Tropical treasure

Is this the ultimate island holiday? Amit Dixit checks into soneva Fushi, the original ‘barefoot luxury’ resort

- Amit Dixit

LONG BEFORE I ARRIVED IN THE MALDIVES, I had decided exactly what music I wanted playing in my villa, what bath salts I preferred, what snacks I wanted my pantry stocked with, what extra amenities I needed, what activities I was planning to participate in, etc, etc. All fed into a detailed document called My Soneva Preferences.

Only so, once I was there, I wouldn’t have the distraction of choice. I could tell the stress was going to slip away. It would be like home. Only much nicer.

At Malé airport, I learnt I had missed my seaplane transfer, thanks to the late arrival of my flight from Thiruvananthapuram. No matter, they were putting me on a domestic flight to Dharavandhoo, the closest airport to Soneva Fushi in the serene Baa Atoll. A Tesla X whisked me off to the Soneva Lounge where I waited for my next flight. When I alighted into the speedboat for the last leg of my transfer, I was asked to take my shoes off. They disappeared into the cream confines of a shoe bag which had Soneva’s famous tagline emblazoned across it: No News, No Shoes. Who needs shoes in paradise anyway?

I had been booked into a Crusoe Suite, but that really doesn’t begin to describe the palace of pleasures I was checking into. I had my own pool, beach, several bedrooms, a kitchen, sprawling living room, an open-air bathing area that would put Cleopatra to shame, and numerous other nooks. The mod cons were top notch. I also had my own gym. Elbow room has long been a marker of luxury. There was nothing garish about this self-assured luxury...no shiny bells and whistles. Just the weathered beauty of timeless materials like old-growth wood and rough-hewn stone. Unlimited lounging areas with oversized cushions encouraging a certain expansiveness of mind. A sense of sanctuary, memories to be made, something to be treasured.