Nestled closer to the edge of the long and fascinating Dhigurah Island, at The Residence Maldives, lady fingers, a variety of gourd and brinjal, kopify leaves, salad leaves, and an array of other vibrant vegetables and edible flowers flourish on an organic farm. A brood of chickens struts in a coop, while herbs such as basil perfume the air. The gardeners proudly give you a farm tour, while simultaneously scouring through this enriching space to identify fruits and vegetables ready to harvest. This is the Earth Basket, the very own organic farm of The Residence Maldives at Dhigurah.
Farm-to-table experience
Not many hotels and resorts strive to ensure luxury in harmony with the environment and society, but The Residence Maldives at Dhigurah sure does. In addition to the plethora of leisure and adventure activities — from Ayurvedic massages, and yoga, to snorkelling and Dolphin tours — the luxury resort offers its guests a unique farm-to-table experience called the Earth Basket tour. The idea is to bring together the young and old, take them through different stages of farming, compost making, and animal feeding, and promote planet positivity.
The participants of the Earth Basket tour learn about local produce, harvest it, and then use it to cook an extravagant vegetarian or non-vegetarian multi-course Maldivian meal with the help of the chefs at the property. Guests can expect an appetiser, a main course, a dessert, and a beverage (a glass of mocktail or house wine) to complement all those delicious dishes. The menu includes popular Maldivian delicacies such as kopify salad, fried roshi curry, baked reef fish, and sweet addu ambo.
The Earth Basket initiative
Considering the popularity of farm-to-table experiences as part of world-class hospitality, and to showcase their commitment towards a sustainable future, The Residence by Cenizaro (part of Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts) kickstarted the Earth Basket initiative in 2019, starting at The Residence Bintan. The Earth Basket at The Residence Maldives at Dhigurah is an example of the larger initiative, and it was launched in 2020.
A part of the Cenizaro Cares programme, the Earth Basket initiative is spearheaded by the green committee at each property. As part of it, they transform a patch of the resort into an organic farm that yields native produce. These Earth Baskets thrive on the compost made using food waste from the respective properties. And all the pesticide-free, fresh, and nutritious foods harvested from the farm go to the property’s kitchen.
The aim is not only to showcase the local biodiversity of each property and promote sustainability but also to provide an educational experience to the staff, community, as well as guests of The Residence by Cenizaro.