Blog Archives
Soneva Kiri
Going to Soneva had been a huge huge wish of mine and so when on one trip we could stay a few extra days that’s where we decided we’d go!
At the Bangkok airport , there’s a separate small counter for Soneva Kiri. Here they check you in and you’re escorted to a lounge. On this particular morning, there was no-one at the counter and it was rather stressful but the next time we took the same trip; they had someone waiting, so I’ll count the first one as an anomaly.
You then board a flight which is about an hour long and you reach a small strip of land converted into an airstrip. From there it’s a boat and you reach the fabulous Soneva Kiri.
The first time Aditya and I went to Soneva Kiri I have to admit it was glorious. The barefoot luxury was at its best and our Ms. Friday (our butler) was incredible. The room is huge and spacious; outside of which there is a glorious pool.You can wander further down into a little beach or you can take your own buggy (with your names) and wander towards the spa, the restaurant or even to just get ice cream.
The first time we traveled to Soneva was in 2018 and the 2nd was in 2022. In 2018 , to go to their private beach you’d take a long tailed boat and in a few minutes you’d e at this most gorgeous strip of land! Now in 2022 , they’ve created a small beach like area on the island itself which you can drive to. Personally I preferred 2018- both the beach and the experience. On both our trips we chose the all inclusive package. This allowed us to enjoy each of the different experiences offered without worrying about the additional cost.
The View is one of their most beautiful spaces. It has fine dining and incredible views. Eating there at sunset is truly memorable.
Cinema Paradiso is also exceptional. to watch films across a strip of water on a large screen is wonderful especially if you love films like Aditya and I do.
We paid only extra for the Treepod dining. The Treepod dining is a wonderful little table on the top of a tree The view is gorgeous, but the service is slow as the staff is quite literally swinging down. This makes the meal longer than necessary and once you tire of the view ; well all you have left is to wait.
Our Ms. Friday was always less than a phone call away and was unobtrusive and yet always available. This was very different on our 2022 trip though. This time our butler was loud, spent time complaining about himself and was an absolute nuisance. In fact if we wanted to do anything, we tried and avoided him as much as possible. And likewise , he avoided picking up our calls as well.
The resort has not aged well in the 4 years and the staff like our Mr. Friday are not doing anything to make the experience memorable. In fact, he has ensured I will never go back again. The rooms is 2022 are still gorgeous, but in 2 of the rooms we tried this time the air conditioning wasn’t working at all. Despite the staff ‘fixing’ the air conditioning in our final room (we had moved 3 rooms thus far), it barely worked and it didn’t help that this was summer.
The one experience however that we truly loved was the trip to Chef Benz for Thai food. This is an exceptional experience. You are taken by long tailed boat to the restaurant and fed till your hearts content. The food is fresh and delicious and thought we had the same experience twice; it was still exceptional!
Would I go back?
No. The butler this time was awful. He wouldn’t pick up calls, was uninterested and rude and had his own drama happening. Service in a hotel of this calibre is paramount and the service had just dropped. You are only as good as your last visit. And so despite the incredible views and the perfect location, the service just was such a let down. A shame, especially since I’d brought my parents to Soneva to show off what I had seen and experienced- ‘a little slice of heaven.’ Sad, that it takes just a lax attitude to destroy even paradise.
Cost-:$1300 upwards for Bed and Breakfast. All inclusive is additional.
Best times to Travel-October to February when the weather is cool
The Ultimate Maldivian Trip
So this was my fourth trip to the Maldives and we finally got it right!
Kudadoo was a slice of heaven in the middle of what actually is heaven i.e. The Maldives. The flight to the Maldives lands on air strip no larger than a narrow highway. As the plane lands, you are drawn to the various blues of the ocean and since the water is so clear you even try to spot fish- whales/ dolphins in the crystal clear waters.
As you arrive, the Kudadoo staff usher you from the airport in to a smaller airport lounge where you can freshen up for a bit before they take you to the sea plane that you take to Kudadoo. The plane is small and noisy , so be aware and the ride takes approximately 45 minutes. You land on on the water and at Hurawalhi Island Resort and then it’s a 3 minute boat ride to Kudadoo. The trip is glorious. The arrival is out of a postcard.There are only 15 residences on this spectacular island and it is glorious!
The team had sent in a set of questions which we filled out. What would we like in our bar? What do we snack on? What type of pillows do we like?
The questionnaire was fun and we loved filling it out. But what we loved even more was the room.
The rooms are large with fabulous bedrooms, walk-in closets and a huge bathroom. But what is truly special is the outdoor deck and pool with the beautiful swing and lounging space overlooking your very own entrance to the sea.
Kudadoo was our best trip because it combined all that we wanted a vacay to have. It allowed us to do anything, anywhere and at any time. So if you wanted an 8 am massage, you could have that arranged. And so we did. Every activity, every meal, every drink and every spa service is included in your rate. So whether it’s Flyboarding, which we did- and failed miserably or night snorkelling, which was truly an experience or snorkelling with sea turtles or even a private dinner on the beach- anything your heart desired could be arranged and the team went out of their way to make sure that you felt like you were the only ones on this glorious , glorious island.
And so we water skied to an island no larger than a strip of sand where we had breakfast and we lunched at their spectacular underwater restaurant 5.8 (on it’s sister island Hurawalhi); and swam and feasted and rested to our hearts’ content.
This is what the Maldives should be all about. It should be about new experiences and coming back feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
The fact that they have sister islands close by allow them to have the water activities hosted on the sister island. That allows Kudadoo to quite literally become a private residence for it’s guests.
Capers at Cape Weligama
Cape Weligama was where we chose to spend our anniversary!Now for those who know me, they know these are important celebrations. I love celebrating love and since Aditya loves Sri Lanka, we decided we should try out a hotel we’d always wanted to visit.
It takes about 2 hours to get to the resort from the airport. We arrived way too early in the morning, but were immediately taken to breakfast and allowed to relax at the pool while the room was made ready for us. The swimming pool was gorgeous. An infinity pool that was truly breathtaking , but it was not the only pool at the hotel. Our room had its own pool and our view was the sea. Waking up and just dipping into the pool was by far the best way to wake up!
Our room was a Pool Villa and was more than comfortable. It was large and bordered with a beautiful plunge pool.
We took an all inclusive plan and also made note that our anniversary was during our stay; so planned on a private romantic dinner as well.
Walking the grounds was incredibly relaxing and therapeutic. The staff was incredible and was always predicting our needs even before we had asked for something.
Walking down towards the beach was an adventure. The hotel has a small strip of private beach and when you get there it’s quite literally like you’re all alone on a strip of sand!
What I loved was that a 3-4 minute drive/ 10 minute walk got you to a slightly larger beach where they would do whale tours and where you may get a chance to see gorgeous whales in the ocean. We tried our luck. We didn’t see just one- we saw six huge whales arms length away from our small dinghy all in the span of an hour or so.
Cape Weligama decided to celebrate our anniversary with a special dinner in the middle of one of their many swimming pools. Wading through the pool we enjoyed the playfulness of the table setting and relaxed under the stars with a perfect three course meal!
Cape Weligama is the perfect place to reconnect and to spend time as a couple. It allowed us to explore, to have fun and to engage in all that nature has to offer. The fact that the resort was so expansive and the service so customised and discreet allowed us to feel like we were the only guests the hotel had.
Cost-:$1500- $2500 per night for the pool and duplex pool villa all inclusive.$604 for the Junior suite with breakfast only.
Best times to Travel-: December to March – this is when the nights are cool and the days not too hot!Also it’s whale watching season.
Travel with Divya 