Kuramathi is known for its clever towel art designs found in guest villas, be it upon arrival, or during turndown service, cleverly done by our Housekeeping Team. In this edition, we will highlight a team member from our Housekeeping Team, Ahmed Farooq.

Farooq joined the Kuramathi team on 20^th September 2007 as a Room Attendant. After 4 years of experience at Kuramathi, he is presently a Housekeeping Room Supervisor. Farooq also acts as a guide to his fellow Team Members by tutoring new Towel Art designs to the Room Attendants. During his spare time, Farooq is an avid reader, and is also a prominent footballer/goalkeeper of the Kuramathi team.

When asked why he chose to work at Kuramathi, Farooq responded:

“It may sound a bit strange, but my curiosity into this sector of the Hospitality industry has become a vital part for me now. I find the many difficult chores of Housekeeping activities to be an exciting job! I love bed preparation and tutoring my team members. This is my second home, and I foresee myself working here in the future, in the same department.”

Fast Facts
Birthday: 12^th April 1989 (22 years)
Star Sign: Aries
Status: Single
Favourite colour: Blue

In line with our objective of continually improving the experience we offer to our guests, we are pleased to announce the opening of the Kuramathi Lounge. Set in the Trans Maldivian Airline’s newly built terminal, this lounge is a venue for the travellers turned tourists to rewind and relax while you take in exciting sights of seaplanes taking off and landing. A dedicated team from Kuramathi is at your disposal, catering to your needs and wants before you get on the island, be it booking slots for that much anticipated dinner at one of our 6 à la carte restaurants, an adrenaline filled excursion or reserving your experience for a pampering spa treatment! Our Lounge Hosts ensures you are comfortable while you laze away on snug daybeds and sun loungers. How better can your holiday be when it hasn’t even started?

Measuring over 200 square metres, the Lounge offers on complimentary basis a wide range of drinks from bottled mineral water, soft drinks, tasty snacks and pastries, tea and coffee service and even wi-fi along with 2 computers just in case you wanted to Tweet or update your Facebook status, making you the envy of all your friends back home!

Meanwhile, you are also given the option to explore more about Kuramathi. Enthralling information about the different activities on Kuramathi is provided in folders for your perusal. When it’s time for your departure, gear up your camera as the seaplane flies over the atolls giving you a bird’s eye view of the Maldives; a 20 minute scenic flight before you pursue the beginning of a dream vacation you’ll never forget.

New gastronomic delights pave their path in the Palm Pizzeria & Gelateria menus. Handpicked by our Executive Chef – Michel Muffat, the 5 new dishes are skilfully designed to give a better variety of culinary experiences from healthy vegetarian options to delicious main courses. New Mediterranean treats are also introduced, and these are sure to leave you pondering on which choice to indulge in when you are presented with the menu. The 5 new recipes are comprised of:

Capsicum spring roll – stuffed with roasted bell pepper, Kalamata black olives, sultana and dill compote served with a polenta cake and Kuramathi herbs and greens salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette (Main course)

Kuramathi Organic garden salad – served with hot Goat Cheese toast and walnut seasoned with honey raspberry vinaigrette (Appetiser)

Lamb Rump – quick roast of succulent lamb coated with Moroccan spices, capsicum fettucine pasta, capsicum tomato tapenade, Kuramathi Garden Salad with sun dried tomato vinegar. (Main course)

Grilled Red Mullet Fish – on top of a Saffron risotto ‘Paella style’ served with chorizo chips and bell pepper confit (Main Course)

Braised Cod Fish Fillet – topped with a parmesan and dried tomato crumble served with coriander bulgur steamed zucchini and saffron sauce (Main Course)

In addition to these zestful feasts, an extra number has been included in the ice cream menu, the mint chocolate drops! Looks like our beloved guests shall have more gourmet adventures to pursue!

An introductory on Kuramathi’s Executive Chef – Michel Muffat

Born in Haute-Savoie, France, Michel Muffat is our Executive chef, the man who takes our guests on gastronomical adventures with his culinary skills. Michel joined the Kuramathi team in September 2003, previously having worked in various parts of the world including Korea, Portugal, Switzerland, France, England and Thailand. Michel shows our guests the importance of fine dining at its finest.

