A Day at Soneva Fushi, Maldives

Our third and final stop on our Maldives adventure brought us to Soneva Fushi in the Baa Atoll. We were first introduced to the Soneva brand in Thailand earlier this year when we visited Soneva Kiri on Koh Kood, and we've been frothing about them ever since. There are some brands that nail the ultra-luxury experience, and some that excel at making you feel relaxed and at home- but few that merge the two as effortlessly as Soneva. The entire concept is based Defoe's classic novel Robinson Crusoe, where a the protagonist spends 28 years on an remote tropical island with his servant, Friday. You're assigned your own personal butler (or your "Mr/Mrs Friday") for the duration of your stay, available 24 hours a day and ready to assist you in whatever you could dream up. The Soneva experience is what vacation dreams are made of, and it officially ranks as one of our favorite resorts in the world. (They also actually regularly win awards from media like CNN and Conde Nast and Travel + Leisure and Jetsetter, so we aren't the only people who think so!)

Situated on their own private island just a 30 minute seaplane flight from Malé, Soneva Fushi is densely jungled and strikingly large compared to most resort islands in the Maldives. Each guest is provided a bicycle as primary means of island transportation, but your Mr. or Mrs. Friday is happy to whisk you around via buggy if it suits you better. There's a huge variety of villa types- everything from 1 bedroom accommodation to massive 6-bedroom villas complete with sauna and game room and everything else you could dream up! The "no shoes no news" mantra means your time on the island is a true escape from reality- and barefoot luxury only begins to touch on the insanely luxurious and the utterly zen-like atmosphere you'll find during your stay. 

Our favorite part of our stay may or may not have been the complimentary ice cream parlour and chocolate room, and we may or may not have eaten our weight in both- but you'll just have to book your own trip to Soneva to choose your own favorites! 

It honestly feels too good to be true, but we left our second experience with Soneva even more impressed than we were after the first- something we thought impossible considering the world-class experience we had a few months ago with Soneva Kiri! It's a foodie's paradise, a nature-lover's sanctuary, and everything we could ever want in a resort (and far more). The magic of Soneva is hard to explain, but it's just that- magic. They've perfected the experience and you can tell they've never stopped dreaming about the future and figuring out new ways to delight guests in luxurious, breathtaking and sustainable ways- and we could have cried when the time came for us to head home. 

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A Day at Soneva Fushi, Maldives

6:00 AM 

We snuck out of our villa just before the sunrise to go for an early morning walk on the beach. There's nothing more romantic than witnessing that first morning light over the ocean!

7:30 AM

Every dining experience at Soneva is pure magic, and we literally couldn't get to breakfast fast enough after enjoying the sunrise!

9:00 AM

Considering how much we just stuffed our faces at breakfast, we were in much need of a bike ride to work off the damage that had just been done... in the best way possible. ;)

10:00 AM

We took a boat out in the middle of the Indian Ocean for the most epic snorkeling experience we have ever had! The Maldives is a diver/snorkler's heaven, and we spent a few hours swimming along the reef with schools and schools of exotic fish and stunning creatures- all being lead by a marine biologist to tell us about what we were seeing!

12:30 PM

We got back to the island just in time for a lunch experience called 'Fresh in the Garden'-- which was a really special experience because it was all fresh + organic produce from Soneva's garden! Focused around traditional Sri-Lankan and Maldivian flavors and dishes, this amazing meal was one of our favorites and a much-needed injection of veggies!

2:00 PM

After lunch we rode our bikes over to Soneva Fushi's new restaurant, Out of the Blue, to see what all the hype was about. It's a brand new 2-story overwater structure with tons of hammocks suspended over the water, a gorgeous restaurant complex with bars and kitchens and dining rooms up and down, and our favorite- a 2-story slide right into the azure ocean water!

3:30 PM

We finally made our way back to our villa for a little rest + relaxation.

5:00 PM

After showers + freshening up a bit, we made our way to the dock to board a speedboat that would take us on a sunset dolphin cruise. Before the boat even left the dock, we had already seen several dolphins!! We enjoyed some light snacks and champagne, watched the dolphins playing and swimming, and took in the incredible sunset before heading back to the island.

8:00 PM

Our trip just so happened to correlate perfectly with our 4th wedding anniversary, and our Mr. Friday had taken the liberty to arrange the most romantic dinner for us under the stars in the Fresh in the Garden treehouse!

Thanks for joining us for A Day at Soneva Fushi, Maldives! If you haven't had enough yet, you can view our Soneva Fushi Photo Journal! 

You can book your stay at Soneva Fushi by clicking here!

Adventures away! -Zach & Tara

A Day at Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives

We're back and excited to tell you about the second stop we made in our Maldivian adventure last month! We've become familiar with the Singapore-based Park Hotel Group over the last few months and have had the chance to shoot for Grand Park Orchard Road a few times now- so we were beyond excited to get out to their new property in the Maldives to see what all the hype was about!

We left Fushifaru by seaplane and flew back into Malé International Airport in the nation's capital. Jumping between resorts in the Maldives can be somewhat complicated, because almost all transport goes back and forth from Malé and the seaplanes only fly during daylight hours. The majority of the resorts in the country will help you arrange the transportation logistics, and we lucked out that both Fushifaru and Grand Park Koghipparu had world-class concierge teams who communicated with each other and organized the details for us. Grand Park, however, is only a 20 minute boat ride from Malé which made that entire process a dream! As opposed to islands that require seaplane, Grand Park's beautiful speedboats can transfer you to or from the island any time of the day or night, making for a stress-free transport arrangement no matter how or when you arrive. 

