When Soneva Fushi arrived two decades ago on a tiny atoll in the Indian Ocean, its loosened-up, barefoot look became the prototype for a new generation of beach hotels. Now the team have returned with an opening set to redefine the Maldives yet again: Soneva Jani.

IT’S A WONDER THE MALDIVES isn’t running out of islands. This past year a new hotel seemed to open every month, from the party hangout of Finolhu to the family-friendly St Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, and the Four Seasons Private Island Voavahwith its own 19-metre yacht to explore the Baa Atoll.

But the biggest opening by far is Soneva Jani, the third property from the smart, spirited Soneva team that pioneered around-the-clock butler service, a strong environmental code and a determination to disconnect from the noisy outside world,

(guests are gently asked to remove their shoes on arrival, which are then slipped into a linen bag until their departure).

Soneva was founded by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, he a British-Indian businessman, she a former Swedish model. Their first hotel, Soneva Fushi, opened in 1995 and remains a firm favourite.

Soneva Gili followed five years later, showcasing the first overwater villas in the Maldives.

After that the group – now operating under the Six Senses banner – expanded so quickly it ran into trouble and the Shivdasanis ended up selling 26 hotels, including Soneva Gili, and 41 spas.

Elements of Soneva Fushi and their other hotel, Soneva Kiri, a jungly beach retreat in the Gulf of Thailand that opened in 2010, are evident here, but what sets Soneva Jani apart – and from hotels across the Maldives – is that it’s actually made up of five little islets in the Noonu Atoll.

Snaking off the biggest island, a former vegetable farm, is a 1.8km jetty with 24 overwater villas, each one bigger than some hotels (I was still discovering doors to little rooms and alcoves on my last day).

The largest can fit a family of 10. Next year the island will also be home to a couple of dozen beach villas, hidden in the forests of screwpine,

banyan trees and sea trumpet, which will all be for sale – although available to Soneva Jani guests when the owners aren’t around.

A tented restaurant serving seafood lunches will be set up on another island and the other three will remain entirely undeveloped, so there will always be somewhere to play castaway.

The scale of the villas may be extraordinary, but everything else about this place is understated. It’s not about name architects, tricksy interior design or superstar chefs, just simple open-plan, open-air living.

Rooms built in renewable plantation wood sprawl in great sweeping curves, each a charming jumble of pitched roofs and rondavels with fairytale turrets to climb up for the views;

ladders lead directly from decks into the Indian Ocean; windows fold away; portholes in the floors reveal marine life below; a push-button retractable ceiling above the bed unveils the starry night skies.

Thanks in part to Eva, the interior design – all light and bright with vaulted ceilings, bamboo floors and white rattan furniture – shows admirable Scandinavian restraint.

Sandblasted pine is sawn into soft organic shapes; there are oval windows and round, sunken sofas with hand-dyed cotton cushions from Sri Lanka. Lampshades are made using rough marble slabs, or thickly stitched cream cowhide.

The restaurant is headed by Japanese chef Kengo Tomita, who I immediately recognised from Soneva Fushi, and who greeted me like an old friend and brought me a steaming bowl of soba noodles because he remembered I like them.

The bar and wine-tasting room, spa, gym, yoga studio and kids’ club are connected by a series of glass bridges (the spa director is the brilliant Meena Gurung from Sikkim, who says some of her best therapists are from the Himalayas).

Across a wooden bridge is a wonderful observatory with a telescope rising up from the floor and live monitors that share the view through the eyepiece.

By the pool at Soneva Jani in the Maldives.

A seating area overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Bicycle across the island to the open-air, floating cinema, where guests wear Bluetooth headphones to avoid any sound effects disturbing the turtles.

Sonu tells me he has plans to open two more groundbreaking hotels in the Maldives – so they’ll have to dream up some more ideas to play with.

But for now, this is absolutely the new place to stay, for the creativity, the sensitivity, and above all for somewhere happy to act as both backdrop and foil to the outstanding beauty of the islands of the Maldives themselves. Which might just be the greatest compliment of all.

