A Fun-filled Summer Stay at Soneva

Learn how to navigate on land and on the ocean with this special course developed just for teenagers. The Corbin is a ship that sank on the Goidhoo Atoll’s reef in 1602. Stay on the island of Innafushi to learn about the sea, its currents, tides, and the methods of navigation. First evening: Life in the Maldives Enjoy a barbecue and games on Soneva Fushi’s Turtle Beach, and find out more about the marine world and island life in the Maldives Archipelago. Day 2: Survival skills Travel to the uninhabited island of Innafushi to set up camp. Learn how to pitch a tent, make a bush toilet, then fish for your lunch. After eating, discover how the Corbin’s shipwrecked sailors survived on a desert island from the accounts of the ship’s real-life navigator, François Pyrard de Laval, with fun games and time to explore. Day 3: Snorkelling the wreck site After a light breakfast, visit the site of the Corbin shipwreck, which is now a thriving ecosystem and home to an array of marine species. Spend a few hours snorkelling and learn about the ship’s lost treasure. From there, visit the Rose Garden, a unique reef system which is considered one of the Maldives’ best snorkelling spots. Travel back to Soneva Fushi and share your adventures with your family. Day 4: Tell your own story Use your GoPro footage to produce a short film about your adventure, with what you have learned and experienced along the way. The films will all be shown in a special evening family screening, where you’ll also receive your certificate for passing the course.

Sarafina El-Badry Nance is an astrophysicist, analogue astronaut, author, and science communicator. Sarafina is wrapping up her PhD in astrophysics in the United States of America as a National Research Foundation (NSF) graduate fellow at UC Berkeley on supernovae and computational cosmology and recently completed a Mars astronaut simulation at the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS). She is a frequent on-air science expert (Discovery Channel, Seeker, NPR, BBC), and her debut children’s book, Little Leonardo’s Fascinating World of Astronomy, reflects her mission to bring the magic of the cosmos to the world. Sarafina is a Forbes 30 Under 30 awardee in Science, one of Forbes’ 30 Inspirational Women, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2022 model, and an Arab American 40 Under 40 recipient. During her visit, Sarafina will be hosting after-dinner stargazing sessions, along with talks about astronomy throughout the day. Sarafina will be at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives from July 25 to August 5, 2022.

Executive Chef at Restaurant Merlet in Schoorl, Netherlands, since 2015, Jonathan Zandbergen is considered one of the greatest Dutch culinary talents. With cooking methods that combine both tradition and innovation, he has won numerous prestigious awards, including the ‘Prix Culinary Le Taittinger’ in 2014, as well as being crowned Gault & Millau’s ‘Most Talented Chef’ in 2017. The Dutch public became better acquainted with Zandbergen through his TV appearances, most recently as a jury member in the RTL series, Topchef Academy and as a judge on Masterchef Holland in 2018. With over 20 years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants and cooking competitions, Zandbergen has created his own unique style of Dutch cuisine, inspiring people from all over the world through his culinary streaming platform, CHEFFD. Chef Jonathan Zandbergen will be hosting a series of exclusive dining events at Soneva Fushi & Soneva Jani during his stay.

At just 30, Nina Metayer is the darling of Parisian patisserie. A fan of the city’s famed Café Pouchkine since its inception, she was chosen by Andrey Dellos as the group’s Creative Dessert Manager in the spring of 2017, and is now is Creative Pastry Director. Originally from Mexico, Chef Nina discovered her vocation as a pâtissière while studying in France at the age of 16. On her return to France after graduating high school, she obtained her professional qualifications in baking in La Rochelle. A stint in Australia followed, working at well-renowned bakeries and restaurants in Melbourne, Dunsborough, Darwin and Port Douglas, before she returned to France. She then joined the Ferrandi culinary school and shortly after became a member of Camille Lesecq’s brigade at Le Meurice as a commis and then demi-chef de partie. Chef Amandine Chaignot entrusted her with her first second-in-command role at Raphaël before appointing her to head pastry chef. In 2015, Metayer joined Michelin-starred chef Jean-François Piège as head pastry chef for the opening of his restaurant in Paris, which was awarded two Michelin stars just six months after opening. With her famous chocolate-buckwheat creation in the running for the best chocolate dessert of the year in the Lebey Guide 2016, Metayer was also voted Pastry Chef of the Year 2016 by her peers in Le Chef magazine, and named Pâtissier of the Year 2017 by the Gault & Millau Guide. Nina Metayer will take our guests on a delightful culinary journey at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani from July 16 to 30, 2022.