SEASON PREVIEW

For Reservations email or call.

Email:

Tel: +960 777 3883 or 790 2662

gir@mvkmaldives.com

From April to July 20122012

Gan Island Retreat

GanAddu City,19040 Maldives

Tel: +960.6898880Fax: +960.6898881

Return Transfer fromIbrahim Nasir Male’ International Airport to Gan International Airport USD 380.00 Per Pax

All Inclusive Rate

USD 75.00 Per Night

In 1972, Queen Elizabeth II found herself standing between a stunningly beautiful stretch of turquoise,

cobalt and aquamarine sea, and a stunningly handsome row of pilots. She did not know where to look.

Her Royal Highness was on an official visit to the Royal Air Force base in Gan Island. After performing

royal duties in the day she came back to the tranquillity of the Dhoogas Guesthouse, now known as

Gan Island Retreat, an upgraded, face-lifted version of the original British colonial building.

Welcome to Gan Island Retreat!

Gan Island Retreat is sprawled over 9 acres of land. Between large shady trees, overflowing

bougainvilleas and flowering plants are rows of British air force style barracks. While the exterior

retains the history of Gan Island, once you open the door to your room, you are immediately

welcomed by all the contemporary comforts of a modern day resort.

About Us

Rooms

Gallery

Gallery

Facilities

Indochine

This romantic French colonial style restaurant serves delicacies from Southeast Asia, mainly

Vietnmese, Cambodian and Lao cuisines. Let our chef prepare some of the most popular as well as

exotic dishes for you, with fish fresh from the Indian Ocean, meat, poultry and plenty of refreshing

herbs and vegetables.

180 Club

According to Mr Eye-see, the manager of Gan Island Retreat, whose father worked as a personal

butler to Queen Elizabeth ll when she stayed at the Dooghas Guesthouse, the British officers enjoyed a

sundowner (or a few) after duty at a bar called the 180 Club. We've decided to bring back the

camaraderie and joviality of the good ol' days by naming our bar the 180 Club. Except, this new

version serves a much longer list of beverages, cocktails, an assortment of coffees and teas,

international cuisine in both buffet and ala carte forms.

Facilities

Facilities

Conference Hall

Our conference hall can accommodate up to 100 people comfortably. Equipment for an efficient

and productive seminar, conference or meeting is available upon request.

Overhead projector

Whiteboard

Microphone

Rostrum

Facilities

These facilities will be available soon. Plans are already in the pipeline.

Infinity pool

This infinity pool is not your ordinary infinity pool. It takes its task very, very seriously indeed. Forget

looking as though it's heading towards the sea, it continues out to the sea and becomes a part of it. As

you glide along the length of this pool with glass walls and floor, you get to swim with an assortment of

colourful fish and other beautiful marine life. It's swimming with fish without having to take a boat out

to sea.

Library

If you can take your eyes off the gorgeous view, unbelievably pretty, head-turning fish, perhaps a mind

numbing pink and orange sunset, we have a wide range of books for your reading pleasure in our

library, floating in the sea, at the end of the infinity pool.

Facilities

Wildlife guide

Addu Atoll has an amazing ecosystem on land as well as in water (salt and fresh water) that makes

Addu Atoll unique. Ask our guide to show you the mangroves that help weaken the impact of

tsunamis, the White-tailed tropicbirds with unusually long thin tails, the elusive ambergris, and

maybe, if you're really lucky, he might even be able to show you a flamingo!

Tour guide

Addu Atoll is a treasure island of culture and history. It's a pity that not much has been documented,

and most of the artefacts are still buried in the ground, undiscovered. However, there is a man whose

great-grandfather was a collector. And today, the family's collection of artefacts, photos and original

documents from the British days are found in Addu Atoll. It is quite possible that this collection of

historical treasures is the largest in the Maldives. Ask our guide to take you to them.

Facilities

Location

Practical Info

Weather

Any time is a good time to go to Maldives. Its tropical climate is mild and is quite consistent, hovering at

around 30ºC. There are two monsoons - the dry northeast monsoon from December to March, and the wet

southwestern monsoon from May to November. But these monsoons are not harsh. You'll get the

occasional shower and that's about it. So, no worries, you can still go out and about without much hassle.

Money

The local currency is Rufiyaa, which is not available outside of the Maldives, but it's easy to find a bank or a

moneychanger once you get there.

ATMs

There are several ATMs in Male', most of which you can withdraw funds from international accounts.

However, ATMs are rare outside Male', so, best to carry enough cash or travellers cheques with you.

Visa

The Maldives welcomes visitors from all countries, and issues a 30-day stamp upon arrival. If you need to

stay for longer, you can apply for a visa, or leave the country after 30 days, and then return.

