Private island weddings at Conrad Maldives

Getting married on a pristine beach in the Maldives will always be special, but for couples looking to go the extra mile and do something even more exclusive there really is only one option…..hire your own private Maldivian island for a wedding that will be just as memorable as the island’s setting. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island offers couples the unique opportunity to have exclusive use of their very own private island paradise. Reached by a 30-minute seaplane flight, adult-only Rangali Island boasts 50 romantic water villas, accommodating up to 100 guests. The island has three restaurants, an over-water spa, and an infinity-edge pool and is fringed with sugary soft white sandy beaches and crystal-clear aquamarine seas.! Conrad Maldives Rangali Island vows to make your wedding extraordinary. A team of island experts will be on hand to assist with every aspect of your private island wedding to ensure nothing is overlooked. The bride and groom can simply sit back, relax and soak up the lush island surroundings with friends and family.

Every aspect of your wedding will be tailor-made especially for you. Whether you want a barefoot ceremony on the beach or an intimate gathering in Rangali Island’s charming thatched Chapel of Love, the choice is yours. A host of dining options are available for after the ceremony, be it sinking into the sand for an unforgettable sunken beach dining experience, lobster and Champagne in a tranquil beach setting or a more formal dinner at the award-winning beachside Vilu Restaurant and Bar. All are available for up to 100 guests. You and your guests will experience the height of understated luxury in your choice of 50 water villas, which all enjoy uninterrupted views over the Indian Ocean with their own private jacuzzi or plunge pool and stairs leading directly into the water. For the ultimate treat, the newlyweds should opt for one of the two Sunset Water Villas which are set in their own lagoon with a glass floored living room, circular rotating bed, private infinity pool and are only accessible by speedboat and private walkway. The team at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island will go the extra mile throughout your stay to create magical memories that last a lifetime. From treating your guests to a beach bonfire, cinema under the stars, desert island picnic or sunset fishing, nothing is too much trouble. The resort offers a breadth of experiences designed to connect guests with the postcard surroundings including diving with manta rays, snorkelling with whale sharks, wake boarding and beach volleyball tournaments. Guests will have the experience of a lifetime. And after it’s time to say goodbye to friends and family, the happy couple can continue their island castaway dreams with a fabulous honeymoon of a lifetime. 

07 Reasons to Book your Holiday through a Travel Company.

#1 – Save time – Say bye-bye to planning and research

Tour operators are not only destination experts, but are equally skilled in planning & logistics as well. With their connections with local suppliers & providers in the hospitality industry, they can make your trip worth-while. From trip planning to hotels and accommodation, they can provide a detailed day-by-day itinerary of where you will stay, what you will see and where you will eat. Most tour operators have detailed itineraries posted on their website, and can give you valuable suggestions on best times to travel, what to expect and can help you plan your vacation within your budget.

#2 – Make friends – Travel in a group

Single, or simply looking for companions to travel with you? Take advantage of the group travel option – there are several tour operators that operators tours catering to your choice and preference – women only tours, solo travelers, LGBT, elderly couples are some great options to get out there as a group, meet new people, make friends and also discover new places.

#3 – Bucket list – Do it now

You always wanted to do an African Wild-life Safari, climb Mount Everest, and go on an expedition tour to Antarctica. Now, you can do it, it’s easy. With plenty of thematic tour options to choose from – adventure, wild-life safaris, hiking & trekking, etc. you not only get the research, planning & booking taken care for you, you can also rest assured on what to expect on your adventure including suggestions/tips on what to wear, best time to travel, and above all guides & local help to assist you throughout your journey.

#4 – Stranger in a foreign land – Don’t be

Traveling can be a life enriching experience. At the same time, it can also be somewhat of a daunting experience – experience foreign land, new people, exotic cuisine, climate, culture shock and much more. In order to acclimate you to the local custom and give you a smooth sailing, when you travel with a tour operator, you will be escorted or shall we say accompanied by a tour leader or a tour guide, who is familiar with local customs. Having your own tour leader/guide travel with you helps you with getting trusted recommendations on restaurants, shopping, and above all gives you the extra cushion when you are in a foreign land and cannot speak the native language. If nothing else, you have someone traveling with you to take a picture for your selfie.

