Five-star Three MICHELIN Keys Kunfunadhoo, Baa Atoll, Baa Atoll
Soneva Fushi
The resort that set the barefoot style in the Maldives: shoes off on arrival, sixty-odd thatched villas in the trees of Kunfunadhoo, and a telescope for the night sky.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Three Keys
- Villas
- 63, on the beach or over the water
- Opened
- 1995
- From the airport
- About 30 minutes by seaplane from Malé
The hotel
Where barefoot began.
Sonu Shivdasani and Eva Malmström Shivdasani opened Soneva Fushi in 1995 on Kunfunadhoo, an island in Baa Atoll where a small resort had stood before; they reused its old foundations. It began with 48 villas. A year later it opened the first spa in the Maldives, and its habit of asking guests to take off their shoes on arrival gave a name to a whole style: barefoot luxury.
Kunfunadhoo is one of the larger islands in the country, with a long white beach and a jungle in the middle. The villas sit along the shore, hidden from one another by trees. Around them lies a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The resort has twice won the President of the Maldives' Green Resort Award, and its organic gardens feed the kitchens.
- So Celestial An observatory with a large telescope and astronomers in residence, for planets and galaxies after dinner.
- Cinema Paradiso Films on a screen under the palms, watched from cushioned loungers, with popcorn. Private screenings can be booked.
- The Den One of the largest children's clubs in the region, with two shallow pools and an eight-metre pirate ship.
Rooms & suites
From a suite for two to a house for a family.
Every villa has its own stretch of beach and a bathroom that opens to the outdoors. The sizes below are from the resort's fact sheet.
- One bedroom Crusoe Suite with Pool About 360 square metres, among the trees behind the beach, with a pool of its own.
- Over the water Water Reserve with Slide About 585 square metres with one bedroom, built over the lagoon, with a slide from the deck into the sea.
- For a family Soneva Fushi Residences Houses of three to nine bedrooms, the largest about 3,048 square metres.
Dining
More than a dozen places to eat.
Venues as listed by the resort. There is no MICHELIN Guide for restaurants in the Maldives. Shown for information.
- Out of the Blue Asian Terraces built out over the sea
- Flying Sauces International Dinner served in the treetops
- So Hands On Japanese omakase Chef Akira at the counter
- Fresh in the Garden International Under the canopy above the organic gardens
- Down to Earth International and Mediterranean On the sunrise side of the island
- The Chocolate Room Chocolate, ice cream, sorbet Open around the clock
Recognition
Recognition.
- Three MICHELIN Keys In the current selection
- President of the Maldives' Green Resort Award Won twice
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by noon. Seaplanes fly only in daylight.
- Children Welcome. Cots are free for children under six, and there is a kids' club, The Den.
- Pets Not accepted.
- Shoes Guests are asked to take them off on arrival and go barefoot for the stay.
Getting there
Flying to Baa Atoll.
Scheduled flights and private jets land at Velana International in Malé, where the resort has a lounge at the seaplane terminal. The seaplane flies north for about 30 minutes to a pontoon off the island, and a boat covers the last stretch. After dark, a domestic flight to Dharavandhoo and a 12-minute speedboat do the same job.
- Colombo 1 h 20
- Mumbai 2 h 30
- Dubai 4 h 20
- Riyadh 5 h 10
- Geneva 10 h 45 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Soneva Fushi have?
- Three, the highest distinction in the MICHELIN hotel guide. It is one of two resorts in the Maldives to hold three.
- How do you get to Soneva Fushi?
- Fly into Velana International in Malé, then take a seaplane of about 30 minutes north to Baa Atoll. Outside daylight hours, fly to Dharavandhoo and continue by speedboat.
- Is Soneva Fushi good for children?
- Yes. The Den is one of the largest children's clubs in the region, with its own pools and a pirate ship, and many villas have several bedrooms.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Baa Atoll?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Baa Atoll, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Baa Atoll
Other hotels worth the trip.
Staying at Soneva Fushi?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Baa Atoll, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.