Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives

Located on the island of South Ari Atol, Maldives, in the heart of the Indian Ocean, the five-star Centara Grand Island Resort offers an ultimate luxury experience. Centara is a natural paradise with its palm fringed beach and crystal clear lagoon. A clear promise of perfect holiday...

With 112 spacious villas of up to 159 m2, Centara offers beautiful lodging to delighted visitors. Wooden villas linked by walkways, buildings with thatched roof, white sandy beach and turquoise lagoon : just close your eyes and picture your next vacation. All villas offer maximum services for the comfort of their residents: Internet, telephone, TV with international channels, DVD player with a selection of films, air conditioning and ceiling fan, minibar, safe, high-quality bedding with king size bed... Several categories of villas are available.

Suites on the beach offer a 81m2 space with living room, bedroom and large bathroom with outdoor bathtub. These bright suites can accommodate up to four people. The 86m2 Deluxe villas have the capacity to accommodate up to three people. Built on stilts, they are spacious and colorful with ocean views. The 93m2 Deluxe Family villas have been designed especially for families. They include a dedicated area for children with bunk beds, PlayStation and secure access to the terrace. A Jacuzzi has been added for the comfort of the residents. The Luxury Sunset Villas of 110m2, for up to five people, have a spacious terrace for relaxation and lead to the lagoon. As for the159m2 Luxury Villas on the beach, they are right on the water but also have a private pool, just so you can sunbathe privately.

Several restaurants are available on the island to cater for the different desires of the guests. The Reef offers international cuisine next to the pool. On the menu, buffets with European and Asian influences. You'll even have Teppanyaki where the dishes are sautéed on a griddle. You’ll get a taste of Italy at the Azzuri Mare. While overlooking the lagoon, you can choose from the menu pasta dishes, pizza and seafood. The Suan Bua is a Thai restaurant. The chefs recreate famous recipes like pad thai, tom yum som tam and kung. Fresh fish and shellfish, either steamed, grilled or sautéed, served in sauce, are on the menu. If you want to relax, have a cocktail or aperitif and play pool or cards, choose Aqua and Coral Bar.

Centara has a wide range of activities to suit the tastes of all its customers. Ideal complex for families, the hotel offers clubs for kids: Camp Safari and E-box. Walks, rides on inflatable tubes pulled by boats, beach games and swimming sessions in the secured swimming pool are scheduled. Couples and anyone seeking tranquility can enjoy the Cenvaree spa located by the ocean and the Club Lounge offering a relaxation area and a swimming pool in an exclusive setting. The complex allows for the discovery of the exceptional underwater life of the Maldives. Dive or snorkel off the island and discover the reefs offering a kaleidoscope of colors, exotic fish and even a wreck. Divers can expect to see turtles, whale sharks, manta rays, parrotfish, surgeonfish and other fish with strange names. In addition to this, Centara also offers a tennis court, fitness center, water sports sessions and various excursions to discover the island, local fishing or cruising with friends or your loved one at sunset. Enough to keep you well entertained throughout your stay…

Rodrigues, an Island Out of Time

No larger than Paris, Rodrigues and its ​​109km2 are not less interesting. Nestled in the heart of the Indian Ocean, Rodrigues Island has indeed many hidden treasures, kept secret from the rest of the world.

Many, many activities are available. Either to relax or let off steam. But above all, to have fun. In Rodrigues, anything and everything, is possible. Rodrigues is a leading destination for snorkelling/diving and kitesurfing. Thanks to its favorable winds most of the year and its lagoon protected by the coral reef, the island offers some beautiful spots. Amateurs and professionals meet up in the southeast of the island. Mourouk, Graviers and Plaine Corail are amongst the best spots. Now, Rodrigues even hosts an international kitesurf festival. The third edition is to be held from June 24th to 28th 2015.

As it is only recently that the tourism industry began to grow in Rodrigues, man has not (yet) damaged the environment. The seabed as the fauna and flora are still intact. The lagoon surrounding the island is protected and unpolluted, allowing impressive and breathtaking underwater excursions. We advise you to dive in the east and south, where you will find sea caves and arches, moray eels, clown fish, jacks, captains and other turtles.

