Soneva Jani – one of the world’s most exclusive ecoresorts in the Maldives that lives up to its ambitions. With 24 water villas on the uninhabited island of Medhufaru in a large, private lagoon in Noonu Atoll, Soneva Jani is, if you ask us, in a class all its own. But Soneva Jani is not for everyone. This is a place where you will be treated as a guest rather than a tourist and the luxury is laid back, friendly and unpretentious.
The guests who come here are well-rested but concerned about the footprint they leave and who love the concept of “no news no shoes motto”. The experiences here will never be forgotten.
This program is a source of inspiration — each trip is unique and tailored to you.
There is nothing modest about Soneva Jani. The villas, which range from one to four bedrooms, all have a large private pool, outdoor bathroom with bathtub, roof terrace where you can remove the roof so you can look at the stars from your bed.
Some villas even have private water slides in the lagoon – a paradise for children.
The view from your bedroom doesn’t immediately make you tired, but the soothing sound of the waves makes you fall asleep in the evening.
There is no limit to the available options when it comes to gourmet food at Soneva Jani – A candlelit dinner under the stars. A private picnic with your loved ones. Create your own menu with the experienced chefs for the perfect meal. The wine cellar at Soneva Jani is located in a six-metre high glass tower. Private wine tastings and dinners can be arranged.
Cinema Paradiso is the first silent cinema in the Maldives. The guests are huddled among cushions and blankets and all wear Bluetooth headphones that leave the surrounding wildlife alone.
How about an excursion in a golf buggy, a private boat trip at sunset in search of dolphins or snorkelling and dinner on your own private sandbank?
There is a water sports center that offers free kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, windsurfing, kitesurfing and catamarans. To say that the snorkeling and diving here is divine is an understatement.
Visit the first underwater observatory in the Maldives, where you can see star constellations in the northern and southern hemispheres. Let the hotel’s star experts guide you through the magic of space and share their knowledge of how ancient cultures used the night sky to navigate, harvest, hunt and teach.
Of course, there is a spa, free glasses, bicycles, forests waiting to be discovered and so much more that you could spend months here without getting bored.
Ecorating: 4.5
Season: All year round
Airport: Male airport, Maldives (MLE)
Length: We recommend at least 5 nights.
Included in the price: Activities, full board, drinks & laundry.
Not included in the price: International flights, tips, insurance, vaccinations etc
Good to know about the Maldives:
Travel tip: The Maldives is a Muslim country and alcohol is only allowed in hotels and resorts. It is forbidden to bring alcohol into the country.
Visa: Most travelers need an entry permit to visit the Maldives. This can be arranged at the airport upon arrival or before departure, simply at www.eta.gov.lk.
Time zone: GMT + 5
Local currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR). Only USD on the hotel islands. Bring USD in small denominations to tip.
Weather: Weather Maldives
Mobile network: Internet access available
Safety: The Maldives is considered a safe place for tourists.
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Soneva resorts are an example when it comes to sustainability and responsible tourism and they have taken this further than many others through pioneering and innovative methods. Through the years, it has been seen that their commitment and effort to work in the most sustainable way may have added to the place and not affected it negatively.
Total impact assessment (TIA) enables Soneva to get to the root of every area of its business and understand the sustainability effects and make informed decisions about it. Building and maintaining world-class resorts is a resource-intensive activity. Every area of the facility’s design and construction process is controlled by the highest sustainability standards, but even then the construction process inevitably takes away our natural resources. The advantage of total impact assessment (TIA) is that you can make well-grounded decisions about how and where to minimize and compensate for the effects of your development and ongoing operations. Equally important, it informs where one should invest one’s energies and economy in human and social capital.
Initiatives such as “Women in Soneva”, which aim to increase the proportion of women employed in the hospitality industry in the Maldives and have the potential to affect the tourism industry much more broadly than their own resorts. The financial costs of “Soneva Ocean Stewards”, the island’s local swimming program, are still low and it is confirmed again that the investments in human resources pay enormously back to society, which has gained a lot from this in terms of life-saving skills and environmental awareness. At an international level, it is confirmed that investment via the Soneva Foundation gives both environmental and social dividends.
