Astronaut Tim Peake to Arrive in Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas Resort This November
Thursday 6th of July 2023
This November, Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas Resort is gearing up to host one of the UK’s most famous astronauts – Tim Peake. During his residency, the resort will hold a series of talks dedicated to space and astronomy, making the property a must-visit to have on any space enthusiast’s travels.
Located in the pristine Baa Atoll, amidst a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, Anantara Kihavah boasts the first overwater observatory in the Maldives which houses the most powerful telescope in the region. The private island’s strategic position just above the equator also means that stars from both the North and South hemispheres are visible from the resort.
Combined with minimal light pollution and vast open skies, the clear night canvas is perfect for seeing sights such as the pale-yellow rings of Saturn and the counter-rotating zones and belts of Jupiter as well as the Omega Centauri in the Milky Way. This undoubtedly makes Anantara Kihavah the perfect stage for Tim’s talks, where he will take a closer look at his life as an astronaut and space itself.
On 2nd November 2023, Tim will lead a relaxed and intimate talk on ‘Journey Beyond Earth’ at the Anantara Kihavah Sky Deck. During his talk, Tim will offer fascinating insights into his life in space as an astronaut, sharing the finer details from training to launch, spacewalk to re-entry, and the wonders of how and why humans journey into space. A maximum of 20 guests can partake in the session, listening to his inspiring stories over champagne and cosmic-inspired cocktails and asking him questions about his journey.
Complementing the talk, a 60-minute stargazing session will take place at Sky, guided by the resort’s Sky Guru Hammadh. Guests can tailor this part of the experience to their preferred timing and delve deep into the hemisphere’s stars and planets with the sky guru and determine what can be seen with the naked eye and through the resort’s powerful research-grade 16” Meade LX200 telescope - which has a viewing capacity of 30 million light years away.
As Tim’s stay coincides with the half-term period, he will also host a separate talk for teens aged between 10 and 18 years on 3rd November 2023 titled ‘Exploring Space with Tim Peake’. Kids may also recognize the astronaut as the best-selling author of popular book series for young teens including the ‘Swarm Rising’ books and ‘The Cosmic Diary of our Incredible Universe’. Cosmic-inspired mocktails and space-inspired snacks and desserts will be served during the event for little guests to enjoy.
During his innovative talk, Tim will chat about his books and life as an astronaut with teens, sharing cool stories like how he became the first British astronaut to both visit the International Space Station and conduct a space walk during his six-month mission and running the London marathon from space. He may even give a few tips to aspiring astronauts who wish to follow in his footsteps. Following this, a 60-minute stargazing session with Hammadh is dedicated to younger guests.
Aligning with the astrology theme, Anantara Kihavah’s Kid’s Club will have an intergalactic takeover from 1 to 5 November, with little guests taking part in space-inspired activities such as recycled rocket craft, space cookie making, planet puppet making, and space painting using coffee.
‘Journey Beyond Earth: An Inspiring Conversation with Tim Peake’ will take place from 5.30 – 6.30pm on 2 November. Tickets cost 165 USD (approx £130) per person, for up to 20 people accompanied by champagne, cosmic-inspired cocktails and canapes, and include a 60-minute stargazing session with Sky Guru Hammadh. For younger guests, tickets for ‘Exploring Space with Tim Peake’ cost 125 USD (approx £98) per person, for up to 10 guests with cosmic-inspired mocktails and snacks and including a stargazing session with Hammadh.