Soneva Jani

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Photo: Courtesy

Photo: Courtesy

One might wonder if the Maldives is running out of islands by now. In the last year alone, the island nation in the middle of the Indian Ocean has seen the opening of dozens of resorts—from St. Regis’s ultra-luxurious Vommuli property to the Four Seasons’ first-of-its-kind private-island retreat on Voavah—each aiming to top the last.

But the debut of Soneva Jani might just have ended that competition. Opened in November above the aquamarine waters of the Medhufaru lagoon, the 25-villa retreat is the floating fancy of British entrepreneur Sonu Shiv­dasani and his Swedish wife, the former model Eva Malmström Shivdasani. The duo—known for matching over-the-top luxury with significant sustainability practices at properties like Soneva Fushi and Thailand’s Soneva Kiri—has delivered with their latest endeavor a true overwater oasis. Each of the one- to four-bedroom villas is as sleek as it is smart, featuring pale wood paneling, minimalist rattan furnishings, and hand-dyed textiles, as well as a retractable roof, a waterslide, and a 100-foot-long infinity-edge pool.

The Shivdasanis have ensured that all the requisite amenities are readily available, but they have also added a few meaningful extras of their own. There’s an overwater observatory, an outdoor cinema, and, for guests whose Maldivian dreams know no bounds, a collection of private residences priced from $3 million.