{"id":13554,"date":"2023-11-12T11:41:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-12T12:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/?p=13554"},"modified":"2025-10-01T13:25:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T13:25:36","slug":"25-years-as-a-trailblazer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/maldives-paradise.com\/en_us\/2023\/11\/25-years-as-a-trailblazer\/","title":{"rendered":"25 Years as a Trailblazer – Soneva Resorts"},"content":{"rendered":"

First Experiences:<\/h3>\n

\u201cI was completely blown away. I\u2019d never seen anything like it.\u201d This was Sonu\u2019s first glimpse of the Maldives, flying in with his then-girlfriend, Eva, in 1987. They never looked back. In 1995 \u2013 over 25 years ago \u2013 they opened Soneva Fushi<\/strong>, the very first luxury resort in the Maldives.<\/p>\n

\"\"Things were very different back then. \u201cThere was only a handful of resorts and they were very basic, with plastic chairs, strip lighting,\u00a0salt water\u00a0showers \u2013 and all the food came out of tins\u201d. But it was the landscape that captivated\u00a0Sonu\u00a0and Eva, who married soon after. \u201cThe first time I put my head in the water I was staggered. The colour, the coral, the fish \u2013 it was like being in an aquarium.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Life Changing Idea\u2026<\/h3>\n

Sonu\u00a0and Eva fell in love with the Maldives, and returned time and again, but they soon became disillusioned. \u201cWe no longer wanted to support the resorts because we could see they weren\u2019t sustainable. Coral was being taken from the reefs to build villas, for example. We felt we could do something different.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were right. \u201cMal\u00e9, the capital, was tiny in those days, just a few buildings and a handful of cars. The biggest building belonged to the government. I turned up in my shorts and polo shirt and asked if I could lease an island,\u201d says\u00a0Sonu, with a laugh. It would take several years before the couple received their wish \u2013 but it was worth the wait. They discovered\u00a0Kunfunadhoo, an unspoilt, uninhabited tropical island far from the established resorts, in the pristine Baa Atoll, and began work on Soneva Fushi.<\/p>\n

A New Style of Luxury<\/h3>\n

\u201cIt was obvious what needed to be done. We needed to build sustainably, to protect the coral and maintain the vegetation. We needed to make the menus as fresh and local as possible, to\u00a0offset carbon emissions\u00a0and to limit and treat our waste. And we needed to get rid of shoes!\u201d That ethos of sustainability \u2013 and of chic, barefoot style \u2013\u202fhas been there from the very beginning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea of luxury back then was formality and fuss. It was dressing up for dinner, but we wanted to move away from all that,\u201d explains\u00a0Sonu. Soneva Fushi introduced a \u201cno news, no shoes\u201d philosophy, encouraging guests to disconnect from technology, kick off their shoes and feel the sand between their toes. It struck a chord with those who were seeking a more authentic, relaxed way to holiday \u2013 a way that was also sustainable and had a positive impact.<\/p>\n

A Team with a Difference<\/h3>\n

Sonu\u00a0and Eva int\"\"roduced the idea of Barefoot Butlers, a bespoke one-on-one butler service for every villa. \u201cWe felt we needed to create a personalised service from the start,\u201d says\u00a0Sonu, and it was those connections between the team and the guests that further solidified Soneva as a brand that was making waves.<\/p>\n

New Resorts, New Ideas<\/h3>\n

Soneva\u2019s tremendous success allowed it to grow. Next came Soneva Gili (which has since been sold) in 2000 with the first overwater villas in the Maldives, and\u00a0Soneva Kiri\u00a0on Thailand\u2019s rainforest-swathed island of Koh\u00a0Kood\u00a0opened in 2009. The ethos remained the same: remote areas, extraordinary natural beauty, and a sustainable thread that runs through everything.<\/p>\n

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Soneva Villa Ownership\u00a0followed, offering the chance to purchase a private residence in the sublime surrounds of a Soneva resort, and in 2015,\u00a0Soneva in Aqua\u00a0launched, a 23-metre luxury yacht with the experience of a villa at sea. 2016 saw the next Soneva resort open in the Maldives:\u00a0Soneva Jani\u00a0in the beautiful\u00a0Noonu\u00a0Atoll, a 5.6 km private lagoon with overwater villas (complete with signature waterslides) and island villas with endless views of sparkling turquoise.<\/p>\n

Next up: Maldives and Japan<\/h3>\n

Two more resorts will join the Soneva family in the next few years \u2013 one in the Maldives, and another on a jungle\u00a0island in\u00a0Okinawa, Japan\u2019s tropical south.\u00a0What ties all the resorts together is the unwavering commitment to what\u00a0Sonu\u00a0and Eva call the SLOWLIFE concept, where\u00a0incredible experiences\u00a0create unforgettable memories, all with a minimum impact on the natural world. As well as eliminating plastics, introducing water filtration systems and cultivating organic gardens at each resort, other innovations include building in-resort observatories and glass-upcycling studios. The latest scheme is\u00a0Namoona, which provides funding, expertise and coordination for waste management systems that clean up local islands.<\/p>\n

A True Trailblazer\u2026<\/h3>\n

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\u201cWe are incredibly proud of this silver anniversary,\u201d says\u00a0Sonu. \u201cBut what we\u2019re most proud of is how our sustainable practices have been adopted elsewhere. Local islanders have changed how they recycle, how they use water and their attitude and approach to food has changed. And to know that we\u2019ve been pioneers in introducing sustainability to the travel industry \u2013 that is a fantastic feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Facts and Figures<\/h3>\n