Maldives ibu's Eyes

Privacy and Luxury in Paradise; Mark Atkinson Takes Us On a Trip to the Idyllic Kurumba Resort in the Maldives

Think of white powder-sand beaches lined with coconut palms and a panoramic view of the crystal clear ocean as far as the eye can see, at one of the few locations that remain unspoilt by man.
Such a place is Kurumba -- an exclusive resort in the Maldives just a ten-minute boat ride from North Male Atoll. Kurumba is the ultimate in relaxation and seclusion, while providing an unlimited choice of recreational activities.
The resort consists of 180 fully air conditioned bungalows and villas, tastefully furnished in rich natural colours, with polished wooden floors, antique-style wooden furniture and sandstone-tiled bathrooms. All rooms are equipped with a mini bar, tea and coffee making facilities, satellite TV and a high-speed Internet connection.
Private Villa -- The lap of luxury
For the ultimate in space, luxury and privacy, book yourself one of the Private Villas. After a restful night in your king size four-poster bed, throw open the French windows and walk out onto your private courtyard veranda. If you're in a particularly al fresco mood, have a change from the marble bathtub and glass-walled shower, and invigorate yourself under the 'rain shower' with its traditional outside thatched awning. While this provides a wonderful sense of space and freedom, you can be safe in the knowledge that it is also completely private and secluded for those that want their own little hideaway. Or you might prefer a dip in your own personal Jacuzzi, once again in complete privacy.
Those with a penchant for the sandy beach and gentle lapping of the waves can look out from their veranda just steps away from the ocean. Alternatively, those with a passion for flora and fauna have the choice of a magnificent view onto lush gardens. Either way, you are surrounded by paradise. It is indeed your Private Villa.
Facilities and dining
While you get away from it all, you can still rest assured that every amenity is at hand, with 24-hour airport transfers and reception, airline ticketing service, laundry and dry cleaning, baby sitting service, foreign currency exchange, sportswear and gift shop, international newspapers, and a doctor on call around the clock. And for those who need to stay in touch, conference facilities and a fully equipped business centre.
The ambiance caters for a range of different moods and tastes, from a secluded romantic dinner on the beach to an evening of live music where you can dance the night away.
Guests at Kurumba are spoilt for choice. Enjoy a seafood feast at Ocean Grill, capture the romance of Italy at Golden Cowrie, or the finest in Chinese cuisine at Ming Court. Have a pizza by the poolside at Pizza Piazza, enjoy the succulent Indian dishes at Kurumba Mahal, or a variety of table d'hote menus and themed buffets at Vihamana Restaurant. For Arabic Mezze, Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine, visit Al Qasr, or Hamakaze for Japanese Teppen-Yaki.
The Neptune Coffee Shop provides mini meals throughout the day and in-room dining is available 24 hours. Whatever your choice, the quality and renowned Maldivian hospitality are never compromised.
Leisure activities
The Maldives is one of the natural wonders of the world. An archipelago of 26 coral atolls, it is a tropical paradise of coral ecosystems and lagoons supporting a huge variety of marine life for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts. With water breakers protecting the lagoon from the waves and average depths of 1-11/2 metres, it provides an excellent and safe environment for the kids to snorkel.
Or how about a trip on a glass-bottomed boat, a nighttime or early morning fishing trip on a dhoni -- traditional Maldivian boat, or the vast choice of water sports activities available?
For those who prefer terra firma there is tennis, volleyball, table tennis and a fully equipped gymnasium. Then, how about a laze around the pool or a visit to the spa?
Kurumba also offers a wide range of excursions, including a visit to a local fishing village, a barbeque on an uninhabited island, a romantic sunset cruise, or a Male shopping tour to see the traditional culture and craftsmanship of these unique atolls.
Full information about the various packages, choices of accommodation and facilities can be obtained from www.kurumba.com. Those looking for the ultimate in relaxation and recreation in idyllic surroundings need look no further. Come and experience Kurumba, Maldives, in the luxury of your own private villa.

