An imaginative journey that began over two decades ago, the Soneva story continues with Soneva Jani, the brand’s newest luxury resort offering. Inspired by a word that means ‘wisdom’ in Sanskrit, Soneva Jani encompasses a collection of water villas and island sanctuaries set within a lagoon of crystal-clear waters, with islands fringed by pristine beaches and blanketed in lush tropical greenery.
The highlight of the islands that the resort calls home is the 5.6 kilometre private lagoon that surrounds it; an awe-inspiring azure spectacle that inspires a sense of calm.
Soneva Jani, located in the Medhufaru lagoon in the Noonu Atoll, comprises five islands, the largest of which is Medhufaru, which is 150 acres in size. The resort can be reached by a scenic 40-minute seaplane flight direct from Malé International Airport, a 60-minute speedboat ride from Soneva Fushi, or by a leisurely full day cruise from Soneva Fushi onboard Soneva in Aqua. Guests can also fly directly into Maafaru International Airport and then take a 15-minute speedboat ride to the resort.
Guests will be treated to a unique castaway experience within spacious villas, which feature beautifully designed interiors made from the highest quality sustainable materials.
Each water villa opens to its very own stretch of sparkling lagoon and is complete with a private pool. What’s more, many of the villas feature slides from the top floor straight into the lagoon and have a retractable roof to stargaze from the master bedroom. The island villas are tucked into verdant greenery and come with private pools and are just steps from the white sand beach.
Michaela R.
5/5
Our return to magical Soneva Jani
We have been to Jani shortly after the opening in 2017. Without any doubt, it was amazing, yet also very much “waterworld” back then. We know many things changed in the meanwhile thus we were thrilled to return. And what shall I say – we really felt in love! Arrival was in style: At Velana, we were escorted to the seaplane terminal in the Soneva Tesla. What a nice surprise – our former butler Aju was waiting for us there! We know her from Fushi, years ago, she is now based at the Soneva lounge. New add inside: An ice-cream, cheese and chocolate parlour, amazing 😊. And next luck: The posh branded seaplane was also waiting for us. Jani lies amidst a vast, turquoise lagoon and offers fantastic views over the wide ocean and some small islands. We stayed in one of the beach hideaways, there are only 3 units which are relatively new. This is truly a wow-villa, very private and super spacious, nestled within the tropical greenery. The huge bathroom is one of the fanciest I know. We also had our own banana tree next to the outdoor shower 😉. It’s possible to open all wooden shutters which separate the bedroom from the yoga platform and the bathroom behind to get a real open-air experience. The design of the villa is pretty chic, white wooden furniture and cushions/fabrics in white and blue hues creating a cool ocean vibe inside the villa. The house features as well the retractable roof, but no private slide. Entry level consists of the bedroom with a small washroom next, a large sofa and table area, a pantry and a separate kids room with ensuite bath. On the upper floor located is the gym, equipped among other tools also with a punching bag plus another rooftop lounge and dining area . Outside terrace offers so many nice options to chill and hanging around. The sandy beach on that side is long, yet currently are some broken coral pieces on parts of the shoreline which makes it a tad tricky to get in during low tide. This will be handled soon. The newer overwater villas on chapter II are larger in size than on chapter I and a bit different. They feature an infinity freshwater pool, and an air-conditioned living-room without the sunken table. There is also one villa which is perfect for people with mobility needs, combined with an easy access to South beach.
The impressive three-storey overwater building The Gathering in the North is the heart of the resort with several dining options, also it’s the perfect spot for sunset cocktails. Here is the communal slide located, as well the observatory plus the venue Overseas by Mathias Dahlgren. An intimate restaurant which is only open for dinner, focussing on local seafood and plant-based meals. We enjoyed a late lunch at Down to Earth, hubby decided to go for grilled fish and I took the prawns. Both dishes were excellent and the views over the lagoon are gorgeous. Dinner time was Cinema Paradiso time – we went to the amazing Director’s Cut venue opposite the large overwater screen. A superb experience, this was truly a memorable evening. Recently, there has also been added So Bespoke, an open-air teppanyaki table, seating only 10 guests. On the Southern part is the rustic Crab Shack located, also So Primitive and So Chill. Crab Shack offers a wide selection of crab dishes from around the world, of course you can also select other seafood items from the menu. Lunch was delicious, this outlet is definitely something very special. More options are So Local with rotating menus from one specific country each month, and So Wild with plant-based food. All day dining is available on both areas, North and South. One day we went for breakfast to So Chill which is directly located on South beach, perfect setting with toes in the sand. Next day we drove over with our bikes (well, that was a rather long ride) to The Gathering, home of the main breakfast area with a large selection of items presented on both storeys.
Soul is the spectacular wellness and health complex with wooden bridges that connect the different treatment huts. I was a bit injured as prior to our departure from home I stumbled down the stairs and got a bad hematoma. The spa receptionist was so kind to send me the nurse to the villa to bring along some remedy, very thoughtful. I enjoyed a wonderful treatment (all natural body scrub plus massage) and post a fresh booster on the outside recreation deck. Soul offers an immersive treatment and wellbeing program, personalised by the resident therapists. Also, Jani is the only address in the Maldives providing stem cell therapy. Afterwards, it was time to have a look at The Den, the two-storey kids club which is the largest in the Maldives. Paradise found for all kids! Including a zipline course and a swim-in bar under the waterfall where the kids can order drinks 😉. Next to the Den lies the new Olive Ridley Marine Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, which will open soon. Very good to have another base in the North! Apart from the wide offer on watersports, there is also a surf wave close-by and a resident tennis/padel tennis coach is as well based on the island. Beach-wise are several places to chill and relax scattered around the island. You can ride along with your bike and catch a sun lounger on your favourite spot of the day. The island itself is very lush, 2 kilometres long (plus each jetty another 1 km) and comes with two natural lakes. One is a sanctuary for crabs (of course not the ones which are served at the Shack). Also, there is an artificial lake which is the remnant from the wastewater plant. After different filtration stages, the water is purified and can be used for gardening etc. Their solar panels cover currently around 45% of the islands’ energy needs and it will increase in the future to around 70%. An eco-friendly mosquito trap system is in use, without harmful chemicals. We had no mozzie issues at all. Of course, there is also a huge Eco Centro on the island where food leftovers are composted and most of the solid waste goes into recycling process. Turtle Hatchlings could be spotted (with some luck of course) at certain times, the identified nests are monitored by the resident marine biologist. Always such a bunch of things to do on Soneva, and always time flies too fast!
And finally saying, the Jani team is just fantastic. Our guardians Aslam and Kelly (she is in the qualification, thus we had 2 butlers) were very dedicated and kind. Aslam is already on the island since the beginning or shortly after and a real Jani insider. Great to see again Sajeed, which we know from Fushi, and so nice meeting Manas and Samuel, both very amiable persons. Special thanks to Pea from The Gathering, a lovely girl and a good photographer as well! It was a wonderful time on this exceptional island and we are strongly thinking of a comeback next year.
Janine Cifelli Representation
Office: (732) 473-9982
Fax:
(732) 473-9986
Email: sales@janinecifelli.com