For the first time ever, a president of the Maldives resigns before completing even one term of rule.

President Mohamed Nasheed came into power following the victory of the then opposition coalition during the 2008 election. President Nasheed stepped into the role as one of the most popular presidential candidates in the history of this small nation – as many Maldivians felt a change would be refreshing after the previous 30 years.

Within the first trimester of his presidency, Mohamed Nasheed was seen to break the ties with the other political parties that helped him win the 2008 presidential elections  albeit by a narrow margin. Although some were disheartened by his rule and especially privatization policies, many were still President Nasheed’s adamant followers and he did gain a lot of positive attention from the international media as well.

It was following the military arrest of the chief judge of the Criminal Court on January 16, 2012 that politics in the Maldives escalated into a complete impasse. The on-going demonstrations since culminated in the police taking sides with the public and confronting the military in the early hours of February 07, 2012. A few hours later many from the military joined the police and soon thereafter the officials loyal to the ruling government resigned.

At about 1:00pm local time President Mohamed Nasheed resigned.

After 11 years, the Maldives has a new slogan and logo. It took more than year to design and many individuals in the tourism and fishing industries, as well as the general public, took part in the decision making process. The MMPRC Chairperson Thoyyib Mohamed said the slogan and logo were designed around the Maldives natural beauty because most of the country’s tourists name the natural beauty as one of the reasons for visiting.

The Maldives two biggest sectors are tourism and fishing, which is why they were the inspiration for the new slogan and logo. The slogan is “Maldives-Always Natural” and the text is colored blue fading into the green thumbprint logo of naturally occurring wildlife and plants in the Maldives.

The UNICEF Check out for Children™ Challenge is a staff fundraising competition among Starwood Hotels which began in 2003 and has continued to garner strength and support throughout the various Starwood Hotels and Resorts in the Asia Pacific region.

Sheraton Maldives began this year’s fund raising activities by organizing a special ‘Fishing Competition & BBQ Night’ for guests with performances of traditional music Bodu-Beru by local Maldivian artists. The operator of the Water Sports Center at Sheraton Maldives, Extreme Maldives Water Sports supported the fund raising event by providing the boats free of charge.

The resort will also be hosting a Ramadan Break Fast later in the month for various key local travel agents, tour operators and partners where the attendees can make their own contribution to the fund by purchasing raffle tickets for memorable prizes for just US$1.

General Manager of Sheraton Maldives, Ursula Schoefl said that “Associates of Sheraton Maldives are delighted to be working with the UNICEF Check out for Children again in 2011. The Starwood Cares program is at the heart of our daily work principles and caring for our global community is a way of us connecting with each other through these fundraising activities for the greater good of others.”

Participants of the fund raising events will stand a chance to win free nights among other great prizes offered by the Sheraton Maldives Resort.

For the past 16 years UNICEF and Starwood Hotels and Resorts have been working together to raise funds for the world’s most vulnerable children – with over AUD$7M raised since the program began. In 2010 UNICEF Check out for Children Challenge raised over US$132,000 in the Asia Pacific region.

If the Maldives beaches aren’t enough, or you’re just starving after a long day of scuba diving, the cuisine of these islands will surprise you and satisfy you. With fresh ingredients and a focus on seafood, the Maldives cuisine you find will make you wonder whether you can go back to the way you eat when you’re at home.

Different Foods for Different Travelers

Due to the very location of the Maldives being between Sri Lanka and India, many new foods have gradually been introduced and different cooking styles have influenced the current menus. This mixing of cultures has culminated in a blend of styles resulting in a unique cuisine. However, in addition to local dishes, it is usual for a Maldives resort to offer a diverse menu of foods including: Chinese, Thai, Indian, Malaysian, Sri Lankan and Continental

What You May Eat in the Maldives

The Maldives’ primary source of meat is seafood, especially tuna. Freshly caught fish makes for a delicious meal and the talents of the chefs will amaze you. As with many tropical islands, there is also an abundance of fruit and vegetables. The Maldivian diet is healthy, fresh, and satisfying.