Once you arrive on Kodhipparu, it's nothing but luxury. The stunning property is less than a year old, and their impressive selection of 120 villas give you the option to stay over the water or on the beach. Like most Maldivian resort islands, the entire tropical island can be explored in 20-30 minutes, and if you aren't keen to walk in the hot sun you can just call your 24-hour-a-day host to bring you around via buggy. We stayed in an over-water pool villa facing the ocean side, and the entire experience was incredible. Each overwater villa has a glass window section of floor where you can watch the tropical fish swim beneath your room- we honestly spent so much time just laying on the floor watching in wonder! Ocean adventures like snorkeling and sun-soaking by day, with culinary experiences and star-gazing by night, Grand Park Kodhipparu was a brilliant combination of aesthetic luxury and excellence in service, and is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a quintessential Maldives experience of picture-perfect villas and high-end luxury for a reasonable price. 

We're excited to share with you more of our experience with A Day at Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives!

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A Day at Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives

6:15 AM

Our over-water villa had a stunning ocean view and a private pool right outside the door- so naturally it was no problem waking up with the sun and taking in the majestic views!

8:00 AM

We can never wait for breakfast, especially when there is a breakfast buffet involved! There's a station for just about everything you could think of from bread to sushi, and everything in between. Add in this view and you've got a pretty perfect breakfast experience in our book. 

10:00 AM

SPA TIME! If you know us at all, then you know how much we enjoy our spa days. In our opinion, vacations can't be complete without them! This, however, was our first time experiencing an over-water spa, and we really hope that it's not our last! 

12:00 PM

Time for a quick swim + a snack! There was a big bowl of tropical fruit just begging to be eaten in our room, so we knew what we had to do... ;) 

1:30 PM

Lunchtime! We loved mealtimes at Grand Park nearly as much to see the dining staff as we did the amazing food- such friendly faces and such delicious food.

3:00 PM

We lazily made our way back to the villa for a few hours of swimming, snorkeling, relaxing in the hammock and tanning... our afternoon couldn't have been better as we enjoyed our time in that crystal clear turquoise water!

5:30 PM

There is nothing quite as magical as watching the sky turn from day to night-- and there is something just so special about Maldivian sunsets!

 7:00 PM

Dinner time at Grand Park means time for another stunning buffet- and trust us, there is nothing disappointing about the food here! Fresh lobster, a sushi bar, pho, a whole table full of desserts-- the selection is endless and incredible.

A relaxed coffee and dessert to the sound of crashing waves, and then we slowly made our way back to the villa to fall asleep and do it all again the next day!

Thanks for joining us for A Day at Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives. If you haven't had enough yet, you can view our Grand Park Kodhipparu Photo Journal here! 

You can book your stay at Grand Park Kodhiparru by clicking here!

Adventures away! -Zach & Tara

A Day at Fushifaru, Maldives

We've long been dreaming of a trip the Maldives, and being based in Bali for the time-being we thought it was finally the time to make a trip out. It was everything we hoped for and more! This incredible nation in the middle of the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka's southern coast is made up of 26 atolls (basically, circular island chains formed by ancient under-water mountains or volcanos). It's one of the most incredible sights to behold as you fly overhead- water so blue it could be fake, white sand beaches and tiny tropical islands in every direction. It's the land of over-water bungalows and fiery sunsets, and our first stop on our Maldivian adventure couldn't have been more perfect!

Fushifaru is everything you could hope for in a Maldives resort. Located on their own private island, you can walk from one end to the other in just about 10 minutes. They boast 49 beach and over-water villas, a stunning spa, several dining options and a gorgeous infinity pool perfect for sipping cocktails and taking in the infamous Maldives sunset. We arrived from Male International Airport via seaplane to a traditional Maldivian drum and horn greeting before being checked in and escorted to our room, and the next few days were nothing but magic. 

We wanted to give you a glimpse into our stay at this amazing property, so we're beyond excited to share with you A day at Fushifaru, Maldives.

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A Day at Fushifaru, Maldives

6:15 AM // We woke up before the sun, brewed a few cups of coffee in our room and walked around the sandy exterior of the island to the most magical view of a majestic sunrise! If you're lucky like we were, you'll see a pod of dolphins jumping in the channel!

7:00 AM // After taking in the amazing sunrise we continued our walk through the sand to the opposite side of the island to take a quick morning dip in Fushifaru's beautiful infinity pool before breakfast! 

8:00 AM // Champagne breakfast in bed! We got back to our villa and decided to take it easy for the morning, so we ordered breakfast to the room. Is there anything better than breakfast in bed with a view of the sea?!

10:00 AM // After a leisurely breakfast in the villa, we continued our relaxing morning at the spa. Just a few minutes away from our villa, the Fushifaru spa is nestled in the green center of the island and a couples balinese massage was just what the doctor ordered! 

12:30 PM // Lunchtime! We always love any chance to learn about the local cultures when we travel, so naturally we were thrilled to learn to cook our own Maldivian lunch! 

2:00 PM // With full stomachs we made our way back to the beach to laze away the afternoon and bask in the hot Maldivian sun. Sleep, snorkel, repeat! 

4:30 PM // Go Coconuts! We got to catch a glimpse into the many ways Maldivians use coconuts at the afternoon Go Coconuts show! We learned to climb coconut trees, crack and use coconuts, and the many amazing uses of these giant tropical fruits!

5:30 PM // Sunset cruise on Fushifaru's little Dhony! Sailing into the sunset on this tiny traditional Maldivian boat was pure magic and the perfect way to spend a sunset!

7:00 PM // We made it back to the island just in time to take in the last few minutes of light and reminisce on our magical day on Fushifaru before dinner!

Thanks for joining us for A Day at Fushifaru, Maldives! If you haven't had enough yet, you can view our Fushifaru Photo Journal here! 

You can book your stay at Fushifaru by clicking here!

Adventures away! -Zach & Tara