Featured
Flying sauces featuring Odette’s Julien Royer brings terroir to table at Soneva Fushi

Award-winning luxury resorts operator Soneva has partnered with Chef Julien Royer to bring Singapore’s acclaimed three Michelin-starred Odette restaurant to the Maldives. The modern French restaurant is guided by Royer’s lifelong respect for seasonality, terroir and artisanal produce. While underpinned by the principles of French cuisine, his years in Asia have infused his approach with a sense of place.
The exclusive 10-week residency at Soneva Fushi’s Flying Sauces will take place from now until April 15, 2022. Flying Sauces was launched in late 2021 and is the only fine dining zipline experience in the world where the evolving multi-course menu is enjoyed from an open treetop kitchen 12 metres above the ground, which boasts exceptional views of the island’s lush jungle and sparkling turquoise ocean.

Flying Sauces featuring Odette’s Chef Julien Royer will showcase produce at its seasonal peak reflective of the Odette experience, with an emphasis on native ingredients – without culinary pretence and handled with an astute, restrained touch.
Taking the helm for the 10-week residency is Odette’s Singaporean Chef de Cuisine, Naka Xiong, who brings his reverence for nature and affinity with seafood to realise a gastronomic experience infused with vibrant tropical flavours and an ingenious Southeast Asian identity, befitting of Soneva Fushi’s idyllic island setting.

The concept will offer both a pescatarian and a vegetarian menu to Soneva Fushi’s guests. Highlights include: the Soneva Garden Salad, featuring foraged or farmed ingredients from Soneva’s own organic gardens or the Maldives; Basmati Donabe, celebrating the importance of the humble grain across Southeast Asia, with herbs sourced from the island, accentuated with pomelo, sakura ebi, shallots and puffed wild rice; and Tuna Flower, with sustainably caught local tuna given a citrus kick from the yuzu kosho, tempered by a refreshing green grape and almond nage.
“We are honoured to welcome Chef Julien Royer and the Odette team to Soneva Fushi,” says Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and Co-founder of Soneva. “Chef Royer’s own culinary philosophy is the perfect complement to Soneva’s Slow Life ethos, which emphasises exquisite yet healthy cuisine, using the highest quality ingredients that are organic, sustainable and as local as possible. Alongside our world-class dining destinations and ongoing Soneva Stars calendar of renowned guest chefs, this new residency by Odette further underlines Soneva Fushi’s status as a gastronomic destination in its own right.”
“It is Odette’s greatest pleasure to share our experience with our friends at Soneva,” adds Julien Royer, Chef-Owner of Odette. “We’re delighted to take the heart of Maldives’ terroir to greater heights, with the show-stopping creativity of our Chef de Cuisine, Xiong.”

Naka Xiong Chef de Cuisine, Odette said “This menu will showcase the nostalgic Southeast Asian flavours that I’m familiar with. Surrounded by fresh produce from Maldivian waters and cooking among the lush treetops of Soneva is a dream come true for me.”

Founded in 1995, Soneva is an award-winning sustainable luxury resorts operator. At Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva in Aqua in the Maldives, and Soneva Kiri in Thailand, true ‘luxury’ is defined by peace, time and space. Each day, guests are encouraged to discover the Slow Life, reconnecting with themselves and the natural world through rare, unforgettable experiences that inspire and enthral.
Soneva is a pioneer for responsible tourism, combining a conscientious, proactive approach to sustainability with exquisite luxury and intuitive personalised service. Carbon neutral since 2012, Soneva launched its Total Impact Assessment in 2016, a first for the hospitality industry, measuring its social and environmental impacts. A mandatory 2% environmental levy is added to every Soneva stay, with proceeds going towards the not-for-profit Soneva Foundation to offset both direct and indirect carbon emissions from resort activities and guest flights. The Foundation funds a range of global projects that have a positive environmental, social and economic impact.
Awards
Ifuru Island Maldives wins Best Premium All-Inclusive Resort at Golden Travel Awards 2025

