Soneva Secret — Hotel in South Thiladhunmathi

We had the absolute pleasure of visiting Soneva Secret in September 2024, following a stay at the lovely Soneva Fushi.||The best way to describe Soneva Secret? Unprecedented. Over the past decade, we’ve visited more than 35 resorts in the Maldives, primarily in the luxury segment. Yet, even three months after our return, I struggle to think of anything that compares to the magic, uniqueness, and seclusion that Soneva Secret delivers. It truly has no competition.||The seaplane journey from Fushi to Secret took about 45 minutes and was incredibly scenic, offering stunning views as you fly over all of Raa before heading westward to the remote Makunudhoo Atoll. For those who love island and resort spotting, it’s a dream!||The approach to Secret is nothing short of breathtaking—truly otherworldly. Since Secret is the only resort in this atoll (and, in fact, there are just two uninhabited islands and one inhabited island, which isn’t visible on arrival), it feels as though you’re landing on another planet.||Shortly after landing, the Soneva Secret boat picked us up from the seaplane pontoon, whisking us away for an unforgettable and scenic arrival on the island. Secret doesn’t use a formal arrival jetty; instead, all arrivals are done by boat directly onto the beach, Robinson Crusoe-style, which adds to the charm of the experience. The entire arrival experience felt grand, with a warm welcome from several team members armed with umbrellas, cold towels, and a signature scented face mist.||The first stop on the island is the Living Room (the main restaurant on the island, if you can even call it that). This grand structure, especially compared to the size of the island, feels like walking up the Colosseum—except it’s rustic, with decadent views of the Indian Ocean at every step. A truly one-of-a-kind structure.||Here, we were introduced to Rusha and Eve, the two Barefoot Guardians assigned to look after us during our stay. Spoiler alert: I cannot praise them enough! A dynamic duo and true power team, they elevated our experience to the next level - we're still talking about how great their service was even today.||At Secret, each guest is served by two private butlers who act as your main points of contact throughout your stay. They unpack your suitcase, serve all your meals, and accompany you on excursions, ensuring a seamless experience as they learn your preferences in an unbelievably quick manner.||We were fortunate to stay in an Overwater Hideaway (Villa 12, the last one on the jetty, which i highly recommend). Having stayed in and toured overwater villas at other Soneva properties, I didn’t think Soneva could outdo itself—but they have. The hideaways at Secret feature two bedrooms, a private gym, a kitchen, a rooftop, a slide, and the most incredible indoor/outdoor living space I’ve ever seen in the Maldives. Topping it all off are the 270° panoramic views of the ocean, making you feel like you’re in your own slice of paradise. This is, without a doubt, my new favorite room in the Maldives.||Dining at Soneva Secret is as unique as everything else I’ve described. While menus exist, they are merely a formality. Secret has 14 chefs from 14 different nationalities who craft every dish based on your preferences. We enjoyed Maldivian, Italian, Mediterranean, and Thai cuisines—and it’s impossible to pick a favorite. Every meal was different, and if you wish, you wouldn’t need to lift a finger during your stay. The chefs seamlessly create specialties based on your chosen cuisine for the evening. Absolute bliss.||During our stay, we indulged in three excursions, all of which I highly recommend. One morning began with a sunrise snorkel at the nearby Rose Garden reef, home to one of the largest and most impressive coral formations I’ve encountered in the Maldives. We also visited Makunudhoo Island, where we were given a fascinating tour, and we wrapped up our day with a thrilling sunset fishing trip. Each experience was unforgettable.||To conclude, Soneva Secret is not about ostentatious luxury. Instead, it embodies the true Soneva ethos: unparalleled experiences, world-class service, and a sense of understated, sustainable luxury. The staff is so attentive, professional, and well-trained that they anticipate your needs before you even realize them yourself. To me, that’s the definition of true luxury.||For anyone looking for a ultra luxe destination, you MUST add secret to the list of resorts to visit.||I cannot wait to see how Soneva Secret evolves and hope to revisit soon!||Fede – Maldives Travel...

