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#01 / August 2018

#1 DIRECTORY PROMOTING LOCAL ISLAND GUEST HOUSES IN THE MALDIVES 1

Guraidhoo Palm Inn Guraidhoo Island

To offer an outstanding service by using personal pass experience and leadership knowledge which was gain from one of the most public related service on tourism and hospitality and also as I padi master scuba dive trainer

Boutique Beach All Inclusive Diving Hotel Dhigurah Island Dive now and work later

www.boutiquebeach.club

www.guraidhoopalminn.com

Kuri Inn. Omadhoo Island

-back feeling The guest house «Kuri», has a laid mock with a cozy, secluded patio, ham – and lounge chairs for sunbathing lk away and the beach just a minute’s wa

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www.kuriinn.net

Tropic Tree. Gulhi Island

A stay at Tropic Tree Maldives will be a perfect opportunity to experience a truly unique Maldivian holiday without compromising on modern comfort

www.tropictreemaldives.com

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WEDDING AND HONEYMOON IDEAS MALDIVES

EDITORS NOTE

PAGE 6-10

ECO TOURISM AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE MALDIVES

PAGE 5

GUEST HOUSE FEATURE

PAGE 13

AWARD WINNING DIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE MALDIVES

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ISLAND SPOT 3

SO WHY DID AN IRISH / ENGLISH DIGITAL MARKETER SET UP GO TO THE MALDIVES?!

It’s a question I hear often on my journey of developing this business.

So here’s my story: After leaving the Maldives in 2006 (I was a manager at the One and Only Reethi Rah), I went on to develop and market businesses in Ireland.

I kept in touch with many of my Maldivian friends over the years and about three years ago a friend approached me about helping some Maldivian bed and breakfast/guest house owners to market their businesses within Europe. After the government allowed tourists to stay among the local population rather than just privately owned resort islands, many small accommodation businesses started to pop up but the question was: «How were they going to compete with the large marketing budgets of the main resorts and the large commission from booking.com?»

Digital Marketing and Owner

At this time I came up with numerous ideas including my craziest to date (be warned I could have more crazy ideas in time!) – chartering flights from UK/Ireland to the Maldives.

Yes that surely works with a small business budget and of course I have many planes sitting in my back yard.

So I did what any sane business person would do, I parked the idea, researched it over and over and then one day I had a eureka moment and here today is the marketing platform we fondly know as Go to the Maldives!

Go to the Maldives is aimed at marketing small businesses, guest houses, bed and breakfasts, hostels and small resorts on local islands in the Maldives.

The Maldives is a very affordable place to visit – IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK. My passion and drive is to fill this directory website FULL of information about visiting the Maldives and where to stay.

Why are we different?

We are REAL people promoting the REAL Maldives.

One of our team visits the islands every few months to promote businesses via our extensive digital channels. We run live Facebook news feed, live Twitter videos, we will blog, vlog, take real time photos not staged ones.

We show case local businesses to people all over the UK and Ireland but as you know it doesn’t stop at that because the internet is worldwide and our reach is already global.

I own a digital marketing agency called TOA with a full team of dedicated digital marketers. Our first visit was in February 2017 and we have made many visits since.

Our passion is to see local businesses thrive and drive traffic to their digital sites daily.

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IT'S TIME FOR REEF MANTA RAYS, GREY SHARKS, STINGS RAYS, WHALE SHARKS IN THE MALDIVES Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll, Maldives, is famous for being a nursery ground for grey sharks, and sting rays. It is also one of the very few places in the world where whale sharks congregate to mate. However it is best known for its concentration of the enigmatic, graceful, inquisitive and charismatic reef manta rays (Manta alfredi). Between May and November each year, during the South West Monsoon, a lunar tide also occurs which results in a massive build up of plankton in the bay.

This high concentration draws in hundreds of filter feeders and it is not unusual to see up to 200 manta rays accompanied by whale sharks.

