Untitled - Hospitality Maldives

Another Day in
Paradise
with Compliments from
Island Chief Didi at
Anantara Dhigu Resort
& Spa, Maldives
When guests at Anantara Maldives gather
around the soft glow of candlelight for an
evening of mystic storytelling, it is the Island
Chief himself who takes them on a unique
journey through the region’s rich tapestry of
history and folklore. In a solemn tone Chief
Didi recounts intriguing tales of legends and
heroes. When the sun rises the next morning,
he’s also the first one up, ensuring the beach
is spotless for another day in paradise!
Born in the far south on Addu Atoll near Gan,
where the British military base was located
and Didi worked as a young man, he set sail
for the capital Male in 1976 to seek new opportunities.
The journey took three days,
with the passengers surviving on ‘garudhiya’
(Maldivian fish soup), rice, fish and coconuts.
This was during the time when tourism started
to develop in the region and Didi worked a
number of different jobs, mostly laboring.
News broke of a new resort being built at the
lagoon with its four islands where Anantara is
now located, and in no time Didi was part of
the building crew – and never left. That was
22 years ago…
“Once the resort was completed, I worked
my way through the ranks. First as a waiter,
then as a room attendant, and all the way
to Island Chief. Here in the Maldives, every
island or small lagoon of islands has a chief.
It’s his job to oversee daily life; to make sure
everyone is happy and to solve problems. I
look after the island as if it’s my own home,
and do whatever it takes to ensure the welfare
of its people and visitors. That’s a job I
will never get bored of!
I get up at dawn, and right away do a tour of
the island to check that everything is okay. I
enjoy working with the staff to ensure they’re
also proud of their island. Chatting to guests
is such a pleasure too – especially when they
return, because that means they had a really
meaningful experience here the first time
around.
But the highlight for me is the storytelling
nights we host for guests. I share with
them stories that are passed on here from
one generation to the next, the way we preserve
our heritage. Stories about the history
of the Maldives, our seafaring ancestors, the
local people… They enjoy hearing about the
legends and ghosts that are such a big part
of our traditions and culture. We sit under
the stars in a coconut grove, enjoy snacks inspired
by our indigenous food and drink fresh
tropical juices.
Our heritage and the Maldivian people are
what make this such a special place. By
taking this journey back into time with us,
guests can find out who we are, and where
we come from. And that’s a place deep within
our hearts…”
For all media enquiry please contact: Marion Walsh, Brand Director of Public Relations, Tel: +66 (0) 89 811 3829, Email: mwalsh@anantara.com