SONEVA FUSHI | Maldives' ultimate 5-star resort | Barefoot luxury at its best
Every journey to Soneva Fushi starts at Male Airport, where guests are transferred to the seaplane terminal by a Tesla At the seaplane terminal, Soneva operates its own lounge, where guests can wait for their flight to the resort The lounge’s interior reflects Soneva's signature eco-design Soneva has its own fleet of luxurious seaplanes The Soneva seaplanes have only has 8 seats (for comparison, a regular seaplane features 16 seats) Aboard the plane, leather interiors welcome passengers Flight time from Male to Soneva Fushi is 30 minutes All pilots in the Maldives are commercially trained and they fly the plane with bare feet or flipflops (so cool) The 30 minute flight offers spectacular views We're reaching the Baa Atoll, home of Soneva Fushi We get our first glimpse of Soneva Fushi The plane lands at short distance from the resort as not to disturb the guests on the island From the landing site, it's 5 min by speedboat to the resort A welcome drink is served during the short boat ride Along the way, we get a view of Soneva In Aqua, Soneva's luxury yacht Soneva Fushi is set on one of the Maldives' most idyllic islands Soneva Fushi is one of the Maldives' largest islands, being just under 1.5km (0,9 mi) long and 0,5 km (0,3 mi) wide The island's lush jungle is surrounded by palm-fringed beaches and a sparkling turquoise lagoon Soneva Fushi's "arrival piazza" is home to Mihiree Mithaa Restaurant, which serves the world's most amazing breakfast Have you ever stayed at Soneva Fushi? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment Upon arrival, guests are whisked away to their villa by golf cart Soneva Fushi features 64 beach villas and 8 overwater villas I stayed in this villa during my holiday (villa category: two bedroom Crusoe suite with pool) The playfully indulgent villa suite is spread across two floors The villa's terrace features a dining area and a kitchenette The ground floor boasts a large sitting room with colorful sofas Welcome amenities: a bottle of Champagne, fruits and snacks The villa's luxurious open-air garden bathroom is equipped with a water feature, sunken bathtub and a separate shower The master bedroom features a kingsize bed and a desk The second bedroom is located on the upper floor The upper floor bedroom has its own bathroom The bedroom opens to a gangway overlooking the sitting room and leads to a private balcony The villa's lush garden has direct access to Soneva Fushi's stunning white sand beach Let's have a walk around the island Soneva Fushi's magnificent white sand beach ranks among the Maldives' most beautiful beaches The Soneva brand is owned by the couple Sonu & Eva Sonu Shivdasani is an Indian-British hotelier and Eva Malmstrom a former Swedish top model Sonu & Eva launched the Soneva brand in 1995 Today, Soneva manages four spectacular resorts: Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani, Soneva Soul and Soneva Kiri Sonu & Eva live on the island of Soneva Fushi, the first ultraluxe ‘castaway’ resort in the Maldives Let's have a tour of Out of the Blue Out of the Blue is a two-story overwater structure on the island's sunset side that houses five unique dining outlets Guests can choose to sit undercover or on the open deck, upstairs or downstairs, for unimpeded views in all directions Out of the Blue features different open kitchens, serving Vietnamese, Japanese, Indonesian and Thai cuisine Out of the Blue also includes a Robata grill, Josper grill, wine cellar, ice cream parlor and cheese room The wine cellar is home to some of the world's best vintages The ice cream & chocolate parlor is open 24/7 Out Of The Blue features a large sundeck, equipped with comfortable loungers, overwater netting, and a fun water slide Out of the Blue is also home to Once Upon a Table, a culinary theater showcasing some of the biggest names in fine dining Out of the Blue regularly hosts Michelin-starred chefs, which cements Soneva Fushi's reputation as an epicurean destination So Hands On is also located at Out of the Blue, a sushi counter run in partnership with three-starred Michelin Chef Kenji Gyoten Let's have lunch at Out of the Blue Out of the Blue faces west and offers sublime views of the Maldivian sunsets Once a week, Soneva Fushi hosts a cocktail party, a great opportunity to meet other guests & the resort staff Soneva Fushi offers the Maldives' best dining options and there are nine exceptional restaurants to choose from Soneva Fushi's signature restaurant is called Flying Sauces, combining world-class gastronomy with the thrill of ziplining Guests are strapped into safety harnesses and soar along a 200 m (656 ft) zipline route to reach an elevated dining platform At Flying Sauces, Chef Michael Wignall brings the cuisine of his Michelin-starred restaurant The Angel to the Maldives Fresh in the Garden Restaurant is set above the resort's gardens, where the aromas of the herbs waft up from below Serving Mediterranean cuisine, the dining venue is reached via a suspension bridge and features an open kitchen Guests can also have dinner at Out of the Sea, an intimate seaside shack focusing on sustainably caught seafood Open from 11am onwards, the menu features Mediterranean flavors, wok-fried dishes and tapas-inspired light bites The next morning: a lavish breakfast buffet - the best I've ever seen at hotel - is served at Mihiree Mithaa Restaurant Next to the breakfast area is a large boutique Close to the shop is the Maldives' first hot glass studio, where Soneva Fushi creates beauty from what others consider waste Exquisite pieces of glass art are recycled from used glass bottles from Soneva Fushi and other nearby resorts Selected works from acclaimed artists including Lino Tagliapietra and Martin Janecky are also available for purchase In 2018, Ultimate Library teamed up with Soneva Fushi to bring the first-ever pop-up bookshop to the Maldives Let's explore Soneva Fushi's island facilities The spa is hidden among the island’s lush jungle vegetation The two-story wellness complex is inspired by its tranquil setting, inviting guests to embrace the beauty of nature A walkway connects the reception area to the treatment rooms The treatment area is built around a central water feature with stepping stones The spa is home to a state-of-the-art fitness center Soneva Fushi also features tennis and padel courts Soneva Fushi has sustainability in its DNA The resort has its own garden where it grows its own fruit, herbs and vegetables, reducing its reliance on importing ingredients The garden is nurtured with compost created from food waste and irrigation from the resort's wastewater treatment ponds The resort has the world’s biggest coral nursery using Mineral Accretion Technology to restore 150K coral fragments per year Coral reefs are incredible ecosystems that provide shelter, food and act as a nursery for thousands of sea creatures Soneva Fushi recycles 90% of its solid waste in its Eco Center Here, tonnes of steel and aluminum cans and cardboard are compacted, with some being sent overseas for recycling Soneva Fushi's 8 overwater villas are located along a gently curving jetty on the island’s southern tip Let's have a look inside a two bedroom overwater villa Welcome snacks are offered upon arrival The overwater villas at Soneva Fushi have a similar layout as their counterparts at Soneva Jani Soneva Fushi's overwater villas have a different style though They are not whitewashed, so the browns of the natural and sustainable wood panels are visible through the interior finishing The master bedroom has a retractable roof, allowing guests to sleep under the stars Offering direct access to the lagoon, the bathroom is equipped with two basins, a daybed, sunken bath, and several showers Behind the master bedroom's kingsize bed is a separate sleeping area for a child The villas has its own kitchenette The villa features an enormous pool deck Sun loungers & catamaran nets let guests sit above the waves, while curved steps lead from the pool deck to the water below The second bedroom is located on the villa's other end and is equipped with its own private bathroom The upper deck features a relaxation area and sun deck It's time to say goodbye to Soneva Fushi ...
2024-07-15 06:04
