New Year's magic at The Cocoon Collection hotels

      Maldives: You and Me Maldives, Joy Island Maldives, Cocoon Maldives

      New Year in the Maldives is a luxurious blend of festive traditions and tropical exotica. While it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, temperatures here hover around 28°C, and the water is as warm as the air. Against the backdrop of white-sand beaches and a turquoise lagoon, hotels arrange elegant gala dinners under the stars, themed parties and vivid fire shows. Fireworks on New Year’s Eve reflect in the ocean, creating a truly magical spectacle.

      You & Me Maldives is an island of tranquility. There is no bustle here — only you and the ocean. Your first chord is a dinner at the underwater restaurant H2O, six meters deep, where rays and schools of fish become part of the ocean landscape. At the Cheers Bar mixologists create cocktails from local fruits and teach master classes on how to make them. From December 22 the island lights up: an underwater Christmas tree is switched on. On New Year’s Eve there’s a retro poolside party with fireworks; on the morning of January 1 — a detox breakfast at dawn. It is a symphony of serenity.

      Cocoon Maldives is a touch of eternity. Design by the Italian studio LAGO is a tactile pleasure: wood, fabrics, smooth lines. In the spa The Cube therapists lead you through labyrinths of sensation: from Thai massage to Ayurveda. The scents of Elizabeth Arden Pro intertwine with the aroma of the tropics. And then — a jacuzzi under the stars, where tension dissolves in warm water. It is a dance of the senses, where every step is a revelation.

      Joy Island Maldives is a celebration without borders. Here you can dive at underwater parties, hunt for treasures by kayak, and encounter stingrays and manta rays. At sunset — music, DJs, karaoke to the sound of the surf. On New Year’s night the fire show turns into a meteor shower, fireworks paint the sky, and light projections create living canvases. It is an explosion of emotions, where every moment is a new chapter in your legend.

      Zanzibar: Gold Zanzibar, Bawe Island

      Sun-warmed sand like powdered sugar and colorful starfish in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean — Zanzibar has long ceased to be just a point on the map. Here, under the constellation of the Southern Cross, where ancient traditions of African culture intertwine with modern comfort, everyone can find their perfect way to welcome the New Year to the whisper of ocean waves and the melodious tinkle of bells on fishing nets.

      On the snow-white Kendwa beach in the northern part of Zanzibar sits the five-star Gold Zanzibar — a place where a New Year’s fairytale becomes reality. The beach’s unique location, unaffected by tides, allows for swimming in the crystal-clear waters of the Indian Ocean at any time of day.

      The hotel’s cuisine is a symphony of local flavors: the freshest seafood from fishermen of the neighboring village, exotic fruits picked at dawn — juicy jackfruit, ripe mango, fragrant passion fruit and delicate custard apple.

      On New Year’s Eve, when the Southern Cross majestically hangs over the ocean, Gold Zanzibar becomes a place of true celebration: an elegant poolside dinner to the sounds of ngoma — traditional African drums — smoothly flows into a contemporary party where African rhythms blend with DJ sets under Zanzibar’s twinkling sky.

      The mysterious Bawe Island resort, located on its own picturesque island, is the ideal secluded paradise. It seems that here, under the boundless turquoise dome of the sky, at night strewn with shining stars, any wish made for the New Year will come true and the most cherished dreams will be brought to life.

      On 30 hectares wrapped in vivid greenery there are 70 villas. Each has its own pool and an attentive butler who can become your personal magician. Whether it’s a helicopter flight or an excursion to meet marine life — nothing is impossible for them!

      Meditation on the shore to the sound of the waves, sunrise yoga in the Zen Garden and the variety of programs at The Rebirth by Healing Earth spa will help you fully recharge and fill yourself with energy for achievements in the New Year.