

Best of the Maldives: Craft Activities – Kurumba

Kurumba crafts

Happy Centenary to the Girl Scouts.

Our family has a proud tradition in the scouts with my father an Eagle Scout and my grandfather a ‘Silver Beaver’ recipient. A good scouting career often starts with a range of creative activities and skils building. Often, with the spirit of scouting, many of the crafts and skills use materials and tools found in nature.

Kurumba’s new Majaa Kids’ Club and Majaa Recreation Centre would do the Scouts proud with their ‘coconut arts and crafts’. An extensive range of weaving, folding and other crafting of palm fronds are taught to kids of all ages including many equally enthralled mature students (see below).

Majaa Recreation Manager Monica Comanescu noted…

“The Dhivehi word, Majaa, means fun. This will be the underlying philosophy for the Recreation department. Majaa Recreation will be the ‘fun’ centre of the island. This allows it to be a unique identity and destination within Kurumba. The purpose of Majaa Recreation is to provide guests with many options to enjoy their holiday while experiencing the Maldivian palette and learning about the water that surround Kurumba in an environmentally responsible way with a Maldivian twist.”

Majaa Recreation offers more than just crafts with such a range of activities, Kurumba grouped them into categories…

  • Kan’du (Ocean) – Ocean based activities
  • Hakatha (Energy) Energy or sporting activities
  • Kulhivaru (Games) Games
  • Visnun (Learning) Understanding and learning activities
  • Haveeru (Evening) Evening activities.

Some people like to sit around and do absolutely as little as possible on a Maldivian holiday, but Kurumba provides an alternative for those who want the option for broader range of fun.

Kurumba Majaa

Best of the Maldives: Conference Room – Kurumba

Kurumba conference room

If Hadahaa’s table is not big enough for you, then consider Kurumba’s conference room which can accommodate 40 tables (250 people in total). The biggest conference room of any resort, it is used for all sorts of events such as weddings and other celebrations.

Liz Pangchan of Kurumba noted…

“We just had a prime minister of Indian yesterday and the President of Maldives gave the state lunch at Kurumba yesterday. Also a recent group from The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan. The VIP group was staying with us and Gala dinner was held at Kurumba.”

The facility is also popular for companies holding meetings and conferences. The very close links to the airport and other business support services make it ideal. Maldives is not a place on thinks of for work, but if you have to work, what better place?

 

Kurumba conference room diagram

Best of the Maldives: Disabled Access – Kurumba

Kurumba walkways

For moving around beyond the water’s edge, most resorts have buggies for helping to move baggage and helping guests, but can also be very useful transport for disabled and mobility challenged. Nonetheless, sometimes disabled people prefer to get around on their own devices whether it is a wheelchair, crutches, walking stick or other mode of movement. They can be independent and enjoy soaking up the surroundings as they make their way around the resort with a bit more intimacy than a buggy escort. For those seeking such a handicapped accessible resort, the Kurumba is real designed literally from the ground up to support such guests…

  • Paved Walkways – Kurumba has an extensive paved walkway (see photo above) which connects every part of the island. While this feature might be a turn off for those who prefer the more natural, sand-in-the-toes lay of the land, it is a great benefit to anyone handicapped who had to negotiate around the tropical island. Furthermore, every place we saw, the walkway nicely joined the main structures and buildings with ramping. (These walkways might also come in handy for fashionistas who insist on wearing high heels around a resort which might be considered its own form of perverse handicap).
  • Available Carts – Kurumba also has several electric golf carts which people can call on for transport from place to place on the resort if needed (though most able-bodied people rarely use them since the island is only medium sized).
  • Proximity to Male – The proximity to Male is one final benefit for people whose handicaps derive from elderly age. It reduced further travel time for those who have already endured a long haul flight. Also, being close to Male means being close to the country’s largest medical facility. This consideration may be of particular interest to elderly concerned about venturing too far out into such a remote destination.

Kurumba even produced a Kurumba Guide for Disabled Persons to further assist guests with various mobility and other challenges which outlines its whole range of support.

I posted this suggestion to TA a while back and got the following endorsement from Trip Advisor Destination Expert nefertari2Uk…

“Agree with Bruce, Kurumba is excellent for wheelchairs as there are concrete paths all around, ramps as well large showers in some room categories where you can even take your wheelchair if necessary. Some of the rooms have small steps but the carpenters also put ramps up as well. Definitely one of the best for wheelchairs in my opinion and although not your typical Maldivian island, the service is excellent as is the food and service.”

