The Beginning of Barefoot Luxury in Maldives with Soneva Fushi
Saturday 11th of July 2020
The Beginning of Barefoot Luxury in Maldives with Soneva Fushi
“Luxury is about feeling the sand between your toes and dinner under a canopy of a billion stars. Luxury is about reconnecting with oneself and the natural environment, and so the experiences.” Soneva Fushi was the first ‘castaway’ resort in the Maldives, pioneering a trend for back-to-nature luxury holidays. In its journey, the luxury resort had made barefoot luxury popular in Maldives.
As the guests arrive at Soneva, the Mr/Ms Friday asks if they can remove their shoes and place them in a bag with No News, no Shoes written on it, the signature Soneva welcome. The bag joins the suitcases and makes its way to the guest room. And when the guests depart, the last gesture from the Friday, before they leave the boat for their plane, is to give them back the No News, no Shoes bag, open it and hand their shoes to them.
The fondly observed ‘No News, No Shoes’ mantra grounds the guests both to nature and socially. Here, guests are encouraged to go bare when it comes to their feet. “I take my shoes off every opportunity I can. I firmly believe it is good for me. To feel the earth. To experience similar benefits as acupressure. To feel free,” said Sonu in an interview with Destination Deluxe.
When Eva and Sonu Shivdasani built Soneva Fushi as well as their home on the deserted island of Kunfunadhoo in the Maldives in 1995, they had no idea that their intensely personal vision of a locally crafted villa and environmentally responsible lifestyle would form the basis of a successful collection of world-class hotels, resorts and spas.
The success of the Soneva brand also paved the way for Six Senses Resorts and Spas with award-winning properties in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Under Eva’s and Sonu’s direction the Six Senses brand gained a global following before being sold in 2012.
Six Senses Laamu is a wonderful little hideaway, where luxury seeking travelers and couples travel to enjoy life and each other. Here, they have found the ultimate in barefoot luxury, surrounded by beauty, peace and quiet, and plenty of time to immerse themselves in the environment - and each other.