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Anniversary Gallery
We are delighted to present the following selection of images that celebrate and acknowledge Soneva’s 25-year history, specially curated by Eva Malmström Shivdasani, Soneva’s Creative Director.
1988
This is Sonu and I during a visit to Kudahiti Island in the Maldives in 1988. It was long before we opened Soneva Fushi, but at this point we had already started to think about opening a resort. During this holiday we met Areef, the GM of Kudahithi, and became very good friends. He eventually joined us at Soneva Fushi and is still working with us today, in Food & Beverage. He is semi-retired and only works in the high season. Areef is certainly the person that Sonu and I have known the longest in the Maldives.
1994
This is what Sonu and I saw the first time we arrived at Kunfunadhoo Island (the home of Soneva Fushi…
This was the existing jetty at Kunfunadhoo Island before we built Soneva Fushi.
1994
The first time I visited what is now Soneva Fushi was also the first time a helicopter had ever lande…
When Sonu and I first arrived on Kunfunadhoo, the island caretaker Abdullahs Kudafari organized a war…
Many years before Soneva Fushi opened on Kunfunadhoo Island, there used to be a small resort – …
I refused to use rainforest trees for the poles we used to build the resort. Luckily, our foreman at…
This is the first container bound for Soneva Fushi, being loaded at our UK offices. All the container…
One of the first truckloads of machinery bound for Kunfunadhoo Island, leaving the UK.
1994
This photo was taken right at the beginning of constructing Soneva Fushi. On the left of the group is…
Soneva Fushi did not just introduce luxury travel to the Malidves, we also introduced domestic transf…
This photo was taken during one of my first visits to Kunfunadhoo Island. The man wearing the mustard…
Building our main arrival jetty.
1994
Sonu was not a very good dump-truck driver. That’s why we promoted him to CEO 😁
1994
This picture was taken as some of the first hosts arrived at Soneva Fushi. Our original landing site…
Sonu found some driftwood washed up on the beach, and brought it back as a gift for me. It was one of…
This photo shows some of the villas that were built before Soneva Fushi opened. Back in the 1970s, t…
In the picture are the old villas, showing how we rebuilt them. We called these villas ‘Rehendi’ aft…
To build Soneva Fushi, we brought across three guys from our UK-based construction company, that we c…
To build Soneva Fushi, we brought across three guys from our UK-based construction company, that we c…
Unpacking the first container of goods to arrive at Soneva Fushi. Our makeshift jetty was built with …
Unpacking the first container of goods to arrive at Soneva Fushi. Our makeshift jetty was built with …
Back in 1989, Soneva Fushi’s caretaker, Abdullah Kudafari, bought his son a bunny as a pet. One day…
This is Rocket on his dhoni, a traditional Maldivian fishing boat, as he arrived at our temporary con…
1995
Soneva Fushi opens on the island of Kunfunadhoo, in the Maldives’ Baa Atoll, with 42 villas. It is the first luxury resort, and also introduces the first spa to the island nation.
This photo was taken in 1995, just a few months before Soneva Fushi opened. Due to bad weather, the a…
Diesel tanks arriving by barge, towed by a small boat. We used to use the inflatable dinghy in the fo…
This is an image of the host accommodation being built in January 1995, around eight months before we…
Building what is now the Bar(a)bara jetty in 1995.
This photo shows the construction of the first Crusoe Villas at Soneva Fushi. Rather than cutting tre…
The almost finished Rehendi villas using the foundations of the old island resort. Qur budget was ver…
We contracted our 24-seater Hummingbird helicopter from the Bulgarian State Helicopter Agency. Back w…
This was one of the first flights onboard our original Hummingbird Helicopter. Soneva Fushi’s Proje…
This is a photo of me in the original Hummingbird Helicopters office in the airport, near the big Ba…
This is Waheed, one of the few Maldivians who was with us from the very beginning. He was in charge o…
This shot was taken for one of our first Sales and Marketing brochures. The man in the picture, stan…
I am originally from Sweden and would go barefoot for the entire summer. It’s always summer in the…
Our dear airport rep. and later Executive Housekeeper, Abdul Azeez was invited to the offical opening…
1996 – 1997
In 1996, By the Beach becomes the first fine dining restaurant in the Maldives. It is also the first year Sonu is Santa Claus at Soneva Fushi (until 1999). We began phasing out helicopters with seaplanes in 1997.
