How Soneva is redefining luxury travel with sustainable wellness and culinary excellence in the Maldives

The problem with having the privilege of visiting so many stunning hotels and restaurants in what is now quite a long career in food and travel writing, is that you become jaded. So I was surprised at my enthusiasm and excitement when I recently went to the Maldives… for the third time. I experienced two Soneva resorts — Fushi and Jani — and can say that I have never come across this barefoot luxury concept anywhere in the world… and flourishing!

The beauty, the exuberant living spaces, the clean blue water, the white sands, a huge integrated wellness programme (not just massages overlooking the ocean) and incredibly clever design are what make it special. The only sign of opulence is the top-notch food quality, which I approve of. Air-conditioned mini pavilions of charcuterie and cheese from around the world open to all residents at all times, ditto with chocolate and ice cream rooms, along with a conscious effort to do away with white sugar, beef, dairy and wheat wherever possible, established organic gardens… it ticks all the right boxes. No over-the-top vulgarity or excess. No designer dress code. The well-heeled without heels walking into the sunset.

Let’s start with a quote from co-founder Sonu Shivdasani, always photographed in a pair of shorts and linen half-sleeved shirt. That says it all really. “Our dream for Soneva has always been to focus more on wellness. The continuing impact of the pandemic, plus our own personal experience over the last two years has encouraged us to share what we have learnt and make wellness our new priority at Soneva. Our holistic approach will see this new outlook permeate every part of Soneva, and we will offer even more opportunities for our guests to consider and address their own physical and mental wellness and well-being needs. This includes reworking our restaurant menus, revamping our spa, offering a greater focus on healing and well-being, offering more wellness-related guest experience and hosting a line-up of the world’s most renowned health and wellness experts across our resorts.”

Wellness at the core 

I visited the wellness centre at Jani for a simple massage to be handed a booklet with a mind-boggling array of treatments from regenerative treatments, cryotherapy, stem cell therapy and aesthetic treatments to traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and Naturopathy. And yes, you can get an exceedingly good massage too. If you are interested in wellness and what is on offer internationally, This is the perfect opportunity to have it all explained to you by experts from around the world.

British born of Indian origin, I can imagine going to a bank for a loan for a concept like sustainable luxury (and that too a wellness project in the middle of the Indian ocean) 25 years ago, could not have been a walk in the park. Today, Sonu has three Sonevas — named after him and his wife Eva. Soneva Kiri in Thailand, and Soneva Jani and the original Soneva Fushi, in Maldives. And as I write, they have just opened Soneva Secret, also in the Maldives, with purely private villas with the guest’s personal chef and staff.

Eco-friendly villas 

I visited Soneva Fushi many years ago. This time, I stayed at one of their water retreat villas overlooking the ocean. I have stayed in water villas elsewhere and always felt a bit claustrophobic. Nothing quite compares to the space in these: Soneva Fushi’s water retreat villas are the largest in the world. My one-bedroom villa for example, was over 6,000 sq ft stretching to over 9,000 sq ft in the two-bedroom villas. There are bathrooms — indoors and outdoors — and three dining areas. A private 13-metre pool, a dressing room, kitchen, study overlooking the ocean, terrace to relax and so on. You get the picture.

Apart from the ocean, the living room floor also reveals the ocean below through glass cut-outs on the wooden floor. The whole villa is pleasantly air-conditioned and vast floor-to-ceiling windows bring in lots of light. It’s what you might call “a luxe take on Castaway Chic”. And the sustainability story continues with lampshades made from driftwood (there’s a whole studio on the island devoted to villa interiors and decor from local materials).

Like all Soneva’s carbon neutral properties, construction materials for the villas were sourced sustainably and the design and location of the water retreats followed a comprehensive environmental assessment ensuring that the marine ecosphere remained unharmed. Did I mention the retractable ceiling in the bedroom, so you can literally sleep under the stars?