Summer Shade Maldives Guest House welcomes you to discover a tropical & traditional local

island along with a perfect white sandy beaches and the crystal clear lagoon of the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives is geographically distributed into 20 atoll & Summer Shade is in the middle of the Maldives which is in Baa. Atoll. Baa.Atoll in UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Atoll in Maldives. Summer Shade is the best budget hotel that feels like home away from home while providing you with excellent & memorable Service. Let yourself free with the hotel spirit and banish the stresses and worries of civilization that you have left behind.

We offer wild range of exciting

activities which includes water sports, snorkelling, night fishing, picnic Island excursion, resort excursion lucky dolphin trip, diving, sandbank trip, bodu beru (traditional music) etc.

Don't miss opportunity this year – book direct and save

www.summershademaldives.com 5

Secret Paradise Maldives War on Straws

ECO TOURISM AND SUSTAINABILITY IN THE MALDIVES #letusguideyou #strawwarMV The now viral Utube video of the sea turtle having a straw removed from its nose with a set of pliers was certainly heart breaking to view but most certainly it appeared to make the world sit up and pay attention to the plight of our oceans.

Straws are consistently on the top 10 lists for marine debris collected every year during International Coastal Cleanups and the Maldives is no different as we have found from our own experience of beach clean ups.It is estimated that by 2050 there will be more pieces of plastic in our ocean than fish.

Last year 1.3milion tourists visited the Maldives with each guest staying an average of 6 days. Even if each of those guests only had one drink served with a straw per day during their stay that is 7.8milion straws and that is most likely a conservative estimate.

Sadly, plastic pollution has become a key environmental issue in the Mal-

dives as well as Worldwide. In the Maldives evidence of plastic bottles, straws, carrier bags and other plastic waste scatter our islands and wash up regularly on our beautiful beaches and this waste has a negative impact on our environment and our marine life.

Local NGOs, island communities and environmental groups are working hard to clean up the countries plastic issue with initiatives including beach clean ups, reduction of plastic bag use and environmental awareness campaigns.

The simple fact of the matter is, that we all need to join together and fight this worldwide plastic issue. If everyone makes a small change it will only have a huge long term positive effect on the environment and our oceans. Britain has announced this week that they are banning single use plastic straws alongside Canada and other countries. In the Maldives we are seeing many of the luxury resorts ban the straw and move

FACT – 1 STRAW IS MANUFACTURED IN 1 MINUTE FACT – 1 STRAW IS USED FOR AN AVERAGE OF 10 MINUTES FACT – 1 STRAW TAKES 100 YEARS TO DECOMPOSE 6

to biodegradable alternatives. Now it is the time for local island businesses to make that change.

SECRET PARADISE MALDIVES STRAW OF FAME On World Environment Day, June 5th 2018 Secret Paradise Maldives invited all their partner guesthouse properties to pledge to STOP the use of plastic drinking straws in their guest houses.

In return they pledge to: Collect any remaining straws from them.

ispose of them in an environD mentally friendly way.

Provide a certificate for each business to display and use to promote their support.

Provide information that can be

shared with both staff and guests as to why the plastic straw should be no more.

Request all our guests to refuse the straw.

They were delighted to gain the support of the following properties within less than 24 hours and are confident that other partners will swiftly come on board.

Lily Rest – Maafuhsi Guaridhoo Palm Onn – Guraidhoo Bibbe Maldives – Dhiffushi Canopus Retreats – Thulusdhoo TME Retreat - Dhigurah This we know is the start of a long journey, but a journey that we hope will gather momentum and support across all local islands, not just with

our partner guesthouses but with other businesses too.

Secret Paradise guiding team will continually monitor properties on their tour

visits and when they complete their annual property audits will ensure that each guesthouse maintains its commitment to our initiative and offer support as necessary.

If you are a tourist visiting local islands in the Maldives and find a local guesthouse or hotel still serving plastic straws, we encourage you to take a photo and tag us on Instagram @secretparadisemaldives @gotothemaldives #letusguideyou #strawwarMV and we will make contact with them to see if they will unite with us on our mission to ban plastic straws altogether.

The call to action to eliminate single use plastic including plastic drinking straws is getting louder and louder worldwide, let’s add the voice and actions of the Maldives.