This photo is of our gardeners, who were all Bangladeshi, and some of our housekeeping Hosts. The six…
Sonu dressed up as Santa Claus and showed off his amazing skill on the mono ski (please note his cho…
My sister Amie had the idea that we should have a Spa, so she and I went all around London and bought…
Serving Japanese and Asian cuisine, By the Beach was not only our first fine dining restaurant at Son…
In 1997 we decided to slowly phase out helicopters and replaced them with floating seaplanes. We sta…
A photo of one of our Host parties, which was always very appreciated!
1997
Our great gardening team led by Santosh in the middle in the green shirt, on their way to the villas …
1998
Soneva bans plastic straws and replaces them with paper straws, becoming one of the first hotels to do so. Cinema Paradiso becomes the Maldives’ largest movie screen.
Being Swedish and from an environmentally conscious family, I have been eco-conscious since the day I…
This image shows our original Cinema Paradiso at Soneva Fushi. It was Sonu’s idea to create an outd…
Our Hosts at Soneva Fushi in the early days, together with our great GM, Alasdair Junor, standing in…
When this photo was taken, our in-house BoduBeru band was made up of our Hosts from different teams. …
Since 1996 we have hosted weekly sandbank cocktail parties. Many of our repeat guests will recognize…
This is our great Food & Beverage team in 1998. Most of the Hosts pictured here are luckily still wi…
This is our great Food & Beverage team in 1998. Most of the Hosts pictured here are luckily still wi…
Here are our super-efficient Hosts after an island cleanup. The second person from the right in the f…
To recognize our Hosts from across the years, we asked our dedicated team of carpenters to make frame…
In 1994, I found out that an NGO in Male (Eco Care) started to fight to save the turtles. I immediate…
As soon as we had success saving the turtles, we started to lobby for the shark and to save the poor …
Another gathering of our Hosts. The fifth person from the left (in the white shirt and blue shorts) …
1999
Sonu and Eva build their private residence on Kunfunadhoo after living in Villa 27 for the past six years!
Volleyball is a very popular sport in the Maldives, and many resorts have teams that compete fiercely…
Standing with some of our Hosts, the second person from the left is Laurie Burr, one of our former GM…
After six years living in a resort villa at Soneva Fushi, Sonu and I finally built our own house on …
This photo shows the arrival jetty of Lankanfushi, before it became Soneva Gili. It was a very old h…
This picture you can see a nurse shark and a stingray. In those days, it was very common for Maldives…
Sonu and I were horrified and I asked him to please lease this island in order to free these poor ani…
The two nurse sharks at the back of the top image had been in the enclosure for many, many years and…
When the enclosure was opened, some newly caught animals, like a turtle and a small shark swam out as…
When the enclosure was opened, some newly caught animals, like a turtle and a small shark swam out as…
Our formidable chefs, photographed with the ‘father’ of them all – our totally selfless super chef …
We got an assignment for interior design from an existing hotel in Singapore (called The Gallery), bu…
2000
Soneva Fushi is awarded the ‘Best of the Best’ by the readers of Condé Nast Traveller UK and wins the President of the Maldives’ Green Resort Award. Sonu also gets his first modelling gig!
Sonu, myself and some of our Hosts on the Soneva Fushi jetty. The photograph was taken for a German …
In 2000 we won the Conde Nast Traveller award for “Best of the Best” for Soneva Fushi. This is the b…
These are some images from October 2000 of our foundation laying ceremony for Soneva Gili, our new pr…
These are some images from October 2000 of our foundation laying ceremony for Soneva Gili, our new pr…
Palm trees arriving from our local islands on a barge. Instead of being cut down, they were planted i…
The former leaseholder of Lankanfushi (where we built Soneva Gili), had completely ruined the island…
The first poles of the double jetty before construction started at Soneva Gili. They looked like a…
Construction work on the public pool at Soneva Gili.
2000
Construction work on the public pool at Soneva Gili.
2000
Creating the organic gardens at Soneva Gili.
2000
Creating the organic gardens at Soneva Gili.
