SONEVA SECRET MALDIVES | Phenomenal luxury resort (full tour in 4K)
Welcome to Soneva Secret, the Maldives' newest ultra-luxury resort The video features a full tour of Soneva Secret Maldives Enjoy the video and don't forget to subscribe :-) The journey to Soneva Secret starts at Male Airport, where guests board one of the private Soneva seaplanes The Soneva seaplane has a VIP layout with 8 seats (for comparison, a regular seaplane features 15 seats) Flight time from Male to Soneva Secret is 75 minutes All pilots in the Maldives are commercially trained and they fly the plane with bare feet or flipflops (so cool!) The flight to Soneva Secret is a breathtaking journey as it offers some of the most incredible views in the world We get our first glimpse of Soneva Secret, the Maldives' most exclusive resort Soneva Secret is located in the Makunudhoo Atoll, which is considered the most remote atoll in the Maldives Set in the far north of the Maldives, the stunning Makunudhoo Atoll consists of just one local island and Soneva Secret Guests of Soneva Secret have the entire atoll to themselves No other island is visible from Soneva Secret’s shores, just the open ocean, so it truly feels like a pristine castaway paradise The seaplane lands at short distance from Soneva Secret as not to disturb the guests on the island From the landing site, it's 3 min by speedboat to the resort The boat lands directly onto the beach, Robinson Crusoe-style, which adds to the charm of the arrival experience The resort staff is waiting for us on the beach (it feels like a scene from the White Lotus, only the real version) Soneva Secret features 13 fabulous villas, making it one of the lowest density and most private island resorts in the world There are 6 beach villas, 5 water villas, and 2 lagoon Crusoe Villas, which are accessible only by boat During my holiday, I stayed in water villa number 8, which is the water villa located closest to the island’s main facilities Having stayed in water villas at the other two Sonevas in the Maldives, I didn’t think Soneva could outdo itself - but they have The massive villa features a master bedroom, several lounge and dining areas, and a gorgeous infinity pool The villa’s most striking feature is its open-plan design, since it opens on 3 sides, offering 270° panoramic views of the lagoon The villa is fully protected and can be closed off by wooden shutters and glass doors during rainy or windy days Have you ever stayed at Soneva Secret? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment. The ensuite bathroom is equipped with two basins, a sunken bathtub and a rain shower Cinnamon scented toiletries are provided Next to the master bedroom is a second bedroom with ensuite bathroom (making the villa a great choice for families) The villa has its own small but fully equipped gym The villa’s rooftop features a private spa room, another dining area and a curved slide going to the lagoon Let’s try the slide a few times (so much fun!) The villa boasts a retractable roof – a signature Soneva feature - to reveal star-strewn skies at night The villa has its own kitchen with a well stocked Smeg fridge, which is used by the resort’s chefs to prepare a private meal The resort has 16 private chefs and sous-chefs, one for each villa, catering to every personal preference The chefs come from different countries, with expertise in their local cuisine, presenting indulgent and bespoke menus All villas at Soneva Secret offer spectacular sunset views Most guests at Soneva Secret spend their time inside their villa or exploring the beach and the lagoon But besides the villas, Soneva Secret also features stunning public areas (let’s explore them in the next scenes) Soneva Secret’s main communal area (called The Living Room) is set along the southern tip of the island, on the sunset side The two-storey Living Room is the heart of the resort, and home to a casual all-day dining restaurant and library The dining venue comprises an indoor area as well as a multi-level outdoor terrace for all fresco dining The Living Room offers a view of Out of This World, a castaway dining tower (shown later) The Living Room's library can also be used as a meeting room The Living Room houses two treats which are uniquely found at Soneva: a cheese & meat and a chocolate & ice cream room An extensive selection of gourmet cold cuts, fine cheeses and paired preserves is on display in the cheese & meat room The chocolate & ice-cream room offers an array of chocolates, truffles, pralines and more - all handmade by artisan chocolatiers There’s also a selection of rotating flavors of homemade ice creams and sorbets The Living Room is also the starting point of the zipline to Out of This World (shown later) The Living Room’s top floor features a games room Let’s return to The Living Room’s first floor to have a look inside the boutique, which is located next to the library The Living Room serves casual fair and light snacks for lunch (room rates at Soneva Secret