Featured
‘Good Fortune has its roots in Disaster’ – Lao Tzu
By Sonu Shivdasani
This crisis, like most crises that we have been through, whilst more severe, will eventually end. Can we learn from this crisis to collaborate as a world and solve global warming? This is the big looming crisis that will unfortunately not end, and which will just get worse and worse.
I have been fortunate enough to have experienced many crises during my lifetime. My choice of the word ‘fortunate’ is deliberate. The Chinese word for crisis is two characters: ‘danger’ and ‘opportunity’. According to Lao Tzu, the Chinese writer and philosopher, ‘Good fortune has its roots in disaster’. And, over the years, I have come to understand these words and have realised that these crises are opportunities to learn, grow and develop. Certainly, we have no control over the hand that we are dealt, but we have total control on how we play it.
I have realised that if we consider a crisis in a positive way, we can always find an opportunity to learn and develop and make our lives more enriching as a result.
Let me share with you, a recent personal experience. In October 2018, I was diagnosed with stage 4 Lymphoma. The doctor asked me whether I understood the gravity of the situation. I maintained a brave face and just focused on documenting what he said and thinking of further questions that I would need answers to. However, once I had left the clinic, and was comfortably seated in the taxi home, I could not hold it anymore and broke into tears.
The first three weeks after the diagnosis was a difficult time. There was a lot of uncertainty. I felt that the ground had been removed from below me. However, this ‘Cancer Crisis’ gave me the opportunity to pause on everything else. I emerged from this traumatic experience three weeks with a clear action plan, and was considerably wiser about health and wellness.
When my doctor declared that I was in remission, I realised that I had gone through a six-stage grief cycle. The psychologist George Kohlrieser depicts this so well in his book Hostage at the Table: 1. Start an attachment; 2. Create a bond; 3. The bond/attachment ends for reasons; 4. One is pained by the loss/grief; 5. One forgives the situation; 6. One starts again.
The memory of when I first learnt of my predicament is still vivid. When I reflect on that day, I wonder what I was crying about. Was it the fear of death, or was it another loss?
Now, 18 months later, I realise that I was crying about the loss of the status quo. My usual reality of how I would live, eat and generally exist, was undermined by this illness, and would never return. During those three weeks, I grieved the loss of my usual daily reality. I realised how my lifestyle and the way I lived needed to change.
I eventually accepted my new reality, and forgave this loss. I created a new bond with this new reality and this new way of living. I gave up past guilty pleasures such as a love of red meat, ice cream and sweets in general. I extended the time in the gym from 30 minutes to an hour three times a week. I was stricter about creating breaks in my life. I reduced my traveling and also started to practice intermittent fasting. I started to enjoy my new lifestyle and diet and became attached to it. In a way, I created a new bond with my new reality and thus overcame this grief.
To some extent, many of us in the midst of the current coronavirus crisis are adjusting to a new reality and going through a similar grief cycle. There is a hollow emptiness, an uncomfortable feeling. We miss our daily routine that we can no longer enjoy because of this lockdown. In a way, we are grieving the loss of the way we used to live in the past.
Climate Crisis: The crisis that will never end but only get worse
While the current global health emergency will end, unfortunately, this hopeful scenario will not be the case with global warming. It is an ongoing situation which will affect each and every one of us. And it highlights our interconnectedness.
Climate experts believe that we are near a tipping point of no return. Some believe we have already passed it. We already have 400 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere. Even if we reduced our carbon emissions considerably and followed the targets established in Paris in 2016, we will still hit 500 parts per million.
Even if we were to slam on the brakes and turn around, we would not be able to because nature itself would continue the global warming process as a result of feedback loops, such as methane escaping from below the Arctic and the Antarctic, less reflection from glaciers that have disappeared, warmer seas emitting CO2 rather than absorbing them and so on.
The warming planet has already killed more people today than the current global pandemic that has brought us under siege: In 2003, the European heatwave killed as many as 2,000 people a day and 35,000 Europeans died. In 2010, 55,000 people died during a Russian heatwave in which 700 people in Moscow died every day because of the heat. In 2016, during the heatwave that besieged the Middle East, temperatures in Iraq broke 100oF (37.7oC) in May, 110oF (43.3oC) in June, and 120oF (48.8oC) in July. Temperatures seldom dropped below 100oF, and only at night. We survive in a very fragile ecosystem that we are undermining. Our actions to date have already caused more death, misery and disaster than Covid-19 ever will.
