Soneva Jani Resort: Intelligent Luxury in The Maldives

Soneva Jani is a luxury resort located in the bluest waters of the Medhufaru lagoon in the Noonu Atoll, Maldives. The island has one of the biggest private lagoons (5.6km long), and its blue waters will leave you speechless. It's relatively easy to get to Soneva Jani. You can take a 45min private seaplane flight from Malé International Airport or a 20min speedboat transfer from Maafaru International Airport. If you are coming from Soneva Fushi, they offer a complimentary 60min speedboat transfer.

 

The first time I locked eyes with photos of Soneva Jani, I knew I had to go to this dreamy resort. In fact, a collage of their unique overwater villas was on my vision board for a long time. I guess vision boards are the real deal, huh? Soneva Jani was found in 2016 by Sonu and his wife, Eva. They just celebrated 25 years of Jani's sister resort Soneva Fushi, also in the Maldives. While Fushi gives you more of the island life feeling, Soneva Jani will have you fall head over heels for their unique overwater experiences.

The Soneva Resorts adopted the "No News, No Shoes" concept, which means that once you get on the island, they will give you a little canvas bag where you can put your shoes on, and you don't need to wear shoes in the resort, like, ever! It's brilliant cause you can pack less and join them on the slow life mindset, which means to connect with nature and ground yourself. It's obviously not a rule but highly encouraged. Peter has sensitive feet, so he wore his flip-flops, and that was perfectly fine too!

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— COVID-19 MEASURES—

We visited Soneva Jani & Soneva Fushi during covid times, and I have never felt safer. No matter where you are flying from, you must present a covid-19 negative test to get to the Maldives. You must take the test no longer than 96 hours before your departure. Along with the negative test, you will need to fill out the Maldives Health declaration online form 24 hours before arrival. You can find the form here.

The resort has also taken extra health & hygiene measures. For everyone's safety, all guests are provided with another PCR test upon arrival. Your barefoot butler (Mr. Friday) will take you to your Villa, where you will take the test. You will need to quarantine for 24 hours or less, depending on when they get the results. If the results come back negative, you will be free to explore the resort and enjoy your vacation mask free. Because we visited Soneva Fushi first, we did the PCR test there, and when we transferred to Soneva Jani, we didn't have to take another test.

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the Villas

The overwater villas are split into two chapters at either end of the Medhufaru island. If you choose to stay on the land, you must book one of the very few two to four-bedroom island reserves located in the middle of the island.

Chapter 1 - there are 24 one to four-bedroom overwater villas called Water Retreats. These are the resort's original villas. They all have a private pool (most have water slides), beautiful semi-outdoor bathrooms, and a unique retractable roof over the master bed. When you stay on this side of the island, you are closer to the famous overwater dining "The Gathering," where you can also experience the spa, gym, and shopping, all in the same place.

Chapter 2 - this is a brand new part of the resort. There are 27 one to four-bedroom overwater villas called Water Reserves; these are a bit bigger than the Water Retreats. They also have their own private pool, water slides, a retractable roof over the master bed but the unique benefit of the new concept: Soneva Unlimited. It's a luxury, all-inclusive guest experience, if you will. When you stay in the Water Retreats, you can enjoy unlimited dining & drinking, spa treatments, diving & surfing, and so much more; you can view the full list here.

Sustainable luxury

Soneva Jani is very serious about preserving the environment; that's not just lip service. We visited the resort's own Eco Centro, where they separate and recycle all waste. Most of the fresh organic produce comes from their gardens (I highly recommend a visit). Jani itself was built entirely with sustainable material. They also treat their own water, reuse glass bottles, and cut plastic use to the max. It's truly inspiring.

Dining

Our go-to place is Down to Earth, located at The Gathering. You can have breakfast, lunch & dinner there. The quality of the food is exceptional, and the variety is endless. You can choose to order from the live stations or straight from the menu. Wood-fired pizza oven, organic produce from their gardens, and seafood freshly caught offshore - just perfection!

 

Overseas by the Swedish Mathias Dahlgren
You can enjoy lunch and dinner all week, except Friday. Plant-based and delightful pescatarian dishes. It was perfectly balanced and so delicious.

Crab Shack
Voted the 'World's Most Romantic Restaurant' by CNN, this fine dining experience at the rustic hut, with palm trees all around and marvelous views of the lagoon will be one to remember. The food is mouthwatering!

 

So Starstruck
Our FAVORITE. This is legit a luxurious observatory dining experience. You dine under the stars, while their fantastic Astronomer tells you and shows you all about the night skies' beauty. We got so lucky to have Maarvin be our guide on this journey. This young man knows a lot about everything; it's fascinating to hear him. Earlier that day, he also guided us on a snorkeling adventure, and it was incredible — #GoMaarvin. As you can see below, there is a giant telescope in the middle; we lucked out again, it was just our table that night, and we had the BEST time.

 

Those were the places we experienced during our stay, but there are a lot more; you can check them out here.

Barefoot butler

What's a Barefoot butler or Mr. Friday?
Guests can have a personalized butler service complimentary, and they are your single point of contact during your stay. Anything you need, you can ask them directly. At Soneva Jani, our Mr. Friday was Shimmi - he was AMAZING, so friendly (most beautiful smile ever), and super kind. He took amazing care of us!

Experiences

If you want to spend quality time in the water, you can do snorkeling, stand-up paddling, and kayaking, which is complimentary. Some other motorized water sports are available for rental. You can also book an eco-friendly surfing lesson, join a dolphin cruise, and have a sandbank experience for a picnic or candlelit dinner.

Guided snorkeling
We had a 2-hour snorkeling session with Maarvin, and it was magnificent. We saw a turtle and a wide variety of fish.

Spa Time
Their treatments are based on intuitive therapy, which is curated specifically for your needs and wants; body wraps & scrubs, facials, and ayurvedic therapy, to name a few things. The spa grounds are beautiful; we did couples massage and were very pleased with it.

Tennis Court & Fitness Center
Both complimentary to all guests, with private lessons available for a fee.

Cinema Paradiso
The only silent cinema in the Maldives. Watch a classic movie complimentary to all guests. Right behind it, there is also The Director's Cut, a modern Japanese cuisine restaurant.

You can do many more things other than just relax; if you want the full list, you can check them out here.

By April of this year, Soneva Jani will also launch Soneva Wellness Centre, which will be focused on holistic therapies, open-air yoga, and additional fitness and ayurvedic treatment. We are beyond proud to collaborate with Resorts like Soneva Jani & Soneva Fushi.

For bookings, please visit Soneva Jani Maldives here.
I want to say a special thank you to Mark, Frederic, Shimmi, and Maarvin for making our stay simply unforgettable. To everyone who works at Soneva Jani, we appreciate your hard work, sincere joy, and kindness! May we meet again!

Disclaimer: We had the pleasure to be hosted by Soneva Jani, and as always, I keep it honest and all opinions are my own. Except when there is sarcasm, then, I don't know where it comes from 😉 Thank you for reading! Be kind, be well & keep climbing!