A new island holiday destination is set to open in the Maldives.
Located on Olhuhali island in the North Male Atoll, Jumeirah Maldives is a luxury all-villa resort that will welcome guests from October 1.
The resort is easily reachable by speedboat or via a short seaplane ride from Male International Airport and has 67 beach and overwater villas, ranging from one to three-bedroom accommodation. Each duplex villa offers impressive views of the surrounding Indian Ocean, a private infinity pool and sundeck, and a spacious shaded rooftop terrace that is ideal for dining al fresco.
Previously the Lux* North Male Atoll, the resort has been taken over by Dubai’s Jumeirah Group, the brand behind the UAE’s Burj Al Arab. It has been given the Jumeirah treatment and is now home to a Talise Spa, two of Jumeirah's signature dining concepts and the high standard of luxury hospitality that the hotel group is known for, including private butlers for each villa that are available 24 hours a day.
Bathed in natural light with oversized windows, the contemporary villas have skylight openings, sand-coloured soft furnishings and a neutral palette that ensures the focus remains very much on the surrounding nature. A sense of location is garnered through the use of local artworks and traditional handicrafts.
When it comes to dining at Jumeirah Maldives, Kayto serves up flavours from Peru and Japan with a Nikkei-style open kitchen that makes a great centrepiece.
Shimmers offers Greek and Mediterranean cuisine by the beach, which offers spectacular views of the sunrise with chilled-out tunes thanks to a resident DJ and regular live music sessions. Cafe Lounge is for coffee lovers, while Glow is an oceanfront all-day dining restaurant.
Talise Spa is also set to open at the resort. Inviting guests in for some island relaxation, it has six overwater treatment rooms, daily yoga classes and a wide choice of wellness therapies that come accompanied by the soothing sounds of the ocean.
Underwater photography and night-time submarine tours
If a more active holiday is what you prefer, the resort offers a variety of water sports, volleyball, billiards and tennis. Families will enjoy the children’s water park and indoor play area, and there’s also an outdoor cinema where guests can settle down to enjoy movies under the stars.
An underwater photography experience awaits anyone keen to get close to the immense array of marine life that the Maldives, in particular the North Male Atoll, is famed for. With colourful coral, deep wrecks and feeding manta rays, Padi calls the atoll "a diving wonderland". For a memorable experience, try a night voyage submarine tour through the underwater world after sunset.
For anyone keen to find out more about the island and its natural surroundings, expert staff can guide guests through coconut tree-planting and coconut oil-making sessions.
The Maldives is a good place to visit year-round thanks to its tropical climate. The archipelago is open to tourists and is also listed on Abu Dhabi's green list, so there's no quarantine for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers who return from the islands.
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