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Soneva unveils festive calendar with culinary, experiential stocking fillers
Soneva has unveiled its calendar of events and visiting experts, chefs, athletes and wellness practitioners for the upcoming festive season.
Guests at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani in Maldives can indulge their senses with a range of activities, experiences, tastings, culinary events and performances from Christmas Eve through to New Year’s Day and beyond.
To celebrate the beginning of 2020, Soneva’s iconic New Year’s Eve Journeys are once again taking place at each resort on December 31. Expect winding, torch-lit paths with live cooking stations where guests can sample international flavours and sip on innovative and refreshing cocktail creations.
Magicians, acrobats and musicians provide the entertainment, before the night culminates in a spectacular countdown to the New Year. DJs will be at each resort, spinning tunes into the early morning hours, beginning 2020 with a bang.
This year, each resort will be hosting a Junior MasterChef competition for Soneva’s younger guests to show off their skills in the kitchen. The winner of each competition will take away a Soneva holiday.
Soneva Fushi
Chef Tim Raue from the Netflix show Chef’s Table, who will be visiting Soneva Fushi from December 25, 2019 to January 8, 2020, and Chef Bart de Pooter, who will be at the resort from December 10-23, will heat up the intimate chef’s table, Once Upon a Table, with their renowned cuisine.
Mikael Silvestre and Karina LeBlanc are returning to the resort for the second edition of their Festive Football Camp. From December 20-24, children and teenagers can learn ball skills, strategy, and the psychological and emotional sides of the ‘beautiful game’.
From December 15-26, former world No. 4 men’s singles tennis player, Jonas Björkman will be hosting a limited number of one-on-one coaching sessions for guests.
Lana Murphy, who has won 10 gold medals at the Swedish ballroom dancing championships, returns to Soneva Fushi for complimentary group dance lessons or private lessons for a fee. This year, Lana will be hosting a dancing competition for children and teenagers on New Year’s Eve. Each of the contestants will be given complimentary lessons in the lead up to the competition.
Lovers of history will be able to meet and learn from Oxford’s Professor of Global History and author of ‘The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World’, Peter Frankopan, from December 14-22.
From December 20-28, explore the night skies with Lars Christensen, the award-winning astronomer and science communicator who has been responsible for communication from the Hubble Space Telescope, ALMA, and La Silla, to name a few.
Celebrate Christmas Eve with cocktails on the sandbank, numerous pop-up specialty bars, Champagne and caviar tastings, and wine dinners are perfect for indulgences.
Soneva Fushi’s younger guests can take part in Soneva’s Junior MasterChef competition. Two rounds of contestants will see three from each round making it to the final cook off. The dishes will be judged by none other than Chef Tim Raue (2*), Chef Sobah (a World Chef Association Judge), and Chef Kevin Fawkes (Iron Chef, Thailand). The winner will walk away with a holiday at Soneva.
Soneva Jani
From December 13, 2019 to January 3, 2020, guests can reap the benefits of Roger Moore’s blend of Eastern and Western healing therapies. Roger was named one of the top eight ‘Therapists in the World Worth Travelling For’ in Tatler Traveller’s ‘Little Black Book’. Roger spends his time travelling between Asia and Europe while consulting for private clients, captains of industry and celebrities.
From November 10, 2019 to February 1, 2020, Bill Curry lends his expertise in Reiki, Deep Tissue Fusion massage and meditation to guests, helping them reduce stress and heal.
All guests are encouraged to take part in decorating Soneva Jani’s Christmas tree. Dine in the Dark, Champagne tastings and wine pairings, and degustation menus round out the culinary offerings. A family treasure hunt on the island, sandcastle building, eco-friendly surfing lessons, cooking lessons and more are available to fill the holidays with fun.
World-leading luxury resort operator Soneva runs two resorts in the Maldives, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.
In 1995, the award-winning luxury resort Soneva Fushi set the standard for all desert island barefoot luxury hideaways in the Maldives. Located in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Soneva Fushi pairs Robinson Crusoe fantasy with intelligent luxury.
Sixty-two private villas with their own stretch of beach are hidden among dense foliage within touching distance of a pristine coral reef. Intuitive service is provided by Mr./Ms. Friday butlers.
Highlights include the open-air Cinema Paradiso, counting Saturn’s rings in the high-tech Observatory, the home-made chocolate and ice cream rooms, five hundred wines to choose from, six different restaurants and countless destination dining options. In November 2015, Soneva launched a floating villa concept, Soneva in Aqua, a treasure trove children’s Den and a multi-purpose facility encompasses a glass gallery, boutique and studio where guests can learn the art of glass blowing.
If the experiences are magical, the philosophy is simple: No news, no shoes. No pretensions either.
Opened in December 2016, Soneva Jani is Soneva’s newest property and the world-leading luxury hotel group’s second resort in the Maldives.
Soneva Jani is located on the island of Medhufaru within a 5.6 kilometre lagoon in the Noonu atoll, and has uninterrupted ocean views in all directions. The lagoon is 35 minutes by seaplane from Velana International Airport and one hour by speedboat from Soneva Fushi.
