Travel & Leisure News

The Garden Within Arrives at Nova Maldives for Festive Season 2026

Inspired by Nova's enduring spirit of connection, the festive programme brings together meaningful celebrations, restorative wellbeing, creative expression and shared experiences designed to feel warm, effortless and good for the soul, each one threaded with presence and the pleasure of feeling completely at home. From barefoot days and unhurried moments to joyful gatherings, the programme invites guests to reconnect with themselves, with others and with the natural beauty of island life. Island Festivities at Twilight The Magic of Christmas brings the island's community together beneath twinkling lights for the Christmas Tree Lighting and Santa Claus' arrival, setting the tone for a season of celebration. On Christmas Day, the celebrations continue with the storytelling, music and craft of the Grand Holhuashi , a tradition dating back to the seafaring villages of old Maldives, when communities gathered at day's end to mark the moment together. As the year draws to a close, cocktail parties and gala dinners carry guests into New Year's Eve, culminating in a spectacular firework display at midnight to welcome in the new year. Throughout the season, live performances from resident bands Supremacy and The Kabans, fire shows on the beach, tiki nights at Wink, and an intimate Shisha & Cigar Lounge keep the island's evenings alive with rhythm. Wellness Inspired by the Cosmos To tend to what's within, EsKape Spa will welcome guests with limited-time rituals that encourage wellbeing during the festive season, including Reikilogy , blending Reiki with foot reflexology, and Abhyanga , a traditional Ayurvedic warm oil massage making use of rhythmic movements to bring about relaxation. Beneath a canopy of stars, a quieter sensual invitation unfolds at the Soma Nāda Sound Journey , where soothing vibrations draw guests inward to sit with stillness and reflection beneath the Cold Moon of Christmas Eve. Visitors can also craft their own herbal potli in the Arogya Potli Workshop , held on Sunday mornings throughout the period, gathering fragrant herbs and spices into a small hand-tied pouch to bring a piece of Nova's garden home. Harvest from the Sea Every evening, the treasures of the ocean garden make their way onto the table. In the day, leisurely Dim Sum & Sushi light bites keep peckishness at bay, while aspiring cooks at Soul Kitchen can trade recipes for hands-on secrets in the Truly Maldivian Flavours workshop . By night, diners can choose between two special menus at Mizu, Nova's overwater restaurant: the Japanese feast Nova Sora Umi: Blooming Ocean , inspired by the collision of sky and sea (offered daily); and the six-course Umi no Sachi: Bountiful Harvest of the Sea, which lays out the ocean's finest, course by course (offered on Christmas and New Year’s Eve). Beyond the table, couples can opt for a beachside feast of grilled lobster and sparkling wine beneath the stars at a more private corner, or sail out to a sandbank to enjoy Prosecco and canapés on a Castaway experience , far from any menu, where candlelight, the tide and each other's company are all that's on offer. Explore the Underwater Garden For ocean-lovers, Whale Shark Snorkelling and Manta Quest outings offer front-row seats to South Ari Atoll's gentle giants and manta rays’ silent ballet, while beginner-friendly scuba tours welcome first-timers into the deep. To encourage travellers to give back to the ocean, guests can participate in reef clean-ups and become a patron in the resort’s Coral Garden Sponsorship , where they’ll be able to plant a coral frame of their own under Nova’s marine team’s guidance. " The Garden Within reflects something Nova has always stood for – meaningful connection that honours presence and wellbeing," says Abdulla Aboobakuru, General Manager of Nova Maldives. "Festive season here is a planting season. Through moments spent moving, resting and creating together, we hope every guest leaves feeling they have grown closer to themselves, their loved ones, and the world around them, returning home with space within them for something new to grow."