#5 – Feed your soul – enjoy niche tours

There are a range of tour options which are extremely niche, and can make you immerse in local culture, discover experiences that you would otherwise not find on any booking sites. A good example of that is a food & wine vacations tour – where guests can stay in estates or local well-to-do homes, can partake in culinary lessons while taking in scenery of a country side and enjoying a scrumptious 3/5 course meal 3 times a day, with wine of course.

A typical European culinary tour (Italy or France) offers travelers insight into local tradition through visits to picturesque medieval villages, cooking classes, winery visits, wine tasting, local restaurants. Gourmet tours could include food artisan’s visits, cheese farms, olive oil producers and markets.

#6 – Opportunity Cost – money matters

Now this one is quite subjective, and you may not agree with it. On the surface, it may appear that you are overpaying for a ready-made package, and you may even think that you can do better by taking a DIY approach. Here is where your mileage may vary. Some tours are harder – takes more time and money to plan on your own – ex: like the genealogy tour discussed above or enjoying a 7 day/8 night customized food, culinary & cooking tour to Bordeaux, France with stay in one of the spectacular wine houses, and visits to nearby cellars and enjoying their native cheeses and wine. Even a simple sight-seeing tour to London when combined with cultural & discovery element through the eyes of a native tour operator can mean a lot. You will find a lot of gems that you wouldn’t think otherwise.

#7 – Travel tips, visa arrangements and more …

Tour operators specialize in select destinations, and offer valuable tips in terms of best time to travel, where to stay and how to make the best of your best. Additionally, if you are carrying a non-US passport, tour operators can assist you with getting visas either on their own, or can direct you to a 3rd party office.

Photo credits:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/125186064617198389/

http://www.excelliving.com/13-side-business-ideas-you-can-start-today-2013-01-31-12146.html?src=ob

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/567805465493587896/

http://blog.africansafaris.com/grootbos-ulusaba-client-feedback/

http://www.portoclub.gr/browse/crete-join-the-cretans-daily-life.html

25 Things You Wouldn’t Believe About These Countries

Depending upon your definition, and whether or not you count Taiwan, there are “approximately” 196 countries in the world as of this writing. So while you may consider yourself to be a knowledgeable global citizen, and we’re sure you are, given the dynamic and complex nature of our planet there are certain to be at least a couple facts on this list that you will find surprising. Here are 25 things that you wouldn't believe about these countries.

#25.  Covers the most time zones – France If you count everything, including overseas territories, then France claims the title by covering 12 time zones. The United States would be the runner-up with 11 and then Russia with 9.

#24.  Most likely to disappear beneath the waves – Maldives With all the talks of global warming and rising sea levels, it is the residents of the Maldives that have the greatest reason to fear. With an average height of around 1.8 meters above sea level their nation is the lowest on Earth.

