The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands announces exciting festive programming

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands has announced its festive programming for the upcoming season. This year’s celebrations, themed ‘Eau’, will honour the resort’s oceanic home and the elemental power and magic of water. The festivities aim to connect and awaken guests to the beauty of the ocean, showcasing interpretations of water in all its forms. Artfully curated moments will offer guests sensory experiences, including gourmet trails, once-in-a-lifetime undersea adventures, transformative spa journeys, and magical performances with aquatic twists.

The celebrations will commence on December 22nd with a sparkling evening that reimagines the resort’s EAU Bar and iconic spherical pool into a crystalline stage of liquid theatre for the season. Guests will kick off the festivities with signature Sangu cocktails in hand while the Christmas tree is lit, looking forward to a breathtaking lineup running until January 9, 2025.

Each night, guests will be immersed in awe-inspiring scenography featuring sunset shows of music, dance, and theatre inspired by interpretations of water, reflection, renewal, and transformation. Ethereal dreamscapes will host candlelit concertos in the moonlight, while the resort’s New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner will culminate in a spectacular showcase of culinary excellence and entertainment.

A journey of gourmet treats will provide unrivalled mastery across the destination’s dining venues, curated by the resort’s exceptional chefs. On December 23rd, the omakase venue IWAU will present an exclusive wagyu and sake feast, introducing the resort’s renowned Asian flavours to the festivities. The celebratory gastronomy will continue with a Christmas Eve cocktail reception at sundown, leading to a night of epicurean splendour at EAU Bar. Christmas Day will feature the acclaimed Singapore venue Summer Pavilion serving its Cantonese wok lunch, while Beach Shack will host its signature New Year’s Day barbecue prepared on an open grill by the beach.

Throughout the holidays, a decadent series of dining experiences will include exclusive Veuve Clicquot and Taittinger dinners, izakaya menus with sake pairings, oriental tea ceremonies, and Champagne raw bars. This year’s exclusive masterclasses will invite guests to create, bake, and decorate their own traditional gingerbread houses.

For those looking to learn, move, and explore, the festive programming will offer a breadth of activities. With Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program, the resort’s marine naturalists will guide guests in exploring the ocean, including the Cities under the Sea and turtle snorkelling experiences. Above sea level, guests can embark on a luxury sunset cruise to explore sun-dappled waters at golden hour or engage in traditional fishing aboard a Maldivian Dhoni boat at dawn. On land, a sunset painting and champagne soirée will help guests capture lasting memories, alongside water-side acro-yoga and sunrise cardio tennis sessions on the resort’s high-spec tennis court to maintain festive fitness.

Harnessing the restorative power of water and the blue mind theory, the halo-shaped spa, perched serenely over the sparkling lagoon, will offer unadulterated wellness experiences with Bamford. In addition to a menu of holistic treatments, spa-goers will enjoy workshops to learn the art of gua sha self-massage, sound healing, and tapping therapy. To close out 2024 and welcome the new year, intention-setting practices and floating meditation will guide guests in formulating their resolutions, while sunrise yoga will take place in the Mystique Garden at the foot of the resort’s 98-foot-tall banyan tree.

For junior guests, Santa Claus will make a festive appearance on Christmas Day, leaving behind his merry legacy for the holidays. Ritz Kids programming, designed for children aged four to twelve, will be filled with water-inspired activities, from bubble parties to over-water piñata fun. Young visitors will delight in Ritz Kids’ futuristic indoor-outdoor space, which includes playgrounds, napping pods, an area for video games and movies, and a pool with jets and slides. Daily festive workshops will feature gingerbread house decorating, Christmas wreath making, and fascinating explorations of the micro-world of ocean organisms with marine scientists. A fashion show will invite young fashionistas to take to the catwalk, while teens can participate in beach paddleball, tennis tournaments, and kayak racing, alongside surf clinics to ride the waves into 2025.

A 15-minute boat ride to Fari Marina Village will lead to The Fari Marina Night Market on January 4th, showcasing the best of the unique Fari Islands destination. Illuminated by artist James Turrell’s Amarta installation, the evening will feature gourmet delicacies from both The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, and the neighbouring Patina resort, along with an array of local crafts.

Guests can expect the festivities at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, to continue until January 9th, before welcoming in the lunar new year.