The Maldives has been nominated as the Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination, whilst The Male’ International Airport has been nominated as the Indian Ocean’s Leading Airport. Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka are competing against Maldives under Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination category. In addition to the above, the following resorts and companies have been nominated:

Indian Ocean’s Leading Boutique Hotel category:

• Cocoa Island, Maldives
• Dhoni Mighili, Maldives
• The Rania Experience, Maldives

Indian Ocean’s Leading Family Resort category:

• Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Maldives

Indian Ocean’s Leading Green Resort category:

• Angsana Resort & Spa Maldives
• Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru

Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel category:

• Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
• Soneva Gili by Six Senses, Maldives
• Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives

Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Resort category:

• Baros Maldives
• Huvafen Fushi Maldives

Indian Ocean’s Leading Resort category:

• Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu
• Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
• Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa
• Huvafen Fushi Maldives
• Kurumba Maldives
• Soneva Gili by Six Senses, Maldives
• Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives

Indian Ocean’s Leading Spa Resort category:

• Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
• Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
• Huvafen Fushi Maldives
• Island Hideaway at Dhonakulhi Maldives, Spa Resort & Marina

Indian Ocean’s Leading Travel Agency category:

• Inner Maldives Holidays

Indian Ocean’s Leading Villa category:

• Adaaran “Prestige” Water Villas, Maldives
• Baros Residence, Baros Maldives
• Deluxe Soneva Fushi Villa, Soneva Fushi by Six Senses, Maldives
• Hideaway Palace, Island Hideaway at Dhonakulhi Maldives, Spa Resort & Marina
• Koimala Land and Ocean Villa, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
• Royal Kurumba Residence, Kurumba Maldives

Furthermore the following brands whose resorts are also located in Maldives were nominated under the category “Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel Brand”:

• Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
• Four Seasons
• Hilton Hotels
• Hotels Constance
• Naiade Resorts
• One&Only Resorts

In addition to this, the following resort/hotel groups were also nominated under the category “Indian Ocean’s Leading Water Villa Group”:

• Adaaran Prestige Resorts
• Anantara
• Coco Collection
• Constance Hotels
• Taj Hotels
• Universal Resorts

Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the “Travel industry’s equivalent to the Oscar’s”, the World Travel Awards are the most comprehensive and most prestigious awards program in the global travel industry. The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the world’s travel and tourism industry. The winners of the World Travel Awards are based on thousands of votes cast by travel professionals from 167,000 travel agencies in over 160 countries across the globe.

The voting for this year’s Indian Ocean Awards is open until 14th August 2009. Votes can be casted by registering and logging into the voting system available at www.worldtravelawards.com.

Last year Maldives won the Indian Ocean’s Leading Destinations Award and World’s Most Romantic Destination awards while Maldives Tourism industry won awards in many categories.

The thrice weekly flights will be operated on Boeing 777 aircrafts in a three-class configuration: World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World.

This will be the first time BA operates flights to Male’ and a return to the Red Sea Resort of Sharm El Sheikh.

British Airways’ head of UK & Ireland sales Richard Tams has said that the new routes will be great assets to the BA network and a real winner with customers. He said the new destinations are both ideal holiday destinations, known for their great beaches and fantastic diving. “We’re particularly pleased to be serving a completely new destination, the Maldives and returning to Sharm El Sheikh. We expect both routes to perform well” he said.

British Airways’ regional commercial manager, South Asia, Judy Jarvis has said “It gives me great pleasure to announce the start of non-stop flights from Male to the UK. The Maldives offers sunny beaches and unspoilt lagoons, a perfect combination for the ideal tropical holiday destination. I am confident that it will be very popular with our customers.”

Lead-in fares from Gatwick to Male will start from £629 return including taxes, fees and charges. Flights to the Maldives will depart from Gatwick on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday at 7.10pm returning from Male on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 1.20pm local time.

Tickets will be on sale from Friday May 29, 2009.

The World Ocean Conference 2009 brings together over 100 participants including high-level government officials, multilateral agencies and business partners to develop a common understanding and firm commitment to address the impact of climate change on the state of the world’s oceans, and to increase understanding of the role of the oceans in determining the rate of global climatic change.

The World Ocean Conference 2009 will focus on three major themes that comprise of; implications of climate change for the world’s oceans and coastal communities, the role of the oceans in climate change phenomena, and the need for mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change. The WOC 2009 is expected to create a more aligned global vision and commitments from participating governments and institutions to work together to improve marine resource management.

Representatives at the conference will also work towards the Manado Declaration, intended to help save the oceans from further destruction and increase the role of the ocean in reducing climate change. Attending delegations while deliberating on the Manado Declaration outlined that the global negotiations on climate change should include the Ocean’s dimension during the COP-15 meeting due to take place in Copenhagen later this year.

