Soneva Stars

Soneva Jani: December 10-15, 2022 Soneva Fushi: December 15-23, 2022 Graeme Le Saux is a former England international footballer who played most of his career as a left-back, though his football pace and skill enabled him to move into a left-sided midfield role when required. Graeme made his England debut in a 1994 friendly against Denmark and went on to represent his country 36 times. The highlight of his England career was representing his country in the 1998 football World Cup. Graeme started his career at St Paul’s and moved to Chelsea football club in 1987. In 1993 he switched to Blackburn Rovers where he won the 1995 PremierLeague title with Blackburn. In August 1997 Graeme became the most expensive defender in English football when he returned to Chelsea football club in a GBP 5 million deal. Graeme remained there for six seasons before moving to Southampton football club. Graeme played at St. Mary’s for two seasons announcing his retirement in May 2005 following Southampton’s relegation. Since retiring from football, Graeme is popular with the media working across national and international outlets including NBC, Sky and the BBC. A respected and clear-thinking individual, he frequently undertakes project work with the FA, UEFA, FIFA and the Premier League.

Jonas Bjorkman is the former World No. 4 in singles, and World No. 1 in doubles tennis. He retired from professional tennis in 2008, after achieving six singles titles and 54 doubles titles (including nine Grand Slam wins) and is among a small group who has managed to win all four Grand Slam events. After five years as the Marketing Director of the Stockholm Open tennis tournament, he started his coaching career, with Andy Murray in 2015 and with Marin Cilic in 2016 and 2017. Today he works for Eurosport as a tennis commentator and coaches Swedish No. 2 and WTA player, Mirjam Bjorklund. Since February 2021, Jonas has been captain of Sweden’s men’s national padel team.

Hailed as one of the best padel players in the history of the sport, Willy was the youngest-ever player to play for the Spanish national team after playing for just three full seasons. He led the Spanish national team to victory at the world championships in 1998 and again in 2010. The same year, he also led the world championship in singles. He won the Spanish championships in 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2014. After a long career spanning multiple decades, Willy was awarded a silver medal for sporting merit by the Royal Spanish Padel Federation. At the age of 51, he is still competing on the APT circuit and continues to serve as its sports director and ambassador. He also runs a padel academy in Valladolid, Spain, where he coaches professional players.

Born in the city of Malaga, Spain, Miguel took his first steps in the world of padel tennis at the age of seven. In 2017, he decided to join Varlion as the head of the junior team. In 2021, he climbed more than 20 positions on the World Padel Tour rankings. He has stood out in various youth categories in the past few seasons and continues to be widely spoken about in the Spanish padel circuit for the coming seasons.

Mikaël Silvestre is a former French international football player. Product of Stade Rennais FC youth system, Mikael claimed a first-team spot at only 18 and spent two good seasons with the French club before joining Italian prominent club Inter in the 1998/99 season. However, his career really picked up steam when Mikaël moved to Manchester United in 1999. He was a fantastic asset for the club under Sir Alex Ferguson for nine seasons amassing 361 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils recording 5 League Titles, the FA Cup, the Football League Cup, two FA Community Shield victories, the Intercontinental Club World Cup and the Champions League in May 2008 before switching to Arsenal for 2 seasons under the reign of Arsene Wenger. In 2010, Mikael switched for German SV Werder Bremen. In 2013, the French player signed a contract with the MLS side Portland Timbers and featured there from January 2013 to November 2015. He then joined Chennai FC in 2015 for the start of the Indian Super League. Mikaël Silvestre was an international for France between 2001 and 2006 amassing 40 caps for the period. He was part of the team that won the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001 and 2003 and runner up in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.   Young Sonevian’s Football Camp The camp will cover the psychological (confidence, feedback, decision making), technical (dribbling, shooting, basic catching skills), physical (change of direction of speed, hand-eye coordination); and the social/emotional (communication, celebrating, team interaction) aspects of football. All proceeds from the camp will be donated to the Soneva Foundation.    

An array of fine, festive dining experiences awaits guests at Soneva Jani, alongside an exceptional line-up of visiting chefs through the Soneva Stars calendar. Timothy Bilton, Anika Madsen and Paul Svensson will all be hosting exclusive dining events at So Engaging, the intimate chef’s table that seats just five guests. The seasonal celebrations start early on Christmas Eve, with a delectable mushroom steak and truffled egg breakfast served at sunrise or in-villa for guests. Later in the afternoon, Santa will be making an appearance at The Den to spread the Christmas cheer. Sunset cocktails will be served at the So Sandy beach, followed by an indulgent Christmas Eve dinner on North Beach, with live entertainment and a DJ. Families of all ages and sizes have plenty to look forward to at Soneva Jani’s all-new two-storey Den. Featuring a zipline through a cascading waterfall, areas for music, Lego, dressing up and creativity, a soothing sensory room for toddlers, and a hidden hangout for teens where mocktails and music set the scene – there’s something for everyone at The Den. In true Soneva tradition, the iconic New Year’s Eve Journey around each resort will see out the year in awe-inspiring style – with sumptuous dining, live music and unforgettable entertainment Discover More