Source: Prime Newswire

Today's catch

She cries for days, but quits job to do more

WHEN Miss Frieda Chan returned from a week-long trip to Sri Lanka two years ago, she checked herself into a chalet on Sentosa - alone.
There, she cried for three days.
The 31-year-old is a social worker.
She was so moved by the stories of loss and grief she had heard from the victims of the tsunami disaster that she needed some time to get a grip on her emotions.
Miss Chan said: 'During the trip, I held everything in because I was there to help. I couldn't afford to break down.
'But when I came home, all the stories just hit me.'
Miss Chan, who has a social work degree from the National University of Singapore, was in Sri Lanka in early 2005 as a volunteer. She trained the locals to counsel victims of trauma.
ETCHED IN MEMORY
One story that remained etched in her memory was that of a woman who had just given birth seconds before the tsunami struck.
She recalled: 'Medical workers who attended the training recounted how they just grabbed the newborn baby and ran for their lives.
'The woman, who was undergoing a Caesarean section, had not even been stitched up when the tsunami hit.
'The medical workers had no choice but to leave her lying in the surgical theatre, still bleeding, to die. There was nothing they could do to save her.'
The tsunami, which hit the shores of Sri Lanka, parts of Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives on 26 Dec 2004, claimed about 200,000 lives.
Miss Chan could not forget her experience in Sri Lanka. And last July, determined to do more for tsunami victims, she quit her full-time job with a private youth organisation, where she was paid $2,100 a month.
At that time, she had already set up a voluntary welfare organisation called Life Community Development (LCD), which is aimed at getting Singaporeans involved in volunteer work.
NO SALARY
She does not draw a salary from LCD, which is now a registered charity.
She said: 'Some organisations just give fish to the needy. Others teach them to fish. My hope in setting up LCD was not just to teach them to fish, but to teach them to teach others to fish.'
When LCD was first started in late 2004, MissChan spent her Saturdays volunteering at a local school, trying to work with disinterested and at-risk youths to get them to care for others and make themselves useful.
But what started as a local voluntary outreach project eventually went beyond Singapore's shores when Miss Chan's network of friends and volunteers started coming back with stories about their experiences in tsunami-hit countries.
'One of my volunteers was doing extensive work in various countries like Aceh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
'On each of her recce trips, she would come up with ideas on how we could step in to help.'
Early last year, after several recce trips, MissChan and her group of 20 volunteers decided they had the resources to match the needs of the victims in the Maldives.
The organisation then approached the Singapore Red Cross, which was administering the Tidal Waves Asia Fund, to finance their proposed projects.
They spent $31,000 to install water tanks for 136 households in the Maldives.
Since then, Miss Chan and her volunteers have also given about 34 fishing boats to some 900 fishermen in Banda Aceh. They spent $212,500.
Another $43,000 was spent on some 1,300 mango seedlings for the people of Maldives to start a plantation, as a source of income and food.
The group also spent $4,000 on library books for the children of Maldives.
In July last year, after Miss Chan quit her job at the youth centre, she was jobless and without income for two months.
LIVING ON SAVINGS
'I depleted more than half of my savings, but it was worth it because I wanted to put more energy into my volunteer work.'
Still, she had to pay her bills.
So last October, she started doing freelance training work at schools, earning $600 a month.
Then two months later, she started a franchise business, which earned her up to $3,000 a month.
'Right now, I'm doing freelance work and getting jobs with flexible working hours, but my main focus is still my volunteer work.'
Miss Chan's group of 20 volunteers include doctors, engineers, businessmen and psychiatrists. There are also social workers, teachers and university lecturers.
She said: 'My vision for the organisation is that our resources will continue to multiply themselves.
'We help 100 people, and these 100 will go on to help 300 others, and so on.
'Right now, it's great because I'm still putting my social work training to good use. I'm not just a volunteer, more like an unpaid social worker.'
Heart
WorkSource: The Electric News

Travel warning issued

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is warning Australians of the danger of travelling to Sri Lanka after Tamil rebels forced the closure of the island's main international airport.
A departmental advisory issued yesterday said flights may be diverted to The Maldives and India.
"We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Sri Lanka at this time because of ongoing civil unrest, the volatile security situation and the very high risk of terrorist attacks," the advisory said.
"Attacks could occur at any time, anywhere in Sri Lanka.
"Australians could inadvertently become victims of violence directed at others, in particular Sri Lankan government and military targets."

