Take a peek inside Soneva Jani, the Maldives resort everyone wants to stay at

Soneva Jani redefines luxury in the Maldives, offering stunning villas, family fun, and sustainability in a pristine tropical paradise. Photo / Supplied
Chris Stead discovers why the most iconic resort in the Maldives delivers on the dream.
We all have a unique bucket list, but the Maldives likely gets a run in the majority of people’s dream destinations.
The deep, rich aqua of its oceans, teeming with exotic wildlife. Long tall palm trees reaching out from unblemished white sands. And in between, a hammock blowing lightly in the wind.
My fascination with the Maldives began with the overwater villa. I’d fantasise about what it must be like to be sleeping out over the water, the waves lapping underneath. Especially that villa with the big waterslide: you know the one. Not just opulent and luxurious, but fun, too.
That overwater villa belongs to Soneva Jani and as fate would have it, I’ve just returned from experiencing it first hand.
But did reality meet the dream?
READ MORE: Life in a bucket list: What it’s like to live and work in the Maldives
Soneva Jani isn’t easy to get to, hidden like a spec of gold in an ocean of quartz. Once you make the long haul to Male, the Maldivian capital, you’ll need to transfer via seaplane. But already, you’re relaxed. Calm.
When you skip off the water and into the air on the little 12-seater, it barely feels real. The stretch of ocean dotted by islands below is like a whimsical watercolour. Before you know it, you’re sitting in an electric buggy touring Soneva Jani with your barefoot guardian butler.
The whitewashed boards of the jetty roll beneath you, offering glimpses of stingrays, fish and sharks. Villas peel away to the left and right, like palaces guarded by driftwood sculptures. The breeze blows in your hair. Then you enter the cool jungle watching crabs and water hen scurry out of the way.
Soneva Jani prides itself on being a destination for the soul. Of wellness and connection. As a father of three young kids, I’ve had little time to practice such things, but I felt so instantly calm and chill at Soneva Jani.
There’s something about the colours, the architecture, and the space that finds the peace inside you and amplifies it.
Take the sprawling spa, built into the tree canopy as if it was born of the Earth itself. The Crab Shack, where delicious food can be found under a roof built from offcut wood. The Gathering, a magnificent restaurant with comfy lounges and a triple-height roof, glassed in on all sides yet filled with the sea’s breeze.
A sign reads “No News, No Shoes” tempting you to leave the world behind and I was happy to oblige.
Soneva Jani’s dedication to sustainability is impressive. From reclaimed waste water to solar energy and food grown on site. But more impressive is how recycled materials are reworked from rubbish into masterpieces. You see it in the restaurants, cutlery, signs and chairs. Stunning works of art built from materials once condemned to landfill.
The attention to detail is breathtaking everywhere you look, especially in the villa. That incredible villa. Oh my.
The one-bedroom overwater villa is as big as a house. The main door opens into a large space with a dining table, reading nook and portals that peer through to the ocean below. There’s a full-size kitchen, office, two bathrooms, separated walk-in wardrobe and pamper room, as well as a whole second-floor lounge that overlooks sunset and sunrise, with a waterslide escape.
Outside, an outdoor spa and shower hide away from prying eyes, then the balcony winds around to a huge deck blessed with four separate sun loungers, overwater hammock, sunken lounge, direct sea access and a huge 13m long infinity pool.
Every nook and cranny is thought-out and purposeful. Built from recycled materials, yet of the highest quality. Door handles are made of tin cans. The stairs are made from crates. But it’s all incomparably luxurious. Design, art and architecture at one with the world.
When, lying in the soft embrace of my massive bed, I find a button in the side table and watch in awe as the roof above glides open, revealing a starry night sky. I sleep under the stars … in ultra-luxury.
My only complaint with Soneva Jani is that it ended too soon. At over 5km from end to end, I feel like I barely scratched the surface of this huge island. But it was enough to wish I had the kids with me.
Your villa’s waterslide is just the start. The kids club, called the Den, is the best I’ve ever seen. Two stories of games rooms surrounded by a waterslide, slippery dip, waterfall, zipline, river rapid and more.
There are also water sports like snorkelling and sailing, as well as optional excursions. The food is exquisite, too. Particularly the So Chill pavilion, where kids are free to enjoy homemade chocolates and icecream. Elsewhere, Director’s Cut, a Japanese restaurant, fronts onto a cinema screen hovering above the water. While parents dine, kids sit in overwater hammocks, watching a movie with headsets on.
Bucket list items don’t always hit the mark. Sometimes the dream doesn’t match reality. But that’s certainly not the case with Soneva Jani. It’s truly living the dream.
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Male Velana International in the Maldives with one stopover with China Eastern, Emirates, and Singapore Airlines.
Getting to Soneva Jani resort requires a transfer via seaplane.
DETAILS
soneva.com/resorts/soneva-jani