The Maldives Junior Olympics second event is Soneva Fushi which hosts a world-class kiddie table tennis venue. The table is barely bigger than the paddles. Also, it features the Maldivian signature white sand turf (“Beach Ping Pong”).
Best of the Maldives: Junior Hoopsters – Lily Beach
Let the hoops commence. The NBA starts today with Celtics vs. Heat and Lakers vs. Mavericks. For aspiring hoopsters or young fans, the resort of the day is Lily Beach. An increasing number of resorts have basketball courts (perhaps as the sport grows increasingly international), but only Lily Beach has a junior hoop at its kids activity centre.
Swish!
Best of the Maldives: SNUBA – Angsana Ihuru
Another option for kids immersing themselves in another world, is the new SNUBA offering a Angsana Ihuru. Atoll Paradise reports…
“Angsana Ihuru is the first resort in the Maldives to introduce the revolutionary SNUBA snorkel-dive cross-over. SNUBA allows you to dive down to up to 6 meters while breathing through a hose attached to a floating raft. Even small children can participate in this fun activity and SNUBA Doo on the surface with the help of a special floatation device, while their older siblings SNUBA dive down below…With an access to 30 diving sites less than an hour away from the resort, you can expect to see stingrays, scorpion fish, giant moray eels and myriads more of colorful marine life.”
SNUBA uba-doo!
Best of the Maldives: Fantasy Kids Club – Soneva Fushi
If your kids want to immerse themselves in an imaginary world of a less virtual type, then Soneva Fushi’s kids club is as out of this world as any level of Tron. Sort of like what Tim Burton would design for kids if he was stranded on a tropical island. Other creative offerings include yoga for kids (kids sitting quietly and contemplately…that is a magical fantasy world!).
Fantastic!
Best of the Maldives: Arcade – Sun Island
For those who are really more interested in powering up than in powering down on their Maldives holiday, Sun Island offers an arcade as a packed with the latest video games and simulators as you would find on any UK high street or beach boardwalk.
Best of the Maldives: Kids Water Fountain – Conrad Maldives Rangali
One of the most fun kids have dancing around is running through a water fountain. Conrad Maldives Rangali’s Majaa Kids Club also features a pulsating fountain for frolicking. They also have an arsenal of super soakers to just add to the wet wildness. Slick.
Best of the Maldives: Nautical Kids Club – Anantara Dhigu
No it’s not a shipwreck (though you can imagine that if you like) nor a bad dhoni parking job. It’s the dhoni-inspired Anantara kids club.
Who needs a big body of water at their kids club when you can have an entire ocean in your imagination. In fact Anantara does have any kiddie pool at its kids club, but the dollop of imagination the kids can be out in the open ocean while in the safety, security and supervision of the club. Anantara has modelled its kids club as a Maldivian dhoni. So as our son would say, he’s not going off to child minding…he is on an adventure on the ‘big boat’.
Best of the Maldives: Kids Club Pool – Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru
Kandooma may be the best pool for young kids, but Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru has the best young kids pool I have soon. Kandooma’s is the main pool for everyone which happens to be well suited for young pre-schoolers. But Landaa has a special kiddie pool, that is far from kiddie sized, in their excellent kids club. But what really clinched their distinction was their adorable little kiddie lounge chairs and matching junior-sized beach towels (see below). I did feel a bit like Gulliver visiting the club. Just right for kids to feel big on a small island.
Best of the Maldives: Craft Activities – Kurumba
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.
Best of the Maldives Online: Kids Site – Kuramathi
Kaki is not alone in bringing the marine delights and insights home to young guests on the web. Kuramathi’s web site features its very own ‘Kids Corner’ online. Anyone on the Internet can join in the maritime fun and curiosity with material like their interactive ‘Marine Life Alphabet’…
- “In here, you shall find all those familiar fish you often see swimming about in the ocean in Alphabetical Order, each described in a playful manner. From Angelfish to Zebra Moral Eel, learn the names of the fish and their unique characteristics in a snap! Little guests, have also the chance to experiment with colours, with the new Marine Life Colouring Book which comes as a downloadable PDF booklet. Learning was never made this easy! After absorbing the interesting bubbles of Marine Life, test your skills by going snorkelling and prove yourself the winner when you can name the fish you see!”
Actually, seeing a baby Zebra Moray Eel, at Kuramathi’s sister resort Kurumba, was the underwater highlight for my wife Lori during our last visit to the Maldives. There were wonderful reef sharks swimming all around us, but all she wanted to look at was this shy little black and white stripped critter ensconced in a crevasse.
