Siyam (r)evolution

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Siyam launch event 2

One of the great joys of working on Maldives Complete is the escapism to paradise that it provides me while hunkering down in the grey days of England. And as the days are growing shorter and the winds colder, Sun Siyam brought an evening of Maldivian sunshine to London to announce its brand revamp on the occasion of its 35 year anniversary:

  • “More than a visual refresh, the brand (r)evolution introduces a bold new brand statement anchored in The Home of the Maldivian Spirit, reinforcing the group’s position as one of the Maldives’ most culturally authentic resort operators. The transformation elevates guest journeys with new Signature Experiences introduced across all six resorts and strengthens direct relationships with customers through Siyam Rewards. A single identity now unites the group’s five Maldivian resorts and its Sri Lankan retreat under The House of Siyam. To help guests and partners navigate the portfolio, each property is now grouped under three distinct collections: Luxury, Privé and Lifestyle.”

The positioning makes a lot of sense for a successful player in the Maldives market. If you grow with your success, you have to add new islands as the diminutive land masses contain what you can add to existing properties. If you add new islands, then you risk having your properties competing with each other. So you have to have some differentiation so people can choose your brand for its brand values and reputation (eg. the signature experiences), but choose specific variations based on more targeted price points or vibe.

The London event featured more than just the sunny warmth of Maldivian festivity, but a few special guests. First was Dolores Semeraro, serving as vibrant emcee for the evening, who was one of the first people we met in the Maldives when she was running marketing for LUX South Ari Atoll in 2012. She and her husband, Dominik Ruhl, are part of the early pioneers in the Maldives travel sector and are now leading experts on the sector who have helped me with Maldives Complete on many occasions.

Also, gracing the stage was Aston Merrygold, of the band JLS and “Strictly Come Dancing” fame. A real class act, he and his family are fans of the Siyam resorts. He did more than a token set, but played multiple sets and spend time in between talking with the guests (who took many selfies), and even performed his signature backflip on stage.

Siyam launch event 3

Siyam launch event

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Best of the Maldives: Transfer Relaxation – Siyam World / Irufushi

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Siyam - transfer relaxation

One of the dividends of the new sea plane terminal is a huge amount of space allocated to resort transfer lounges. Siyam’s lounge for its Siyam World and Sun Siyam Irufushi properties was distinctive for its relaxation optimisation. Just the ticket after a long-haul, often red-eye flight. It wasn’t the only massage-on-arrival we had come across, but it was certainly the best (Lori didn’t want to leave the lounge when our seaplane departure was called). And while I sipped my coffee latte, I had a prime corner window seat with an expansive view of the seaport. The lounge also had an exterior terrace if you wanted to getting started on soaking up the tropical sun.

Siyam - transfer relaxation 2

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Best of the Maldives: Horse Facilities – Siyam World

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Siyam - horse fam 3

Romantic pictures of Siyam World’s white horses ambling on the equally brilliant white sands of the resort beaches have filled social media. But equally impressive is the operation behind the scenes that cares for these horses with a service and comfort rivalling the resort guests themselves.

For starters, each of the 11 horses (including 3 ponies) has its own personal caretaker. I toured their farm which included state of the art sables as well as an extensive set of paddocks and exercise areas. Kanbula, who Lori had the pleasure to ride, had a baby herself a few weeks ago who was being trained in one. The horse farm has its own veterinary clinic with its own dedicated veterinarian, Dr. Nora.

The horses are a mix of Arabian and Indian (working horses) bloodlines so they are well suited to heat of the tropics. This breed is used to competing in 20-60km races across the desert. The horses have access to the paddock early in the morning and later in the day when it is cooler as well.

The horse riding is not a touristy gimmick, but rather a true passion project of the owner. The state of the art facility is typical of many such features in the Maldives where the owner has shared their enthusiasm not just for this amazing destination, but for particular interests they have and which gives the property a touch of the distinction and personality.

Siyam World - horse facilities 2

Siyam World - horse facilities 1

Siyam - horse farm 2

Siyam World - horse facility

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Tour 2025–Siyam World

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Tour 2025 - Siyam World

Siyam World busts all sorts of myths not just about the Maldives, but even about itself. With all of the eye-catching innovations like its extensive water activity park, it’s Bond-like Seabreacher, and completely unique horseback riding, one might be mistaken (and many are I observe) that Siyam World is just a playground on some island sacrificing iconic the natural charms and allure of the destination.

First the litany of Maldives myths that Siyam World destroys:

  • Nothing to do – The classic Maldives misconception which Siyam World completely lays to rest. At Siyam World, there is EVERYTHING to do. Entire focus of the group is Experiences and Siyam World leads the way with its vibrantly active options.
  • Nothing new – With so much development and an ever-present arms race to provide distinctive offerings and features to lure guests, the stream of innovations has definitely seemed to slow down in the Maldives over recent years. But I came away from my visit with 23 (!) Best Of the Maldives features of new and creative offerings to feature in future posts.
  • “Wow” limited to super-premium properties – I have often said that a super-luxury property HAD to have a “Wow” factor as table stakes (eg. underwater restaurant, observatory, marine centre), but Siyam World makes “Wow” the centrepiece of their proposition at their value-priced 5-star property. In fact, their AI package is named the “Wow All-Inclusive”.
  • Big islands weak house reefs – Most of the bigger properties in the Maldives sit atop outer reef plateaus which tend not to have dramatic or accessible reefs. But Siyam World is situated on an inner atoll island with a classic house reef drop-off easily accessible from its arrival and other jetties. We snorkeled it finding it alive with block corals (yellows and burnt oranges which touches of mauve and bright violet).
  • Not affordable – Recently, the Maldives dropped in its global ranking as a top destination due to the concern by guests that it was just not affordable. And while many billionaire havens have set up properties here, the destination has dozens of other resorts that are still wallet-friendly, and Siyam is definitely one of those. Siyam has mastered the art of scale economies and passes those economies onto its guests. It is situated in the Noonu Atoll near on of its early properties, Iru Fushi, so it can share logistics and resources across the two operations.

