Villa 42 – Soneva Fushi

Soneva Fushi epitomises the paradise island experience with its original take on rustic luxury and remains one of the biggest draws in the Maldives.

Soneva Fushi is the original desert island hideaway. A a sliver of sand and green located in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. Luxury villas and private residences are hidden away from each other amongst dense foliage, within touching distance of a pristine UNESCO-protected coral reef.

Located in one of the furthest atolls from Male, Soneva Fushi was created by husband and wife team Sonu and Eva Shivdasani. The idea behind the resort was to provide a luxury resort with completely green credentials using sustainable materials and practices.

‘Mr/Mrs Friday’ butlers provide intuitive service, always on hand to cater to your every need. The resort philosophy is ‘no news, no shoes’ which really does make it the ideal place to relax and unwind. The resort’s gardens provide fresh organic food and guests can watch their empty glass bottles being recycled and made into unique works of art to take home. This is the place to see the stars in the resort’s observatory and enjoy movie nights on the beach with popcorn, homemade ice cream and cocktails. There’s even a cheese room, chocolate room and ice cream corner for indulging.
Villa 42
We love this six bedroom villa for its clean lines and rustic luxury aesthetic. This private residence’s ground floor bedrooms come with spacious open-air bathrooms and are accompanied by a beautiful natural waterfall. The generous master bedroom is ideal for quieter moments, perfect for enjoying the spectacular views of the setting sun. Inside the villa, you can enjoy a private wine cellar and a spacious lounge complete with large TV as well as a kitchen area that comes with an open-plan dining space. Your butler will ensure that you can dine wherever you like on the island and generally spoil you rotten.
Soneva Fushi has a vast array of different room types to suit different needs.

Crusoe Villas (1 + 2 bedrooms – with and without private pools).
Soneva Fushi Villas (1 + 2 bedrooms with and without pools).
Soneva Fushi Villa Suite with Tree House (great fun for the kids).
2 Retreats with 2 or 3 bedrooms and private pools.
The Jungle Reserve with 2 bedrooms and private pool.
Villa amenities
A/C, minibar, wine fridge, safe, binoculars, CD + DVD player, semi open air bathrooms, IDD phone, Wi-Fi, outdoor area with seating and loungers and direct beach access for all rooms.
Spa
As with all Soneva properties, the spa is run by another Shivdasani creation, “Six Senses Spas”. There is a vast choice of treatments and different rooms to suit all from air-conditioned indoor rooms to outdoor salas. As you’d expect, the quality of treatment from initial consultation through to your post-treatment tea is excellent. The therapists come from all over Asia, offering different skills and treatments. They also have guest therapists from yoga masters to lifestyle experts. Try their unique new treatment “Watsu” which is Shiatsu performed in a hot water pool.
Dining
There are four key dining options here.

The main restaurant, at the resort’s heart is called ‘Mihiree Mitha’ and provides open air dining for lunch, breakfast and dinner.

There is ‘Fresh in the Garden’, an award winning healthy dining option set within the gardens of the resort where they home-grow much of the organic produce on the menu.

‘Sense by the Beach’ provides a very modern fusion of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine.

‘Ever Soneva’ offers Mediterranean with a seafood influence.

Aside to this there are various bars including bar(a)bara Bar on the west jetty and The Main Bar complete with snooker table.
Getting there
The Soneva experience begins when you arrive at Malé International Airport. There are two ways to reach Soneva Fushi from Malé – you can either take a 30–minute seaplane from Malé International Airport direct to Soneva Fushi, or take a domestic flight from Malé International Airport to Dharavandhoo Airport, followed by a 12-minute speedboat ride to Soneva Fushi.

If you prefer to take a seaplane, there are two choices available: either the Soneva seaplane or the Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) seaplane. The Soneva seaplane is private and more comfortable, while the TMA seaplane carries slightly more passengers and may stop en-route at other destinations before arriving at Soneva Fushi. The Soneva seaplane is operated by the TMA Authority so we are bound by their timings and regulations.