Everything Under The Sun

The Maldives has always lured proponents of luxury travel to its sandy shores, but the JLF Soneva Fushi edition proves that there is more to the archipelago than just opulence.

- KIRSTIE CLEMENTS

For most people, an idyllic island holiday will likely include an environment and pastimes that nurture body and soul, be it an ice-blue ocean lapping at your toes, fine dining or a wellness spa designed to massage away your stress with jasmine oil. But what if this utopia could also enrich your mind, knowledge and worldview? That is the happy outcome of the association between Soneva Fushi and the Jaipur Literature Festival, which recently staged the second JLF Soneva Fushi on the blissful Maldivian island, with a fascinating line-up of guest authors, directors, film stars, historians and musicians from across the globe.

Soneva Fushi is one of the world's most beautiful sustainable luxury resorts, located on Kunfunadhoo Island in the Baa Atoll. Since its establishment in 1995, the boutique hotel has perfected the art of slow living, permitting you to decelerate the moment your shoes are taken away when you disembark the seaplane and feel the sand between your toes.