Festive Celebrations at Soneva

Michael Ballack is an iconic figure in German football, widely regarded for his exceptional skill and leadership on the field. Ballack’s football journey began at a young age and saw him rise to become one of the most accomplished midfielders of his generation where he was known for his incredible vision, precise passing and powerful shots. Over the course of his career, he played for top European clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Kaiserslautern. Additionally, Ballack was a pivotal player for the German national team, representing his country in multiple FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships Since retiring, Ballack has stayed connected to the sport, sharing his expertise as a pundit, commentator and ambassador. This festive season in the Maldives, guests will have the rare opportunity to train under his guidance, learning valuable skills during an exclusive football camp.

Coming from a well-travelled, foodie background, Carolina Bazán Bañados chose to devote herself to gastronomy. After finishing her studies in Chile in 2003, she opened the first Ambrosia restaurant with her family in downtown Santiago. From there, she trained in restaurants in Peru, Brazil, Italy and France, where she worked with Chef Gregory Marchand at his award-winning Frenchie Restaurant in Paris. Back in Chile, Chef Bazán and her partner, sommelier Rosario Onetto, started the first Hidden Kitchen movement in Santiago in 2012, which led to a new location and a new concept for Ambrosia. The result is a modern family restaurant, where fresh market produce leads a menu that changes daily according to what’s in season. Her goal was to create an amazing dining experience, where great food is paired with fine wines, music and good old hospitality. By 2017, Ambrosia was joined by Ambrosia Bistro, a smaller, vibrant, more personal space that brings the concept of bistronomy to Santiago, with a focus on seasonal produce and delicious dishes. Ambrosia has been consistently included in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants since 2014, which also named Chef Bazán Best Female Chef in 2019.  

Dr Armin Kleinböhl is a planetary scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He is also the Deputy Principal Investigator of the Mars Climate Sounder instrument on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been operating on Mars for over 16 years and established the longest time series of global atmospheric measurements on Mars to date. Since 2008, he has provided landing support for all landings on Mars conducted by NASA and his scientific work focusing on the structure and dynamics of the atmospheres of Mars and Venus led him to author or co-authored more than 100 scientific publications. Dr Armin is also the Participating Scientist in Residence for the Japanese Akatsuki Venus Climate Orbiter mission, which leads him to spend several months of the year in Japan. His work also includes managing the “Cloudspotting on Mars” citizen science project with more than 8,000 registered volunteers, which allows members of the public to contribute to planetary science by analysing real data from a spacecraft in Mars’ orbit. During his visit, Dr Armin will be hosting after-dinner stargazing sessions with a focus on Mars and Venus, which will be prominent in the evening sky and will share stories about planetary science and exploration.

Born in Jabalpur in Central India, Chetna Makan honed her creative talents while working in Mumbai as a fashion designer before moving to the UK in 2004. She became a household name after taking part in The Great British Bake Off in 2014 and has since written seven cookbooks ranging from baking to Indian street food, healthy Indian food, vegetarian and quick Indian. She also hosts the popular YouTube channel Food with Chetna, where she shares her creative flair for all things cooking and baking.

For the past 10 years, chefs Adam Dahlberg and Albin Wessman have operated one of Stockholm’s most hyped Michelin-starred restaurants, Adam/Albin, offering a gastronomic dinner experience far from the traditional fine dining restaurant. Their restaurant group also includes Misshumasshu, Nori Bar, Ramen and a soon-to-be-open brasserie in the meat packing area of Stockholm. With their heritage rooted in Nordic cuisine and a passion for outstanding produce, the pair are on a mission to redefine luxury in the age of sustainability. While at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, they will be combining their signature dishes with the locally grown greens from our organic gardens to create something truly unique.

Hailed as one of the best football freestylers in the world, Marcel Gurk is the current German champion, holds ten Guinness World Records and is the author of the world’s first book on football freestyling. He made it to the semifinal of Germany’s Got Talent, Das Supertalent, and travels around the world sharing his unique skills. Having studied sport and media management in Dusseldorf, Marcel also specialises in working with children and has designed his own unique concept to help take his students’ skills to the next level. While in the Maldives, he will be hosting football freestyling workshops for Young Sonevians at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.