Customs & Regulations

The Maldives prohibits the import of the following items:

Alcoholic beverages

Pornography

Narcotics

Firearms

Idols of worship

Dogs

Live pigs and porcine products

Dangerous animals

Exobiological material

Dangerous chemicals

Fog signals

Fireworks

Spear/dart guns

Export of tortoises, tortoise shells, and corals are forbidden.

Electricity

240 VAC

Working days and hours

Banks: 8am – 1.30pm (Sun – Thur)

Government offices: 7.30am – 2.30pm (Sun – Thur)

Private offices: 8am – 5pm

About ADDU

Addu Atoll

Addu Atoll is the southernmost part of the Maldives, and is the main economic and administrative

centre in the south. This is a very exciting time for Addu, as it is set to be the next most important atoll

in Maldives. Anyone who has seen an aerial view of Male' will understand why there is a need to

develop a second centre for business and tourism. Except for the fact that buildings in Male' are short

and in cheerful and vibrant colours, one can't help comparing it to New York City. Charming as it is,

Male' is overcrowded.

The history of Maldives is rather unclear, although some archaeologists have found evidence of

civilisation in 2000 BC, when Addu was likely to be a trading post for many ancient civilisations

including Egyptians, Romans, Mesopotamians and Indus Valley traders. Archaeologists also found

ruined dome-shaped structures in Addu that they believed to be Buddhist stupas influenced by the

dagoba designs of Sri Lanka. Apart from the fact that Maldives was once a Buddhist country, very little

is known about it before its conversion to Islam in 1153.

What is quite certain is that the Arabs brought Islam into Maldives. Records of their trade routes went

back to the 2nd century AD when these traders stopped at the southern atolls, en route to the Far East.

One of the most precious commodities then was the cowry shell that was used as international

currency in those days. It had all the qualities of currency – rare, portable, durable and reusable.

Fortunately for Maldivians, cowry shells could be picked up easily from their own beaches! Another

important commodity was rope made of coconut fibre, useful for ships because they do not rot in

seawater.

But of all the items the Arabs came to Addu for, the most fascinating was the ambergris, a waste

material from whales. Whether it comes out from the mouth of the whale, like a cat's fur-ball, or

excreted at the other end, nobody is sure, but what's more important is why it is so precious – its scent

is extracted to make some of the most expensive perfumes in the world. Ambergris is expensive

because it is an extremely elusive substance. It has an odd consistency, and can be found floating in

the sea, caught in seaweed or at the floor of the sea, depending on its age. Some natives of Addu claim

So valuable were these items to the Arab traders that they invented the most elaborate and scary tales

of monster-like fish, giant man-eating sea snakes and other weird stories to deter others from

travelling to Addu so that they could monopolise the trade route. Perhaps this is one of the reasons

why the history of Addu is hazy – it is a tangle of myths.

Addu's modern history was very much influenced by the British who came to Gan, the southernmost

island of the atoll during World War ll. Apart from introducing English to the locals, and how to make a

"nice cuppa tea", they brought in many modern British products including bricks and cement as

building material. Nowadays, besides the odd storage shack, you will not see traditional Adduan

houses made with coconut leaves, coconut fibre and the trunks of betel nut trees. Instead, most of the

houses in the villages are made of bricks. But the unique thing about the village houses is that they are

all painted as though everyone was having a late night street party. They really make the phrase "Paint

the town red" sound very dull indeed. Only red? In the Maldives it is normal for houses to be tri-

coloured. There is nowhere in the world where you will see emerald, turquoise, ruby, apple green,

saffron, lemon, aubergine, lavender, pink and vermillion get on so well together. Anywhere else in the

world, when you ask, "Excuse me, I'm looking for an emerald, red and blue house," you will get a

definite answer. In the villages of Addu, you will get people pointing you to several directions.

You will still see many houses, or at least the outer walls of houses, made of coral washed up on the

shore. These corals are stacked neatly and held together with a paste made of coral heated up to a

high temperature, crushed into powder form and mixed with water and palm sugar. These coral walls

are unique to the Maldives but are getting more rare and can only be found in abundance in the

southern atolls.

Gan

Gan might be a small speck in the cluster of 1,190 islands in the Maldives, but it has contributed enormously to the economy of the country. This has much to do with the British that occupied the island. When they set up military facilities in Gan during World War ll as part of the Indian Ocean defences, they had no idea that the ripple they created would one day grow into a multi-million dollar industry for the Maldives - tourism.

