In terms of aesthetics, Soneva Fushi is the most attractive of the Maldivian
resorts. This is not just down to the construction style and furnishings (rough woods, bamboos, natural cottons, thatched roofs, coir roping and adobe walls): the island, a 25-minute seaplane journey north of Malé, is also the most pristine of all of those with five-star developments, and the least manicured. The ring of white-sand beach is dotted with driftwood, and its dense, jungly interior is only gently cut back to make way for paths. Nor is the island overbuilt, its 100 acres supporting just 65 villas. This means accommodation is well-spaced, while the wild vegetation reinforces privacy. However, for finger-clickers who like room-service requests to be answered instantly, this layout can cause problems. Distance, and slightly lax service, can delay the delivery of a bottle of wine; but the point of Soneva Fushi is to try and prevent oneself stopwatching. It is quiet, sleepy and fabulously restful, each villa equipped with day beds, loungers and plump cushions for relaxing inside, in the shade and on the sand.
There are only two golf buggies, used to service rooms. Guests ride bicycles, or walk.
There are various types of accommodation, none of them over water (which is why the new Soneva Gili resort was built). The beachfront Rehendi Rooms are relatively tight on space; but young honeymooners may find them - at US$250 per night - a better bet than a suite on one of the four-star islands. One notch up are the Crusoe Villas, which are mezzanine-style with the bedroom on the upper level. The Deluxe Crusoe Villas aren't really worth the upgrade: all you get is another four square metres of space. Moving up the scale, the Soneva Fushi Villas and Villa Suites are in a different league, both with huge open-air garden bathrooms, the latter with generous indoor and outdoor lounge areas. At the top of the scale are the two-bedroom duplex Crusoe Suites, a good option for families (bear in mind there is no crèche on island).
I thought them preferable to the 190-square-metre Presidential Suites, although at the time of my visit these had the only freshwater pools at Soneva Fushi - everyone else swims in the ocean. Presumably this was not acceptable to guests on the sunset side of the island where the seabed has sharp coral, so plunge pools have been added to a
further 11 rooms. The spa has also been upgraded, with more treatment rooms, two hydrotherapy suites and three open-air jungle champas (open-air huts) for massages. Therapists are of the very first order, at ease with sophisticated offerings from shiatsu to craniosacral massage. The dive centre is run by Soleni, a company that has been operating in the Maldives for 21 years and has a similarly high level of expertise. The main dive area is the local Baa Atoll, which includes a 'Shark Nursery' within a 25-minute boat ride of Fushi.
Food and wine are on the pricey side but well sourced. The cellar contains some 400 different labels and 8,000 bottles. Dinner is impressive, a first course in the Mediterranean restaurant being worthy of a Michelin-starred establishment in Paris. On the sunset side of the island, there's a New Asian restaurant. Lunch, as at Soneva Gili, is buffet-style and fresh, with no infra-red lamps warming up hour-old
eggs. Instead, expect pizzas loaded with lobster. The bar is a fine place to play backgammon long into the night, especially when the drinks' list includes a 1924 Martinique Rum.
BEST FOR
Style-conscious couples who like their privacy. This is the most
romantic of the resorts for honeymooners.
ROOM TO BOOK
Rooms on the sunrise rather than the sunset side of the island. Particularly good options include: number 1, a Deluxe Soneva Fushi Villa on the
southern tip; number 42, which is a Soneva Fushi Villa at the north end (numbers 39, 40, and 41 are also recommended); and number 37.
BOOKING DETAILS
00 960 230 304/5; fax: 230 374; email: sonresa@sonevafushi.com.mv; www.sixsenses.com/soneva-fushi. Doubles from US$250
The One-Week Package Rehendi Rooms from £1,412 in low season, £2,035 in high season
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