#23.  Most overweight population – Nauru With over 95% of its population being overweight, the small island nation of Nauru is by far the fattest country on Earth. Its obesity epidemic is primarily attributed to the importation of western fast food that coincided with an increased standard of living in the 20th century due to the global popularity of its phosphate exports. It’s almost non sequitur…almost. #22.  Roads made of coral – Guam Because Guam doesn’t have any natural sand, but rather coral, the island nation makes its asphalt using a mix of ground coral and oil rather than importing sand from abroad.  #21.  Has 350 sheep for every person – Falkand Islands (UK) With only about 3,000 people the Falkland Islands are home to approximately half-a million-sheep. Not surprisingly wool is a major export. #20.  Oldest sovereign state – Egypt This largely depends upon your definition of a sovereign state but if you are going by first acquisition of sovereignty then Egypt would be the first country in the world to achieve sovereignty based upon the formation of the first dynasty in 3100 BC. #19.  Most lakes in the world – Canada With over 3 million lakes 9% of Canadian territory is actually fresh water and over 60% of all the lakes in the world are found within its borders. #18.  Least likely place to meet your neighbour – Mongolia At 4 people per square mile Mongolia is the least densely populated country on Earth. Compare this to the Mong Kok district of Hong Kong that has the highest population density in the world with 340,000 people per square mile. #17.  Largest number of tanks – Russia It is a strange title to hold, but Russia has by far the most tanks of any army in the world (21,000). Unfortunately for the motherland most of these outdated machines are tributes to its past, and although outnumbered (16,000), the United States has a much more advanced tank inventory. #16.  The land of no rivers – Saudi Arabia Sounds a bit strange doesn’t it? For a country as big as Saudi Arabia there has to be at least some sort of flowing water. Well, there isn’t. Most of their fresh water comes from desalinization plants or underground reservoirs. #.15  Youngest population of any country – Niger Generally the worlds youngest country is determined by calculating the portion of the population that is younger than 15. Presently it is Niger that holds this distinction with roughly half of its population having barely reached puberty (49%). #14.  Most diverse country in the world – India In almost every category – culturally, economically, climatically, racially, linguistically, ethnically, and religiously India is either the most diverse country in the world, or the runner-up. #13.  Fastest disappearing nation – Ukraine With a natural decrease in population of .8% annually, between now and 2050 Ukraine is expected to lose around 30% of its people. #12.  Most of its citizens live abroad – Malta After some rough economic times coupled with an increased birth rate, Malta experienced significant emigration. It was so significant that there are now more Maltese living abroad than within the country itself. #11.  Smaller than Central Park in New York City – Monaco Although Vatican City is smaller (.17 sq mi) than Monaco (.8 sq mi), unlike Monaco it doesn’t have any permanent residents which leaves Monaco as the smallest permanently inhabited nation in the world…smaller than Central Park. #10.  Almost entirely covered in jungle – Suriname With 91% of its land covered in jungle Suriname’s half-a-million residents live primarily along the coast near the capital. Only 5% of the population (mainly indigenous people) live inland.  #9.  Almost entirely treeless – Haiti On the opposite end of the spectrum is Haiti, a country that has been so badly deforested that you can tell where it borders the Dominican Republic by looking at a satellite image (Haiti is on the left in the photo above).   #8.  Largest country with no farms – Singapore Although there are a number of small nations in the world that show no hint of having an agriculture based economy, (take Vatican City for example) Singapore is the largest of these urban city-states.    #7.  Most languages spoken – Papua New Guinea Although English is its official language, only 1-2% of the population actually speak it. As the most linguistically diverse country in the world, over 820 languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea or 12% of the world’s total.  #6.  Most educated people – Canada With 50% of its population having been educated at the post secondary level, Canada easily has the most educated populace in the world. It is followed by Israel at 45% and Japan at 44%.  #5.  The “country desert” – Libya With 99% of the country covered in desert Libya is one of the most arid places in the world and in some regions decades may go by without a single drop of rain.   #4.  Least peaceful nation in the world – Somalia Although for the last three years Iraq has been ranked as the least peaceful country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index Somalia overtook it this year for the top spot.   #3.  Produces most of the world’s oxygen – Russia Siberia is home to approximately 25% of the world’s forests that span an area larger than the continental United States, making Russia the largest converter of CO2 into breathable compounds.  #2.  World’s largest opium producer – Afghanistan Producing a whopping 95 percent of the world’s opium, not even 10 years of occupation by American forces have slowed down the industry.   #1.  Most people behind bars – United States When it comes to incarcerating its population, the United States is the world’s uncontested leader. With 2.2 million people behind bars it has 5% of the world’s population but 25% of the world’s incarcerated population. China comes in second place at 1.5 million and Russia comes third at 870,000.