Latest News from the Maldives

Tourists hurt in Maldives blast

CCTV cameras captured the moment the bomb went offTwelve tourists have been wounded in a bomb blast in a park near the main mosque in the Maldives capital of Male, the UK Foreign Office has said.
Two Britons, two Japanese and eight Chinese tourists were hurt by the bomb - reported to have been homemade.
Local media said the blast was triggered using a mobile phone and washing machine motor attached to a gas cylinder.
This is the first time a bomb has exploded in the Maldives.
It is not yet clear who was behind the attack, or what the intended target was.
A British Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed the British pair, thought to be a couple in their 30s, lived in the Gulf state of Qatar.
'Burns and cuts'
It is thought they were staying on Baros - one of 87 designated tourist islands in the Maldives.
Maldives government spokesman Mohamed Shareef confirmed 12 people had received burn injuries and said the victims were in a stable condition. He said the British nationals had suffered the most serious injuries.

Police officers have been investigating the bomb site
"The Maldives has never had something like this before. We are taking this very seriously because tourism is our life blood," he said.
Ahmed Afaal, managing director of the ADK Hospital in Male where the two injured Britons are being treated, said the British victims were a woman aged 31 and a 36-year-old man.
He said: "The female has got first degree and second degree burns covering up to 40% of her body. And the male has got 27% burns."
A spokeswoman for Universal Resorts, which owns hotels complexes in the Maldives, said 10 of those injured, including the Britons, were staying with them.
Army headquarters
She said: "As far as we are aware Universal Resorts have a total of 10 guests who were injured, two of whom were UK citizens that actually live in Qatar.
"Those two guests are being taken care of in the hospital in Male and are with Universal Resorts staff.
"They have requested that they would like to go back to Qatar as soon as possible."
The two other injured tourists, who were not guests of Universal Resorts, are believed to be from Japan.

The Maldives has a reputation for tranquillity
A Foreign Office official is flying to the Maldives to provide consular assistance. The Foreign Office does not have staff permanently based in the Maldives.
A witness reported seeing scattered nails after the blast.
The park is in the shadow of the Maldives army headquarters and several surveillance cameras are trained on the area.
More than 600,000 tourists visited the Maldives last year, and the tourist industry is the linchpin of the country's economy.
The Muslim country has a reputation for tranquillity and the capital has not witnessed gunfire or explosions since an attempted coup in 1988.

Holiday Reviews

This is your place to write your holiday reviews about trips to the Maldives. Be as open and honest as you like but please avoid using any choice language. All you have to do is register and place a reply to this post.

Featured Islands

Explorer Travel Consultant, Steve Heaton has been busy over the last 12 months visiting many of the 120+ inhabited Maldivian Islands. He has become an expert on the history, culture and most importantly the standards offered across a diverse variety of resorts. This knowledge allows Explorer Travel to advise and recommend to the UK traveller which is very important to first time visitors.
From these visits we have been able to sift out the best Resort islands and fully showcase them via our main portal website at www.maldives.explorertravel.co.uk
Some of our recent web additions are:-
Soneva Gili - www.soneva.explorertravel.co.uk
Huvafenfushi - www.huvafenfushi.explorertravel.co.uk
Taj Exotica - www.tajexotica.explorertravel.co.uk
My personal favourite Baros - www.baros.explorertravel.co.uk
Kurumba - www.kurumba.explorertravel.co.uk

If you have recently visited the Maldives we would welcome any feedback you may have on our post entitled "Holiday Reviews".

Hilton Maldives Wins More Awards

The Maldives, 26 February 2007 – Hot on the heels of winning the "Best Hotel in the World" award by www.tripadvisor.com this January, the Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa has just been voted the "Best Honeymoon Hideaway in the World" by Brides Magazine in the UK in their March 2007 issue. Similarly, the UK¡¯s most influential travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveller, has also included the six-star resort in their annual Gold List: "Best Hotels in the World – Best for location" (January 2007 issue) and in the "Best Spa in Africa, Middle East and Indian Ocean" (March 2007) summary of best spas in the world."Since our re-opening after refurbishment in June 2005, we have won 17 different awards – including winning 'Best Hotel in the World' twice. That's an average of one award every six weeks," says the resort's General Manager, Carsten Schieck. "These awards reflect guest confidence in our product and are an essential part in establishing the Maldives as a destination of choice."It seems as though the whole world is talking about the Hilton Maldives. In just the last two months alone the resort has received positive press coverage in Condé Nast Traveller, Harper's Bazaar, Tatler, the Luxury Travel Magazine, The Daily Telegraph newspaper, Die Welt newspaper, Paris Match and the New York Times amongst othersCarsten Schieck explains his resort's popularity, saying, "The Hilton Maldives' main concept is of three resorts within one, which gives guests the opportunity to experience three distinctly different luxury experiences without ever checking out of the hotel. Guests can enjoy beach life in a 300 square metre villa set right on the beach, with a private plunge pool in their own garden and a wonderful open-air garden-bathroom. Alternatively they can opt for a romantic, exclusive villa set on stilts over the lagoon with sun deck that has steps leading straight into the ocean. And finally, they can stay at the Spa Retreat, an over-water 'resort-within-a-resort', which includes daily spa treatments and a full programme that includes spa cuisine, massages and exercise classes.""Innovation also plays a key role in our success," continues Schieck, "the resort is home to the only all-glass undersea restaurant in the world and is the only resort that has two entirely separate spas, each with its own philosophy and treatment menu."The six-star Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa is a stunning, romantic resort offering sophisticated barefoot luxury on two tropical islands. Awards include "Best Hotel in the World 2005" by the Sunday Times, "Leading Resort in the Indian Ocean 2006" by the World Travel Awards and "Most Exclusive Hotel in the World 2006" by VIP Traveller Magazine. Sited in a picturesque corner of the Maldives, it offers a sybaritic combination of three distinct resort experiences, surrounded by a vibrant coral reef and lagoon. The resort is home to the world¡¯s only all-glass undersea restaurant and the Maldives¡¯ only destination spa.

Kuredu Island Refurbishment

KUREDU ISLAND RESORT, MALDIVES - RENOVATION
TYPE OF WORK:
70 beach bungalows will be demolished and relocated nearer to the waters edge during which time a JCB and lorry will be used for approx one week. The new rooms will then mainly be prefabricated off island then brought back and assembled nearer the beach when hand and power tools will be in use. All work will be contained to an area within the eastern side of the island which is closed and screened from guest view.
A further 90 beach villas will also be upgraded to Jacuzzi Beach Villas. This will involve the existing bathrooms walls being extended and Jacuzzi installed.
Roof re-thatching will also take place to one restaurant and the shop which will remain open.
DATES / HOURS:
21 April - 12 October 2007 8am until 8pm
COMMENTS:
The working area is well away from all the main facilities and restaurants which remain open and all clients will be accommodated away from the area concerned. Kuredu is one of the largest Maldivian islands with dense vegetation as well as its own football pitch and golf course.