are inclusive of all meals) Guests can work-out in the public gym (located next to The Living Room) or in the small gym that is located in each villa Let’s explore Soneva Secret’s magnificent beach The sunset side of Soneva Secret features a beautiful soft white sand beach, which is about 750 m (1250 ft) in length The southern area of the beach ends in a picturesque sandbank, while a yoga platform is located on the beach’s northern end The Soneva company is owned by the couple Sonu & Eva Sonu Shivdasani is an Indian-British hotelier and Eva Malmstrom a former Swedish top model Sonu & Eva launched the Soneva brand in 1995 Today, Soneva manages five spectacular resorts: Soneva Secret, Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani, Soneva Soul and Soneva Kiri Sonu & Eva live on the island of Soneva Fushi, the first ultraluxe castaway resort in the Maldives Which one is your favorite Soneva Resort? Leave a comment Contact me to get complimentary VIP perks at Soneva Resorts (Email: info@theluxurytravelexpert.com) A jetty with the dive center is located halfway the beach Only two beach villas (including a two bedroom residence) are located on this side of the beach, so it feels super private The far end of the beach is home to So Primitive Restaurant (I'll have cocktails and dinner here later in this video) Wellness is part of the DNA of the Soneva brand Each villa comes with its own spa room but right next to The Living Room is also a small spa, which comprises two pavilions One pavilion houses a sauna and steam room, while the other pavilion features a serene treatment room Soneva’s integrative wellness concept unites thousands of years of ancient healing wisdom with the latest in science & innovation Right in front of the spa is Out of This World, a castaway dining tower, located on the island’s sunrise side Guests can choose to travel to Out of This World by zipline from the Living Room The 80 m (260 ft) zipline is the longest zipline in the Maldives Out of This World’s rooftop offers beautiful sunset views At night, Soneva Secret’s resident astronomer helps guest to navigate the skies from this terrace Out of This World houses an open-air dining room, which serves a delicious multi-course tasting menu The menu focusses on the five basic tastes: sweet, savory, sour, bitter, and umami Umami: dried tomatoes, carbonated cherry tomatoes, blackberries, red currant, tomato sauce and garden herbs Spicy: carabinero prawn, corn sauce, salmon roe, finger lime, carabinero head sauce with maldivian chilli Salty: grilled toothfish, smoked sweet potato foam, grilled brocollini and cucumber kimchi Acid: grilled lamb, fermented plum, pomegranate and coffe sauce, pineapple puree, herbal foam, chives and chervil Sweet: raspberry sorbet, blueberry glass, cranberry, fermented blueberry, dill and thai basil leaf A toes-in-the-sand firepit dining experience awaits at So Primitive Restaurant, tucked away on the island's northern tip The dining experience starts with cocktails and amuse-bouches which are served at the overwater Secret Bar Grilled Halloumi & artichoke on toast, pomegranate molasses Pan-seared scallop, coconut curry sauce, pickled cucumber pearl, garden herbs Next, a multi-course dinner is offered on the beach So Primitive’s centerpiece is a fire pit where different cooking techniques are honored So Primitive's set menu features fresh seafood, meats, and plant-based dishes Catch of the day, marinated with island spice & lemon, and served with huni roshi Char-grilled baby gem Caesar salad, Arabic spiced chicken skewers Tuna steaks with Indian spices, wrapped in banana leaves and grilled to perfection, gridled flat bread, curry leaf chutney New Zealand lamb rack, Rosemary salt & pepper rub, grilled asparagus, smoked barbeque sauce Maldivian cheesecake On select nights, Soneva Secrets also organizes themed buffets on the beach, right in front of The Living Room The Asian street food buffet features a bunch of street food stalls in a row, all serving delicious made-to-order food The next morning ...
Breakfast is served either in the villa or at The Living Room Soneva Secret is a paradise for divers and snorkelers There is no other resort in the atoll, so the entire marine environment is untouched and full of life Soneva Secret’s crystal-clear waters are home to colonies of majestic manta rays Manta rays are relatively easy to spot at Soneva Secret as they often visit some areas close to the resort For our last evening at Soneva Secret Maldives, the crew is taking us on a sunset cruise on their newest boat The sleek boat features a bedroom with ensuite bathroom Something insane happens: we encounter a giant pod of more than 100 dolphins We’re trying to take footage of the dolphins with our GoPro It's a unique opportunity to take some epic selfies :-) It’s time to leave Soneva Secret (I wished that I had lost my passport, so I could have stayed some longer) Let’s say goodbye to Soneva Secret with one last drone shot
2025-04-22 07:04