Meaning ‘wisdom’ in Sanskrit, Soneva Jani currently comprises 24 overwater villas and one island villa, with additional villas to be built in phase two. Five islands encircle the lagoon, each one with soft white sands and covered in rich tropical vegetation. Four of the five islands will remain untouched, making Soneva Jani the lowest density development in the Maldives. The overwater villas are spaced across the expansive lagoon, offering privacy and extensive views over the Maldives’ turquoise waters. The island villas will be tucked into the lush greenery, providing the ultimate privacy, and all within steps of the beach.
Soneva Jani’s main guest facilities are located at The Gathering, the heart of the overwater villas. This dramatic three story structure is home to the main dining outlets, in addition to the Soneva Spa, library, retail area and wine cellar. It is located next to the Maldives’ first overwater Observatory.
Facilities on the island include the overwater Cinema Paradiso, the Eco Centro Waste-to-Wealth centre, organic gardens, tennis courts, water sports champa and Zuhair’s Beach on a desert island in the lagoon.
Angsana Velavaru has received the British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Award 2025, recognising the resort for consistently high levels of guest satisfaction and service.
The award is based on verified customer feedback and reflects guest experiences at the resort. Angsana Velavaru achieved an overall score of 4.8 out of 5, with recognition given for service delivery, attention to detail and guest care throughout the stay.
Located within a lagoon in South Nilandhe Atoll, the resort offers a range of accommodation options, including beachfront villas with direct beach access and its InOcean Villas, situated approximately one kilometre from the main island. These overwater villas provide a more secluded setting with open ocean views.
The resort caters to a variety of travellers, including families, couples and individual guests. Family-oriented programmes and shared activities are available, while other guests can take part in leisure, wellness and exploration experiences. Through its 101 Things To Do programme, guests can engage in activities such as snorkelling, marine excursions, cultural experiences and wellness sessions.
The surrounding reef environment provides opportunities for marine exploration, while the resort’s service approach focuses on delivering personalised guest experiences. This combination of natural setting and service delivery forms a central part of the resort’s offering.
The British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Award is presented to hotels that achieve high customer ratings, serving as an indicator of guest satisfaction within the travel sector. For Angsana Velavaru, the recognition reflects its continued focus on maintaining service standards and delivering consistent guest experiences.
The resort continues to position its offering around accessibility to nature, varied experiences and a service model aimed at supporting guest comfort and engagement throughout their stay.
Eri Maldives is located within the waters of North Malé Atoll and is surrounded by a house reef accessible to both beginner and experienced divers. With four direct reef entry points and shore access, the resort offers opportunities for snorkelling, introductory dives and certified diving.
The house reef supports a range of marine life, including white-tip and black-tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, hawksbill turtles, mobula rays and spotted eagle rays, as well as schools of reef fish. The accessibility of the reef allows guests to explore the area over multiple days, providing opportunities to observe marine behaviour and habitats over time.
Turtle encounters
Hawksbill turtles are among the most frequently observed species on the reef. The resort’s dive team has identified 14 individual turtles, each recognised by shell patterns and physical features. These include turtles known as Rosie, Cara and Anna, which have been documented through repeated sightings.
The resort maintains records of these turtles, allowing returning guests to identify individuals over time. Guests may also contribute to this initiative by naming newly identified turtles that have not previously been recorded.
Manta ray season
From December to April, manta rays are known to visit cleaning stations at Bodu Hithi Thila, located approximately one hour by boat from the resort. During this period, ocean conditions support plankton flows that attract mantas to the area, where they can be observed feeding or visiting cleaning stations.
Night diving experiences
Night snorkelling and diving activities provide a different perspective on reef activity. Species such as reef sharks, trevallies, moray eels and nurse sharks become more active after dark, offering guests the opportunity to observe nocturnal marine behaviour.
At Eri Maldives, marine experiences form a central part of the guest offering, with the house reef providing consistent opportunities for exploration. The resort’s dive programme is designed to support repeated interaction with the marine environment, allowing guests to experience a range of underwater activity throughout their stay.
Accommodation is available in studio and beach villa categories, with full board packages offered for direct bookings, subject to availability.
The Halcyon Private Isles Maldives, Autograph Collection has announced a collaboration with Ahmed Aleem Shakoor, who is currently in residence at the resort, introducing a creative element to the guest experience.
Aleem, a self-taught artist, is known for work that combines maritime themes, surrealism and symbolism. His practice spans watercolours, acrylics and mixed media, drawing inspiration from the Maldives’ history and ocean landscapes, often expressed through the use of light, depth and narrative.
During his residency, Aleem is working with the resort to develop a series of artistic and cultural experiences aimed at engaging guests. These include live painting sessions, informal interactions with the artist and workshops designed to encourage creative participation.
The programme forms part of the resort’s wider activities, with offerings such as mini canvas painting, coconut painting and creative art sessions available to guests. In addition, Tales Painted in Sunlight combines elements of Maldivian folklore, storytelling and visual art, providing further insight into local culture.
The collaboration reflects the resort’s approach to incorporating local artistic talent into its programming, while offering guests opportunities to engage with creative activities in a relaxed setting. The residency is designed to allow guests to explore artistic expression as part of their island experience.
As part of its seasonal programme, selected artistic activities are also included in the resort’s Easter offerings, providing additional opportunities for guests to take part in creative experiences during their stay.
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