After the war, the air force base continued to operate from 1956 until the British withdrew from Gan in1976. While they were there, the British employed a considerable number of locals from Gan and surrounding islands of Addu. Consequently, many Maldivians of that time spoke exceptionally good English. Their knowledge of Western culture and experience of working for the British gave the people of Addu a head start when the tourism industry in the northern atolls started booming in the late 1970's. So, when the British left Gan, the Adduans turned to resorts and tourism related industries for employment. It has often been said that hospitality is second nature to Adduans because of the British occupation in Gan Island.

Until this day, Gan has a very British feel about it. You will find a British War Memorial marked by a British canon, old barracks now serving as warehouses and shops, and an airstrip that is now a part of Gan International Airport. On some beaches, you will also find broken concrete gun stands and lookout posts like ancient ruins, and worn out light towers looking sadly out of place in the midst of so much beauty.

Gan is connected by causeways to the adjacent islands of Feydhoo, Maradhoo and Hithadhoo.

Feydhoo &

Whenever you ask an Adduan which island they come from, many will say "Feydhoo". This is

because when the British came to Gan most of the locals were relocated to Feydhoo, the

neighbouring island. If you cycled through the villages, you will encounter many friendly and

hospitable Adduans. They can be a little shy at the beginning, as they are not used to tourists, but

once you smile at them and start a conversation, you'll find that they are some of the warmest,

most generous and sincere people you will ever meet.

Here in Feydhoo, it is easy to find modern conveniences such as telecommunications shops, the

Bank of Maldives, supermarkets, and one or two modern cafés that serve Illy coffee. But if you

prefer something more traditional, there're many simple eateries along the coastal road serving

short eats, drinks and areca nut and betel leaf chews. Short eats are sweet or savoury snacks, like

gulha bagiya, pettie, athujehi, ulhaali, aurus and kulhiroolhi.

Since islands of the southern atolls are quite

remote and isolated, one might wonder where

sick people get medical help. In Maradhoo,

there are quite a few health centres. Although

not equipped for serious illnesses and

operations, these health centres are adequate

for non-life threatening ailments. They focus on

prevention instead, and have programmes to

educate the public on disease prevention and

how to nip it in the bud before it turns serious.

But soon, this will change, as plans to build an

international standard hospital in Addu are

already being laid out.

Maradhoo

Hithadhoo

As you go further up north along the coast you'll find that it's terribly difficult to take your eyes off the

strikingly beautiful sea. Strips of turquoise, aquamarine and cobalt, dotted with patches of midnight

blue change in intensity depending on the time of day. Every time you look at it, it seems like a

different sea. That, coupled with the salty wind cooling your face and blowing through your hair, you

will forget everything else. So, do remind yourself to wear a safety helmet upon entering Hithadhoo.

While there is no need for one in Feydhoo and Maradhoo, there're police patrolling the coastal road

on Hithadhoo.

In the weekends, on the bridge between Maradhoo and Hithadoo, people of all ages, from teenagers

to the middle aged, can be seen jumping off the bridge into water so very clear that even if the drop is

high, you can see right to the bottom and there's no danger of breaking your neck on a rock or coral.

It's wise to join them, because it's a great icebreaker, and you'll end up making some friends.

Hithadhoo has many mangrove areas, most of which contain rich ecosystems that are important to the

wildlife of Addu. They are highly productive ecosystems contributing to the food chains of the atoll.

They are also important to the atoll ecosystems, as they filter out silt, nutrients and sand that would

otherwise go out to the house reef around the islands and suffocate corals and encourage algal

growth. Mangroves are also important to human lives as well. They absorb the impact of tsunamis, due

to the exposed roots of trees, crab holes and the different layers of the mangrove. So, the next time

you look at a "swampy ol' mangrove", you'll see a lot more beauty in it.

If you're into diving, one of the best wreck diving spots is on the Southwestern reef of Hithadhoo,

where a steel ship weighing 5,583 tons lies. It was torpedoed by the Japanese on 9th March 1944.

A "must visit" is the Addu Cultural Centre in at the northern tip of Hithadhoo. It was the dream of two

local men, Saifulla Hameed and Miuhaj Ahmed Nazeer to set up an educational centre with the

objective of preserving the Maldivian culture and heritage, and to educate modern day youth and

school children on their own culture and the way their ancestors lived. It took Saifulla and Miuhaj

months to find someone who knew how to build a traditional Adduan house that was hand-woven.

Eventually they found someone. His name was Ahmed Hassan. He was close to eighty years old.

Thank goodness he was still healthy enough to physically put the house together, all by hand, with the

help of an assistant (who was the same age as he). These traditional houses have a one-foot border at

the bottom made of coral and limestone to prevent termites from getting to the wooden pillar and

frames. Its walls are coconut leaves woven into a pattern that is very 'Adduan'. The sheets of

interwoven coconut leaves are then tied to the frames with coconut fibre ropes using the unique

'Addu' style knots.

