First Look: Inside Soneva Secret, the most secluded and exclusive resort in the Maldives

The resort has a roster of chefs from around the world who specialise in different cuisines— including Indonesian, Thai, Italian and Vietnamese, to name a few. Our personal favourite was chef Gayatri, who cooks Sri Lankan cuisine based on her mother’s recipes. “I always call her to let her know when our guests enjoy her recipes. It makes her very happy,” she tells us as she
serves an incredible spread of chilli potatoes, dahl, fried green beans and the most flavourful chicken curry over fragrant yellow rice. All of this is served on a banana leaf, and is best enjoyed using your hands.

Meals can be enjoyed in your villa—there’s a covered dining area, a sunken table or outdoor seating on the upper deck—or in The Living Room, a communal space which features a cascade of plush, oversized loungers made from reclaimed wood, all facing the beach.

“It’s about crafting a journey, an experience that unfolds layer by layer, revealing its beauty and magic in a way that feels almost like a personal discovery,” says Shivdasani.

Nowhere is this “layer by layer” approach more evident than in Soneva Secret’s Out of This World dining experience, which Shivdasani describes as an “absolute must-do”. The journey begins at The Living Room, as the sun begins to set on the western side of the island, for an aperitif and amuse-bouche. Then, zip line over the lagoon to a five-storey circular structure positioned about 100 metres from the shore—you can also get there by walking along a pier, if being suspended from a cable isn’t your thing. You land right by the wine cellar, a gorgeous space featuring an oversized circular driftwood table over a glass floor. From there, you ascend to the second-floor covered terrace and open kitchen—which has views of the resort on one side and endless ocean on the other—for a multicourse dinner.

On the night we visited, the meal was led by Soneva Secret’s resident South American chef, who served a deliciously light menu that included chicken skin crisps topped with caviar, wonderfully sweet, blistered summer tomatoes, and large, grilled prawns served with a rosemary sprig with which to brush a bisque- like sauce over the meat. Dessert is then served on the rooftop, lounging on soft cushions under the night sky as Soneva Secret’s resident astronomer guides you through the stars and constellations.

“We saw an opportunity to break away from the conventional expectations of luxury hospitality and instead offer something
more personal, more joyful,” says Shivdasani. “These elements serve as a gentle reminder that, no matter our age, there is always room for a bit of fun, spontaneity and childlike wonder in our lives. At our core, we aim to create environments where every guest feels both the freedom and the encouragement to rediscover what it means to play.”

But it isn’t all play and no work. Behind what appears to be seamless and carefree on the surface is decades of research and dedication to protect and preserve the Maldives.

Through his Soneva Foundation, Shivdasani is determined to show his guests that the Maldives is far more than the bubble of the private resort you choose—it’s a unique and fragile ecosystem teeming with incredible marine life, and communities with a deeply rooted culture.

Proceeds from each guest’s stay are funnelled into The Soneva Foundation, which supports reforestation efforts and coral
reef restoration, and provides communities with access to clean water, among other endeavours. Its project Soneva Namoona—a partnership between the Soneva Foundation and 11 islands spanning the Maldives’ Baa, Noonu and Haa Dhaalu atolls—has made a meaningful impact in reducing and recycling waste. To date, over 390 tonnes of waste have been recycled, and the project has eliminated the need for nearly 800,000 plastic bottles.

“Our vision is for Soneva to be a beacon of responsible luxury, inspiring others to rethink what luxury means in today’s world. We want to show that sustainability isn’t a limitation; it’s an opportunity to create something truly exceptional. By integrating sustainable practices into every aspect of our operations, we’re proving that luxury can be both indulgent and responsible, that it can coexist with a commitment to preserving the natural world,” says Shivdasani. “These are causes that I am passionate about and have always believed to be inseparable from the concept of true luxury. Sustainability is not just a buzzword for us; it’s a core value that guides every decision we make, from how we build our resorts to how we operate them daily.”

Soneva Secret is 90 per cent carbon free, thanks to technologies such as central chiller systems and
an expansive floating solar plant. It also has a Waste-to-Wealth centre, which upcycles or recycles anything that can be—for example, into compost for the island’s organic garden—to minimise landfill waste. Soneva Secret also produces its own drinking water, filtered and bottled on site in glass, ceramic or eco- friendly bamboo containers.

Last year, Shivdasani was honoured by the UK government with an OBE for services to tourism, sustainability and charity in the King’s New Year Honours 2023 Overseas and International List. He described it as an “incredibly humbling experience”, adding that the honour extends far beyond personal recognition: “It’s a testament to the collective effort of everyone at Soneva and our commitment to making a positive impact in the world.

“This accolade is a reflection of the journey Eva and I have been on for the past three decades—one that began with a simple idea: to create a luxury hospitality experience that doesn’t just cater to the needs of guests but also respects and nurtures the environment and the communities we work within. Being recognised for this work by such a prestigious institution is both deeply gratifying and inspiring,” he says.

What Shivdasani has done so well is present these meaningful sustainability efforts in a way that’s not preachy or put on a pedestal—it is simply how things are done; it’s just the right thing to do. The collection of resorts—Soneva Kiri in Thailand, and Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva Secret in the Maldives—are Shivdasani’s way of advocating his cause and rallying others to get behind it too, whether that’s by taking a sunset dolphin cruise, snorkelling around vibrant, protected reefs or visiting nearby islands to discover their neighbours’ Maldivian way of life.

One such island is Makunudhoo, the westernmost inhabited island in the Maldives; it’s so remote that ousted royalty and criminals were once exiled there. Today, the colourful island is home to bright pink bougainvillaea, mango trees and buildings made of coral. Soneva Secret guests can head to the island for lunch on the beach, cooked by a local family.

Through his properties, Shivdasani hopes “to reshape the perception of luxury in the hospitality industry. The notion that luxury and sustainability are opposites is a misconception that we’ve been challenging at Soneva since the very beginning. For too long, luxury has been associated with excess, opulence and often wastefulness—ideas that are inherently at odds with sustainability. However, we believe that true luxury is not about excess; it’s about experiencing the best that life has to offer in a way that is thoughtful, respectful and deeply connected to the world around us,” he says.

“Our approach to luxury is grounded in simplicity, authenticity and a profound respect for nature. We focus on creating experiences that are both meaningful and sustainable where the luxury comes not from extravagance but from the quality of the experience, the attention to detail and the connection to the environment."

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