Shangri-La’s Villingili launches the Maldives’ first ever cultural tours
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa is the first resort in the Maldives to launch cultural tours inviting guests to experience another side to the paradise islands of the Indian Ocean.
The luxury resort’s new guided excursions include a range of cultural and recreational tours suitable for both couples and families designed to excite every interest, from historical and farming excursions to cycling tours and nature walks. Tours are led by resort guides ensuring that guests gain insight into local life on the Addu Atoll islands while discovering the natural beauty of the Maldives.
Addu City Tour by Bicycle
Unlike other resorts in the Maldives, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa is close to a thriving Maldivian community who live in the surrounding Atoll. Guests have the opportunity to cycle into the Maldivian villages linked by a series of bridges in the surrounding area of Atoll where they can gain an insight into community life. Guests depart the resort to the islands of Feydhoo and Maradhoo and have the chance to visit local mosques, schools and the tuna landing site at Maradhoo harbour. Along the tour, guests will be able to see the traditional coral stone houses and buy fresh fruit at the local roadside stores. The tour then heads back to the resort via Gan Island to explore the local area by foot. Price: $50USD (£34GBP)++* per person. Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes.
Historical Tour
The historical tour visits the Island of Gan, a former British Navy base during the Second World War, for an afternoon ramble among the remnants of the British occupation of Addu. Guests depart the resort via speedboat for Gan where sites include the residences once used by RAF servicemen, the Astra cinema and the British Memorial Site. To go one step further, qualified scuba divers can dive down to see the cargo boat ‘British Loyalty’ which was torpedoed by a German U-boat during the war. Price: $50USD (£34GBP)++* per person. Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes.
Meedhoo Farms Tour
The farmers of Meedhoo Island have historically relied on agriculture as their main source of livelihood and the relatively recent development of tourism in Addu Atoll has presented the farmers with a new and attractive market for their traditional produce. This guided tour of Meedhoo local farms offers guests the opportunity to see first-hand the source of the locally grown produce used at the Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa restaurants. Guests take a 15 minute speedboat ride to the island and can sample local Maldivian home tea, farm fruit and fresh juice. Guests are able to expand on their local farm experience by indulging in a Chef’s Garden Dinner on the island as part of the Dine-by-Design offer. Price: $80USD (£53GBP)++* per person. Duration: 3 hours.
Villingili Nature Walk
Guests can explore nature trails in Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa surrounding landscape made up of banyan trees, coconut trees, exotic plants and lagoons. The tour around the centre of the island is led by naturalist Peter Watt Pringle from the resort’s Eco Central. Local wildlife can also be spotted including the oriental garden lizard, land crabs and the giant Indian flying fox.
Complimentary activity. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes.
The Maldives is famous for its white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons; however the Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa has taken the tourist experience a step further to offer luxury Maldivian escapes with an edge. Proud of the surrounding local culture and history, the resort’s new tours aim to give guests a more rounded and diverse experience in the Maldives.
Maldivian Journey package – from £539GBP++* per couple per night
Shangri-La invites you and your partner to explore the Maldives with from USD 815 (£539GBP)++ per couple per night on a bed and breakfast basis. Experience three nights at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa in a two-person villa and one night at the Traders Hotel in Malé in a double room inclusive of a Dolphin cruise, Addu bicycle tour and Malé city tour. Terms and conditions apply, valid for new bookings for stays between 14 February 2013 and 23 December 2013 and does not apply for existing bookings. For reservations, visit shangri-la.com/male/villingiliresort/reservations.
*[All GBP prices as per exchange rate on 5/3/2013]
