Honey, I didn’t shrink the selection of…
Soneva Jani has seen Gili Lankanfushi’s range of mellifluous spreads number a dozen (back in 2013) by doubling the ante to TWO dozen honeys including…
And honey comb on offer to boot…
If you want to frolic in the octopus’ garden, then Soneva Jani has taken water villa slides to the next level. Not only are they higher and longer than previous water villas slides, they are installed most water villas as well as a public area on at “The Gathering” hub. About time I added a “Slide” tag. Below is Lori enjoying a thrilling ride during our stay at Soneva Jani.
Part of the adventure in an exotic destination like the Maldives is sampling some of the unfamiliar fare. Not just different recipes, but also different, often home grown, ingredients. Our visit to Soneva Jani featured many less familiar (but not unknown) fruits on their breakfast buffet (like dragon fruit, jackfruit, fresh figs), but it was the first time we came upon a mangosteen (see photo). It is a bit like a lychee and very tasty on some yogurt.
Sri Lanka Day! One of our favourite treats from the Indian Ocean neighbour was Sri Lankan Mud Crab at Soneva Jani’s Crab Shack. The ‘Chili Crab’ is spicy mud crab wok-fried with garlic and onion in olive oil and black pepper. As it happens, Chef Priyantha himself grew up on a diet of lagoon crabs in Sri Lanka and recreates his fond memories with a range of recipes from the Soneva family. And if you want to se these creatures in their natural habitat, they are quite plentiful around the Soneva Jani lake (but the ones served are brought in from Sri Lanka).
The first story of the Maldives which first captivated my interest in this aquatic paradise was a work colleague describing to me how they spotted an island neighbouring their resort and just *waded* over to it. They were staying at Rihiveli which has two islands you can wade to. Now Soneva Jani extends this ambulatory island hopping to three plot-of-sand destinations to Kudafushi, Budafushi and a further tiny one in the lagoon off its Crab Shack. The easiest way to stroll to that Robinson Caruso experience.
The holiday season is full of special treats like gingerbread houses and egg nog that you only get on this special occasion. The delicacies reminded me of one of my favourite resort treats in the Maldives, Soneva Jani “Souffle Station” (!). It featured one of its Soneva Stars visiting chefs Marianne Lumb from the UK who prepared custom souffles to guests at the main restaurant. A coup le souffle from a coup of a soufflé.
A number of resorts feature treetop spas, but Soneva Jani’s was the first OVER treetops spa we ever visited. The location provides a breath-taking vista of the palm greenery and the tapestry of blues of the sea.
The polished silver finish and the multi-spray flush make Soneva Jani’s urinal at its main restaurant one of the poshest potties we’ve used.
While the Maldives is renowned for its flatness, when a bit of elevation does poke its head into the air, the vistas are extra dramatic. Especially, with the destination’s signature tapestry of blues mottling the tranquil ocean below. Soneva Jani’s Soneva Soul Yoga Champa is perched above the palm tree canopy proving a breath-taking view for taking your Ujjayi breathes. Just the perfect place to channel your “yogi sitting on top of a mountain” spirit.
DiscoverSoneva’s Instagram feed has also shared its own panorama of this striking vista.
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Masks are not just to protect from contagion, but also to protect the aesthetics of a stay in paradise as Soneva Jani craftily demonstrated with its hideaway suitcase television. When not in use, it just looks like an unassuming trunk at the foot of the bed. But if you feel like a little bedtime entertainment, like the roof above, your remote can fire up some distraction.