2000
Pictured here are all the poles for the villas, waiting to be placed in the water and fixed to the s…
Building the long jetties at Soneva Gili. In total, they came to 1.66 kilometres.
2000
This rickety, temporary gangway led out to the stand-alone villas that were being built in the middle…
The before at Soneva Gili. The buildings were constructed so quickly, the whole resort was built in a…
The after at Soneva Gili. The buildings were constructed so quickly, the whole resort was built in ar…
It was these exhausted guys who installed the palm leaf roofs on our villas. The heat was blazing (lu…
Our building materials created their own natural artwork on the Soneva Gili beach. 😂
2000
This was the very long arrival jetty at Soneva Gili (it took ages to walk!).
2000
This photo shows the almost finished jetty with the little pavillion in the end.
2000
When I was little, I had a game with wooden sticks. You’d throw them all on the table, and then try t…
Everyone knows Saeed, our EAM. Pictured here when he was still very young, he came to us from Addu,…
Sonu and I modelled for a magazine that came and made an article about us and the resort. That was qu…
2001 – 2003
In 2001 Soneva Gili opens in the Maldives, redefining the over-water villa concept. Soneva Fushi wins the President of the Maldives’ Green Leaf Award for the Soneva Nature Trip.
These are all the original Mr & Ms Fridays, photographed at the farewell party for Shaaz (front row b…
A group of our Front of House Hosts with Sonu (second from left in the front row). On his left is Sae…
Our Barefoot Butlers team on the way to our weekly management cocktail party. They are wearing the or…
Some of our old Hosts, including Githa (third from the right) who was our shop manager for many years…
Andreas Metaxa (CEO of Metaxa Hospitality) keeping Sonu’s elegant mother company at our first Repeat…
My sister, Bim Jubell (on the right), came over from Sweden for our Repeater party.
In this photo,…
My other sister, Amie Malmstrom, who also came from Sweden especially for the party, demonstrates he…
Sophie McCarthy (Soneva’s Country Director of Sales – UK) and Sonu’s great friend, Chris Eddis.
…
Also at our Repeater Party were Andreas’ sister, Zika Metaxa, and his very youthful mother, Corina …
Planting trees in our Host Village back in the early days. See if you can spot one of our amazing Gur…
This photo was taken in 2020, and shows how much those same trees have grown.
2020
2004 – 2005
Fresh in the Garden introduces the Maldives’ first suspension bridge. We also introduce the Social & Environmental Responsibility Fund (SERF), committing 0.5% of our revenue to community projects.
Here is Sonu, surrounded by some of our female Hosts. The lady in purple is Dilhani, who worked as ou…
Our fantastic GM Charles Morris (seated in the front row) was with us for four years from 2000–2004…
Our walkway to Fresh in the Garden at Soneva Fushi was the first suspension bridge to be built in the…
Constructing the Soneva Gili Private Reserve. The building stood completely alone in the middle of th…
The finished Private Reserve at Soneva Gili.
It was very popular for couples who wanted a hideaway…
Laying the palm leaf roof, a traditional material that is used all over the Maldives. In the second i…
Laying the palm leaf roof, a traditional material that is used all over the Maldives. In the second i…
The water slide arrives for the Private Reserve at Soneva Gili. It was the first water slide in the M…
Pictured here is Fresh in the Garden, which was our second fine dining restaurant to open at Soneva F…
Setting up for Soneva Fushi’s 10-year anniversary on the sandbank in 2005. The small tents were made …
The first few years of opening Soneva Fushi were very busy and intense. Sonu and I worked very hard a…
A rare moment of relaxation for me, and I’m reading ‘The Secret Life of Plants’ by Peter Tompkins. Re…
Meet Batrick! Anke, our Marine Biologist at the time, found a wounded bat and nursed him back to he…
2006 – 2008
Soneva Fushi opens the first observatory and Eco Centro in the Maldives. We ban imported bottled water and start filtering our own, and introduce our Environmental Fund to offset our carbon emissions.
This picture is of Ahmed Manik, Soneva’s Master Builder. He is standing in front of our private ob…
For many years, I tried to make an organic garden. When Anna Junor (our GM, Alasdair Junor’s wife), j…
Sonu loves ice cream, and it was his idea to offer free ice cream to all of our guests. We sat down t…
Sonu loves ice cream, and it was his idea to offer free ice cream to all of our guests. We sat down t…
This is a picture of my family and my dear friend Lena, and her family on a visit to Soneva Fushi.
