DESTINATIONS INDIAN OCEAN | MALDIVES
F focus AMILY
Jenny Pettett, who runs personal training
business Train with Jenny, and her husband Martin live in Hampshire with their two children, 12-year-old Isabelle and Toby,
10. They tell Travel Weekly what drew them to a festive family stay in the Maldives.
Why did you decide to go away for Christmas? Jenny: I had just recovered from breast cancer and wanted to do something amazing. We had a
health insurance payout to spend – and top of the bucket list has always been the Maldives.
What drew you to the Hotel Riu Atoll?
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Hard Rock Hotel Maldives; Kandima Maldives; Kuramathi Island Resort PICTURE: Univeral Resorts
gingerbread men appear along the resort’s sandy footpaths. The man in red makes an entrance on December 25, giving out presents and Christmas cheer to all the children. A programme of festive activities offers kids the chance to help decorate the Christmas tree and play festive games. If they’d prefer to bring back local handicrafts for their friends, a visiting festive market sells Maldivian trinkets. Book it: Kuoni offers seven nights’ all-inclusive in a Beach Bungalow for two adults and two under-10s from £14,915, including flights on
December 21 and transfers.
kuoni.co.uk
Or try: Family favourite Kandima Maldives (where kids under six can stay and eat for free) has one of the largest kids’ clubs in the Maldives, a Christmas tree made from painted coconuts and Santa arriving on a sleigh pulled by two jetskis. The hotel has a Christmas offer with savings of up to 45% for holidays between December 27 and January 10, 2025.
40 12 SEPTEMBER 2024 The Hard Rock Hotel
Maldives runs an annual ‘Pink Festive’ celebration, which sees the multi-island resort twinkling under the glow of fuschia fairy lights
BEST FOR… FAMILIES WITH TEENS The Hard Rock Hotel Maldives is a solid choice for clients travelling with a notoriously tricky-to-please demographic: kids aged 13-17. The aptly named Teen Spirit zone is an exclusive space for teenagers, where they can meet others their age, learn how to rock out on the guitar or simply play on a games console. The hotel runs an annual ‘Pink Festive’
celebration, which sees the multi-island resort twinkling under the warm glow of fuschia fairy lights. Teenagers can expect an enticing
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travelweekly.co.uk
Martin: I asked for a two-week stay in a beachfront room and Tui found one within our budget. Jenny: It looked like the perfect balance –
a beautiful party island in the middle of nowhere, but with enough for the children to do.
What did you enjoy about the celebrations? Isabelle: Santa arrived on a jetski with elves and
there was a stage where little kids could meet him. On Christmas Day, there was a barbecue by the pool. Martin: They had a ginormous gingerbread house
with a bottom layer made from Christmas cake, and Toby loved the figures carved out of watermelon. Jenny: There was buck’s fizz at breakfast and
an evening carol service. There was such a lovely atmosphere. But the main celebration was on Christmas Eve – the gala dinner was just incredible.
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