Soneva Fushi

We have just returned from our seventh visit to Soneva Fushi since 2010 and thought we would take a moment to record and update our earlier comments on why this place remain so special to the Walker family in a few short sentences: ......a relatively large, single resort island, with unusually mature and lush vegetation, wild life, both airborne and at ground level, a place to get lost in a little in its maze of sandy pathways on your own bicycle; ......barefoot luxury in beautifully and originally designed villas and places to eat and relax in which melt into the jungle or the sea …. some of the public conveniences are so vast, so gloriously set in their own private open air gardens, that they have to be seen to be believed!) ......a wide variety of Michelin Star quality food, especially but not only Asian, served in rational sized amounts, catering to every possible taste and dietary preference, served in different ambiences across the island; ......many complementary experiences, with special privileges for returning guests, ranging from yoga, exercise and meditation classes, complementary Indian and Sri Lankan cooking lessons from their head chefs, and fascinating tours of their eco recycling centre, vegetable gardens, etc; ......lovely white sand beaches and translucent sea with surely some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world…. renascent populations of mantas, reef sharks and turtles, so many fish….all the colours of the rainbow, the best and most accessible house reefs of the Maldives I would think; ......just a lovely environment to relax in, or be very active if you wish, always some interesting people in residence, no dominant nationality and the staff always smiling with genuine goodwill, ever available but unobtrusive; Every two years or so we set foot back on Soneva Fushi a little anxious in case things might not quite as good, as it is difficult to imagine things getting any better….. and each time the family leaves, rested and reconnected with each other, with a renewed interest in our health, in what we eat, thinking we will be back again soon, as somehow Soneva, at least for us, never loses its freshness or its unique appeal. The Walkers

I love soneva fushi it is one of the best resorts in Maldives i loved the experience and the staff was do kind and helpful and the butler is the best her name is kelly the ice cream is so good there is no stealing and i love it the house keeping was so nice whenever I lost something. She’ll find it for me. Her name is maricel .A and i will for sure will come back

We just got back from an unforgettable stay at Soneva Fushi. We chose the resort to celebrate a couple of milestone birthdays and ended up getting engaged during the trip, so it will always be a special place for us. I have traveled all over the world, including many trips to Japan where the hospitality is famous, but the service here was easily the best I have ever experienced. We visited right at the start of the rainy season, but we still got plenty of sunshine and great beach days. The food was spectacular at every single meal, and the whole island has a wonderful, relaxed luxury feel to it. Our Barefoot Butler, Miqdad, completely elevated the entire trip. He was absolutely incredible and took care of our every need before we even had to ask. He made sure our birthdays and our engagement felt completely magical, bringing so much warmth and professionalism to everything he did. If you want a beautiful paradise with amazing dining and truly world class service, I cannot recommend Soneva Fushi enough. Definitely ask for Miqdad if you can. We are already looking forward to going back.

This was our fourth stay at Soneva Fushi and somehow it continues to improve. We spent 10 nights in February and then returned for another five nights after a stay at Soneva Jani in March. This trip was with my wife, our three-year-old daughter, and my wife's parents. For us, Soneva is at its best for multi-generational travel. Everyone finds their own pace and routine, but there is still a lot of time together. We stayed in Villa 10 and it ended up being a very difficult villa to leave. The view felt like something out of a postcard. We were on the sunrise side and had extremely calm conditions for most of the stay. We jokingly called the water "blue Gatorade water" because of how clear it was. It almost looked edited in photos. The combination of calm water, shallow entry and the overall setting made it easy for our daughter and family to spend long stretches of time outside without needing to plan anything. The relaxed barefoot style continues to be something we enjoy. It will not be for everyone, but for our family it fits us perfectly. There is a balance between feeling casual and still receiving very attentive service. Food was consistently excellent and one of the strongest parts of the experience. What continues to stand out is the diversity. Soneva does not just do one or two restaurants well. The quality carries across the island and there are enough different concepts that a long stay still feels fresh. The half-board structure also deserves mention because it is one of the more generous arrangements we have experienced. At many restaurants there is real freedom to order from the menu without feeling restricted, and that makes a long stay much easier and more enjoyable. Fresh in the Garden continues to stand out and feels like it keeps evolving. We found ourselves returning because both the menu and setting felt unique compared to the rest of the island. Breakfast also remains a major part of the Fushi experience. It has almost become a cultural part of the stay for us. There is a huge amount of variety and quality and it quickly becomes part of your daily routine. Chef Akira also continues to be a highlight of every visit. His omakase experience remains one of our favorite meals across all of our Soneva stays. One thing we always appreciate is that at the end of the meal, guests can continue selecting pieces they would like repeated until they are full. It is such a simple idea but a memorable one. Soneva seems to understand that for many people, experiences and food are tied together. They pay attention to those details. We also had the chance to do a beach dinner and a movie night at Villa 10. One evening we watched the Canada-USA gold medal hockey game and later watched Jaws. Those small moments ended up becoming some of the most memorable parts of the trip. That has always been one of the things Soneva does well. It creates experiences that feel personal and natural rather than overly scripted. Our barefoot guardian Micky was probably the best guardian we have had across our visits. He was fun, intuitive and professional. He understood the pace of our family quickly and seemed to anticipate things before we needed to ask. He fit the style of Soneva very well, relaxed and easygoing while still being very engaged and organized. I also want to recognize Antony and the wider team. Before this trip we were curious, like many repeat guests probably are, about how things might change following the ownership transition. Have some things evolved? Sure. But generally speaking, the feeling of Soneva still felt exactly as we remembered it. I think a large part of that comes from leadership and people who understand what the culture of the brand represents. Antony clearly embodies that. He was very present throughout the stay and visible around the island. It was common to see him at breakfast speaking with guests, asking questions, checking in and following up personally if something needed attention. There is a calmness to the way he manages the experience and you get the impression that he takes ownership personally rather than operationally. We had a few small issues during our stay and they were handled professionally and quickly. Partway through our trip there was uncertainty related to the conflict situation in the region. We had already extended our stay by three nights before that and ultimately needed to remain a little longer. The reservations team acted quickly and made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. Antony remained calm and visible throughout and it felt clear that guest wellbeing and experience remained a priority. For us, that level of engagement is one of the differences between luxury and ultra-luxury hospitality. Our daughter has now reached the stage where she regularly asks us, "When are we going back to Soneva?" We probably created that problem ourselves. We cannot wait to return.