This pandemic will end but the important question is whether the bond we have with the way we live and our daily reality has been sufficiently broken, and whether we can attach ourselves to a new reality and a new way of doing things; or if we will just go back to our old ways.
Editor’s Note: This op-ed was originally published on Linkedin by Sonu Shivdasani. Sonu is the founder and CEO of Soneva, which owns luxury resorts Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani in the Maldives, and Soneva Kiri in Thailand.
This festive season, Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas will offer guests a journey of connection, wonder and celebration, inspired by the four natural elements: earth, water, fire and air. A series of thoughtfully curated experiences will capture the spirit of the season and the beauty of the island, creating a magical escape for both couples and families.
Christmas celebrations will begin with the lighting of the island tree and Santa’s arrival in true Kihavah style. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, guests will enjoy beachfront feasts, sunset cocktails and joyful family gatherings.
Younger guests will be treated to a host of festive activities, from gingerbread house decorating to a children’s pirate cruise exploring local islands, as well as a friendly wall-climbing challenge.
As the year draws to a close, New Year’s Eve will invite guests to celebrate beneath the stars with cosmic-themed cocktails by the sea, followed by a Gala Dinner featuring world-class cuisine, live cooking stations and vibrant entertainment, culminating in a spectacular countdown under the Maldivian night sky.
On 7 January, Orthodox Christmas will be marked with a serene celebration inspired by the element of water, offering oceanfront dining, soulful live music and moments of quiet reflection.
Throughout the festive period, guests will also be able to enjoy signature experiences such as a sunset wine tasting on a private sandbank and a five-course coral-aged wine dinner at SEA, the world’s only underwater wine cellar. Complementing these will be grounding island activities, rejuvenating wellness rituals and culinary delights, all designed to reconnect guests with nature, loved ones and themselves.
With its breathtaking setting, newly reimagined Beach Pool Villas and exceptional holiday programme, Anantara Kihavah promises an unforgettable seasonal celebration in luxury and style.
Placing unique customer experiences at the heart of its brand identity, COLOURS OF OBLU values fun and relaxation on holiday as much as the indulgence and entertainment found across its portfolio of four stunning resorts.
In line with the vibrant spirit of the OBLU guest experience, the resorts, part of Atmosphere Core, have announced a forthcoming collaboration with renowned Italian pizza chef Marco Piccini. From 22 September to 3 October, Chef Marco will bring his distinctive blend of tradition and craftsmanship to the Maldives through a series of pop-up pizza dining events and more.
Chef Marco, CEO of ‘Mako Pizza’, is far more than a pizza maker. Specialising in live show cooking and exclusive event catering, he is celebrated for creating bespoke culinary experiences using organic dough, long fermentation methods, and premium flours. Each event he curates is a performance in itself, blending flavour, artistry, and storytelling.
This will mark Chef Marco’s debut in the Maldives. Atmosphere Core’s Vice President of Food & Beverage, Anupam Banerjee, expressed the brand’s enthusiasm, noting that the team constantly seeks artisanal culinary experiences that entertain as much as they please the palate. He highlighted Chef Marco’s commitment to the origins and quality of each ingredient, and his passion for sharing the history of his country’s national dish, emphasising that great pizza begins with the dough.
On a whirlwind tour of North Malé Atoll, Chef Marco will host a series of pop-up pizza dining events and speciality Chef’s Menu concepts, beginning at OBLU NATURE Helengeli, continuing to OBLU SELECT Sangeli, and concluding at the couples-only OBLU SELECT Lobigili. During his visit, he will work closely with the resorts’ culinary teams, providing them with a rare opportunity to master the art of traditional pizza-making. Guests will also be invited to join interactive sessions, learning to create handcrafted pizzas from scratch.
Raised in Sovigliana-Vinci with roots in Grosseto and Empoli, Chef Marco inherited his love for cooking from his mother, Mara. He studied culinary arts at the Enriques Institute in Castelfiorentino and gained experience in acclaimed restaurants including Borgo Allegro, Castelfalfi Resort, and Milan’s Michelin-starred JOIA.
