Four Seasons is unveiling three exceptional experiences in the Maldives comprising two very different resorts and one luxury catamaran. Set amidst a vibrant garden island, the brand new Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa reopens today with a traditional Maldivian village setting and legendary Four Seasons service.

The company’s second and highly anticipated new resort, Landaa Giraavaru, will open on November 1, 2006. Situated in the Baa Atoll, the Resort is a paradise hideaway where seclusion meets wild natural beauty. Guests can further explore the far flung and seldom-visited atolls in the Maldives in the comfort of the company’s luxury catamaran, the Four Seasons Explorer.

The opening of the Resorts marks the return of two hundred local staff who have been deployed to work at other Four Seasons properties around the world after Kuda Huraa was forced to close following the tsunami. Each returns to the Maldives with new personal and professional experience gained from working in hotels and resorts in locations ranging from Dallas, Palm Beach, Washington D.C., Provence, Hampshire, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo and Singapore.

Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa

The original Four Seasons resort on the island of Kuda Huraa in the North Male Atoll reopens following an extensive period of reconstruction. Only a 25-minute speedboat ride from Male, the Resort’s Maldivian village-like feel makes it perfect for families and couples who enjoy a social environment in a vibrant setting. The Resort’s 96 beach and water bungalows combine a generous use of timber and thatch with modern tropical furnishings and comforts.

    -  Maldivian Village - The architectural design centres on giving the
      entire island the feeling of a Maldivian village. Inspired by
      Maldivian architecture and culture, elements such as traditional
      decorative lattice panels, curved roof forms and stone walls add
      character throughout the Resort. The new Beach Bungalows have raised
      floor levels to increase the ocean views and feature individual
      plunge pools. Extra-spacious Beach Pavilions with increased living
      space of 10m(2) and interconnecting gates offer the perfect
      accommodation for families.

    -  Baraabaru restaurant is designed thematically around the menu which
      focuses on Indian cuisine. Large timber columns stand on a raised
      outdoor deck that extends 25 metres out into the lagoon creating an
      enchanting over-water dining experience.

    -  Diving -There are 35 exciting dive sites within 10 to 45 minutes
      boat ride from the Resort.

    -  Island Spa - Integral to the Resort is the Spa which is located on
      its own private island. Specialising in innovative spa treatments
      from Thailand, Bali and the Maldives, its seven over-water treatment
      pavilions are set against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean.

    -  Dedicated Surf School - The school runs certified courses for
      beginners, as well as surf clinics and escorted surf excursions for
      experienced surfers. It is the only one of its kind offered in the
      Maldives.

    -  Environmental Initiatives - Fully committed to help preserve the
      magnificence of the marine gardens of the Maldives, the Resort has
      embarked on a Reef Ball Project. Guests are invited to be a part of
      the reef regeneration initiative through the adoption of a Reef
      Ball.

  Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
Set to open on November 1, 2006, the much-anticipated new Resort on Landaa Giraavaru is situated in the undeveloped Baa Atoll, 120km north of Male. The 102-villa Resort occupies the extensive 18-hectare (44 acres) island, which is itself a natural wonder, its western tip sloping into a stunning two kilometre lagoon.

Here, Four Seasons has created a resort that is refreshingly different with its key goal being to embrace the island’s raw wilderness and secluded privacy, rather than develop it.

    -  Paradise Hideaway - Set against a backdrop of delightful isolation,
      seclusion meets natural wild beauty at the Resort. Complete privacy
      is achieved with the concept of ‘individual domains’; each villa is
      entered via its own turquoise gate, has generous indoor and outdoor
      living space and is surrounded by lush vegetation.

    -  Traditional Maldivian Architecture - The architectural and interior
      design direction for the Resort is heavily influenced by the works
      of Sri Lankan architect and interior designer, Geoffrey Bawa. Until
      his death in 2003, Bawa was heralded as Sri Lanka’s most prolific
      and influential architect. His legacy is evident in all aspects of
      the design, including interiors and landscaping, brought to fruition
      by Ismail Murad who worked directly with him for many years. The
      entire Resort is built following traditional Maldivian architectural
      principles, using indigenous materials and details that reflect a
      sense of place.

    -  The Landaa Spa and Ayurvedic Retreat have been carefully developed
      in association with experts from Kerala, India, offering a
      comprehensive approach to physical, spiritual and mental wellbeing.
      A first for Four Seasons, the Ayurvedic Retreat is designed for
      guests to experience the holistic approach of Ayurveda, the ancient
      Indian “science of life” with the assistance of a resident Ayurvedic
      Physician. Guests are invited to visit the Herbal Centre where they
      can learn about medicinal herbs, trees and flowers that provide the
      base of oils and treatments used in the Ayurvedic process.

    -  Koimala Land and Ocean Villas - Presenting a Maldivian first in
      terms of villa concept, it combines the attraction of land-based
      living areas with the appeal of sleeping over water. Each villa
      consists of a land-based pavilion with private beach access and
      living and dining area. It is linked to the sea-based sleeping
      pavilion with bedroom, bathroom and outdoor shower by a wooden
      walkway that leads past a plunge pool.

    -  Exquisite Dining in Inspired Settings - Dramatically perched on the
      western tip of the island overlooking the 2 kilometre lagoon, no
      restaurant in the archipelago epitomises the Maldives more than Blu
      -  with its all-white furnishings looking out into the endless blue
      skies and waters. For authentic Lebanese and Moroccan cuisine, dine
      under a canopy of stars at the rooftop restaurant of Al Barakat.

    -  Environmental projects - The Maldives’ first ‘Ornamental Fish
      Breeding Programme’ will take place at the Resort. The goal is to
      create guest and employee awareness, while developing ornamental
      fish breeding into a sustainable livelihood for upcountry islanders.

  Four Seasons Explorer
The most intimate Four Seasons Maldivian experience can be had on a 39-metre (129 foot) three-deck catamaran known as the Four Seasons Explorer. It offers divers and non-divers an insight into some of the Maldives’ finest and most remote isles and atolls, and its historical and cultural attractions. The Explorer is a light boat that cruises fast at 16 knots and has a draft of just 1.9m, making it possible to access locations that larger vessels cannot reach, enhancing the sense of discovery and adventure. Ten spacious staterooms and one Explorer suite accommodate no more than 22 passengers (including children over 10 years old).

    -  Exciting diving - The boat cruises between exceptional dive sites
      offering a variety of educational, specialist, sunrise, wreck and
      night dives.

    -  Resident Spa Therapist - A variety of treatments can be enjoyed on
      board or on one of the secluded beaches visited during the cruise.

    -  Spacious decks - The boat includes an upper sun terrace with massage
      corner, lower sundeck with whirlpool and bar, a restaurant with
      indoor and outdoor dining and a lounge and library.

    -  Private charter - Guests can charter the boat for three or more
      nights for customised dive, surf, leisure or cultural cruises.
 
Each aspect of the Maldivian experience Four Seasons has created can be enjoyed on its own, or combined. The range of ‘Land & Sea’ packages available enable guests to customise their itinerary.
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