Source: AAP

Maldives anger over topless party

Sir Philip's party cost millions of dollars, reports sayA leading opposition group in the Maldives has strongly criticised a lavish party held there last week by one of Britain's top businessmen.
The party was attended by a host of celebrities, including the singers George Michael and Jennifer Lopez.
It allegedly featured topless dancers, a giant Buddha statue and copious amounts of champagne.
Critics say that such an event was incompatible with the conservative Muslim culture of the islands.
Lobster thermidor
The party was hosted at an exclusive resort by the British tycoon Sir Philip Green - one of Britain's wealthiest businessmen - to celebrate his 55th birthday. It is estimated to have cost in the region of $10m (£5m).
Guests were reportedly treated to the finest vintage Pol Roger champagne and a cabaret performance by George Michael.

George Michael was reportedly paid in excess of $500,000 to perform
At one end of one of the dance floors a solid granite statue of the Buddha, 11m-tall, had been erected as around 100 guests ate lobster thermidor.
The party was held on three stages and also featured pagodas and two smaller Buddhas.
More than 500 people were hired to deal with the construction of the party venue, with hundreds more working on catering, flower arrangements and security.
The festivities were reported to include a topless dance routine and a brilliant firework display.
'Over the top'
Critics in the Maldives say that such merry-making is out of place in a conservative Muslim country.
"This party was completely over the top," said Maldivian Democratic Party spokesman Ahmed Moosa.
"Maldives people are easily shocked and strong in their Muslim faith," he said.

Critics argue that the Buddha was incongruous in a Muslim country
"Scantily clad women and excessive drinking are not culturally acceptable."
Mr Moosa stressed that he was not making a political point in his criticisms.
"I think my views on this issue represent a wide cross-section of views across the country regardless of party affiliation," he said.
Mr Moosa said that he found it "objectionable" that many of the celebrities and wealthy guests who attended the ceremony arrived in the Maldives by private jets.
"With so much emphasis on reducing greenhouse emissions around the world, their mode of travel - like their partying - smacks of decadence," he said.
'Happiness'
The Maldivian Democratic Party has also complained that the Buddha statue brought into the country for the party was in contravention of the law, which prohibits the promotion of any faith apart from Islam.

Many stars arrived by private jet (Picture by Dhivehi Observer)
They say that thousands of migrant Sri Lankan workers are forbidden from carrying a personal

Buddha in their pockets in recognition of this rule.
The Maldives government was unavailable to comment on criticisms surrounding the party, but last week President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was reported to have extended birthday greetings in a telephone call to Sir Philip.
The president was quoted by local newspapers as saying that Sir Philip's visit to the Maldives would help bolster the country's tourism industry.
He expressed his "happiness" that Sir Philip had chosen the Maldives for his birthday celebrations.
The businessman is reported to have thanked the president for his telephone call, and said that the Maldives was the most beautiful place he had ever visited.
A spokeswoman in Sir Philip's private office said that he was unaware of any regulations concerning the importation of Buddhas to the Maldives, and that the party was held at a private location.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Past & Present Liveaboards of Maldives by Reiner Schaetz

The Republic of Maldives or locally Dhivehi Raajey had awakened from its sleeping beauty hideaway onlybeginning of the 1970's, to open its marine borders for international Tourism.
Although, the very initial development of islands around Male' into Tourist Resorts in 1972 like Kurumba, Bandos and Villingili was followed soon by the establishment of the first local Safari-boats, as locally built boats are called in Maldives today, accommodating tourists for activities such as cruising,scuba diving, wave surfing, fishing and sailing.
Despite a very few small foreign Yachts catering occasionally for Tourists those days, the true pioneer of locally built Safari boats was Mr. Ahmed Adam of H. Hickery with the establishment of a converted localfishing Dhoni (boat) built entirely out of local coconutwood in 1973, the second year of Tourism in the Maldives.

