What’s On at Soneva Jani

Lorna Green brings over 30 years of spa and wellness expertise, blending ancient wisdom with modern technology for transformative results. A yoga teacher and wellness consultant, she designs exclusive spa menus, trains therapists and champions hands-on techniques like manual lymphatic drainage. Inspired by her personal journey, Lorna fosters connection through warmth and humour, empowering clients to embrace mindful simplicity, holistic care, and the healing power of nature.

Chef Zor Tan is the creative force behind BORN, one of Singapore’s most celebrated contemporary dining destinations. With a culinary philosophy rooted in the Circle of Life, Chef Zor has crafted a dining experience that seamlessly blends French elegance with the depth of Chinese flavours. Each dish at BORN is guided by Zor’s nine principles—Birth, Roots, Memories, Craft, Relationship, Vicissitudes, Time, Progress and Legacy—transforming every plate into a story that captures the essence of life’s defining moments. Driven by a passion for bold flavours and inspired by his journey, Chef Zor creates nostalgic and innovative dishes. While at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, he will combine his signature style with ingredients sourced from our organic gardens, crafting a dining experience that is as sustainable as it is unforgettable.

Christina Wirth began her osteopathic journey as a physiotherapist with a deep curiosity about the human body, later earning a D.O. degree and becoming a licensed alternative practitioner. She completed advanced training in Biodynamic Osteopathy for babies and children in Germany and the USA, as well as cranial osteopathy at the Sutherland Cranial College in London. Christina’s approach focuses on identifying the root cause of concerns, supporting natural healing with minimal intervention and restoring the body’s harmony.

Born in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1977, Jakob Mielcke is a self-taught chef who has travelled the world working with culinary masters, such as Pierre Gagnaire, both in his restaurants in London and in the infamous three-Michelin-starred one in Paris. In 2002, he returned to Denmark as the head chef at Jan Hurtigkarl & Co., and later opened Mielcke & Hurtigkarl together with Jan Hurtigkarl in the Royal Garden Society, where he now explores his creative vision. Since its opening in 2008, Chef Jakob has won praise for his characteristic contemporary food and has become the recipient of numerous awards in and outside of Denmark. A darling among food critics, he originally trained at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris and later at Lecture Room & Library, Sketch in London, before settling in his native Denmark. There, he established a unique, multicultural and creative playground in a hidden garden in central Copenhagen, where he continues to explore his creative vision.

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.

Sarafina El-Badry Nance is an astrophysicist, analog astronaut, author and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. She has conducted research at Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics and is now at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab completing her doctoral thesis on supernovae and cosmology. She has been awarded fellowships by the National Science Foundation, been named one of Forbes’ 30 Inspirational Women and was on Forbes’ list of “30 Under 30” and the Arab America Foundation’s “40 Under 40.” Her critically acclaimed memoir,  Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark, was featured by The TODAY Show, NPR, and has been selected by Apple Books, Book Riot, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and more as a Summer 2023 Must-Read.

Lars Lindberg Christensen is an award-winning astronomer and science communicator. He has authored a dozen popular science books translated into more than ten languages. Lars has directed more than 10 documentaries and planetarium movies that have received critical acclaim around the world. He is responsible for the communication and education for NSF’s NOIRLab consisting of Cerro Tololo, CSDC, Gemini, Kitt Peak and Rubin Observatory. Lars has more than 200 publications to his credit, most of them in popular science communication and its theory. Lars received the 2021 Klumpke-Roberts Award and the Tycho Brahe Medal in 2005 for his achievements in science communication and has been credited with leading the most successful outreach efforts in ESO’s history. During his visit, Lars will be hosting after-dinner stargazing sessions, along with talks about astronomy throughout the day.