|
|
 |
| |
 The Maldives has been described as heaven on
earth, palm fringed white beaches and warm turquoise water. Four
Seasons Resort Maldives is an exquisite gem of an island in the
North Male Atoll, just a 25-minute boat ride from the airport at
Male. The Resort offers wonderful diving and sailing in the
spectacular coral gardens and reef-protected lagoon waters which
encircle it. Located on the Maldivian archipelago, one of the
world's richest marine ecosystems with a spectacular array of fish,
dolphins, turtles and rays.
Four Seasons Resort Maldives
occupies the entire 12 acre island and is one of the most
sophisticated properties in the Maldives with a choice of very
attractive and comfortable beach and 'overwater' villas, some with
their own private plunge pools. As one would expect from a Four
Seasons resort, facilities are excellent with a choice of
restaurants, vast freshwater pool, all the usual watersports and a
delightful Island Spa that specialises in Maldivian, Thai,
Indonesian and ayuervedic rituals. |
| |
|
|
| |
Facilities |
|
| |
Three (3) restaurants, two (2) bars, in-bungalow
dining, swimming pool, watersports, PADI Dive Centre, deep-sea
fishing, whirlpool, sauna, steam room, activity centre, Kids for All
Seasons Programme, babysitting service. |
| |
Responsible travel aspects
The reef
of the Maldivian archipelago represents one of the richest
ecosystems on earth. We believe that it is important for each of us
to educate ourselves about the environment and to help maintain it
for future generations. Therefore a series of informative
programmes, special projects and measurable initiatives have been
introduced to protect and preserve the land and water.
Resident Marine Biologist
Guests are
invited to embark with our Resident Marine Biologist on an
environmental quest to respect and protect the fragile ecosystem of
the Maldives. The Biologist lives at the Resort and helps implement
various environmental initiatives and educational programmes,
personally escorts the daily snorkelling excursions and presents
Fish Talk presentations each evening. Private meetings are also
available to discuss any specific concerns or special areas of
interest.
Adopt-A-Reefball
Project
Four Seasons Resort Maldives and PADI have
embarked on a joint reef rejuvenation initiative, the Adopt-a-Reef
Ball project. Reef balls are man-made structures, comprised of a
special, marine friendly, concrete and are designed to mimic natural
reef systems and to facilitate the growth of corals in areas where
the reef has been damaged. In November 2001, a team from The Reef
Ball Foundation launched Kuda Huraa's programme and instructed the
resort team on constructing and deploying a reef ball. Over 250,000
reef balls have been deployed in over 3,500 projects worldwide
making reef balls the most widely used designed artificial reef in
the world. Reef balls are used primarily to restore ailing coral
reefs and to create new sites for scuba diving or fishing and for
many other uses such as beach protection, mitigation, fresh water,
education, and for creating all types of aquatic reef
systems.
The project also features an innovative technique
called coral propagation. This process is similar to the techniques
used on plants and ensures a ten times faster growth rate of the
coral. It is expected that the coral propagation at the reefs near
Kuda Huraa to reach a 90% success rate. These amazing techniques
have only been in place for around three years. For a fee of
US$250, guests can adopt a reefball.
Fish Talk
We believe that protecting
and preserving the environment starts with raising awareness. Each
evening, the Resort features a lecture by our Resident Marine
Biologist. The 45-minute talk and slide presentation is interactive
and immerses guests into the amazing aquatic world of the Maldives.
The nominal fee which is charged for the lectures goes into the Kuda
Huraa Green Fund, which supports the environmental initiatives in
the local community.
Snorkelling
and Diving
Coral reefs are living animals which protect
islands from erosion. They grow at a very slow rate and take years
to build their external skeletons. We ask guests that they take
great care when approaching a reef and never touch, stand or rest on
the coral with their hands, feet or fins. Kuda Huraa features a 'No
Glove' policy at the Dive Centre. We strongly request that guests
never touch any living animal while diving or snorkelling. All reef
components are very important to the ecosystem. Shells, dead coral
and sand should never be removed from the sea or the beach. It is
forbidden by international law to collect, buy and sell
coral.
Shopping
One
immediate contribution visitors to the Maldives can make to the
protection of the environment is to refrain from purchasing coral,
shell, shark and turtle products. Turtles and marine mammals are
protected by international law. Maldivian law protects Napoleon
wrasses, sharks, dolphins and whales, all stony corals and some
species of shells like tritons and giant clams. We do not feature
any of these products in the resort shop.
Recycling and Waste Disposal
We have
recycling, waste separation and staff educational programmes in
place at Kuda Huraa. The resort features its own desalination plant
and a modern water treatment system. All used water is properly
treated and is used entirely for landscaping purposes. Landscaping
waste is used for composting. We try to minimise the use of plastic
and other non-biodegradable materials throughout the resort. A mini
incinerator is used to reduce the amount of materials exported from
the island and the resort is working with the neighbouring island
community of Bodu Huraa by sponsoring a waste incineration programme
and a water treatment study which is currently being conducted with
the aim of improving the island's threatened fresh water supply.
In-bungalow amenity bottles are ceramic and refillable with
biodegradable products.
Fish
Feeding
Our fish feeding schedule is monitored by Kuda
Huraa's Marine Biologist. We ask that guests never feed fish any
bread, as this is not a natural food source and can damage the
animal's digestive system and cause aggressive behaviour. Fish may
also become resistant to sourcing their own food
supply.
Guests can further assist the resort in these
exciting conservation efforts by making a contribution to Kuda
Huraa's Green Fund. All money goes directly into protecting the
environment and educating guests and the local population about our
initiatives. |
| |
 Help combat climate change by making your
flight carbon neutral with  | |
Contact WWJ & E for further
information or to make a booking
Read the WWJ & E
responsible travel policy
Read travellers feedback