Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives, the only five star resort in the Maldives with its own private executive terminal, now allows guests to fly into the resort in their private jet, allowing pure indulgence and relaxation right from the start of their holiday. The resort located on Addu Atoll, is the first luxury resort south of the equator in the Maldives and features 132 villas with views of the ocean or of the island’s natural lush vegetation.
The new co-operation between Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives and Gan International Airport opens up numerous opportunities for guests to make travel even more exciting. No matter whether for a family holiday or a tropical weekend escape, the entire trip can now be a luxurious experience from start to finish.
The Executive Terminal which was built for the SAARC summit in 2011 was taken over by Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa for the exclusive arrival and departure of Shangri-La’s guests at Gan.
Rebranded, the new terminal offers Shangri-La’s first-class service, a private jet lounge, on-site immigration, customs support and baggage screening. The terminal comprises of two separate large rooms and one VIP exclusive section and offers all first class facilities that guests might need upon arrival.
“Providing our guests a luxurious experience and a true personalised welcome from the moment they land, is for me a great achievement,” said Rene D. Egle, the resort’s general manager.
Besides its private jet experience, the resort also offers guests the ease of travel with a selection of tailor-made benefits. These include accommodation in one of the resort’s Presidential Villas, champagne, a romantic dolphin cruise, a daily massage at CHI, The Spa, an exclusive “Dine By Design” dining option, a personal mobile telephone and a personal villa host, to name just a few.
A number of new tours have also been designed for couples and families to enjoy around Addu Atoll covering various interests, from historical and farming excursions to cycling tours and nature walks. Among those on offer are:
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The Historical Tour where guests can spend an afternoon among the remnants of the British occupation of Addu. The adventurous can scuba dive to the British Loyalty ship wreck, a cargo boat that was scuttled off the island of Maradhoo in 1946. Priced at $50++ per person the tour duration is two hours and 30 minutes.
Meedhoo Farms Tour where guests can enjoy a guided tour of local farms and see first-hand the source of the locally grown produce used in the restaurants at Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives. This is followed by a local Maldivian home tea ritual featuring local “short eats” of farm fruit and fresh fruit juice. Guests are able to expand on their local farm experience by indulging in a Chef’s Garden Dinner on Villingili as part of the resort’s Dine-by-Design offer. Priced at $60++ per person the tour duration is three hours.
Addu city tour by bicycle or by car offer guests a truly local perspective of daily life in the Maldives, as well as an insight into how it has changed over the years. The guests will also have the opportunity to see traditional coral stone houses and buy fresh fruit and juices at the local roadside stalls, before finishing the tour by crossing the causeway to Gan Island, where there is a chance to explore the local area on foot before catching the speedboat back to Villingili. Priced at $40++ per person (by bicycle) or $50++ per person (by car) the tour duration is two hours and 30 minutes.
The resort also offers a complimentary Villingili Nature Walk for all its guests. With 12 hectares of lush foliage, towering banyan trees, 17,000 coconut trees, 45 species of plants, three natural lagoons, the nature trails are extremely popular among guests and truly sets it apart from other resorts in the Maldives. Guests can expand their Villingili natural experience by joining the presentations on the natural world held at the resort’s Eco Centre. On selected days, the centre offers talks on coral reef ecosystems, turtles, and how animals produce and use their own electricity and light. The tour duration is one hour and 30 minutes.
For further information and to make a reservation, please telephone the resort on (960) 689 7888 or by e-mail to reservations@shangri-la.com.