News
Maldivian chefs scoop top accolades at CCTV The Greatest Chefs Challenge in China
Maldivian chefs scooped top accolades at CCTV The Greatest Chefs Challenge held from 19th to 27th November in Suzuo, China.
Maldives team won overall 3rd place in the challenge. Maldives was represented by Chef Sobah (Soneva Fushi), Chef Fatheen (Bandos Maldives), Chef Niyaz (Hulhule Island Hotel) and Chef Nasim (Retro Cafe).
The challenge took place in 11 rounds with all chefs competing as teams in the first round. Then the top 9 teams advanced to the next round. Chinese and international chefs faced a one-to-one challenge from 2 to 10 rounds. Chinese and international chefs with the highest score competed in the final round for the greatest honor of the challenge.
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Photo courtesy Chefs Guild of Maldives
Action
Sun Siyam Iru Veli expands reef restoration efforts with new coral planting programme
To mark World Environment Day on 5 June 2026, Sun Siyam Iru Veli, part the Privé Collection of House of Sun Siyam, has officially launched its coral-planting initiative, strengthening the resort’s long-term commitment to marine conservation and reef restoration in the Maldives. Introduced as part of the resort’s Ocean Week celebrations, this activity invites guests to play an active role in protecting and preserving the underwater ecosystems that make the Maldives one of the world’s most extraordinary marine destinations.

Sun Siyam Iru Veli has established designated coral propagation and planting areas within its lagoon following the renewal of its coral planting licence. These are locations where guests can also snorkel with the resort’s Sun Diving team to witness the growth of the corals planted. The initiative focuses on creating new habitats for marine life while supporting the natural regeneration of coral communities surrounding the island. Beyond conservation, the experience offers guests a meaningful connection to the ocean, allowing them to contribute directly to the reef’s future health through the island’s Adopt a Coral programme.

The coral planting launch formed the culmination of Ocean Week at Sun Siyam Iru Veli with a programme of experiences designed to celebrate and raise awareness of the marine environment. Throughout the week, guests were invited to explore the Maldives’ underwater world through educational and hands-on activities.
A dedicated Marine Night introduced guests to the rich biodiversity found within Maldivian waters, offering insights into the species encountered during snorkelling and diving adventures. From colourful reef fish, sea anemones, and nurse sharks inhabiting the resort’s house reef to the majestic whale sharks and graceful manta rays found beyond the atoll, the session highlighted the importance of protecting these ecosystems.

Guests and team members also came together for a reef and lagoon clean-up initiative, helping to remove debris from surrounding marine environments while promoting responsible ocean conservation. As the Maldives enters a seasonal monsoon transition, the initiative serves as a timely reminder of the importance of constantly caring for reefs and lagoons that surround us.
Ocean Week at Sun Siyam Iru Veli coincided with several globally recognised environmental observances, including World Reef Awareness Day, World Environment Day, and World Oceans Day, reflecting the resort’s broader commitment to sustainability through the Sun Siyam Cares programme.

“The Maldives is inseparable from the health of its oceans, which is why protecting and restoring our marine ecosystems remains a key priority for us,” said Chaminda Upul Kumara, Group Sustainability Manager at Sun Siyam. “Through initiatives such as coral planting, we aim to give guests the opportunity to engage directly with conservation efforts and leave a positive impact on the destination they are visiting. Every coral planted contributes to the resilience of our reefs and helps preserve the beauty and biodiversity of the Maldives for future generations.”