…
I only managed to find two pictures from one of our repeater parties in London in 2007, and here with…
At the same party were these nice gentlemen, from left, Raymond Blanc, a fantastic chef with two Mi…
Our wonderful GM, Antony Paton, and his absolutely lovely wife, Pauline. He always comes to our rescu…
Willy Astor, a musician from Germany, on holiday at Soneva Fushi with his family.
2008
📷 E…
My sister Amie with Jacqueline Bourbon, spiritual coach, healer, a transformational teacher and a me…
In 2008, Sonu and I had the great honour of receiving a personal award from the president of the Mald…
The 2008 Eco Symposium was our first SLOWLIFE Symposium. The theme was ‘The Climate for Change’.
2…
We introduced Soneva Drinking Water in 2000, which we filter professionally ourselves and serve in…
This is our Six Senses Core (management) team in 2008. Sonu thought it would be fun for everyone to d…
2009 – 2010
Soneva Fushi installs the largest solar plant in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri opens on Koh Kood in Thailand. Sonu and Eva win the Barclays Wealth Sustainable Award. The Soneva Foundation is founded in 2010.
In 2009 we opened Soneva Kiri, on the rainforest-covered island of Koh Kood in Thailand. We chose thi…
This is one of the earth adobes totally made from clay. The ventilation was natural (no A/C needed). …
In 2009 we installed at Soneva Fushi, a 70 KWP solar PV system as a test facility – it was the big…
In 2009, Sonu and I were presented, in a ceremony in London, a joint award from Conde Nast Travell…
We were again honoured with three different awards from the “Green Business Award” given to us at a s…
Receiving one of the
“Green Business Awards”
2010
We were again honoured with three different awards from the “Green Business Award” given to us at a s…
This photo was taken of our Hosts during our 15th anniversary celebrations in 2010. Most of them ar…
DJ Mark Jones with a member of the Jolly Boys and Vincent Gillet, during our 15th anniversary celeb…
‘Who can ride the slowest’ – a fun game we played at our 15-year anniversary celebrations. Of cours…
The legendary racing driver Michael Schumacher was one of our guests at our 15th anniversary celebrat…
A huge effort by Sonu, but to no avail. 😂
2010
📷 Richard Young
Our dear friends, Elsa Zylberstein and Tilda Swinton meeting up at Mihiree Mitha.
25 years ago, I…
Olivia Palermo is an American model and actress. She is a cast member of the television show, The …
Tilda Swinton joined Sonu, myself and other guests for a huge party on the Sandbank during our 15th a…
Tilda Swinton is a great Scottish actor known for both arthouse and mainstream films. Here together…
Tony and Hillary Monkcom are the most wonderful people. Tony is an Acupuncturist,
Physiotherap…
Philippa, Martin and Emily Clunes with Sonu and Paul Smith, Director and Producer who made “Slumdog M…
Sonu and I having a wonderful time during our 15-year anniversary celebrations for Soneva.
2010
…
The famed Jolly Boys played at our 15-year anniversary celebrations. Formed in Jamaica back in 1945, …
The great Jolly Boys entertaining our guests during our 15th anniversary celebrations. The legendary …
Fabien Cousteau on the Soneva sandbank.
2010
📷 Richard Young
Acclaimed actor and comedian, Martin Clunes with his lovely wife Philippa.
2010
📷 Richa…
One night, the Maldivian Band
” Zero Degrees” played on the Sandbank . They became very famous int…
The acclaimed actors Elsa Zylberstein and Francois Berleand at the 15 – year Soneva anniversary
20…
Coverage in Gala magazine, November 2010.
2010
📷 Richard Young
Coverage of our party, as published in L’Officiel France December 2010. The only person I could not …
A very candid photo of my dear sister Amie and I, cracking up about something hilarious obviously, o…
Sonu with former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed during the SLOW LIFE Symposium we held at Soneva…
This dinner was held during our 2010 SLOW LIFE Symposium. It was such an enjoyable meal that no-one …
German Vogue came to photograph the resort and to interview me. What I didn’t realise was that they’d…
2011 – 2012
Soneva wins the HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards Corporate Leadership Award. The Soneva Foundation launches the Forest Restoration Project in Thailand. The third SLOW LIFE Symposium takes place. Soneva reaches carbon neutral status for direct and indirect emissions in 2012.