All of these features are offered on an island which still maintains the expansive azure vistas and lush greenery for which the Maldives has rightfully become famous. Lush vegetation pervades the property so you don’t see any villas or buildings on the land as you go around. It feels like you are navigating an extensive tropical jungle. And on the aquatic side, you are situated in the northern atoll of Noonu where the sites are less dived, less crowded (we were the only divers at all our dive sites) and perhaps a bit healthier with cooler water.

All the mystique of the Maldives with none of the myth.

 


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Best of the Maldives: Rocket Car – Sun Siyam World / Ohuveli

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Sun Siyam - rocket car 2

None of the Maldives resort islands have cars primarily because there is no room for roads. But what does have room is the expansive ocean surrounding them all. Sun Siyam World and Sun Siyam Olhuveli have made that their own speedway for the latest watersport thrill ride in the Maldives:

  • “Siyam World and Sun Siyam Olhuveli are excited to unveil a thrilling new adventure designed for those seeking an unforgettable, high-speed experience on the water: the Jet Car. Available at the water sports centers on both islands, these powerful, stylish vehicles are perfect for thrill-seekers looking to add an exhilarating twist to their Maldivian getaway. With their sleek, retro-inspired design and equipped with a powerful Yamaha engine, the Jet Cars are built for excitement…Plus, the built-in Bluetooth speakers allow guests to customize their experience with their own music, adding a personalized soundtrack to their adrenaline-filled ride.”

Sun Siyam - rocket car 1

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Best of the Maldives: Go Karting – Siyam World

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Siyam World - gokart 3

The Maldives still suffers under the misconception that there is nothing to do there. And while there is plenty of opportunities to do nothing, there are also lots of opportunities to do, well, nearly everything. And Siyam World has been pushing that envelope to new extents most recently with its go-karting track.

  • “Siyam World, known for breaking the mold of traditional Maldivian holidays, is paving new ground with the launch of a state-of-the-art go-kart track, the Speed Racers Circuit, that comes fully equipped with 18 sleek electric go-karts and a rugged off-road course. Spanning 205m² of heart-pounding twists and turns, the track is designed to ignite your inner racer and unleash the adrenaline junkie within.”

For those looking for as much of a thrill as a chill during their holiday in paradise.

Siyam World - gokart 2

Siyam World - gokart 1

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Best of the Maldives: Beach Buggies – Siyam World

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Siyam World - beach buggies

The biggest objection to a trip to the Maldives is that there is “nothing to do”. While that might be deal breaker for some, it’s an absolute USP for many. Still, as the destination grows and evolves it is increasingly offering something for everyone. Siyam World is pretty much leading the way in innovative activites taking advantage of its considerable acreage (something most Maldives islands are not renowned for). SW announced:

  • “On land, guests staying at The Beach House Collection…can also now explore the island’s trails in style with their very own custom Mini Moke. Recently revived and relaunched as the first heritage car marque to go fully electric, the British-made Mini Moke is the ultimate retro-chic beach whip. Each of Siyam World’s Mini Mokes comes with an onboard sound system and is named after a colourful 90s music legend – think “Green Day”, “Red Hot Chilli Peppers” and “Pink Floyd” – with a vibrant paintjob to match.”

  

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Best of the Maldives: Seabreacher – Siyam World

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Siyam World - seabreacher

If you prefer your aquatic thrills above the water and fast, then I have now finally seen (after first noting it back in 2014) a Seabreacher introduced at Siyam World

  • “Operating more like an aircraft than a watercraft, these extraordinary semisubmersible vessels can jump over, dive under and carve left and right through the waves – and are even capable of 360-degree barrel rolls on the water. The Seabreacher’s acrylic canopy and underwater view ports give pilot and passenger near-360-degree views, while its supercharged 260hp engine propels them across the water at speeds of up to 50mph.”

If snorkeling over a house reef drop-off feels like “flying” in water then riding one of these does seem to be like flying Jetson-style over the water.

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Best of the Maldives: 24 Hour AI Bar – Siyam World

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Siyam Word - 24 hour bar

It’s not just location that has become flexible in the digital age, but time. People bemoan the 24×7 always-on culture of today’s high-powered business, but the problem is not the “24×7” part, but the “always-on” part. And it doesn’t have to be work that’s available 24-7. Siyam World offers a 24-hour bar Kulhivaru sports bar as a part of its all-inclusive package:

  • “KulhiVaru for live sports, cask beers, bar bites and great company. All major national and international games are broadcasted, meaning you’ll stay up to date with all the latest scores.”

Especially great for catching those football matches being played back home in a different time zone.

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