Wooooowwwwwww!!! This endless turquoise color as we approach Soneva Jani leaves us astounded. We have never seen its equal before.
The blue lagoon of Medhufaru and its crystal waters are so infinite that it is difficult for our eyes to adapt for several minutes, trying to spot the horizon from the boat that is taking us to the welcome area, a spectacular structure in the shape of a manta ray.
Soneva Jani is built over a lagoon and when you arrive it feels as though you've entered a mirage.
They welcome us warmly, as always in Soneva. Not a single attention is missed, we are embraced by smiles and a handful of friendly people that have come to greet us. We enjoy our arrival, and while we are accompanied through the wooden paths over the water to reach our room, they explain to us everything that we must know about this wonderful island, the details that make it a sustainable hotel, the materials used in its construction and their philosophy of intelligent luxury.
…the roofs are built with wood imported from Laos that turns silver with sunshine, creating the perfect balance between turquoise and silver, and keeping this sacred turquoise in its permanent position of the most healing color for emotions. The faraway palm trees remind you that although you are living over water, you can still put your feet into the sand. They make you curious about what lays beyond these curving wooden pathways.
We should explore it… there is no doubt that these islands have surprises, yet in Soneva fantasy always turns into reality.
Rooms seem to be floating over the lagoon. Their facades are made of wood and glass and from their interiors you can confuse the swimming pools with the sea. Laying over my bed I can open the sliding roof to contemplate the sky at night and to sleep under a canopy of stars… Soneva always wants to keep you in touch with nature and to offer you everything that is possible to achieve.
During our dives we swim with Manta rays and I follow a turtle until my legs are tired. It seems incredible to have so many fish gather around us, to see so many colors among the coral reef, making it impossible at times to recognize the surface of the water from beneath due to the thick mantle of life above our heads. A gift.
Outside of the reef, there are many dolphins and Soneva arranges for us to watch them as the sun sets. We have not seen them while diving so we are thrilled to watch them jumping in front of our boat, playing in the foam made by waves as they crash against the bow.
At night we leave the structure built over the water and move until the end of the palm-filled islands to dine on a precious white sand beach set between countless tiny lights. The tide is low because today is the full moon, and going through the island along its pathways to reach that beach we have met enormous red crabs who are also energized by its light.
The day after, we ride through the island by bicycle to discover its interior pond and wonderful beaches after feasting on a breakfast fit for angels. At all times the food is exceptionally good and it is based above all on healthy, fresh ingredients and a cuisine that connects Asia and Europe. During our expedition we discover the enormous outdoor cinema with its screen hovering over the water, with viewing from comfortable sofas in front. We swim in the perfect waters of each beach that surround this peaceful retreat of silence and we walk to a sand bank, crossing the most incredibly clear waters I have ever seen.
Time slows down and we feel it as intensely as the heat of the sun.
Another very special dinner during these days takes place in a circular outdoor structure, also over the water, from the center of which emerges the most powerful astronomical telescope for private use in Asia. Guests dine while the astronomer brings them close to planetary life and everything happening in the stars at that moment. Venus rises just in front of us, brighter than ever! …and what to say of the enormous moon, which I could see so clearly through the telescope that I could take this photo!
And that is how our days pass by in this idyllic spot, where time has stopped and where the contact with nature and self-care is the most important thing. Stars in the sky, the sun and the moon, marine species and sea creatures, palm trees and the water of the sea fill every moment of each day; enveloped by luxuries within the villas, cared for attentively in every possible way… and always barefoot, following their core value of No News, No Shoes.