Soneva has put 25 years of experience into perfecting their resorts and I must say, it takes your breath away. Every single detail, door knob, mirror frames, choice of nibbles in the kitchen, the well-stocked wine fridge and bar (in case you’re not a ‘garden shooter’ type)... it’s all pretty much thought out, down to the brown sugar macaroons (how they make them in that humidity, I don’t know!).

Culinary excellence 

Now to the food. If you are one of the plant-based folk, you won’t be disappointed. There’s Shades of Green at Soneva Fushi and So Wild at Soneva Jani — both in the middle of their organic garden. If it’s something more luxe you are looking for at Soneva Fushi, Japanese Chef Akira will blow you away. Buddhist in his simplicity (he almost looks like a monk), Akira brings out a fresh box of seafood just flown in from Japan and proceeds to perform. It’s top-of-the line sushi, sashimi and a seafood extravaganza and there’s no smell of fish. In the tiny restaurant, which only seats eight at any given time, sea urchin, chu-toro, otoro, mackerel, prawns, calamari, maguro, sea bass are offered and Akira humbly and with great precision delivers perfection in every piece. You eat till you’re full. I left after 8 courses or so, plus appetisers. The rest of the table continued.

There are a dozen or so dining options at Soneva Fushi — from fine dining to casual — and about half a dozen at Soneva Jani. I loved Crab Shack at Soneva Jani where you can dig into a whole chilli crab like no one is watching while wiggling your toes in the sand! And if you are so moved by the sea, sand and palms then you simply must have caviar and champagne. That’s there too.

In an effort to become more local, they are bringing in experts to create the best global foods at the resorts themselves. They have already done a pretty perfect job with chocolate, ice cream and vegan cheese and are now working with a British master charcutier, Marc Frederic, for everything from smoked duck to Italian-style salami and Spanish chorizo!

To say that I was impressed by Soneva is an understatement. I have been consciously speaking out for sustainability and healthy food for many years and to see it put into practice in such a holistic and chic way with so much beauty is an undeniable achievement.

Am I suggesting you go to the Maldives? Yes, at least once in a lifetime, more if you can afford it, go and experience the Soneva Slow life. It’s a transformative experience.

Stay Highlights

In the 25 years since the launch of Soneva Fushi, Soneva has continued to expand, evolve and pioneer, with a wide range of one-of-a-kind initiatives. Some highlights include:

• The Slow Life philosophy, where incredible experiences create unforgettable memories with minimal impact on the natural world
• Pioneering ‘barefoot luxury’, encouraging guests to disconnect from technology, reconnect with the earth and feel the sand between their toes

• The iconic, complimentary ice cream parlours, chocolate rooms and delicatessens
• The Den, a haven of fun and adventure for children of all ages, which has helped Soneva resorts become the ultimate family destination
• A long term, sustainable, community conscious vision – from ethical, eco-friendly construction materials to remaining 100 per cent carbon neutral through the introduction of a carbon calculator and environmental levy on all stays
• Filtering and mineralising Soneva Drinking Water, served in reusable glass bottles to eliminate plastic across Soneva resorts
• Eco Centro, The Maldives’ first integrated waste management centre which opened at Soneva Fushi back in 2007 and today recycles or reuses 90 per cent of waste from the resort
• Soneva Art & Glass, the Maldives’ only hot glass studio, where waste glass is recycled into works of art by the world’s most renowned glass artists
• The Soneva Foundation, which supports global and community causes, including the Myanmar and Darfur Stove Campaigns, the Soneva Forest Restoration Project in Thailand and a Wind Turbine project in India
• Most recently, the Soneva Namoona initiative, in partnership with Soneva Fushi’s neighbouring islands of Maalhos, Dharavandhoo and Kihaadhoo. The partnership aims to eliminate single-use plastics in the Maldives and support sustainable waste management by rolling out Eco Centros and Soneva Water across the islands. It also focuses on ocean stewardship and encouraging a love of the ocean among children and young people