Hot spots: Soneva Fushi, the Maldives
Mark Footer
A resort threaded through the jungle of 1,400-metre-long Kunfunadhoo Island, in the Baa Atoll, the only Unesco World Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives. Its 55 villas line the sunrise and sunset sides of the island and guests who stay here don't just holiday, they buy into an ethos - and it all begins with their feet.
The "No news, no shoes" policy dictates that Soneva Fushi guests remain barefoot for their entire stay. They are asked to remove their footwear on the boat that whisks them from nearby Dharavandhoo Airport, or, if they arrive by day, as they disembark from the seaplane that has brought them from Male, the Maldivian capital. Villas do come with Wi-fi - and, if you look hard enough (behind a discreetly hung curtain), you will find a television - but phone and laptop use is frowned upon in public areas. The house rules set the tone for an eco experience like no other.
Oh, don't worry, there are plenty of more-typical holiday activities, and a dedicated Mr or Ms Friday (a reference) to help you enjoy them. Days can be filled diving or snorkelling on the house reef or with manta rays (assuming they show up); picnicking on a desert island or the offshore sandbar (top); or on all manner of cruises. Among the 360-plus hosts are a number of experts - a healer, an astronomer, a marine biologist, etc - although there's no guarantee a specific specialist will be in residence at any given time. The resort also has an observatory and the al-fresco Cinema Paradiso, where viewers can lie back under the stars (and by golly there are a lot of them!) on cushioned loungers to take in a movie on the big screen, cocktail in hand. Before all that, though, you might like to just enjoy the bit of semi-private beach that lies in front of your villa or a gentle bike ride along the resort's sandy paths (each guest is supplied with wheels).
That's where the hedgehogs come in. Outside every door is a bristly beast on which to scrape your feet and they are sometimes - next to the private pool that each villa comes with, for instance - accompanied by a pot of water with which to wash away the sand. Almost as ubiquitous as the inanimate hedgehogs are creatures that are very much alive; huge fruits bats that hurl themselves through the trees when you least expect them to.
All over the place. Picnics can be arranged for anywhere that takes a guest's fancy in the resort - or even on a desert island - but if you're more of a traditionalist, you'd probably want to eat in one of the restaurants: Mihiree Mitha, for buffet breakfast and lunch; By the Beach (although, where isn't?), for Japanese and Korean-influenced cuisine; Nine (named for the number of cooking methods employed in its kitchen), which stresses "togetherness" around large tables; and Fresh in the Garden (above and below), a tree-house-like evening venue where diners are currently being fed by Marco Pierre White protégé Chris Warwick, who makes "dishes" served in jars and a mean "au naturel risotto": potato mousse, mushroom conserve and freshly grated white truffle. A bewildering array of juices - unique combinations formulated by the resident "beverage guy" - accompany most meals and each arrives at the table along with a detailed description of the health benefits of its constituents. Between meals, guests are invited to visit a room full of chocolates or help themselves from an ice-cream cabinet that sees a lot of action.