As it happens, on my recent visit, I met a ‘wheelie’ staying at Kurumba, Mitzy Wells and got to speak to her about her experience. Mitzy uses a wheelchair since and accident a year ago and found Kurumba very accommodating. She is mobile with a walking stick, but gets tired readily especially on the hot days. She applauded not only the high number of ramps and pervasive paved pathways, but the extra efforts of Kurumba. They had a ramp at the ready for her bungalow (see photo below). They didn’t just shift it into place, but they actually nailed it in secure for the duration of her stay. She did note that the paved pathways had cambered edges which a wheelchair user needs to watch out for because getting a wheel too close to the edge can precipitate a spill. But overall she was delighted to be a Kurumba.

Kurumba wheel chair access

Best of the Maldives: Loyal Customers – Kurumba

Kurumba Mr Yamagoshi 40th Anniversary

The December holiday season has been packed with all sorts of celebrations from festive Yuletide, big birthdays and even a milestone anniversary for Maldives tourism. The Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of tourism in the Maldives with a special photo competition of nostalgic images capturing the humble beginnings which have grown into a worldwide wonder (see photo below).

The genesis of it all was the Kurumba resort. So it was appropriate for Kurumba to play a big part in the celebrations (they are sponsoring the competition with 2 free nights as the prize for the best photo posted). All of that experience and heritage has made Kurumba a favourite for many. Our first stay there, we attended the weekly drinks evening for repeaters and the bar was packed.

But the champion repeater of all time is also a Kurumba regular – Mr. Mr. Yamagoshi. Mr. Yamagoshi has been to Kurumba 64 times! I haven’t even been to my local pub 64 times. The picture above was taken at the Kurumba Beach Bar during an interview he did to mark the ruby anniversary of Maldive tourism.

The curious (and impressive) thing is that it took Kurumba some effort to figure out who actually was there most loyal customer as they have so many. At first they thought it might be the Mr. and Mrs. Rosenquist whose mere 53 stays at least probably warrants them most loyal couple. Kurumba interviewed them as well…

  • Kurumba: What keeps you coming back??
  • Rosenquists: Apart from the fact that during the time we lived in The Maldives Kurumba become a second home to us and we know all the staff well, I love the relaxed atmosphere of diving at Kurumba and the reef is good for both of us to snorkel on.
  • K: How many times have you been to Kurumba?
  • R: 64 stays though we did live in Male for a number of years.
  • K: If you had to name one thing that is your favourite, what would it be?
  • R: The wide choice of restaurants and the dive center staff

Congratulations to all the Maldives Resorts on this milestone anniversary and Kurumba for delighting so many for so long.

VisitMaldives photo competition

Best of the Maldives: American Breakfasts – Kurumba

Kurumba Henry Jordan

If you want something a bit more substantial than OJ to start your day, then there is not much more substantial than an ‘American’ breakfast. Yes, the ‘British fry up’ is a noble effort with its variety and grease content, but most ‘full English’ would rank as a ‘bit of a starter’ for an American morning meal. In fact, Americans had to invent their own term ‘brunch’ to describe a meal so big it’s two meals in one.

And if you want the ‘American Breakfast’ experience, then the closest I have found in the Maldives is Kurumba’s spread…

  • Blueberry Pancakes…with blueberry syrup! IHOP staple (putting the ‘International’ into the ‘IHOP’). Lots of resorts have pancakes, but blueberry is the true classic. W had delicious Blueberry Waffles, but not served with the blueberry syrup.
  • Fruit Loops. Junky, high sugar, ‘kids bouncing off the walls’ with a cartoon character on the box. That’s American breakfast cereal. Fruit Loops is an old-school classic and I can’t even get those in the UK
  • Fresh cooked ‘proper’ doughnuts. A lot of resorts provide ‘donuts’, but few get it right. Most are stodgy, doughy, heavy and not even that sweet. These were freshly made at the resort because Lori and I smelled them cooking.
  • American chef. Perhaps one secret to Kurumba’s Yankee delicacies is their staff chef Henry Jordan from Narragansett, Rhode Island (see centre of photo above) who provides a real authentic expertise.

 

Kurumba donuts   Kurumba froot loops

Best of the Maldives: Impatient Arrivals – Kurumba

Kurumba transfer

Red Bull all around then after Vettel’s World Championship win this weekend. If you are as impatient to get to your resort as Vettel is to get around the hairpin, then Kurumba is the place for you. They are the closest resort island to Male at 3 kilometres away. They also have a fleet of luxury motor yachts (so they are always readily available) to that get you to the welcome pier in 8 minutes.  Also one of the most comfortable and plush speedboat transfers you will find.