Kaimoo’s Equator Village Resort Turns 21

Equator Village Maldives, located in Gan island, Addu, celebrates its 21st birthday as a Kaimoo-operated resort this week.

The popular hotel first opened its doors to tourists in 1983, putting the southern atoll on the tourist map. Kaimoo took over the property in 1999.

A former Royal Air Force Sergeants’ Mess from 1956-1976, when the British operated an airbase in Addu, Equator Village still boasts the old colonial buildings and pretty English flower gardens that make the resort so unique in the Maldives.

It is also one of the very few resorts in the country that is connected to local islands – via the Addu causeway. This means guests can hop on a bicycle and explore neighbouring island villages and beaches. The resort is also popular with divers, who visit to explore nearby wreck dives and all-year manta ray sightings.

Equator Village was recently upgraded and rebranded as a boutique hotel, with a refurbished reception area, restaurant, bar, pool, gym, and beach front. The resort now has a chic and spacious feel, while still retaining its historic charm. With a newly refurbished conference hall located in a heritage building, and just a 2-minute drive from Gan International Airport, the resort is also a popular destination for meetings, conferences and exhibitions.

The resort’s 78 spacious bungalows are designed with simple elegance, each with its own veranda opening onto courtyard gardens full of tropical plants and flowers.

Equator Village has recently won a number of Maldivian and international travel awards, including: Maldives Travel Awards, Leading Airport Hotel 2017, 2018; and South Asian Travel Awards (SATA), Leading Airport hotel 2019. The resort has been nominated for the 2020 SATA Awards under the categories of: Leading Airport Hotel; Leading Boutique Hotel / Resort; Leading Heritage Hotel /Resort.

The resort runs a number of community outreach programs, working closely with local schools and the Addu Red Crescent Society.

“We are proud of how far we have come. I would like to thank the Equator team and our clients who visit us from all corners of the world.”, said Mohamed Waheed, Resort Manager of Equator Village. “We look forward to welcoming guests back to Equator as soon as it is safe to do so. In the meantime, please stay safe.”, he added.

 Equator Village’s parent company, Kaimoo, is a leading hospitality business in the Maldives. Founded in 1979 and wholly Maldivian owned, it operates and manages six resorts and hotels in the Maldives: Equator Village, Summer Island Maldives, Embudu Village, Mookai Hotel, Mookai Suites, and Kam Hotel.