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HOW YOU CAN HELP SUSTAINABILITY AND ECO TOURISM IN THE MALDIVES Eco tourism and sustainable tourism may be a hot topic in the travel industry at the moment but it has always been an integral part of our philosophy and part of our mission statement.

Secret Paradise tours are designed to allow our guests to experience the best from the paradise we call home, whilst ensuring that there is limited or no negative impact on the community or the environment.

We are committed to informing and demonstrating to our competitors, our team, our partners and ultimately our guests that we are committed to following social and environmental best practices.

At Secret Paradise we see this as an ongoing commitment in the development of sustainable tourism in the Maldives and pride ourselves that we were longlisted for the World Responsible Tourism Awards 2015.

The following are a few simple tips that require very little effort on your part during your holiday but which will help ensure that any effect you have on the locations you visit is positive rather than negative.

REUSING TOWELS AND SAVING ELECTRICITY IN YOUR GUEST HOUSE It is seen all over the world in small and large hotels, businesses trying to reduce their carbon foot print and the Maldives is no different.

Re-use your towels in your guest bedroom rather than having them refreshed each day. Turn off your air conditioning when you leave your room. Make sure all the lights are switched off. All small actions that will provide long term positive results to the environment for you and future generations.

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PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN The Maldives, like many countries has experienced a real challenge in recent years with plastic bottles, straws and plastic bags washing up on the beaches. Local Island residents are making huge efforts to work together with many islands organising regular beach clean ups.

Education and awareness regarding littering and how to reduce the use of plastic in daily life has also started to be introduced led by NGOs and dive centres in particular. But as a tourist you can also help.

Bring a re-useable bottle with you and re-fill your water bottles where possible. Take your own bags with you when you go shopping and refuse plastic bags every time you leave a shop. Remove packaging from newly acquired items before leaving home and consider taking home as much plastic waste as you can.

For more details on local initiatives check out www.savethebeachmaldives.org BUY LOCAL By staying in local island guest houses you are contributing to the local economy and increasing local employment. Local island guest houses in the Maldives are usually run by local island families where everyone is instrumental in the day to day running of the guest house. As a guest you benefit from meeting these local families and learning about their cultures and traditions; take it from us nothing beats Maldivian hospitality.

Buying local and eating local means that you are contributing to the local economy just like when you stay in the guest houses. Buying locally made souvenirs and eating local produce means that local farmers and small businesses benefit.Don’t be afraid to ask where produce or souvenirs have originated as there unfortunately is still a lot of imported souvenirs on offer.

LEAVE NO TRACES OF YOUR VISIT BEHIND Many people say ‘I am just one person how can I make a difference to the environment on my own?’But all you need to do is take responsibility for yourself and the people you are travelling with. Don’t leave litter on the beaches or around the islands. Don’t throw garbage over board when on the boats travelling around the islands. Lead by example and pick up rubbish and dispose in the nearest waste receptacle. Every small effort like this will have a positive effect on the future of our environment.

Leave the ocean as you found it DCIM100GOPROG0567623.

As tempting as it is to take a piece of beautiful coral home or chase after the sea turtles, mantas or whale sharks and touch them – you are destroying the oceans natural habitat by doing these things. Maldives turtles and Whale sharks are endangered species and need protection. Feel free to view the beautiful underwater world of the Maldives but leave it where it is. The ocean life is wild and we want it to remain that way. The Maldives is one of the many countries affected by coral bleaching due to rising temperatures in the sea and global warming. Campaigns run by Save the Beach and local island guest houses like Eco Dive Club in Maafushi are working hard to rebuild these areas by planting coral nurs-

eries and researching the effects of global warming.

More details on initiatives are here www.eco-diveclub.com/ copy-of-courses RESPECT LOCAL CULTURE AND DRESS CODES The Maldives is an Islamic country and tourists should respect cultural differences not try to change them, we are after all only guests in someone’s home. Dress respectably away from beaches, ask permission (and ladies cover your head) if you are visiting religious places. Note local dress codes and follow them.

There is so much culture in the Maldives and the local island people love to share their traditions and culture with tourists so ask, learn and enjoy.