His flair for cooking is one invented personally and is integrated in every small detail of food produced from our main kitchen. Trained in the arts of culinary in the Hotel School of Thonon Les Bains, Michel heads 9 kitchens, the bakery and the ice cream parlour of the island of which only natural goodness is used. Having worked in Kuramathi for 7 years he leads the kitchen team of 125 team members, devoted to cater to guests of diverse origins.

The 6 piece line-up, with their roaring guitars shredding up to elusive solos, clever bass lines, perfected timings on snares and hi-hats, funky tunes composed on keyboard, complete with the artistic vocal flair on display, and we could go on and on to describe The Wood, Kuramathi’s all star band; and now they ready to announce their first debut album on September 21st, 2011.

The album, titled “Into the Island” is comprised of 5 songs, of which 4 are Maldivian songs with a classic touch of slow rock whilst the other is an English number. One song from the album, “Rey Rey” is inspired from a perfection of an island and pays tribute to Kuramathi. When asked what motivated them to release an album, the band’s founder member Hamza says “This album is more of a project; a collection of our talents wrapped up in one piece. Our motive is to influence Maldivian artists to release more albums for the growth of the Maldives music industry. This album is an experiment and if it is successful, with support from our fans, we shall target to launch another album in the international arena”. Hamza also stated that this is a bigger leap towards attaining a bigger goal.

With influences from rock and roll, The Wood is arguably renowned in their vibe filled live performances, and are massive crowd pleasers, in the minute sector of Maldivian resort music industry.

How it all began

In 2004, 3 musicians were eager to test their musical capacity by testing the waters with their instruments. The original line up which were dubbed as Whitewash back then, consisted of Rythm guitarist (Hambe), Bassist (Mo) and the Vocalist (Ammadey) they found themselves harnessing innate artistic abilities which inspired them to form a band. Eventually, a keyboardist, drummer and a lead guitarist were brought into the line-up.

In 2009, new members were confirmed (which are the present members) as Adde took on the Lead Guitar, BC on keyboards and Aruham on the drums. This 6 piece combo then took on centre-stage to perform with a selection of their favourite genres ranging from classic rock, rock, blue, reggae, indie, blues, latin and even hip-hop. Thus, The Wood was made official for all our guests to indulge in pure excellence in music.

For more about The Wood, please visit their Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wood-at-Kuramathi/232367123445777

In our August issue, we take a special highlight on a new face that recently joined the ranks of Kuramathi. Yana Kalashnyk, from Ukraine who currently assumes the position of Guest Relations Officer, is a young team member whose passion lies in the hospitality industry. Having attained a Masters Degree in Management of Hotels and Restaurants, in Kiev, Ukraine, Yana began her journey to gain experience in the vast world of travel and hospitality. Ambitious and well diverse in tongue, Yana speaks Russian, Ukranian, English, Basic Polish, Czech and Slovak. When asked what she likes about working in Kuramathi, Yana says:

“I am impressed by the surrounding nature of this beautiful island, and the Maldives itself. The people are warm and friendly, and this is a personal haven for me, I can understand why our guests love this island as there is something for everyone, here at Kuramathi. The whole concept is pleasing and very interesting as well”
Yana’s interests include travelling, socialising, karaoke, reading and appreciating art in all forms.

Fast Facts
Birthday: 22nd April 1989 (22 years)
Star Sign: Taurus
Marital Status: Single
Favourite colour: Black

Located just 8 minutes boat ride from Kuramathi is an amazing dive site, home to one of world’s most extraordinary marine animals – the Hammerhead shark. Hammerhead sharks are found in many tropical and temperate coastal habitats, with several species occurring on or near reefs where they take refuge, hunt and are cleaned by resident cleaner fishes.