At Sun Siyam Iru Veli, sustainability is woven into the guest experience through a growing range of conservation initiatives, with the coral planting programme marking another important step. For those looking to experience the Maldives while contributing to its preservation, this programme offers a meaningful way to leave a positive impact beneath the waves.
Discover the initiatives helping to protect natural environments and support local communities across Sun Siyam by visiting the Sun Siyam Cares website.
News
From Barefoot Luxury to Bare Luxury: Soneva charts a new chapter
Soneva, the resort group behind Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva Secret in the Maldives, has long set the global standard for a mindful approach to luxury hospitality. With the opening of its first property in 1995, Soneva pioneered Barefoot Luxury, grounded in the then-radical belief that true luxury means freedom from the unnecessary, coupled with a duty of care. Shoes came off and the idea took root.
Today, Soneva announced the evolution of its founding vision: Bare Luxury. This bold philosophy is not a reinvention, but a distillation.The result of three decades of listening, editing and refining.

Bare Luxury is not minimalism, nor absence. It is the deliberate removal of everything that does not serve to reveal Just What Matters: nature in its raw wildness, space for joy, presence and connection.
Soneva finds itself once again at the forefront of a profound shift in travel, as luxury travellers seek conscious, intentional and immersive experiences grounded in purpose, connection and wellbeing.

“Soneva’s founding spirit is more relevant now than it was thirty years ago,” said Neil Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer of Soneva. “Fast consumption, constant stimulation, the growth of AI and the pressure we all feel to optimise every hour has made the case for something quieter and more human. Bare Luxury is Soneva returning to its original instinct:that the most remarkable thing we can offer our guest is not more, but truer.”

The evolution signals both a deepening and a homecoming. What doesn’t change are Soneva’s founding values. What changes is the clarity and intention with which that spirit is expressed across every dimension of the guest experience.

It begins with the visual: a refined Soneva logo and the Soluna monogram, derived from the Latin Solis (sun) and Lunae (moon), symbolising wholeness. From there, this conviction shapes every decision, from villa design that supports wellbeing, to restaurant concepts that invite play, to menus led by the garden rather than the other way around.
What emerges is Just What Matters: not just a new tagline but Soneva’s promise to every guest, that nothing exists without purpose and nothing that matters is missing.

Bare Luxury is also a blueprint for what comes next, not just for the industry but for Soneva itself.
Awards
Huvafen Fushi becomes Maldives’ only Condé Nast Traveller Triple Crown property
Maldives resort Huvafen Fushi has been named a Condé Nast Traveller Triple Crown property, one of the rarest and most prestigious distinctions in global hospitality. The resort is also the only Maldivian property to have achieved the honour within Condé Nast Traveller’s Middle East and Indian Ocean category, further cementing its position as one of the region’s most celebrated luxury destinations.
To qualify, a hotel must have won all three of Condé Nast Traveller’s flagship awards at some point in the past 30 years: the Hot List, which recognises the world’s best new hotels; the Gold List, compiled by the publication’s editors as their definitive selection of favourites; and the Readers’ Choice Awards, voted for by the publication’s global audience and widely regarded as one of the most trusted endorsements in travel.
Winning one is a significant achievement. Winning all three places a hotel in a category of its own. The recognition cements Huvafen Fushi’s place among the world’s most celebrated hotels and reflects nearly two decades of pioneering luxury in the Maldives.
Since opening in 2004, the resort has consistently redefined the island escape, from launching the world’s first underwater spa to creating deeply personal experiences that have earned the loyalty of guests, editors and travel experts alike.
Condé Nast Traveller describes the natural island resort as defined by its setting–white sands, palm groves, azure waters and a technicolour house reef–alongside an exceptional thakaru butler service, two overwater restaurants, the world’s first underwater spa-aquarium designed to ensure nothing interrupts the view to the Indian Ocean horizon and the Maldives’ first underground wine cellar, holding an impressive collection of 6,000 bottles.
Huvafen Fushi–whose name translates from Maldivian as Dream Island–sits just a 30-minute speedboat ride from the airport in the North Malé Atoll, with a house reef rated among the best in the atoll, featuring dramatic coral walls and rich marine life. More than a resort, Huvafen is a trailblazing escape, crafting transformative travel experiences that inspire and redefine aspirational travel.
For reservations and further information, visit huvafenfushi.com.
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