Rania Experience

Promising the ultimate in laidback luxury, the Rania experience offers guests the freedom to explore the Maldives via a fully crewed, exclusive-use pleasure yacht, then retreat to the welcome seclusion of their own private island. Both the yacht and island villa are stocked with every amenity to meet the exacting tastes of Rania’s well-heeled guests, celebrity or otherwise, who also enjoy the dedicated services of a private chef, PADI master dive instructor, spa therapist and personal butler. Bookings are limited to no more than nine guests.

Location:

Rania cruises the waters of the Indian Ocean, docking at Water Garden Island Spa, its own private island in the Maldives’ idyllic Faafu Atoll. It lies approximately 122 km south of the Maldivian capital of Malé. From Malé International Airport, guests reach the island via a 40-minute seaplane flight, or a three-hour cruise on Rania.

Points of Distinction:

Rania is the only experience of its kind in the Maldives to limit bookings exclusively to one private group at a time. Its all-inclusive rate is another distinguishing point, eliminating any surprises on the guest’s final bill.

One-Price Package:

Rania’s all-inclusive rate covers everything guests need to create the private island/sea escape of their dreams. It includes:

• Exclusive use of the yacht and island
• Up to three hours of sailing per day
• All dining and drinks (Champagnes, specialty wines and cigars are additional)
• Unlimited spa treatments
• Unlimited diving and instruction
• Snorkeling and dive equipment
• Water sports
• All excursions, including big game fishing, Male tours and local island visits
• Boat fuel
 

At Your Service:

Attending to guests’ every wish are a full yacht crew and island staff, including:

• Private chef
• PADI master dive instructor
• Spa therapist
• Personal butler

At Sea:

Onboard Rania, guests are accommodated in luxurious comfort. The yacht features:

• Two double and two twin bedrooms, handsomely appointed in rich woods and sumptuous linens
• En suite baths stocked with L’Occitane amenities
• Air-conditioning and satellite television in all bedrooms
• DVD systems in double rooms
• Indoor and outdoor dining and lounge areas
• Open-air barbecue
• Jacuzzi
• Full entertainment system
• Satellite telephones

On Land:

During their stay at Water Garden Island Spa, guests enjoy exclusive use of the pool, spa, entertainment pavilion and beach. Here, every request is facilitated by guests’ personal butler, who can be summoned by mobile phone from anywhere on the island.

Overlooking the pool area, the luxurious, air-conditioned Rania Villa Suite celebrates traditional Maldivian style in its open-air design, thatched roofs and white-cushioned sofa swings. Among its features:

• King-bedded master bedroom (400 square feet) and two guest bedrooms
• Open-air bathrooms complete with bath and shower, including a 500-square-foot master bath with remote-controlled Jacuzzi
• Open-air dining area
• Bar deck
• Plasma satellite televisions
• Cordless mobile phones

Entertainment Pavilion:

While guests might be tempted to simply sit back and enjoy its uninterrupted ocean views, the Entertainment Pavilion is well-stocked with diversions both high- and low-tech. These include:

• Plasma satellite televisions
• Home-theater system
• Pre-loaded iPods
• Laptop computers
• Playstation 2 with cordless handsets and a selection of games
• DVDs
• Billiards
• Board games
• Books and magazines

Cultural shows can also be arranged for guests’ private entertainment and range from a lively Bodu Beru (big drum) dance to a laid-back Maldivian band.

Dining:

Guests dine on the freshest local seafood, Maldivian specialties and international gourmet treats, all prepared by Rania’s skilled private chef and served at their leisure. A choice of settings includes the villa’s romantic pavilion over the water or onboard the yacht.

The Spa:

Rania’s spa therapist offers a tempting menu of Thai, Ayurvedic and Swedish spa treatments whenever and wherever the guest may choose – at the island’s Ayur Spa, onboard Rania, on the beach at sunset, or in their room.

The Beach:

Water Garden Island Spa’s palm-fringed, white-sand beach is the finest in the atoll. Its reef-protected lagoon is ideal for snorkeling, swimming, catamaran sailing and other water sports.

Pitching Green:

The island’s own pitching green gives golf enthusiasts the opportunity to improve on their bunker skills, hitting from the sand to the green.

Diving:

The Maldives is world-renowned as a dive destination. Rania’s PADI-certified dive instructor offers instruction and leads guests on scuba excursions to a wide variety of excellent spots within the Faafu Atoll and beyond. The Ari Atoll, for example, is known for whale shark sightings, while south Male Atoll offers a number of notable shipwreck and drift dives.

Fishing:

The waters around Faafu Atoll teem with excellent big game fish. Regular catches include grouper, wahoo, jack fish, barracuda and occasionally a huge sailfish.

Island-Hopping:

Rania guests can enjoy cultural excursions to a number of islands, including the mosques and markets of Malé, Feeali for a glimpse of the traditional Maldivian way of life, and Kashidoo, where a recent excavation has revealed the ruins of an ancient monastic complex. Shopping opportunities include Maldivian vases carved from dhigaa and midhili wood, lacquerware and finely woven kunaa mats.