The Maldives Junior Olympics second event is Soneva Fushi which hosts a world-class kiddie table tennis venue. The table is barely bigger than the paddles. Also, it features the Maldivian signature white sand turf (“Beach Ping Pong”).
Best of the Maldives: Fantasy Kids Club – Soneva Fushi
If your kids want to immerse themselves in an imaginary world of a less virtual type, then Soneva Fushi’s kids club is as out of this world as any level of Tron. Sort of like what Tim Burton would design for kids if he was stranded on a tropical island. Other creative offerings include yoga for kids (kids sitting quietly and contemplately…that is a magical fantasy world!).
Fantastic!
Best of the Maldives: Longest House Reef – Soneva Fushi
If instead of endless diving, you want to do endless house reef snorkelling, then Soneva Fushi is your best bet. It has the longest house reef in the Maldives and a fine one at that. Over a kilometre and a half (nearly a mile long) of aquatic scenery. And when you finish that you have the same on the other side.
Marathon snorkelling!
Best of the Maldives: Treehouse – Soneva Fushi
Do you want the ‘Robinson Family’ experience instead of the ‘Robinson Crusoe’ experience?
If you want to not just admire the trees, but sleep in them, then look into Soneva Fushi’s ‘Villa Suite and Treehouse’.
- A walkway leads from the Villa to the Tree House
- Situated 2.5 meters above ground level
- 2 bunk bed (2 singles)
- Small toilet with basin and WC
- Balcony/Terrace
- Air-conditioning and overhead fan
The whole concept evokes one of my earliest memories of exotic, tropical island is the movie the ‘Swiss Family Robinson’. A Disney, family version of its (probably intentional) namesake ‘Robinson Crusoe’. Not one man stranded in paradise, but a charming family. Of all of their innovative contraptions crafted from what they could scavange the most captivating was their treehouse abode. Ostensibly for protection from wild critters, but actually simply a pre-adolescently fantasy.
Soneva’s website includes a 360 virtual tour for a cinematic preview.
Best of the Maldives: Cheese – Soneva Fushi
Some people opt for a cheese plate over pudding. In which case, Soneva Gili’s sister property, Soneva Fushi, features an extravagant cheese collection as part of its stunning wine cellar. Its 7000+ bottle collection ranks among the best in the Maldives in its own right, but the cheese is truly distinctive. I was alerted to it by a friend and Soneva Fushi regular, Mark Richardson, who raved about the cheese smorgasbourg. Contacting Soneva, their Sales and Marketing Executive Aishath Ali gave me the details…
“At any given time we have at least 30 to 40 different cheeses in house. We get our cheese from a very well respected Cheese Affineur in Belgium. The best Port we have though is a fantastic find – 1937 Colheita from Royal Oporto. We have weekly wine and cheese tastings in our underground wine cellar where we pair ‘Natural’ wines with some of Europe’s most unique artisanal cheeses.”
Selections include Soumaintrain fermier, Roqueforte Artisenale, Livarot, Perail Brebis, Lanres fermier, Maroille Ferme Blanche, Blue des Causses A.O.C., L’Ami du Chambertin, Manchego, Swiss Gruyer Haut Alpage, Reypenaar.
Say ‘cheese’! At Soneva Fushi, that will definitely put a smile on your face.
Best of the Maldives: Underwater Art – Soneva Fushi
In the Maldives you can marvel at nature’s artistry through such masterpieces of its coral gardens, and some resorts feature reef regeneration to aid and complement such artistry, but Soneva Fushi showcased underwater art (which is coming up for a benefit exhibit soon in London) as a part of their long term sponsorship of the Blue Marine Foundation…
“Olly and suzi’s manta ray and shark art will be exhibited in 2012 and 30% of the sales will be given to Blue Marine Foundation, a new charity formed by a group of influential individuals, brands and organisations to protect the world’s oceans through the establishment of a global network of marine reserves. Six Senses’ Maldivian resorts – Soneva Fushi, Soneva Gili and recently launched Six Senses Laamu – are sponsoring the foundation for the next three years.”
Best of the Maldives: Biggest Private Pool – Soneva Fushi
If the kind of ‘space’ that you like in your pool is less the ‘starry night’ type, and more the ‘stretchy out’ kind, then Soneva Fushi’s Jungle Reserve Villa (villa #42) is the one for you.
It’s private pool extends 150 square metres (15m x 10m). That comparer to the runner up in astronomical aquatic acreage of Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru’s Royal Beach Villa with 113 sq/m.
Best of the Maldives: Personal Transport – Soneva Fushi
Soneva Fushi has its own solution to saving the planet and dead head personal transport – personal bikes given to every guest (including 3-wheeled bikes).
Best of Maldives: Residence – Soneva Fushi
The Maldives has always been a bit of an opposite to Hotel California. You could check-in any time you like, but you could never stay.
Not just the tourists, but the resorts themselves are on long-term leases and don’t actually own their islands. But in a bid to boost the economy, the Maldives is cautiously venturing into residential purchases. You can’t actually own the property ‘freehold’, but they are offering ‘leaseholds’ (most Americans won’t be familiar with ‘leaseholds’ but they are a common structure in the UK and other countries. They are essentially an ‘option’ on a long-term, decades, ‘lease’ of the property that you can buy and sell like the property itself and work almost the same as owning the property itself).
The first place to pioneer this new opportunity is Soneva Fushi reports Phuquet Insider…
- “The first leasehold residential property that has been transferred on a leasehold basis in the Maldives has sparked interest in the islands property market. A three-bedroom hotel managed unit at Soneva Fushi, which transacted to a French national sold for USD7 million dollars has been officially registered. Last year the country enacted legislation in order to allow foreign property ownership to a maximum of 50 years in order to stimulate the local economy.”
A complete property spec on the six five residences for sale are featured on Ilre.
Best of the Maldives: Running – Shangri-La
The epic London Marathon takes place tomorrow so which resort is the best place for entrants to get their training in. Once you have carbo-loaded at Kuramathi, head to Shangri-La Vilingili for your training runs. Most Maldive islands would have you running laps being little larger than your typical running track in circumference anyway. Vilingili has 3 jogging trails for a total of a four kilometre route. A luxuriously long patch of ground in the terrain challenged Maldives.
Soneva Fushi also offers ‘hidden’ jogging trails and is a much larger island, but Villingili offers an eight-minute speedboat ride away ‘a 17-kilometre road, which is the longest in the Maldives’ which connects 5 neighbouring islands.
Good luck to my friend Mark Deakin who will be one of the 6000+ runners and he is raising money for the Oxford John Radcliffe Hospital if you want to lend support.