Some authenic cuisine in the Maldives includes:

• Bajiyaa – fish, onions, and coconut stuffed pastry
• Fihunu mas – barbequed fish, marinated with chili peppers
• Gulha – smoked fish stuffed pastry balls
• Keemia – deep fried fish rolls
• Kulhi boakibaa – spicy fish cake
• Mas huni – shredded and smoked fish, mixed with onions and grated coconut
• Masroshi – mas huni wrapped in a roshi bread and baked
• Theluli mas – fried fish with garlic and chili peppers

In the more westernized parts of the Maldives, such as the capital, Malé, you can expect to find many restaurants serving western dishes alongside eastern food and local dishes. If you like the option of a more familiar meal, or you have children with particular tastes, you won’t be disappointed.

The unique taste of Maldivian cuisine is light and fresh, and it fits into the active lifestyle on the islands. Take time to try the different offerings of the Maldives to see what the people have eaten in their own homes for generations.

MALDIVES – Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa opens its newest restaurant this February, ‘Bamboo’. Created specifically to introduce new flavours to the five-star resort’s guests, Bamboo offers a taste of casual dining from across south and south-east Asia with a menu that features dishes as varied as Japanese sushi and Chinese dim sum to Sri Lankan and Vietnamese specialties.

“Bamboo is a beautiful little restaurant where guests can enjoy fresh cuisine from around Asia,” says Food and Beverage Manager Stephan Faessler. “We focussed on offering our interpretation of typical street food, such as sizzling hot dishes served fast and fresh from the hot wok or steamer, superbly presented sushi and sashimi as well as a quintessential collection of soups, salads, curries, noodle and rice dishes.”

Surrounded by lush tropical greenery in a snug setting by the resort’s main bar, Bamboo is open for lunch and dinner. Diners can expect to enjoy pure, full-flavored Asian delicacies served quickly in a beautiful resort environment where Thai, Singaporean and Japanese dishes sit comfortably next to Sri Lankan, Chinese and Malay specialties in sight of the Indian Ocean.

The Bamboo Menu

SASHIMI, NIGIRI & MAKI

• Maldivian yellow fin tuna
• Atlantic Ocean salmon
• Indian Ocean reef fish
• Salmon maki
• California sushi roll
• Cucumber maki
• Maldivian yellow fin tuna maki
• Sri Lankan lagoon crab maki
• Maldivian yellow fin tuna nigiri
• Atlantic Ocean salmon nigiri
• Indian Ocean reef fish nigiri
• Indian Ocean squid nigiri
• Maldivian blue sea water shrimp nigiri

SALADS

• Chinese style oriental chicken salad with crunchy ramen noodles
• Cold soba noodles with tempura fish
• Thai style minced chicken salad
• Glass noodle salad with shrimps

SOUPS

• Spicy miso with ramen noodles
• Thai tom yum kung
• Shrimp wonton soup
• Singaporean style mee rebus soup
• Chinese baby corn soup with egg drop

DIM SUM STEAMER SELECTION

• Roasted pork bun
• Shrimp hakaw
• Mixed shumai
• Pork & shiitake mushroom shumai
• Spinach & tofu dumpling

MAIN COURSES

• Ramen noodles with prawns, broccoli and coriander
• Ramen noodles with yakitori chicken breast and spring onions
• Japanese soba noodles with vegetable tempura and spring onions
• Pad Thai with lemon grass prawns
• Singaporean style beef chow fun with coriander
• Sri Lankan kottu rotti with chicken thigh
• Mixed satay with Malay rice and peanut sauce
• Malaysian curry laksa (curry mee) with seafood
• Sri Lankan lamprais served with chicken liver curry
• Traditional Thai green curry with tiger prawns
• Chili chicken and cashew nut with steamed rice
• Clay pot prawns with glass noodles
• Panang style curry with tender beef and steamed rice

DESSERTS

• Thai steamed banana cake with young coconut cream
• Vietnamese style crème caramel with sweet coffee sauce
• Asian coconut custard with crispy coconut chips
• South-Asian fruits scented with fresh lemon grass syrup
• Chilled Maldivian melon and sago soup
• Warm sticky rice with Thai mango

More information can be found of the Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa Facebook page, and for more information on the resort or for bookings please visit www. MaldivesIruFushi.hilton.com or email reservations.irufushi@hilton.com.

Contact:
Katherine Anthony
+960 668 0105
katherine.anthony@hilton.com