We just returned from another amazing time on Soneva Fushi. So lovely to see again many of the folks we know from our former stays. Pastry legend Shanta, chef Ravi from Down to Earth, Ravi from the Tandoori grill and his collegue (Nashid?), also our barefoot guardian Chelsea. Not to forget Majeed from Mihiree, he was so dedicated during breakfast and dinner time. Also, villa host Sonja was very attentive, our bath room was always niceley scented, I loved it! We stayed again in one of the new Crusoe Suites. The villas are really impressive with the high-ceiling wooden entrance door. Nice to have coral-friendly sun lotion and Aloe Vera gel on top of the usual things in the villa. The outdoor area comes with loungers, tables, a swing and extra hammock plus an additional lounge area on the upper deck which is ideal on rainy days. Anyway, still missing the added garden shower which the old categories featured. That was always a very unique feel standing under the open sky amidst the lush greenery. As usual, new constructions are going on and many larger villas are in the making. Also the former entry-levels will be upgraded. Hope the last remaining Soneva Fushi Villa (should be #33) will not be demolished for some nostalgia reasons, even if we never stayed there.
Food-wise, it’s really top notch. I am very into the lunch buffet, luckily this time it was open every day due to the temporarily closure of Out of the Blue. The choice of ceviche, tartare, different salads, vegetables, mezze, sushi/sashimi and so on is simply perfect. For the first time we tried Shades of Green with the plant-based dishes and it was also a great experience. Sandbank cocktails on Tuesday are always fabulous, also the subsequent buffet. Yet, on Saturdays it would be good to have an alternative outlet to be open, not only the buffet option. 2 times per week only the buffet is a bit limiting in terms of exploring different venues, especially if you only stay a few days like we do. Vegan is on the way, not only in terms of milk and butter, as well consequently now also in the ice-cream parlour. It tastes surprisingly nice! Once again Eva‘s cheesecake was not on offer unfortunately, as it is one of my favourite flavours. I think the next time I need to pre-order 😉. One thing to mention regarding all outlets: I really value all those real candles which are placed allover. It creates a warm and cosy atmosphere during the night-time, that‘s simply classy. The only flaw food/beverage-wise are the challenging prices.
Of course for the active ones there is a big bunch of things to do, especially in terms of water sports with some interesting gadgets like eSurf-board. Wellness lovers have plenty of holistic options in the huge Soul temple and the kids‘ club is simply outstanding. We spent our days riding through the stunning jungle, snorkelling, strolling along the beaches, and sipping some afternoon cocktail at cosy Out of the Sea. As we already tried some experiences like breakfast on the sandbank, castaway picnic, cinema paradiso, ziplining (hubby only) on other stays, this time we were pretty lazy, recreation-mode on! Soneva is undoubtfully a wonderful place to unwind on an ultra-relaxed level 😊.