The boat carried the distinctive name ALADEEN, the first of its kind. As thatboat was facilitated with one main cabin accommodating up to six foreign guests in bunk beds right below a center-elevated deck and in addition upgraded from using Latin sails to diesel powered Japanese-made Yanmar 2-T engine, such modernized version as unseen before eared itself the well deserved nickname Yacht Dhoni. The boat offered one common pump toilet, fresh water from island wells was stored in locally built cans and jerry cans carrying a maximum of 400 liters onboard with three unskilled crews operating the Yacht Dhoni. Provisions were limited to strictly Maldivian cuisine and re-provisioned while traveling from one island to another. All high-tech the boat owned those days was its diesel engine, there were no desalination plants, built-in soundproof generators, attached stylish bathrooms with hot water, no general electronics relating to the boat operation and nowadays guest comfort.The boat was steered by its traditional local Hunganu rudder and controlled by the captain's mighty foot.

Although, those days it was a locally praised Yacht Dhoni, it actually impressed by its practical simplicity, guests were synthesized with the Yacht Dhoni as they were with nature around them. Guests brought their own diving equipments, including compressors and the day to day vacationwas all about activities such as swimming, snorkeling, diving, local fishing, visiting inhabitant islands with their native population totally unexposed to foreign visitors as well as visiting and camping on deserted islands as most of those were unexplored those days. ALADEEN Yacht Dhoniserved during her first three years of operation to game fishermen using local fishing methods. ALADEEN also sailed a well-known German photographer to his first island shots, which remain published even today.

The Real Meaning of Adventure

What is adventure? Some people believe that adventure is not just that extreme and dangerous experience that one could find existing. On the contrary, they believe that it is an attitude that helps us face the obstacles present in our daily routine. For example, the challenges we have to deal with, the new and different options that life offers, the unknown that is at all time waiting for us, represent an adventure in itself. And it is in this adventure that the human beings discover themselves.

The word adventure has different meanings for different people. Generally, adventure implies thrill and excitement, risks and dangers, and the unexpected and extraordinary experiences. The adventurous people are always on the look out for things that will evoke new feelings and sensations. This is the definition of adventure commonly accepted. However, there are others for whom adventure means much more than this. They associate adventure with a certain bent of mind that helps them enjoy life to the fullest, by accepting it as it unfolds before them. They see opportunities in difficulties and treat hurdles as stepping-stones. They accept everything knowing very well that there is nothing without its pluses and minuses.

Therefore, life is seen as an adventure in itself. It is the manner in which you decide to view and live your own life. And the approach you have to life will certainly affect the way you experience this mysterious journey which we are part of. Some people believe that traveling, sightseeing or hanging on a rope is what an adventure stands for. But the problem may be that they are not experiencing their life as an exploration and their boring life leads them to lookfor excitement outside themselves.

This hidden and deeper meaning of adventure can only be understood by changing one's point of view towards life. This will not only enable you to identify the raison d'etre of your life, but will also help you recognize your strengths and weaknesses, and accept yourself as a person. However, one needs to realize that one just doesn't stumble upon adventures just like that. It is only through discovering our own strengths that we can uncover these adventures, and derive wisdom from them. As human beings, we are posed in the world in such a manner that we are compulsive adventurers. And, being so, we are capable of shaping our own lives and destinies, through a positive and constructive approach.

Life is a rare opportunity. With a little faith we can change the very meaning of life. Hurdles and obstacles can be used as openings and opportunities to discover the extent of our strength and courage. The secret lies in living life as an ever-new, ever-fresh adventure and being open to accepting whatever comes our way.