Sonu pictured with former Maldives President Nasheed (front left), Richard Branson (third from left)…
President Nasheed, arriving from Malé for Day One of our 2011 SLOW LIFE Symposium.
He signed ag…
Edward Norton and Richard Branson thought it was great to be in a symposium where they did not have …
Edward Norton, giving a speech at our 2011 SLOW LIFE Symposium.
2011
📷 Cat Vinton
I gave a speech in honour of my dear late friend, Helmut Lohr, who had attended the previous SLOW LI…
Jon Bowermaster, Daryl Hannah, Fabien Cousteau and Chris Gorell Barnes of Blue Marine take part in a…
Sonu discusses ‘Sustainability as the New Normal: The role of the CEO’ at our 2011 SLOW LIFE Sympo…
Sophy Williams and Maria Padget organized the whole SLOW LIFE Symposium together with Jonathon Porrit…
President Nasheed, Sonu and Richard Branson present diplomas to children who had completed our Reef R…
Sonu, Richard Branson and I at the GM’s cocktail party on the magical Soneva Fushi sandbank.
2011…
Sonu and Richard Branson on our little sandbank in the middle of the ocean. The photo was taken on th…
This is the first privately owned residential villa in the Maldives, which we built as soon as the g…
The 2011 Soneva repeater party was at the Halkin Hotel in London, but in a big tent placed in th…
The amazingly talented cellist Steven Isserlis is pictured here with his girlfriend and opera singe…
Here I am welcoming Michaela and Simon de Pury at the party.
2011
My friend Louise Galvin, the first hair stylist in the world to go carbon neutral. Here with her husb…
Tom Avery came to Soneva Fushi and held some very interesting talks about his amazing experience as a…
This was the Water/Wo/Men eco meeting for the oceans. There were many world champion surfers, free d…
These are some of the guys that came from abroad to attend the Six Senses Laamu Water / Wo / Men eve…
These lovely ladies came to our resort Six Senses Laamu to attend the Water/Wo/Men event.
Fro…
Daryl Hannah chats to Sonu about ecology, a topic which is very close to her heart.
2011
Daryl Hannah and the Foo Fighters keyboardist Rami Jaffee, her boyfriend at the time, came to our …
One day during the meeting of Water/Wo/Men at Six Senses Laamu, we all went to a neighbouring island …
John Frieda, acclaimed hair stylist, with his wife Avery Agnelli Frieda meeting up with Lady Angel…
Soneva Kiri collaborated with the 2011 Earth Awards to set up a prototype of the Soneva Kiri Eco Vill…
The Soneva Foundation planted over 500,000 trees covering 300 acres in the Chiang Mai region of north…
The Phly Boyz playing at our New Year’s party in 2012. They all met as students in a prestigious Amer…
This is Ram Adhikari, we called him ‘The General’. He was the first Ghurka to arrive from Nepal in th…
Our wonderful Ghurka security team, dressing up with their original Ghurka caps. They are the most h…
2013
WHOLE WORLD Water, from the 2011 SLOW LIFE Symposium, is launched in 2013.
Jonathon Porritt is laughing at the joke that Leo Johnson made during our 2013 SLOWLIFE Symposium. Le…
I am here following a very interesting conversation between Leo Johnson and Daryl Hannah. Leo is the…
Jochen Zeitz and Sonu at the 2013 SLOW LIFE Symposium at Soneva Kiri. Jochen developed the Environm…
Pictured here is Khun Khem, our Soneva culturist and a miracle man, who made our organic gardens at S…
Meet Jon Bowermaster, Writer, Filmmaker and Adventurer. Jon has made many amazing documentaries. Th…
David de Rothschild pondering sustainable solutions during the 2013 SLOW LIFE Symposium at Soneva Kir…
Bruce Bromley, Soneva’s Chief Financial Officer and Deputy CEO, with SLOWLIFE Symposium attendee Je…
Here is Daryl Hannah and Peggy Liu, Chairperson of JUCCCE at our Symposium.
