Observatory is fitted with a research-grade 16” Meade LX200 telescope mounted on a super-giant field tripod
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas has taken the wraps off its new SKY overwater observatory, which combines a luxury cocktail bar, a resident story-telling ‘Sky Guru’ and its very own telescope.
The five-star resort on the Baa Atoll has perched the SKY Bar over its lagoon, employing what’s described as contemporary yet warm design aesthetic, with raw timber and soft lighting throughout.
A circular bar serves as the centrepiece, with the custom-built ash-dome observatory sitting on the roof deck of the structure.
Unsurprisingly, Anantara claims this is the first and only overwater observatory combined with a cocktail bar in the Maldives, housing a research-grade 16” Meade LX200 telescope mounted on a super-giant field tripod, remote controlled with 360˚ movement.
Resident astronomer Ali Shameem (protégé of Italian astronomer Dr. Massimo Tarenghi who headed the ALMA observatory in Chilewill) points out the rings of Saturn or the counter-rotating zones and belts of Jupiter to guests – both hemisphere’s stars are visible from Anantara Kihavah.
The Anantara brand portfolio, part of the Global Hotel Alliance, includes 35 properties located in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zambia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Portugal, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Africa.