There are also many unusual places in Rodrigues, such as Caverne Patate in the south of the island. This impressive millennium cave extends over 1,000 meters and offers a magnificent scenery with gigantic stalagmites and stalactites. A staircase carved into the rock leads down into the cave. It is imperative to do this excursion with a guide. You will then not only be safe but you will also learn a lot about this cave. 

This mountainous island - the peaks are however not very high - also offers breathtaking sights to all hiking afficionados. It is a place that you need to explore on foot, both inland and on the coast. On foot or by bike, explore the trails through the island to meet the people of Rodrigues, discover their culture and their natural that also makes the charm of this island. With or without a guide, you can easily go around the island in no time. The nature lovers can go to meet goats, sheep or pigs let loose in nature and observe an exceptional fauna and flora.

In the southwest of the island, you can also explore Ile Aux Cocos, known for its magnificent circular beach going around the island. This is the home for colonies of protected seabirds, the island being a natural refuge for them. Finally, Trou d’Argent, located northeast of the island, is one of the most beautiful beaches of Rodrigues. In this region are nestled huge untouched coves that large blocks of rocks keep away from prying eyes. Trou d’Argent was also ranked amongst the best preserved beaches in the world.

Mauritius’ little sister is ideal for tourists looking for a change of scenery and tranquility because as Rodriguans say, we must "give time to time," and that's exactly what it is; Rodrigues is the destination to be discovered for holidays without stress. Just relax and enjoy…

Reunion Island or the Indian Ocean’s Beautiful Mountains

Each of the Indian Ocean islands has its own identity and a charm of its own. One thing for sure is that they are all beautiful! And it’s high time for you to discover Reunion Island. This little piece of France lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean is a gem that should meet all your requirements and provide you with an idyllic holiday.

Reunion Island is unique. Its volcano, Piton de la Fournaise, is one of the most active in the world. It shapes the landscape of the island and offers unforgettable (one would be tempted to say) performances during its explosions and lava flows. Listed "Natural Asset" on the Unesco World Heritage Site list in 2010, the Piton de la Fournaise is a must. Many hiking trails, such as the Plaine des Sables one, can be used for exploring the real force of nature. From the shoreline to the top, you will discover rock and red sand and almost no vegetation. This is a landscape one expects on Mars. For those who claim to be brave, excursions are possible in the Lava Tunnels. Guided by an expert, discover the bowels of the volcano. 

The least one can say is that Reunion Island is a destination with exceptional natural resources. For thousands of years the volcano has shaped the island and has led to the creation of multiple mountain ranges. The island is now a paradise for hikers and climbers. The 900 km of marked trails - for all levels - offer a wide variety of landscapes: forests in the east, sugar-cane fields in the west or the Mars looking scenerary on top of the volcano... A Discovery circuit, ideal for family hiking was developed to understand the volcanic formation of the island. Thematic hiking are held regularly, like the bivouac to the summit of Piton des Neiges (highest point of the Indian Ocean with its 3000m) and gourmet paths or hiking on the ‘’Au Clair de la Lune’’ route. We advise you to climb the Piton Maido which is over 2000m above sea level, and offers a spectacular view of Mafate and much of the west coast.

Of course, when one thinks of islands, one automatically thinks of beaches. That being said, it is a fact that Reunion Island has plenty of beaches. In every corner of the island… It offers more than 30 km of beaches and extremely well preserved lagoons. Come snorkel and observe clown fish, moray, turtles and other marine species. All these treasures are protected by the Marine Nature Reserve. Enjoy lagoons without fear because these areas are secured and monitored continuously by lifeguards. You can go on the west coast, specifically in Saint-Pierre, Saint-Leu or Roches Noires. For the curious, at L'Etang Salé you can sunbathe on a somewhat unusual beach. Of volcanic origin, the sand is black.

As you can see, Reunion Island will surprise you. At all levels ..