2013
📷 Cat…
Jenifer Willig and Karena
Albers with me.
We started ‘Whole World Water’ together with Jeni…
Laura Turner Seydel during our SLOWLIFE Symposium at Soneva Kiri.
Environmental Advocate; Chairpers…
Meenakshi Menon, Jonathon Porritt and Pavan Sukhdev, an Indian economist, author and CEO of GIST A…
Almost all the participants of the Soneva Slow Life Symposium of 2013
Sonu, Azad Shivdasani, Jakob v…
Vik Muniz, the fantastic Brazilian artist, with lovely artist wife Malu, visiting Soneva Fushi in D…
The great designer and actor, Waris Ahluwalia, visiting us in 2013.
2013
📷 Eva Malmstrom Sh…
Waris Ahluwalia, Tilda Swinton, the wonderful actor, and Haider Ackermann, the great fashion desi…
The amazing film director, Mira Nair, came with her friend Loveleen to a big happening hosted at Son…
This is a very romantic photo of lovely UK Presenter and journalist Natasha Kaplinsky with her hands…
Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Joe), is an acclaimed Thai film director, screenwriter, and film producer….
My two nieces, Lisa and Jenny, who both worked in the Den before starting their studies. This was Chr…
This image of Sonu and I was taken at Tilda Swinton’s ‘Gathering’, that she arranged with a group o…
This is my Creative team in Bangkok. They help me with everything and are my “rocks”. I’m the only on…
Guests arriving at the 2013 SLOW LIFE Symposium (Ecological Symposium) at Soneva Kiri.
The man i…
We have grown mushrooms at Soneva Fushi since 2006. Oyster mushroom is a rich source of protein, vita…
2014 – 2015
The first SLOWLIFE magazine is printed in 2014, and the Art and Glass Studio at Soneva Fushi opens, becoming the only hot glass studio in the Maldives. Work begins on Soneva Jani in 2015.
Sonu decided to demonstrate his banyan tree climbing skills for a photograph in GQ magazine.
2014
…
Saanee from Baa Atoll Education Centre, the school on Eydhafushi, prepares for her first swimming les…
Ida and twin sister Irene from Baa Atoll Education Centre, the school on Eydhafushi, enjoys for their…
Ida and twin sister Irene go snorkelling for the first time with instructor Georgina White as part of…
The children’s class wave goodbye at the end of the Soneva Ocean Stewards (Learn-To-Swim) programme …
Our lovely, extremely talented Clare and long time friend needs no introduction, but I have anyway ke…
This is our first SLOWLIFE magazine. We wrote many stories about Soneva, about our wonderful hosts, G…
Ma Cho and her mother-in-law Than Than Win prepare the family dinner using an efficient cook stove in…
Whenever guests arrive at Soneva Fushi, they are always greeted by a team on the jetty who welcome th…
Everybody loves Sira! He’s our resident ‘fruit man’, and has been with us since the day we opened. …
This thank you card shows our Engineering team at Soneva Fushi during cleaning up day.
2015
Nicole Scherzinger, Ben Fogle and the acclaimed actor Naomie Harris joined us for our 20th anniversa…
Actor Naomie Harris hands over boogie boards to children participating in the Soneva Ocean Stewards�…
During our 20 year anniversary party, Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two humans to set foot on the mo…
Buzz is lovely with children and lowers himself to their level.
2015
📷 Richard Young
This picture of Buzz was taken for our Slow Life magazine where we made a big article about him.
He…
Buzz and I being photographed for our SLOWLIFE magazine. I was super surprised to find out that Buzz…
Buzz is such a young person, full of enthusiasm and positiveness, and even follows the fashion of the…
During our 20th anniversary celebrations we organised a volleyball match between our guests / party a…
Ben Fogle, writer and adventurer, here together with the fashion model, Jodie Kidd, celebrating thei…
And the party continues on Soneva in Aqua 😊.
2015
📷 Richard Young
Actor Naomie Harris with her brother and mother, a writer and a healer, at our 20 year party celebra…
The maestro himself, Richard Young, on the Bar(a)bara jetty with me. He came all the way from London …
The great photographer and my very good friend, Michael Doster, attended our 20-year anniversary pa…
On the left is Sonu with Jodie Kidd at our 20-year anniversary celebrations.