Many local islands are running initiatives like volunteer beach clean ups on a regular basis. Ask your Secret Paradise guide or guesthouse owner if there is one scheduled during your stay, it’s a great way to meet the local community and you are contributing to environmental clean ups.

How about learning more about the local communities and initiatives?

WANT TO HELP MORE?

Secret Paradise Maldives and Sun sHADe Volunteers provide opportunities for responsible and meaningful working holidays in one of the most beautiful places in the world. More details about this program can be viewed here: https://secretparadise.mv/product/volunteer-local Remember together we can make a difference #letusguideyou You can also view our full Responsible Tourism Policy here https://secretparadise.mv/responsible-tourism-policy 9

Maldives Island THODDOO RETREAT GUEST HOUSE

Thoddoo Island We offer relaxation and memorable holidays

www.thoddooretreat.com

MARINA BAY VILLA HIMANDHOO

Himandhoo Island We are always here with a warm welcome for those who choose our guest house.

Our aim is to be a friendly holiday for all

www.marinabayvilla.com

HOLIDAY GARDEN RASDHOO

Rasdhoo Island Relish Oceanic Life

www.holidaygardenrasdhoo.com

SUMMER SHADE MALDIVES

Dharavandhoo Island Affordable Paradise

www.summershademaldives.com 10

ISLAND SPOT

Each issue we will feature one local island in the Maldives. For our first edition we would like to feature one of the first islands we visited on our trips - Thoddoo Island.

Thoddoo Island is one of the inhabited islands of Alif Alif Atoll in the Republic of Maldives. This island is the largest producer of watermelon in Maldives. Thoddoo Island is about 1 hour and 20 minutes speed boat ride from Male the Capital of the Maldives and the same distance from the airport (the airport is on a separate island).

About a third of the island is agricultural land and local farmers work daily to produce delicious fresh fruit and vegetables. Much of this is exported off the island to sell, however you can ask your guest house host to organise a tour of the farms where you get to pick your own fruit and vegetables to cook and enjoy as part of your meal that evening. There is an abundance of papaya and watermelon and the flavours are simply delicious.

Many budget travel packages for the guest houses will be half or full board. However if you prefer to venture out to try more local cafes there are some enjoyable places to try. Sweets & Treats Cafe, Maracaya Cafe, https://

www.facebook.com/The-MINTGarden-Restaurant are a few of our favourites.

Thoddoo Island is a relaxed location with a private bikini beach for tourists to enjoy. The beautiful blue waters of the Indian Ocean remind you why you chose a local Maldives Island to visit. There is a small house reef for snorkeling close to bikini beach and it is not unusual to see sea turtles swimming around, plus you can enjoy water sport activities which you can book through your guest house.

Every guest house offers an array of wonderful excursions from picnic island, dolphin cruise, diving, snorkeling, manta ray snorkeling, fishing, you can even visit a private resort if you would like to enjoy an alcoholic drink and dinner for the day or evening.

Go to the Maldives recommend the following guest houses on Thoddoo Island:

THODDOO RETREAT

HOLIDAY GRAND

HOLIDAY COTTAGE MALDIVES 11

WEDDING AND HONEYMOON IDEAS MALDIVES Maldives local islands is the perfect place to book your wedding and honeymoon for a low cost luxury experience.

Many guest houses in the Maldives offer weddings on local islands. You can design your wedding day, with the help of your guest house hosts, to create the wedding day of your dreams. Best of all, you can also continue your honeymoon right there or head off to a resort for a night or two as a treat, or even island hop and experience a different local island. There are so many options.

Planning your honeymoon is just

as exciting. Your guest house hosts will ensure your trip is the most romantic experience ever. Specially made up beds, with flowers and love hearts, romantic trips for two, candle lit dinners on the beach, you will be made to feel like you are the only people on the island.

The Maldives local islands offer a wonderful opportunity for people with all budgets to experience these tropical luxury islands in the Indian Ocean.

Many people tell us they would love to visit the Maldives but don’t even know where to start. We say, let us know what you enjoy, who is coming on your trip and what bud-

get you have and we will send you details of the best islands and guest houses we would recommend for you.