Our holiday calendar at Soneva Kiri is packed with rare, one-of-a-kind experiences, exquisite dining, pop-up festive feasts, and a fun-filled programme of activities for children large and small at The Den, not to mention a special visit from Santa himself. This year, Soneva Kiri’s So Local So Global New Year’s Eve Journey will take guests on a culinary voyage of discovery and delight. Starting at The View with cocktails and canapés, from there twinkling lights lead to dining destinations around the resort, where live cooking stations serve delectable dishes, with show–stopping entertainment along the route. The evening culminates with a countdown to 2023 at the beach, with a spectacular fire show to welcome in the new year and music until the early hours by Soneva Kiri’s resident DJ. Discover More

Ken was a Martial Arts prodigy in his teens and for the past 36 years he has immersed himself in Martial Arts, Yoga, Meditation, Pranayama, Freediving, Swimming, Ayurveda, Fitness & workout, and personal development. He is a student of Umberto Pelizzari, who trained under the legendary Jacques Mayol. He currently holds 4 National Records for Japan in deep Freediving and has held the following World rankings: 16th, 10th, 8th (twice) and 6th. He can hold his breath for nearly 8min and dive to 94m on a single breath. This is Ken´s 10th season at Soneva, where he is known to help people overcome their fears and move beyond their perceived limitations. He emphasizes that guests have a unique learning experience rediscovering their potential both mentally and physically. He has taught people of all ages how to use authentic techniques to enrich their lives and enhance health, well-being, and vitality.

Exceptional seasonal dining sets the scene for a magical Christmas and New Year at Soneva Fushi. British chef Timothy Bilton will be bringing a taste of Yorkshire to theBaa Atoll, while Danish chef Anika Madsen will be demonstrating her personal approach to gastronomy. Also visiting the Maldives this December is Swedish chef and restaurateur Paul Svensson, who recently launched Studio 2000 in Stockholm – an edible experiment that strives to disrupt the food system and change the way we thinkabout land use, soil health and flavour. On Christmas Eve, guests can celebrate the night before Christmas with an intimate but mind–blowing performance by world–renowned mentalist Lior Suchard, who will be taking guests on an incredible journey through the wonders of the human brain. A Christmas tree lighting ceremony will take place on the Soneva Fushi Sandbank at sunset, with carols, eggnog and mulled wine. In true Soneva tradition, the iconic New Year’s Eve Journey around each resort will see out the year in awe-inspiring style – with sumptuous dining, live music and unforgettable entertainment Discover More

Welcome the Year of the Rabbit in style with festive dining in stunning locations, themed celebrations and spectacular experiences for the whole family at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand. Spend this Chinese New Year unwinding with transformative treatments by visiting wellness specialists, embarking on unforgettable ocean adventures or dining with some of the world’s best chefs. Young Sonevians of all ages can also discover an inspiring weekly programme at The Den. Soneva Fushi   Soneva Jani   Soneva Kiri

Tomáš Berdych began playing tennis in 1990 when he was five. He turned professional in 2002 and won his first ATP Tour match at the 2003 US Open. He won his first ATP title in Palermo and just a year later won ATP Masters 1000 title in Paris. In 2010 he made his first Grand Slam final, at Wimbledon. He played at 52 straight Grand Slams and 64 straight ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. Tomáš helped the Czech Republic win back-to-back Davis Cup titles in 2012 and 2013.

Todd Woodbridge is best known as one of the world’s greatest doubles players in history. Throughout his career Todd amassed 22 Grand Slam doubles titles, Sixteen in Mens and Six Mixed, this included a record Nine Wimbledon Mens Doubles titles, six of those with Mark Woodforde (The Woodies) and three with Jonas Bjorkman. In singles, Todd reached a career-high of 19 and won two ATP singles titles highlighted by a Wimbledon Semi-Final appearance in 1997. He also won a Doubles Gold Medal at the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics and a Silver in Sydney 2000 with Woodforde, thus completing the Golden Grand Slam for the duo. In total Todd won 83 ATP doubles titles, holding the World No.1 doubles ranking for 204 weeks. Today, Todd is one of Australia’s leading Sports Broadcasters. Hosting events such as the Olympic Games coverage,  Cricket’s famed Ashes Series between Australia and England and all the Grand Slam tennis coverage for the Nine Network Australia as well as expert commentary for the BBC at Wimbledon.