On the right, Jodie is …
The amazing conductor Sir Simon Rattle here with his lovely wife Magdalena and cute children.
2015…
Ben Fogle with his lovely wife Marina.
2015
📷 Richard Young
The night of the party we made a classic Soneva journey, and we had many stands along the road with…
And here is Naomie helping our star chef, Sobah, cook in one of the stands with help from her brother…
Buzz was holding a lecture in the observatory for all our anniversary guests. Here is Ben Fogle watch…
When we arrived to the sandbank, there were a lot of children waiting for us, dressed in the national…
For our 20th anniversary, the famous Maldivian musicians Unoosha & Barchie created an amazing song ju…
The very talented, Paloma Picasso, with her husband, Dr. Eric Thevenet, with Sonu on the Soneva Fu…
Naomie Harris by the birthday sign of Soneva Fushi.
2015
📷 Richard Young
It was always my dream to melt the mineral water glass bottles and make little paper weights as a mem…
The master Venetian glassblower, Lino Tagliapietra, was the first artist to feature at the recently …
This is Issue No. 2 of our SLOWLIFE Magazine. The publisher forgot to mention what the cover was all …
We wanted to take the luxury of our villas and add a sense of freedom and adventure. So, we launched …
One day while having a shower, I looked down on the pebble floor and saw a “face” in the stone. Then …
As I have known the French DJ Claude Challe from many years, we asked him to make a special CD with…
A smiling Sonu, photographed by me.
2015
📷 Eva Malmstrom Shivdasani
The very famous cellist, Steven Isserlis came to Soneva Fushi together with his girlfriend, Joanna B…
Laila Bagge, a well-known Swedish singer and song writer, here with her son, Liam, at Soneva Fushi.
…
Sonu receives the prestigious World Travel & Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow award from Fiona…
2016 – 2017
Soneva Jani opens in 2016 and the Soneva Dialogue takes place, with HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden as the patron. Soneva in Aqua sets sail in the Maldives in 2017.
In 2016 we opened Soneva Jani, in the middle of a lagoon in the Noonu Atoll. We wanted to revolutioni…
Soneva Jani was our chance to build the first overwater cinema and observatory in the Maldives.
At …
Soneva Jani was our chance to build the first overwater cinema and observatory in the Maldives.
At …
H.S.H. Prince Max von und zu Liechtenstein and Jean Oelwang, President and Trustee of Virgin Unite li…
Annie Maxwell, President of Skoll Global Threats Fund has a great time at the 2016 SLOW LIFE Symposiu…
Joe Cerrell, Managing Director, Global Policy and Advocacy of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sonu…
Here is Maria Wilhelm from James Cameron’s Avatar Alliance Foundation, who attended our SLOWLIFE Symp…
Jean Oelwang, President and Trustee of Virgin Unite, Marieke van Schaik, Managing Director of Dutch C…
The Symposium was very laid back with everyone barefoot and relaxed, sitting all over the place for s…
Our team behind the scenes of the 2016 SLOW LIFE Symposium: From left back row: Arnfinn Oines, Bruce …
Participants of the 2016 SLOW LIFE Symposium at Soneva Kiri enjoys an excursion in the nature to see …
The famous Swedish photographer, Mattias Klum with his lovely wife Iris Alexandrov. I am wearing a b…
The symposium is over and we need to eternalize this wonderful meeting where from a lot of fantastic …
The farewell photo from the very successful 2016 SLOW LIFE Symposium at Soneva Kiri.
