indian ocean luxury
Ocean islands making waves
Banyan Tree Seychelles has upgraded villas and a new pool bar
Star turn
The region’s unique starry skies prompted
The Maldives and Seychelles lead the way in luxury development, with 2018 no exception. Debbie Ward looks at top new openings and attractions
T
he Indian Ocean islands’ position in the world means they have a global appeal, one being enhanced by a host of developments in 2018.
This year will be an important one for the Maldives, with at least 23 new resorts opening and a new runway at Male’s Velana International airport. The archipelago ranked China as its biggest international market in the fi rst three months of 2018, with a 17.3% share, far ahead of second-placed Italy, with 9.9%. The UK and Germany both had a 7.8% share, with Russia behind them at 5.8%. In total, arrivals in the fi rst three months of 2018 were up 17%, so a state of emergency imposed after judges were imprisoned under terrorism laws that ended on March 22, does not seem to have put off visitors. Velana airport’s new runway, opening late this year on reclaimed land, will be a key development as it can accommodate the Airbus A380, a favourite of the Gulf carriers. A new terminal, opening in 2020, will replace a building designed for one million passengers a year with one for 7.3 million. Awaiting these new visitors will be a host of new properties. This year has
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already seen a new Fairmont, the Sirru Fen Fushi, featuring an underwater sculpture park, while the Baglioni brings Italian chic to the islands this summer. A Hard Rock Hotel opens on October 1, a 20-minute speedboat ride from the airport. Its quirky off erings will include free Fender guitar hire for guests. The 37-villa Joali Maldives,
launching in the fourth quarter of 2018 on Muravandhoo in the Raa Atoll, will feature a series of artworks and installations by acclaimed international artists and guests will have access to butlers and valets.
Atoll do nicely One mould-breaking development will be
the Lux North Male Atoll, also opening in October, which dispenses with traditional overwater thatched villas in favour of two-storey penthouses. Another newbie with wow factor will come in November, when Conrad Maldives Rangali Island opens the fi rst underwater hotel suite, The Muraka, fi ve metres below sea level. Costing $15 million to build, it will sleep up to nine guests who can ascend to a living area at sea level via a spiral staircase. The resort already has an underwater restaurant.
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas to launch The Observatory at the end of last year. New Sky Guru Ali Shameem tells us more…
“ The Maldives is a perfect
place in the world for star-gazing due to very little light pollution and vast open sea areas, in addition to being so close to the equator. It creates the perfect opportunity to spot planets and stars not visible in other parts of the world. We thought it was an exciting opportunity to off er our guests an out-of-this-world experience during their stay with us. Very few other properties hold telescopes and no one else has an in-house Sky Guru. In fact, we now hold the most powerful telescope in the Maldives at The Observatory [a research-grade 16” Meade LX200], located in our overwater dining complex –
Sea.Fire.Salt.Sky – on the roof deck of the Sky bar. Most of the time we have clear skies. This obviously depends on the season but your chances of getting a clear sky during a stay would defi nitely be over 80%.
I’m always in house as I’m also
front offi ce manager, but for a guided Sky Guru experience we recommend guests make reservations to avoid disappointment as it’s already very popular.
summer 2018 wtm insights 27 ”
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