From 21 December 2024 through 10 January 2025, the award-winning resort will transform into a magical Christmas island, bringing holiday cheer, nostalgia and yuletide splendour for an unforgettable holiday celebration.
From classic holiday traditions, including a festive tree lighting ceremony and visit from Santa Claus to an extravagant Christmas Eve Gala followed by a Christmas Day brunch, JOALI Maldives embraces the holiday season while keeping true to its art-immersive identity with an array of festive interactive activities for the whole family to enjoy including:
- Holiday Ceramics: Guided by JOALI's Resident Artist, guests can reignite their imaginations as they create one-of-a-kind ceramics and pottery with their own hands.
- Christmas Tree Coral Planting: Guests can contribute to the JOALI Reef Restoration Project by attaching fragments of hope to a coral Christmas tree frame to be added to the resort's onsite coral nursery.
- JOALI Fashion Show: Guests and JOALI's very own models will display the exclusive and signature JOALI lifestyle and capsule collections with Aquazzura and Frescobol Ciara on a joyful tropical runway.
JOALI Maldives will also welcome several globally recognised guest Chefs and experts over Festive to encourage guests to fully embrace the 'Joy of Living' this holiday season. The Festive Season line-up of artisans at JOALI Maldives include:
- Chef Ekaterina Alehina: The first female chef in Russia to be awarded a Michelin star, her award-winning restaurant, Biologie, in Moscow is based on the concept of "circular gastronomy," which brings together three biological realms: animal, plant, fungi and bacteria. Serving mindful recipes with a strong accent on sustainability, Chef Alehina will host an intimate wine-paired dinner inspired by her Biologie concept and menu.
- Chef Nina Tarasova: With over 10 years of experience in the culinary sphere, Chef Tarasova is well-known for her confectionary skills. After completing her training in France, Chef Tarasova is now based in Russia where she frequently represents the country at various international festivals and forums. Chef Tarasova looks forward to creating magical festive desserts to accompany various dinners including one with visiting Chef Ekaterina Alehina and a sake- paired seafood and sushi dinner at Saoke.
- Dr. Sanket Yadahalli: A naturopath with over a decade of hands-on healing experience, Dr. Yadahalli has taken his passion for evidence-based natural medicine across six continents, working with premier luxury resorts, wellness retreats and sports clinics. Employing an integrative approach by taking the best from acupuncture and manipulative practices to craft uniquely effective blends, guests are invited to discover long-lasting results with his personalised therapies designed to address concerns such as chronic muscle tightness, spine and joint pain, stress, sleep disorders, and digestive and hormonal imbalances. Dr. Yadahall will also guide a Tratak Meditation session, an ancient practice that will bring guests on a transformative journey of self-discovery to foster better focus, clarity and inner peace.
- Gaia Pagnini: With a solid foundation in Exercise Science, Pagnini believes in understanding each client's unique needs, goals, and challenges to create a customised fitness journey that is both effective and enjoyable. Pagnini's passion for all things fitness and wellness has led her to collaborate with Technogym and Barry's Bootcamp. Pagnini looks forward to bringing her personalised workout plans to JOALI while leading various fitness classes, including a Boot Camp by Gaia and Core & Balance class.
This season of gifting, guests can explore JOALI De Maison for one-of-a-kind capsule collections in collaboration with fashion houses such as Aquazzura and Frescobol Carioca. Handmade with the finest Italian craftsmanship, the Aquazzura collection features a sandal slide and matching clutch in white leather, with a refined beaded embroidered motif depicting pristine blue water, a cerulean sky with coconut palms, and the iconic arrival jetty. Frescobol Carioca presents JOALI-inspired menswear in blush pink and padel tennis equipment carrying tropical illustrations.
Lastly, across the other side of the world in New York City, Lysée, a pastry boutique by Michelin-Starred Pastry Chef Eunji Lee, will offer New Yorkers a taste of JOALI and the Maldives with a limited-time holiday dessert inspired by Chef Lee's visit to the island in September. Redefining NYC's dessert landscape, Chef Lee, who has an impressive resume having worked at restaurants like Le Meurice in Paris and Jungsik in New York, was named La Liste's Pastry Talents of the Year 2023 as well as Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2023. Combining Korean ingredients, French techniques and New York flavours, Lysée is inspired by Chef Lee's love to make her pastries as edible art, with Lysée representing a sweet museum derived from the French word Musée.