From left: T…
This is our star Freediver, Ken Kiriyama, who comes to us in the high season to teach Free Diving to…
Many of you will know Maureen Cromey, our amazing Acupuncturist and a dear friend. She helped Sonu ve…
During the 2013 SLOW LIFE Symposium, Sonu and Johan Rockstrom of the Stockholm Resilience Centre cam…
During the 2013 SLOW LIFE Symposium, Sonu and Johan Rockstrom of the Stockholm Resilience Centre cam…
The romantic marriage of Isabeli Fontana and Diego Ferrero was blessed with a most amazing rainbow a…
Tilda and cabaret artist Nicky Gayner are having a chat on the swing with their husbands, Dr.Johnny G…
A lovely relaxed picture with actor Waris Ahluwalia, and artists Vik Muniz and his wife Malu at the…
Sandro with the green glass piece he made in our Art and Glass Studio. He painted his nails in a co…
Tilda’s partner, Sandro Kopp, a great artist, is making something in glass for the first time. He …
The sweetest person around, Petra Björkman and her husband Jonas Björkman at the opening of Sonev…
The Dowager Countess Angelika Cawdor with Tilda Swinton, and Petra Björkman, during the opening of…
Sonu and Shoko Noda, UNDP Resident Representative of the Maldives, signing an MOU to collaborate on s…
Participants of the Soneva Eco Camp in 2017. We have arranged yearly Eco Camps/Nature Trips since 200…
In 2017 we organized our first Soneva MasterChef competition for our Hosts in the company, and these…
We launched the Soneva Maker Programme at the end of 2017 to tackle plastic waste. We joined forces w…
Acclaimed French actor, Elsa Zylberstein, visiting Soneva Fushi with her partner, Michael.
2017
…
2018 – 2021
The Soneva Water plant opens on the Maldivian island of Maalhos and Soneva Namoona is launched. Soneva holds its first Soneva Surf Pro. Soneva Fushi begins its Zero Mosquito Project. In 2020 Soneva celebrates 25 years of sustainability with Water Retreats at Soneva Fushi and Chapter Two of Soneva Jani.
Rami Jaffee, keyboardist from the Foo Fighters, playing at Soneva Kiri during Chrstmas and New Year….
In 2018 we launched the world’s first fully sustainable surfing programme, Soneva Surf, using eco-fri…
On board Soneva in Aqua with family and dear friends.
2018
📷 Bruno Aveillan
Bar(a)bara became so popular, and there was never enough space for everyone, so we decided to make it…
This the year we waited excitedly for the arrival of our very own Soneva seaplane. We repurposed a DC…
Just 4% of Maldivians employed in the country’s hospitality industry are Maldivian women. At Soneva,…
Bruno Aveillan, the master film maker and inventor of many of our incredible film clips for Soneva, f…
One day I walked into our villa 45 that was being built, and this dining table was resting against th…
Every year our Soneva Fushi volleyball team competes in the National Competition. Our Hosts take it v…
I was extremely honoured to be chosen for a book project on personalities that have made a difference…
Our Feng Shui master, Shivani Adalja, told us that we needed something in metal near to our house at…
We were so proud when Soneva Kiri was voted number one in the Top 20 Resorts in Asia/Thailand in Cond…
Soneva Fushi welcomed its first fully plant-based restaurant, Shades of Green, in 2019. The menu, cra…
I had an idea to write a book about the bunnies of Soneva Fushi, but as I never have time, I asked my…
Charlie Duke was the 10th out of the 12 men that walked on the moon. He was part of the Apollo 16 mis…
Roger Moore is a dear friend and wonderful therapist, who comes to one of the Sonevas every year to o…
We have arranged several Soneva Surf Pro events since 2018 for local children in both the Baa Atoll a…
Since 2009, we have given a significant proportion of water revenue through the Soneva Foundation to …
Soneva Namoona is a partnership between Soneva Fushi, our three neighbouring island communities of Ma…
We arranged a Zero Waste Challenge at the school in Maalhos to educate children about waste segregati…
This photo is the Maalhos burn-site in 2019, taken before our Soneva Namoona project started. Below…
If you look at the bottom left of this picture, you will see the roof of the Eco Centro, which was a …
One year later, Soneva Namoona celebrated the opening of Maalhos Eco Centro with a cricket match on t…
The Soneva Namoona Organic Garden tutorials are an online course aimed and helping local islands star…
We partnered Biogents to bring the mosquito population at Soneva Fushi down to zero, to show th…
As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations we added new Conscious Experiences to all of our resorts…
To ring in the new era at Soneva, we added eight new one- and two-bedroom Water Retreats at Soneva F…
The plight of the Hermit crab is a very sad one. They used to be everywhere on the beaches in the Mal…
25 years of wonderful times (and, of course, some difficult ones) at Soneva Fushi. The number formati…
Can you guess what this is?
📷 Eva Malmstrom Shivdasani