In 2019, his collaboration with chef Fabrizio Marino—another celebrated Italian chef who works with Atmosphere Core—led to the opening of Pizza Del Popolo, San Miniato’s first vegetarian bakery-pizzeria, dedicated to organic, locally sourced produce and authentic regional flavours.
For Chef Marco, pizza is a passion that comes from the soul, more an art form than a simple culinary process. Having showcased his craft across Europe, he sees the Maldives as an extraordinary new destination for his events. He expressed his excitement at sharing his expertise with guests and kitchen teams, while also learning from the island chefs about their own specialities and local cuisine.
In August 2025, SSI, the world’s leading business-based dive training agency, embarked on an ambitious multi-week video shoot at Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa in partnership with Sub Oceanic Maldives. The large-scale production will deliver a series of updated, high-quality training videos, lifestyle visuals and brand content to be shared with divers and dive professionals across the globe. More than a filming project, the initiative represents a strategic alliance between luxury hospitality, elite dive training and professional media production, with the aim of promoting diversity in the diving community and elevating how dive education is delivered worldwide.
Situated in the pristine Lhaviyani Atoll, Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa offers an eco-conscious island sanctuary surrounded by 50 world-class dive sites. Its vibrant reefs and diverse marine life made it the ideal choice for SSI’s latest production. The partnership also reflects a shared commitment to marine education and exceptional guest experiences. General Manager Thomas Schult expressed pride in hosting the project, noting the resort’s thriving reef ecosystem as a perfect setting for professional dive content and for guests seeking to explore the underwater world.
Le Méridien’s alignment with SSI’s values of ocean conservation, marine education and engaging dive programmes strengthened its appeal as a partner. Guests are able to immerse themselves in the marine environment through curated diving and snorkelling activities offered by Sub Oceanic Maldives, the on-site SSI Training Center.
At the heart of the collaboration is Sub Oceanic Maldives, known for its professionalism, expertise and enriching guest experiences. The team has been instrumental in coordinating logistics, selecting locations, managing safety and assisting with underwater filming. Head of Operations Florian Gansl spoke warmly of the project, joking that the abundance of turtles on the resort’s house reef might frequently wander into shots. Two Sub Oceanic instructors, Alejandro Embid Ruiz de Conejo and Chun-Ping “Pyng” Lin, are also featured in the production, bringing local insight and technical expertise to the screen.
Earlier this year, SSI held a global casting call for instructors worldwide, receiving an overwhelming response. Six professionals were selected for their diving expertise, skill in demonstrating techniques and ability to inspire others while representing diverse ages, backgrounds and genders. The cast includes Alejandro Embid (Spain), Kornel Toth (Hungary), Gordos Mateo Gojunco (Philippines), Sita Angela Jaekel (Indonesia), Chun-Ping “Pyng” Lin (Taiwan) and Jacinta Kimani (Kenya), each bringing unique experience and cultural perspective to the project.
The shoot focuses on three main content areas: detailed skill demonstration videos to enhance SSI’s training materials, authentic diving footage showcasing the Maldives’ reefs and marine life, and lifestyle content capturing the complete dive travel experience, from preparation to post-dive relaxation. Behind-the-scenes moments are also being documented for future release, offering a glimpse into the teamwork, planning and passion behind the production.
More than a visual refresh, this initiative forms part of SSI’s long-term strategy to modernise dive education and provide its global professional network with engaging, up-to-date resources. The partnership between SSI, Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa and Sub Oceanic Maldives exemplifies how world-class training, hospitality and dive operations can combine to promote eco-conscious travel, marine education and inspiring storytelling, encouraging the next generation of divers.
-
Action1 week agoOBLU NATURE Helengeli guests witness rare Ornate Eagle Ray
-
Featured1 week agoIndulgent island retreat awaits with Cinnamon Velifushi’s limited-time flash sale
-
Featured1 week agoSolo travel with purpose at Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah
-
Featured1 week agoSpellbinding Halloween awaits at Kuramathi Maldives’ Bageecha Kids Club
-
Featured1 week agoAda Ooi brings integrative wellness to The Island Spa at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa
-
Featured1 week agoTransformative wellness retreat with Jono Castano at The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
-
Celebration1 week agoKandima Maldives unveils ‘Rhythms of the Eras’ festive celebration for 2025/26
-
Drink7 days agoHuvafen Fushi to host iconic 17-course omakase by Japan’s Chef Setsuo Funahashi