Year-end celebrations include a dive with Santa, special dinners, and dance parties on a deserted island.
All photos courtesy of Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts
Tucked away in the far-flung Gaafu Alifu atoll, and connected by a kilometer-long wooden bridge, The Residence Maldives at Dhigurah and Falhumaafushi boast 267 beach and overwater villas between them, in addition to nine restaurants and six bars. Guests booked into a villa at either one over the coming holidays can look forward to an exciting lineup of festivities over a 10-day period until January 2, 2023.
On Friday, December 23, family-friendly activities at the kids’ club will range from hermit crab races to Bashi Ball, which recalls a traditional Maldivian game played with a hand-woven ball made from coconut palm leaves. After dark, local dishes take center stage during a feast named Maldivian Flavours held at the all-day restaurants at both properties. Christmas Eve will see a dive instructor dressed as Santa Claus taking guests on the daytime Santa Dive, and a kids’ afternoon Christmas party will be preceded by sessions in decorating gingerbread houses and making luau garlands.
For the adults, the Christmas Eve Gala shouldn’t be missed; another highlight is a DJ-led beach party held on The Residence Maldives’ Castaway Island. Then on Sunday, December 25, guests can join a dolphin cruise at sunset aboard a dhoni boat and then an indulgent barbecue at Dhigurah’s poolside Café Del Sol or a sumptuous seafood wine-pairing dinner over at Falhumaafushi.
A two-bedroom overwater villa at The Residence Maldives Falhumaafushi.
The celebrations continue with a Boxing Day dinner that features a globetrotting menu of tropical fare at the two resorts. A snorkeling treasure hunt will be organized on December 27, and the next evening’s Tiki Tropical Party promises a combination of cool cocktails and live music. Guests at The Residence Maldives will ring in 2023 with a countdown party on Castaway Island and a fireworks display at midnight. The following day, an aqua yoga session — followed by a snorkeling expedition to explore the coral reefs at a nearby dive site — provides an unhurried, low-key start to the New Year.
Better yet, both resorts are rewarding last-minute bookings made by December 31, 2022 with 50 percent off best available rates (plus daily breakfast) for stays through March 2023. Bedding down at least four nights also gets you complimentary round-trip transfers from Male for two people per villa.
Fireworks during a previous New Year’s Eve party on Castaway Island.
Aqua yoga in the main pool at The Residence Maldives.