We stayed here as a family of 3 for 2 weeks (villa 12 over the water) our son was 4 almost 5 at the time and after a day of guiding him around the villa he was very secure at where to go in order to remain safe. I don’t know where to begin with this review because it was the most spectacular and luxurious holiday we have ever had. You will literally not need to lift a finger from beginning to end and the weather was perfect for the entire stay! The staff are exemplary and if you’ve not been to a Soneva island before (we have also been to Soneva Jani, another high recommendation) then I’m not sure you’ll understand the level of customer service I am talking about, it is next level. 2 dedicated barefoot guardians who take care of every need and do so without ever making you feel you are asking too much, Ayu and Shaan were the best and really took care of us! With the regards to children, there is a den (smaller than Jani) but they make up for it because Maisha who works there is brilliant with children and went above and beyond to ensure our son was entertained with a full itinerary of activities from water tubing to treasure hunts, secret picnics and snorkelling, baking cookies in the villa, cupcake decorating etc. there weren’t many children on the island but it just meant we had a more intimate experience. You know your children will be safe and looked after with Meisha. The food was amazing, every chef felt like eating at a Michelin star restaurant, the beauty was that you could eat at the island or have them come to the villa, we alternated throughout the stay at it was so special! ||Highly recommend the dolphin cruise which was around 375 USD per person and half price for children and you get a private boat with champagne and some snacks but the experience is priceless there were around 30/40 dolphins and they stayed with the boat playing the whole time. ||The unlimited ice cream and chocolate was a hit as always and you can go any time into the room and have as much as you want. The ice cream and sorbets plus the chocolate are all made fresh and contain no refined sugar, mostly no dairy unless it’s the super food ice cream. There is also a cold meats:cheese room. ||If you are considering going to Soneva, if you want the luxury and quiet and to feel like you’ve washed up on a perfect secret island with hardly anyone around, then book! If you prefer slightly busier atmosphere or maybe a bigger den for the children then try Soneva Jani or Fushi, the whole concept of Soneva is wellbeing, luxury, intimacy, and the best customer service you’ll ever experience.||A few other experiences we recommend are floating breakfast, the spa room (villas have their own!) paddle boarding from your water villa and these are included in your villa, picnic on the beach, dinner on the beach. ||We can’t wait to return again, Soneva has...

We were lucky to have 2 nights at Secret in September. ||We spent a small amount of time in the Soneva seaplane lounge before we were taken to the Soneva seaplane for our private transfer - note we did not arrange this but we were the only ones on the plane. Even though the weather was not behaving the hour + trip was fine.||Unfortunately we arrived in rough weather so we could not do a beach landing. We landed on the pontoon and trasferred by boat to the beach. ||One thing I will mention is that there are a lot of steps at Secret. I unfortunatley had a back injury hich limited me from some activities and made the steps a bit of an issue. Please note the staff did everything in their power to make things easy for me.||The villa of course as expected was amazing and the staff were the best we have had in the Maldives - they were stars.||We had our first dinner at out of this world - a progressive DG menu. My companion ziplined to dinner. Every bite was sensational. It was a pity it was raining later in the night so we were unable to have our last course on the roof.||We had breakfast both at the Gathering and in our Villa. The Sri Lankan breakfast was amazing. TBH I think the resort is set up for most people eating in their villas. ||Lunch we had in our villa and on the beach. I really love eating with my feet in the sand so loved the location of the beach lunch. Drinks were reasonable for a resort of this caliber.||We did not do any excursions- they are all privates so very expensive. Secret is a resort for the well healed for sure.||We feel priviledged to be able to visit during the first year of operation and when the rates were comparatively reasonable. ||The villas are so amzing and the one bedroom is really a two bedroom. The second bedroom is the size of many hotel rooms.||There is a small amount of snorkelling available from the beach but if that is a priority - this resort is not for you.||I would like to thank Sonu and Eva for the opportunity to visit the resort in its early days . And thank everyone at Secret for their...