Red Savannah (+44 1242 787800) offers a week at Soneva Jani from £5,997 per person, based on two sharing, including breakfast, international flights from Heathrow and seaplane transfers.

This feature first appeared in The Islands Issue of Condé Nast Traveller December 2016.

Via  Condé Nast Traveller

Big Thanks !

Even in the Maldives, an island so perfectly formed as Kandolhu is rare. The island is lush, with wide sandy beaches surrounding the emerald green and is home to one of the most pristine, colourful and lively house reef in the Maldives.

Online Booking to Kandolhu Island Maldives here

Book  your ideal trip to Maldives and have a memorable experience…

Located 70 kilometres south west of Male’ in North Ari Atoll, Kandolhu Island is reached in 25 minutes by seaplane.

Kandolhu is an exquisite Maldives resort which features just 30 villas that perfectly combine natural elements of the Maldives with modern architecture and creature-comforts, in creating an experience so memorable that it will stay with you forever.

As an expansive Maldives luxury resort, Kandolhu Island offers 30 villas in 5 different styles, each style distinct in design. All of these Maldives villas feature local architecture with modern interiors. They are all set in prime locations with either direct beach access or clear views to the Indian Ocean.

• 7 Ocean Pool Villas – 90 sqm

Facing the sunset, the Ocean Pool Villas offer the best experience at Kandolhu. Each lavish water villa in Maldives is reached by its own private walkway and includes an oversized bedroom with king bed, day bed and walk-in wardrobe.

The bathroom of these luxury pool villas in Maldives is open and airy with shower, twin vanity and a bathtub, and features a sliding door which opens up to the outdoor deck. This expansive and completely private deck includes sunloungers, sun umbrella and a plunge pool (7 sqm) and infinite views of the Indian Ocean.

6 Jacuzzi Beach Villas – 85 sqm

These unique Maldives beach villas located on the western shores of Kandolhu feature a king bed, while a spacious open air garden bathroom features a jacuzzi bathtub, shower and twin vanity. A second outdoor shower is set in the garden.

For a small and intimate island, Kandolhu offers plenty of ways to wine, dine and be merry. You have a choice of four à la carte restaurants, a bar, beach dining experiences as well as in-villa dining options available.

Guests staying at Kandolhu can book their villa either on Bed and Breakfast, À La Carte Dining, or on the Ultimate Inclusions package.

Situated in the heart of Kandolhu Island, you will discover another  hidden secret; that is Varu Spa.

Varu, meaning ‘energy’ in the local language Dhivehi, forms the basis of every living soul, creating emotional responses and movement… and when this energy is unbalanced or met with resistance due to stress, it can leave us feeling anxious and fatigued.

At Varu Spa it is our focus to realign and unite the mind, body and soul by helping to rebalance and strengthen this energy, not only leaving you feeling at one with yourself and in harmony with your beautiful surroundings, but relaxed and energised, healthy and happy.

A wide range of non-motorised water sports are offered at Noovilu Sports ranging from windsurf, stand-up paddle boat, catamaran sailing, sail boat, kayaks and glass-bottomed kayaks. All water sports are offered to Kandolhu guests on complimentary basis by prior reservation.

Kandolhu is a luxury Maldives resort that offers different ways to spend your day. Depending on your mood, you can enjoy plenty of fun things to do in Maldives. Choose from snorkelling, non-motorised water sports, diving, or a range of excursions.

A small but interesting Library is also situated in the main building.

Diving

Located just a few minutes from some of the best dive sites in both North and South Ari Atoll, Kandolhu offers three dives each day, two in the morning and one in the afternoon, on board a Maldivian dhoni. Night dives, half day and full day trips are also organized regularly. The Dive School offers PADI certified courses for beginners as well as some amazing adventures for experienced divers.

Some of the well-known dive sites within a few minutes reach include Maalhos Thila, Hafsa Thila, Bathalaa Thila, Himendhoo Thila, Fesdu Wreck and even the protected dive site Fish Head which has lots of caves and overhangs.

Online Booking here

From Kandolhu Maldives,

Georgia Papadon & team