The exclusive offer from this unique COMO Resort is valid from May 1 to October 15, 2009.

The chic, Indian Ocean outpost is world-renowned for diving and its serene COMO Shambhala Retreat, an exclusive retreat for yoga and well-being, rejuvenation therapies, and indulgent pampering.

Room rates for the period of May 15 to June 30, and September 1 to October 15, range from US$680++ for a Dhoni Suite to US$900++, US$1,120++ and US$2,200++ a night for villas. In July and August, prices start at US$760++ a night, to US$1,000++, US$1,260++ and US$2,200++ for villas.

Complimentary meal upgrades are available for Cocoa Island’s guests who reside in the resort for more than 4 nights. Those who book bed and breakfast will be upgraded to half board, and those on half board will be upgraded to full board for the duration of their stay.

Prices are for either single or double occupancy with breakfast, and are subject to 10% service charge and government tax of US$8 per person a night.

COMO’s vision of privacy and stylish beach living, in the Indian Ocean, is located amongst South Malé’s coral atolls, just a 40-minute speedboat ride from the international airport. A transfer service is available.

The resort was designed by Singaporean architect Cheong Yew Kuan – who also designed two new highly regarded COMO Hotels and Resorts: Uma Ubud in Bali and Uma Paro in Bhutan.

At Cocoa, the style is barefoot and deliberately restrained, with some rooms designed after the Maldivian ‘Dhoni’ boats. Duplex Loft villas are clad in wood with generous outdoor decking. All suites and villas are over-water, and accessible by planked walkways. Two-bedroom villas are distinguished by personal butler service.

Cuisine by Daniel Johnson, former executive chef at Bedarra Island, Australia’s most exclusive resort, is from nature’s larder- the freshest yellow fin tuna caught locally, and herbs and spices from nearby southern India. The menu features a mixture of Maldivian, Indian, Continental, and selection of other Asian flavours.

Guests can also choose COMO Shambhala cuisine, which is designed to maximise energy and well-being through the use of organic foods rich in living enzymes, vitamins and sea minerals.

The COMO Shambhala Retreat features an open-air pavilion for; group and private yoga classes; treatment rooms (including one for couples); a steam room; a large hydrotherapy pool; and a gym.

The Asian-based therapies range from specific body treatments to facials and sophisticated massages, including the COMO Shambhala signature massage, delivered by experienced practitioners who customise treatments according to individual needs.

A complimentary yoga class is conducted from 5-6pm daily at the Yoga Pavilion by resident Yoga Instructor, Pramod Kumar, who is also available for private tuition. His main style is Hatha yoga, although he is familiar with several other styles. He was trained by Sri Prahalade Redi, from the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in India.

For the actively inclined, the Maldives’ warm waters promise some of the world’s best diving. The famous Cocoa and Guriadhoo Channels lie on Cocoa’s doorstep, while snorkelers can enjoy a marine-rich lagoon. PADI certified instructors lead dives and provide tuition for divers of all levels.

Private excursions include island hopping, beach picnics, dolphin watching and exploring Malé’s markets.

Cocoa Island’s an all-day lounge is fully equipped with internet desks, espresso machines, new DVD/media players in all rooms and wi-fi internet.

For more information, please visit www.como.bz.

Source: luxurytravelmagazine.com

The move follows the announcement earlier this year from President Mohamed Nasheed to make the Indian Ocean archipelago the world’s first carbon neutral country in 10 years by fully switching to renewable sources of energy, such as solar panels and wind turbines, and investing in new technologies.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner stressed that climate neutrality is not just a concern for developed nations, saying that “developing nations such as Maldives can indeed leapfrog by embracing the low-carbon development model, which will assist in greening their economies and weathering both climatic and economic storms.”

Launched a year ago, the UNEP-led Climate Neutral Network (CN Net) has close to 100 participants worldwide, including several countries, cities, major international companies, UN agencies and leading non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The Maldives — consisting of some 1,200 tropical coral islets, none of which rises more than 1.8 meters above sea level, leaving the 400,000 inhabitants at great risk of rising sea levels and storm surges — has become the seventh country to join CN Net.

The other six nations that have pledged to move towards climate neutrality and joined the CN Net include Costa Rica, Iceland, Monaco, New Zealand and Norway, the officials said.

“When the most climate change vulnerable nations display leadership in addressing the cause of the problem which they had very little to contribute to, there is no excuse for others not to act,” said Steiner.

He urged nations around the world to commit to “protecting the planet and powering green growth by sealing an ambitious climate deal at this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.”

Source: news.xinhuanet.com