November 2022…/ If the recent I'm a Celebrity series has you craving your own jungle experience, albeit on a luxury scale, luxury resort Vakkaru Maldives has added two new exciting offerings in time for the festive season – a Jungle Cinema experience and Anguru Teppanyaki restaurant.

Located in the middle of the island surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, Vakkaru's new Jungle Cinema seats up to 10 people, great for private screenings with the family, small groups of friends, or a romantic date night for couples. With two screenings each night (at 7.30pm and 9.30pm), film buffs can choose from a wide selection of movie genres. Swap bushtucker trials for free-flowing soft drinks and popcorn, or opt for a more elaborate set menu dinner.

Complementing Vakkaru's exciting dine-around journey is Anguru, the new teppanyaki restaurant and the resort's sixth food and beverage outlet offering an interactive dining experience. Coconut shells were once used for fire and cooking in the traditional Maldivian kitchen, the by-product was “coconut shell charcoal” or “anguru' in the Dhivehi language that is then used for barbecues. The restaurant's name also celebrates the island's heritage as a coconut plantation which is still home to 2,300 coconut trees today.

Housed in a gazebo with a thatched roof near the main pool, diners at Anguru can watch the talented chefs slice, dice and sear right before their eyes. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant seats 10 diners and serves an à la carte menu for lunch and set menus for dinner. The à la carte menu offers a selection of sushi, maki rolls, nigiri and sashimi to start the meal. For mains, diners can choose from a range of premium meats and fresh seafood, including Australian Wagyu, Angus beef, Maldivian Grade A tuna, Scottish Salmon, and Maldivian lobster. Mains are accompanied by miso soup, teppanyaki grilled vegetables, Japanese pickles and signature Japanese fried rice. Flambé pineapple and ice cream stuffed with batter-fried profiteroles are some of the desserts on offer.

Set menus such as the Sunset Flair and Ocean Delight include sushi, sashimi, soups, mains and desserts. The extravagant Surf & Turf set starts with a seafood soup, assorted sushi, lobster popcorn, pineapple and Malibu sorbet, followed by mains including fresh Maldivian lobster and Tajima Wagyu beef MB, pan-seared foie gras, baby vegetables, and vegetable fried rice. The orange macerated flambé crêpes bring a sweet end to the meal.

Speaking about the new guest experiences, Iain McCormack, General Manager of Vakkaru Maldives, said: “Our guests are sophisticated, luxury travellers, and at Vakkaru we're always looking for ways to improve and elevate the experiences we offer to match and exceed their expectations. As a result, both Jungle Cinema and the Anguru Teppanyaki restaurant have been refined with singular attention to detail to deliver unique, exceptional moments to our guests.”

For more information visit www.vakkarumaldives.com.

Download images of Jungle Cinema and Anguru here, or access the resort's image library here.

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About Vakkaru Maldives

Located in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve renowned for its spectacular sea life, Vakkaru Maldives is a timeless sanctuary recently named the Indian Ocean's Leading Resort in the World Travel Awards. An awe-inspiring 30-minute seaplane ride from Velana International Airport takes you to this secluded reef island, shaded by coconut palms and blessed with calming ocean views and powder-soft white-sand beaches. Here 113 beautifully appointed Overwater and Beach Villas are elegantly designed to respect their surroundings, while exceptional dining experiences and amenities await. Among our industry-leading offerings is overwater Merana Spa, complete with an Ayurveda practice and a regular host to residencies by the world's most inspiring wellness practitioners. Children and teens are generously catered for in the Parrotfish Club and Coconut Club respectively, while guests of all ages can play against world-famous pros through a best-in-class coaching partnership with Tipsarevic Luxury Tennis or play each other on the newly opened padel tennis court, the only one in Baa Atoll. The resort's resident marine biologist is available for escorted ocean excursions, as well as talks about reef conservation and observations about the underwater world. Threading all these services and facilities together is our unique hospitality concept, Vakkare, that places a sincere, proactive commitment to putting care at the core of all we do.

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