Soneva Secret
Fourteen villas in the remote north of the Maldives, each with a private chef.
- Neighbourhood
- Dhipparufushi, Haa Dhaalu Atoll
- Status
- Open
Why we recommend it
Soneva established much of what is now expected of a Maldivian island, with serious attention to the environment and the idea of barefoot luxury. Soneva Secret takes the same idea as far as privacy will go: with so few villas and a chef in every one, it is possible to spend a week without meeting another guest.
It suits couples and families who want seclusion above all, and who value what the remoteness brings: encounters with manta rays without crowds, a resident astronomer, sandbanks for a picnic with nobody else in sight. Those who want restaurants and company should choose a larger island.
Our guide to where to stay in the Maldives, with four island resorts compared by atoll weighs it against resorts closer to Malé, and our report on the opening of Soneva Secret with 14 villas in the northern Maldives gives the background.
Rooms & Suites
The villas fall into three groups. Beach villas are set on the sand among the vegetation; overwater villas stand above the lagoon with open views; and the Sea Lofts are placed out on the water and reached only by boat, each with a boat of its own. One-bedroom villas measure some 450 square metres and the two-bedroom versions more than 1,100. The two-bedroom Beach Pavilion has a private gym.
As announced before the opening, the roof of the main bedroom slides back to show the night sky, and every villa has adjoining bedrooms for children or other guests, with direct access to the beach or the lagoon. Each villa is assigned a butler and an assistant.
Dining
There is no restaurant in the usual sense. Each villa has its own chef, who cooks to a menu agreed with the guests, and meals are served in the villa, on the beach or on a sandbank.
The shared places are few. Out of This World is a dining tower with an observatory and a wine cellar in the lagoon, reached by zipline. So Primitive is a table set on the sand around a firepit. The Living Room, the centre of the island, is for casual meals and has a library and a boutique, together with rooms given over to ice cream, to chocolate, and to cheese and charcuterie.
Wellness & Spa
Wellbeing is handled in the same private manner as dining: treatments and practices are brought to the villa by a Soneva Soul therapist. On the water, a resident marine biologist leads snorkelling and guided encounters with manta rays, dolphins and whale sharks, and a resident astronomer leads stargazing. The island also has a bookseller in residence.
Location
The resort is on the island of Dhipparufushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll, in the far north of the Maldives. When it was launched, Soneva gave the journey as a seaplane flight of about 75 minutes from Malé’s Velana International Airport, or a domestic flight to Kulhudhuffushi followed by an hour by speedboat. It can also be combined with the group’s other islands, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, each a seaplane flight of 30 to 40 minutes away. Transfer arrangements should be confirmed with the resort.
- Website
- Official website