Ifuru Island Maldives has been officially named Best Premium All-Inclusive Resort Maldives 2025 by the prestigious Golden Travel Award, recognising the resort’s exceptional guest experience and innovative all-inclusive offering. The resort distinguished itself through its commitment to redefining the premium all-inclusive concept with a bold combination of curated adventures, gourmet dining, and a true sense of luxury.
Marcel Sawyer, General Manager of Ifuru Island Maldives, expressed pride in the recognition, noting that it celebrates the dedication and passion the team invests in creating unforgettable moments for every guest. He emphasised that the resort’s experience is designed to offer guests the freedom to relax, explore, and feel truly at home, all within the comforts of a premium all-inclusive package.
Ifuru Island Maldives has quickly established a strong reputation with its thoughtfully crafted ‘Exclusively Yours’ Premium All-Inclusive package. With a fresh approach to luxury and authenticity, the resort continues to resonate with modern travellers who seek both comfort and meaningful connections.
This acknowledgment from the Golden Travel Award further solidifies Ifuru Island’s growing reputation as one of the Maldives’ most distinctive and experience-driven destinations.
Featured
Float & Flow Yoga debuts at Holiday Inn Kandooma Maldives

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives now offers guests a unique wellness activity: Float & Flow Yoga. Set amidst the picturesque surroundings of crystal-clear waters, this innovative session blends balance, movement, and mindfulness on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP), fostering a joyful connection with nature.
Designed to accommodate both experienced yogis and beginners, Float & Flow Yoga provides a 60-minute session on the resort’s SUP Yoga Dock. This specially designed floating platform, shaped like a flower, features eight “petals,” each securing a SUP board around a central space designated for the instructor. Participants are guided through gentle yoga sequences that emphasise balance, breath, and flow.
Courtney Chambers, the resident Yoga Instructor at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, describes the activity as a joyful and liberating experience. She notes that SUP yoga encourages participants to embrace the playful side of the practice while reconnecting with nature.
Classes take place every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 10:00 am, with a maximum of eight participants per session to maintain an intimate and supportive atmosphere. A minimum of three guests is required for each session. The class fee is priced at US$45 per person, inclusive of taxes and service charges.
Additionally, a professional drone photo and video package is available for US$25 per person, providing guests with a memorable keepsake of their experience.
Participants are advised to wear comfortable swimwear or yoga attire and to arrive 10 minutes early at the Perfect Wave Surf Shop for a pre-session briefing.
Whether the goal is mindfulness, gentle movement, or simply a splash of fun, Float & Flow Yoga at Kandooma offers an unforgettable opportunity to reconnect with both self and sea.
Featured
Five-course Indian fine dining by Atrangi to feature at Jumeirah Olhahali Island’s June pop-up

Jumeirah Olhahali Island has announced an exclusive culinary pop-up in collaboration with Atrangi by Ritu Dalmia, the renowned Indian restaurant located at Jumeirah Al Qasr in Dubai. Scheduled from 7 to 12 June 2025, this special event will feature Atrangi’s Head Chef, Aniket Chatterjee, who will partner with the resort’s culinary team to present a refined five-course dining experience. This unique collaboration aims to reinterpret regional Indian dishes through a contemporary perspective.
Atrangi, inspired by the vision of acclaimed chef and restaurateur Ritu Dalmia, is celebrated for its bold and eclectic approach to Indian cuisine. Ritu Dalmia, a self-taught chef, began her culinary journey by launching Delhi’s first standalone Italian restaurant at just twenty-two. Over the years, she has established a portfolio of acclaimed restaurants across India and Europe, earning her widespread recognition in the culinary world. Representing her creative vision in the Maldives, Chef Aniket Chatterjee brings a modern sensibility and a profound respect for Indian culinary traditions, promising a dining experience that is both sophisticated and soulful.
For this special occasion, Chef Aniket has curated a bespoke menu that masterfully blends traditional Indian techniques with global influences. Guests will be treated to intimate oceanfront dinners and relaxed beach grills under the stars, with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian tasting menus available.
The dining journey will commence with a playful twist on the nostalgic chilli cheese toast, followed by pickled doodhi and smoked dahi. Main course offerings include Malvani chicken tikka with confit garlic, or for vegetarians, paneer peeli mirch tikka accompanied by spring onion curry. A whipped butter board will serve as a palate cleanser before guests savour dishes such as kappa meen curry or satu pulao with dalma, parwal, and burnt tomato chutney, celebrating the rich diversity of Indian flavours. The meal will conclude with an indulgent Indian sweet, followed by mignardise featuring pistachio soan papdi and a mini jalebi with rabri.
Chef Ritu Dalmia expressed her excitement about the event, stating, “The Maldives has always been a special country for me, having visited several times. It is a thrill to bring Atrangi to Jumeirah Olhahali Island, where we can showcase community-inspired dishes while celebrating the best produce the Maldives has to offer.”
The beach grill dinner at Shimmers Beach on 10 June will be priced at USD 225 plus taxes per person. On other evenings, the five-course set menu will be served at a designated ocean-view location for USD 195 plus taxes per person.
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