Not long after their dream started materialising, the two men met Ibrahim Firaq Naseem. That's when

the dream became fuller, literally. Ibrahim filled the traditional houses at the centre with his huge

personal collection of old coins, artefacts and historical documents (one of them even has the menu of

the Queen's luncheon during her stay in Gan. She had cantaloupe for starters, roast rack of lamb for

the main course, but the dessert could not be read as there was a big coffee stain on it.)

Birds

The White Tern (Gygis alba) is a symbol of Addu Atoll. Locally know as Dhondheeni, sometimes called

as Kandhuvalu dhooni, it is a small seabird that is unique to Addu Atoll, and is not found anywhere else

in Maldives. Its body is white with eyes surrounded by black rings, and has a black bill with a blue base.

Its legs and feet are also of a matching blue, with yellow webs.

The White Tern does not build nests. Instead, it looks for depressions in breadfruit and mango tree

branches, or at the joints between trunk and branch. They normally go for the thin branches as a safety

measure – predators like crows and rats avoid climbing onto or sitting on thin branches that can snap

under their weight. The flipside is that

fragile branches are also vulnerable to

strong winds. Thanks to the wonders of

evolution, White Tern chicks have

sophisticated sharp claws that can cling

onto branches to avoid falling off.

Typically, the White Tern lays only

single eggs. This is possibly due to the

fact that they do not build nests.

You will notice that there is a lack of

crows in Addu. This is because the

White Terns gang up and attack or

harass them until they disappear from

view.

The White Tern is a protected bird in the

Maldives, hence, their capture, sale and

captivity is prohibited. However, there

are no regulations yet on the protection

of their nesting habitats.

The White-tailed Tropicbird is another very pretty bird you will often see gliding through the blue skies

of Addu. The most striking feature of this bird is its long, thin tail that doubles its total length. The

White-tailed Tropicbird feeds on fish and squid that come up to the surface, as this bird does not swim

very well.

From October to March during the European winter, migratory birds like sandpipers and falcons can

be seen in Addu. Sometimes, even flamingos, which have been spotted only in Addu Atoll.

Megabats (Fruit Bats)

These megabats are generally

called fruit bats for two reasons:

It is assumed that their diet

consists mainly of fruit, and, they

look like dark fruits hanging from

trees. Megabats feed on pollen

and nectar. There are two main

species of megabats in Addu,

which are both endangered

species due to excessive culling.

Megabats are as important as birds and insects, for their role in the ecosystem is seed dispersal and

pollination. They are even more important in atolls that have few birds, as they are big enough to carry

the larger seeds that insects are not able to carry. For commercially produced fruits like mangos,

bananas, guavas and coconuts, these bats play a vital role in the pollination process.

Bloodsuckers

Bloodsuckers are far in nature from what their name suggests. They do not suck blood, and are not at

all vicious. They are harmless little lizards, normally about 6 inches in length, and are people-shy.

Bloodsuckers are distantly related to the chameleon. Their skin colour changes depending on their

mood. They are sometimes referred to as crested tree lizards, as both males and females have a crest

that runs from neck to tail. Insects and small vertebrates are easy prey to these bloodsuckers as they

have eyes that can rotate independently of each other, which means, they have a 360% view of their

surroundings. During the breeding season, male bloodsuckers develop a blood red throat, hence,

their name.

Maldivian culture is such that people are brought up respecting their environment. For generations it

has been a way of life for them. Hopefully, even with the influx of tourism and introduction of modern

lifestyles, locals in Addu will still be able to enjoy the quality of life they have always had without having

to resort to drastic modern methods.

There is only one method of fishing – line caught. The amazing thing about the fishermen is that many

of them still look to birds to detect parts of the sea where fish are found in large numbers. And since

fishing is in their blood, an experienced fisherman can catch tuna faster than their modern

counterparts that use dragnets.

Many marine sites in Maldives are protected. Within these areas, activities such as anchoring, coral and

sand mining, rubbish dumping, removal of natural objects or living creatures and fishing of any kind

with the exception of traditional live bait fishing, are strictly prohibited. Endangered marine species

like the whale, shark, turtles, dolphins as well as corals are also protected by law.

Many Maldivians, with the help of NGOs, have dedicated their lives to conservation work in Addu Atoll.

One of them is Ali Rilwan, a passionate conservationist who is a walking search engine and portal for

information on wildlife and the environment. He is the co-founder of Bluepeace, the oldest

environmental Non-Government Organisation in Maldives.

For more information on conservation, please visit http://www.bluepeacemaldives.org/

Contact

Gan Island Retreat

GanAddu City,19040 Maldives

Tel: +960 689 8880Fax: +960 689 8881 Email: web: www.girmaldives.com

gir@mvkmaldives.com