Banyan Velaa Offers Intimate Maldivian Adventure

After an elegant refurbishment, the only Turkish gulet in the Maldives archipelago is back with more intimate adventures on offer. A classic flagged double-mast yacht, Banyan Velaa is a 30-metre seafaring ketch designed for superior sailing and comfort.

Experience Maldivian life in style as the Velaa takes you on one-, two- and three-night adventure cruises to the most stunning dive spots of the North and South Male atolls. Witness white tip sharks, barracuda, stonefish and turtles at Maaya Thila or encounter the endangered Napoleon wrasse at the renowned site Mushimasmigili Thila. Along the way, meet the Maldives’ famed inhabitants, including grey reef sharks, eagle rays, tunas and jacks, and immerse yourself in local culture through island visits.

Onboard the cruiser, enjoy vibrant sunsets as you sip Champagne while relaxing on a sunlounger on deck. There is new meaning to the “catch of the day” as you fish for your dinner and specify to the chef exactly how you would like it prepared.  Enjoy alfresco meals under the stars, host a private BBQ on an uninhabited island, or savour a mid-day meal on a remote sandbank.

Banyan Velaa can accommodate up to 12 guests in six well-appointed mahogany cabins luxuriously equipped with oversized beds, en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, LCD TV screens and DVD players as well as spectacular ocean views. Dive gear and fishing equipment is available for rent, with itineraries based on prevailing ocean conditions and availability of picnic islands and dive sites.

Rates run from USD720++ per night for a Standard cabin and USD790++ per night for a Deluxe cabin with full-board meals. Speedboat transfer is offered at USD100++ per person and is complementary when the Velaa is booked in tandem with stays at Angsana Ihuru or Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru.

For reservations, please contact our Maldives reservation team at +960 676 0028, reservations-Vabbinafru@banyantree.com or Banyan Tree Main Reservations at +65 6849 5800.