Take the guess work out and ask our expert team at Go to the Maldives, our experts actively visit the local islands right throughout the year, we are in the best position to recommend to you, the best local island for your honeymoon, wedding, family holiday, couples trip, budget traveller, back packer and even solo tourists.

Drop us an email today and let us help you plan your dream vacation to the Maldives. heidi@gotothemaldives.com

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS WITH GO TO THE MALDIVES We are delighted with the success of the Go to the Maldives web directory. In the past 18 months we have introduced guest houses, excursions, local islands and even journalists to the islands.

We are excited to announce the development of an online magazine connected with our guest house web directory www.gotothemaldives.com But wait – if you are Full Digital Member on the Go to the Maldives directory your business will be promoted absolutely FREE! Plus we will give you a full page feature once a year at no extra charge.

So feel free to add or claim your business listing right here www.gotothemaldives.com/join 12

Our quarterly subscription will be full of local island information, guest house promotions, blogs and feature promotions on your business. As an introductory promotion we are offering you an opportunity to promote your business in a paid advert at the below rates: ¼ page ad $25 (usually $50) ½ page ad $50 (usually $100) Full page ad $100 (usually $200)

AWARD WINNING DIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE MALDIVES The team at Boutique Beach Hotel were delighted to accept the award for «Top Island Award 2016» on behalf of all the people on Dhigurah island, Maldives at the Guest House conference in September 2017.

They were interviewed recently about how this will impact the island and local businesses.

What new opportunities does it bring for diving enthusiasts for Dhigurah to be awarded the «top island award 2016».

There are many new guest houses opening on Dhigurah opening up an affordable way for divers to experience probably the best diving area in Maldives. All year round whale shark and manta sightings together with amazing thila dives make this area hard to beat.

Guests also see the ‘real’ Maldives with local people living and working around them in an environment impossible to create on a resort.

Which level of service does your staff extend to their guests?

Guests who stay at Boutique Beach experience a PERSONAL service which is impossible to deliver in a bigger hotel. Everything from diving, designed for the skills and desires of our guests to their individual diet requirements and a 5* room environment gives our guests a very special experience only a small boutique hotel can deliver.

Our staff’s mission is to make our guests want to return to us because they appreciate the special service they have received.

What kind of accommodation does the Boutique Beach offer on Dhigurah?

Boutique Beach offers 6 large rooms with large open air bathrooms featuring rain showers, and Iconic British brand Moulton Brown complimentary toiletries.

Rooms feature a camera work station with USB charging points with Wi Fi free throughout the hotel. Luxurious beds with 5* bedlinen and Habitat towels from UK make our rooms unique in guest houses in Maldives.

How unique are the diving excursions?

Our Dive boat captain has over 25 years experience in this area and he can find Whale sharks when others cannot and he can drop divers in just the right place on the thilas to give divers an easy descent without negative entry. Our guest’s feedback

proves that they know we have given them the best diving experience possible.

What kind of diving experience can people expect?

They can expect that we will listen to their views on what they want to see and we will deliver that vision for them plus a lot that they did not expect. Frequent sightings of Whale sharks, mantas and fabulous thila dives make diving around Dhigurah a very special experience.

Boutique Beach and our PADI 5* Padi registered dive base...

BB dive will deliver the best possible diving experience designed around our guest’s individual skills and dreams. A PERSONAL dive plan will be designed for each guest and everyone in the BB team will work hard to make sure our guest leaves us wanting to return to us asap.

To make a booking or enquiry contact Afzal www.boutiquebeach.club 13

7 Nights All Inclusive US$1500 / - FOR 2 INCLUSIVE OF ALL TAXES

BEACH STAY MALDIVES PVT LTD We are a guest house on the island of Meedhoo, in Dhaalu Atoll located in the central province of the Maldives. Our guest house consists of 6 rooms, twin and double which you can choose from . We take guests on our own boat out to experience snorkeling, fishing and picnic islands.

We offer the Best of Maldivian Hospitality on a very Low Budget.

Special Offer Exclusive to Go to the Maldives.

www.beachstaymaldives.com 14

BOOK 10 NIGHTS FOR THE PRICE OF 7!