These aggressive looking, yet harmless sharks are found all year round swimming in schools close to our nearby desert island of Madivaru.  This site is one of the few places in the world where Hammerheads can be seen and we are very fortunate to have it so close. Scalloped Hammerhead sharks are plentiful in this area and can range from 1m to 3m or even 4m in length.  A mature Hammerhead usually grows up to 3m while baby Hammerheads of just 1m can also be seen in the school. There have also been occasional sightings of the Great Hammerhead on this spectacular dive site. The sharks may ascend to depths as shallow as 5m, but will descend far beyond our maximum recreational diving depth of 30m.

There were a high percentage of close encounters with Hammerheads last year, Rasdhoo Divers reports, a PADI/SSI/Barakuda Certified Diving school that has been in operation for more than 16 years on Kuramathi and who dive this site at least four times weekly. Rasdhoo Divers uses the Hammerhead shark as their logo, having been inspired by this fascinating shark. For a diver to join this spectacular dive, completion of the advanced course or at least deep dive training is required.  Divers wake at dawn and descend 30m into a blue ocean, the path lit by sparkling plankton and hover in the deep awaiting the Hammerheads. Even if you happen to be unlucky and the Hammerheads fail to show, it is still an amazing blue water dive.  When they do appear, close encounters are common and the image of full grown Hammerhead approaching you, will remain with you long after your holiday is over! Other places where Hammerheads are found include the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, Cocos Islands in Costa Rica and Layang Layang in Malaysia.

Fun Facts about Hammerhead Sharks

• Feeds on rays, bony fishes, squid and crustaceans. Uses its hammer to pin the ray and attack
• Typically sighted early morning at around 0600-0700HRS
• Motion is similar to the linear forward intensity of an onrushing truck
• Regularly engages in schooling behaviour of up to 20 or 30 individuals and make long seasonal, north-south migrations.
• Originates from the Sphyrnidae family of sharks

Ever wondered who the amicable character in Haruge Restaurant is? His cheery greetings and exclamation of pure joy when answering a guest question about the food at the buffet. Ibrahim Hussain Ali commonly referred to as ‘Beybe’ (meaning brother in Dhivehi) is that jolly man. One of the oldest and loyal team members of Kuramathi, Beybe has contributed his services to this island for 30 years. He first started as a kitchen helper in 1981 and has worked his way up to his current position of Commis 1. When asked what motivated him to work and stay on Kuramathi, Beybe gave a swift and confident reply.

“My passion lies in cooking and anything related to cooking. Let’s say if I mix one ingredient with another ingredient to make a tasty dish. I would apply that to your question as well. My zeal for cooking and my love for this island, this being my second home gave me the drive to stay here. Cooking is my past time and to ensure that the guests are fully satisfied with their meal is what motivates me further. I have witnessed the many changes on Kuramathi and it has been a wonderful journey to this day, and I should thank for all those who helped me achieve the position I am in presently.”

Fast Facts
Birthday: 15^th June 1958 (53 years)
Star Sign: Gemini
Favourite colour: Blue

We are all having a good start to the year 2011, dear readers. Some have made new resolutions, some are trying new hobbies and some are celebrating their achievements of the past year. We from the Kuramathi team are delighted with the successive awards we have attained. From the TUI International Environmental Award to the HolidayCheck Award, our persistent efforts to deliver the best of our services and original products to our valuable guests prove this statement.

The World of TUI International Environmental Award provides acknowledgement and funding for environmental and nature conservation organisations that have made an exemplary contribution to protecting and conserving natural resources in their holiday destinations. The award was launched in 1991 and is worth 10’000 Euros. For year 2010, the Eco Centre at Kuramathi Island Resort has won this prestigious award making it the first winner in the Asia Pacific region in the award’s history.

From over 400’000 hotel reviews in year 2010, HolidayCheck honours the 99 best hotels worldwide. This year it included Kuramathi Island Resort, in the category “Beach Holidays”. This is the 6th time they have presented the HolidayCheck award and the first time the award is split into ten different categories.

Us from the Kuramathi Team, is comprised of a team solely dedicated to achieve excellence in everything we endeavour. By being environmentally conscious and setting up objectives to maintain sustainability indeed our perseverance has come to fruition.