<strong>Ice and fire: </strong>The Maldives, of all places, just opened its first ice rink on the beach, and it requires zero energy to operate under the fiery tropical sun. Here's how it works.
Ice and fire: The Maldives, of all places, just opened its first ice rink on the beach, and it requires zero energy to operate under the fiery tropical sun. Here's how it works.
Victor Romero
<strong>Chill out: </strong>A tropical archipelago in the Indian Ocean, <a href="http://travel.cnn.com/maldives/">The Maldives</a> is best known for its 1,000-some islands, luxurious hotels, and impossibly clear waters. But this spring, there's another reason to visit: the <a href="http://cnn.com/travel/destinations">destination</a>'s first ice rink.
Chill out: A tropical archipelago in the Indian Ocean, The Maldives is best known for its 1,000-some islands, luxurious hotels, and impossibly clear waters. But this spring, there's another reason to visit: the destination's first ice rink.
From Jumeirah Vittaveli
<strong>All-star material:</strong> In March, Russian Olympic gold medalist Evgeni Plushenko performed to mark the opening. "We named it 'Ice Ice Maybe' to imply that it's not a traditional cool-down ice skating rink," Amit Majumder, general manager of Jumeirah Vittaveli, tells CNN Travel. "It's a synthetic rink that's built on the beach, so you can go swimming in the tropical waters then go skating right after -- or vice versa."
All-star material: In March, Russian Olympic gold medalist Evgeni Plushenko performed to mark the opening. "We named it 'Ice Ice Maybe' to imply that it's not a traditional cool-down ice skating rink," Amit Majumder, general manager of Jumeirah Vittaveli, tells CNN Travel. "It's a synthetic rink that's built on the beach, so you can go swimming in the tropical waters then go skating right after -- or vice versa."
From Jumeirah Vittaveli
<strong>Smart design: </strong>Manufactured by Swiss company Glice, the artificial rink is composed of 25-30 interlocking plastic ice sheets. Unlike a traditional ice rink, the plastic sheets do not require chilly temperatures to produce that gliding sensation. As such, the rink can withstand the fiery Maldivian temperatures, which hover around the mid-80s Fahrenheit most of the year.
Smart design: Manufactured by Swiss company Glice, the artificial rink is composed of 25-30 interlocking plastic ice sheets. Unlike a traditional ice rink, the plastic sheets do not require chilly temperatures to produce that gliding sensation. As such, the rink can withstand the fiery Maldivian temperatures, which hover around the mid-80s Fahrenheit most of the year.
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<strong>Zero energy: </strong>"A regular guest, whose daughter ice skates, told us about the synthetic Glice ice rink," recalls Majumder. "We experimented in a small area first and, when we saw that it worked well, we expanded."
Zero energy: "A regular guest, whose daughter ice skates, told us about the synthetic Glice ice rink," recalls Majumder. "We experimented in a small area first and, when we saw that it worked well, we expanded."
From Jumeirah Vittaveli
<strong>Eternal summer:</strong> "We're an island, so we have to be very careful about our impact," says Majumder. "Every kilowatt hour of energy we use causes burning of diesel or fossil fuels, so a traditional rink was out of the question."
Eternal summer: "We're an island, so we have to be very careful about our impact," says Majumder. "Every kilowatt hour of energy we use causes burning of diesel or fossil fuels, so a traditional rink was out of the question."
From Jumeirah Vittaveli
<strong>Family time:</strong> Aimed at families, 'Ice Ice Maybe...' is an exclusive experience for hotel guests. Each two-hour skating session ($75 per person) includes skate rental, protective gear, souvenirs, and an ice cream sundae afterward -- to ensure you're all cooled down before heading back to the beach.
Family time: Aimed at families, 'Ice Ice Maybe...' is an exclusive experience for hotel guests. Each two-hour skating session ($75 per person) includes skate rental, protective gear, souvenirs, and an ice cream sundae afterward -- to ensure you're all cooled down before heading back to the beach.
From Jumeirah Vittaveli
<strong>Villa thrilla:</strong> The ice rink joins a host of over-the-top services in the Maldives. The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island offers an "Instagram Butler" service and an all-glass, underwater restaurant; Soneva Jani provides private water slides for all its overwater villas; and The Private Reserve is the world's largest overwater villa.
Villa thrilla: The ice rink joins a host of over-the-top services in the Maldives. The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island offers an "Instagram Butler" service and an all-glass, underwater restaurant; Soneva Jani provides private water slides for all its overwater villas; and The Private Reserve is the world's largest overwater villa.
Soneva Jani