Two nights in Dubai, then a week in Baa Atoll
Break the flight with two nights on the beach in old Jumeira, then seven nights on a barefoot island in Baa Atoll with a large kids club and a UNESCO biosphere reserve on the doorstep. Good for families.
Soneva Fushi
The original no-shoes Maldives island: big jungle villas, a long list of places to eat and a UNESCO biosphere reserve on the doorstep.
Why we love it
Soneva Fushi sits on Kunfunadhoo, a long, thickly wooded island in Baa Atoll, and the first thing you notice is the shade. Most villas are set back in the trees behind their own stretch of sand, so it feels more like a private beach house than a hotel room. Shoes come off on arrival and generally stay off.
It is at its best for families and for couples who like to potter. The Den gives children a genuinely large, well-run space of their own, and there are more than a dozen places to eat, including rooms given over entirely to cheese and to chocolate. It is also a big island, so it rarely feels busy.
Be clear about what it is not. This is a beach-and-jungle island rather than an overwater one, and the style is rustic by design, with wood, thatch and a few insects. If you picture a sleek glass villa on stilts, look at Gili Lankanfushi or Cheval Blanc Randheli instead.
Rooms and villas
Crusoe Villa with Pool
The entry point: a one-bedroom villa of about 145 square metres with its own pool, set among the trees just back from the beach.
Crusoe Suite with Pool
A larger one-bedroom layout of about 264 square metres, with more living space indoors and out and a private pool.
Family Suite with Pool
One of the one-bedroom categories designed around families, at about 360 square metres, with room for children to spread out.
Water Reserve with Slide
Overwater villas with a slide straight from the deck into the lagoon, in one-bedroom (about 585 square metres) and two-bedroom versions.
Multi-bedroom residences and estates
Beach villas and residences from three to nine bedrooms, the largest well over 2,000 square metres, suited to multi-generation groups.
Dining
There are 16 dining venues listed, which is unusual for a single island. They range from Flying Sauces and Out of the Blue to So Hands On by Chef Akira, Fresh in the Garden and Carne Diem Grill, with a wine cellar and dedicated cheese and chocolate rooms for grazing between meals.
Wellness
Soneva Soul runs the spa, with open-air treatment rooms, a yoga pavilion, Pilates and movement studios, and visiting wellness specialists and Ayurvedic practitioners. Tennis and padel courts and a jungle gym sit nearby.
Children and families
Children of all ages are welcome. The Den, at more than 1,365 square metres with a pirate ship, pools, slides and a cinema, is included for ages 4 to 17. Babysitting can be arranged for younger children.
The facts
| Island | Kunfunadhoo, Baa Atoll (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) |
|---|---|
| Transfer | About 30 minutes by seaplane from Malé, or a 30-minute domestic flight to Dharavandhoo and a short speedboat ride |
| Villas | One to nine bedrooms, beach and overwater |
| Dining | 16 venues |
| Spa | Soneva Soul |
| Kids club | The Den, ages 4 to 17, included |
Where it is
Baa Atoll, Maldives
Nearby
A few of the things we plan for guests in Maldives.
Manta rays feeding in Hanifaru Bay
Hanifaru Bay is a small, shallow bay in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. During the southwest monsoon, tides and currents trap plankton in the bay and manta rays, sometimes whale sharks, gather to feed, most reliably July to October. It is snorkel only, with licensed guides and capped numbers. Stay in Baa so you can go when mantas are reported.
Whale sharks along the South Ari reef
The outer reef of South Ari Atoll, around Dhigurah and Maamigili, is known for juvenile whale sharks, which are seen here all year. Boats patrol the reef edge and you slip in to snorkel as one passes. Keep your distance and never touch.
Snorkelling a good house reef
A house reef is the coral wall that rings your island, and the best ones start a few fins from the beach. Expect turtles, blacktip reef sharks and eagle rays. Ask for a guided swim on the first day to learn the currents and exit points.
Journeys with Soneva Fushi
Sri Lanka and the Maldives: temples, tea and a far atoll
Eight nights in Sri Lanka with a private driver-guide, from the rock fortress at Sigiriya to the tea estates and the old fort at Galle, then a short flight to Malé and five nights on a quiet island in Thaa Atoll.
Ask about Soneva Fushi
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability, suggest the right room and send a price.