What's new in The Maldives? | Connecting Travel

All 182 island resorts make it on to Mabrian's list of top 10 outbound destinations for GCC travellers

If someone were to paint paradise, it would look like the Maldives – unfiltered and all the better for it. Its cerulean waters, pristine strips of golden sands, kaleidoscopic marine life and star-speckled skies rival anywhere else on Earth. Once the sole predilection of honeymooners, now resorts cater to everyone, making this once-in-a-lifetime destination accessible for all.

Famous for its 182 – and counting – island resorts, with more than 60 in the pipeline, other tourist attractions in the archipelago include famous diving sights, such as Hanifaru Bay Marine Protected Area in Baa Atoll, famous for being a nursery ground for sharks and rays and accessible from several resorts, and Malé’s buzzing fish market, where a slice of local life is carved up on chopping blocks with the catch of the day.

In Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Executive Summary Forecasts Report for Asia-Pacific 2024-2026, the Maldives is cited as one of the fastest-recovering countries post-pandemic. It is expected to host 2.5 million visitors by 2026, which represents a 148% recovery rate to pre-pandemic levels.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TOP 10 OUTBOUND DESTINATIONS FOR GCC TRAVELLERS IN THE FREE CONNECTING TRAVEL INSIGHT REPORT

New Attractions
Learn from the best surfers of all time at Kandooma, with its Surfing Legends Series running throughout 2024. Guests can ride the waves and hear expert advice from former world champions Barton Lynch and Pam Burridge and ex-pro Ace Buchan.

Elsewhere, the Nautilus Maldives is debuting Nautilus Ocean Discovery Week from 24 to 31 July 2024. Divers can join Jeff and Sarah Milisen – a marine biologist and photographer, and a professional diver, respectively – for guided night dives and a special journey to the famous manta ray sanctuary, Hanifaru Bay.

Kids can hone their soccer skills from 4 July to 12 August 2024 at Patina Maldives, Fari Islands at the country’s first-ever Real Madrid Foundation Football Camp

New Hotels
Crown & Champa Resorts opened Jawakara Islands Maldives in the Lhaviyani Atoll – a gorgeous two-island resort joined by a 700-metre bridge – in autumn 2023. It has 290 sun-baked villas (overwater and beach), a brimming house reef, spa and overwater Asian restaurant, Umi.

Reopened at the end of 2023, also in the Lhaviyani Atoll, is Six Senses Kanuhura, a reimagined Maldivian island icon. The laid-back retreat is known to have one of the best beaches in the Maldives, while the three-bedroom Beach Reserve steals the crown for ultimate luxury.

The big news in the archipelago is the opening of SO/ Maldives, a 15-minute speedboat ride from Malé Velana International Airport with 80 beachfront and overwater villas with one to three bedrooms, private pools and decks with ocean views. Options include the 120-square-metre Lagoon Water Pool Villa Collection, the 410-square-metre Three-Bedroom Ocean Water Pool Atelier, and the 238-square-metre Family Beach Pool Villa with Capsule, with adjoining ‘sleep pod’ for younger travellers.

Barefoot luxury connoisseur Soneva is launching a new pared-back resort in summer of 2024, Soneva Secret. Located in the remote Haa Dhaalu Atoll, it’s home to the Maldives’ first floating villa as well as 14 overwater and island villas, each with retractable roofs, spa, a private chef and 24/7 Barefoot Guardian or butler service.

Villa Resorts will unveil its luxury flagship resort Villa Haven in 2024 in the South Ari Atoll. The 73-key sanctuary is the brand’s first venture into the ultra-luxury segment.

The hotly anticipated Baccarat Hotels & Residences Maldives will boost that segment when it opens in 2027, with 50 villas and 53 private residences across five interconnected islands over 111 acres in the South Malé Atoll.

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