Review: Maldives seaplane flight to Soneva Secret

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review.

Two weeks ago, I enjoyed a phenomenal holiday in the Maldives, where I stayed at the archipelago’s newest, ultra-luxury resort: Soneva Secret. You can read my reviews here:

Review: seaplane flight to Soneva Secret (today)
Review: Soneva Secret (to be published next week)

Today: Review of the seaplane transfer to Soneva Secret

Opened in April 2024 as the sister resort to Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, Soneva Secret is the newest (and most exclusive) resort of the Soneva group in the Maldives. Tucked away in the untouched waters of the Maldives’ northernmost atolls, Soneva Secret is so remotely located that there are no other islands in sight. There are only 13 overwater and beach villas, plus a first-of-its-kind ‘floating’ villa which is currently under construction. Unveiling a new era of elevated privacy and exclusive service, every villa at Soneva Secret has its own dedicated pair of butlers as well as a private chef, presenting personalised dining. Guests can also explore a refined selection of other culinary experiences across the resort, including limited-edition menus at the three restaurants. Each day at Soneva Secret unfolds with immersive and inspiring experiences, such as swimming alongside giant manta rays, setting sail on a private yacht to explore the atoll’s hidden wonder, or enjoying a castaway picnic on a secluded sandbank. With a focus on wellness, gastronomy, sustainability, and barefoot luxury, Soneva Secret is a true bucket list destination, offering the Maldives’ most authentic castaway experience.

There are four ways to get to Soneva Secret:

Soneva Secret can be reached via a scenic 75-minute seaplane flight direct from Velana International Airport in Malé, a 40-minute seaplane flight from Soneva Fushi in the Baa Atoll, or a 30-minute seaplane flight from Soneva Jani in the Noonu Atoll. There are two seaplane choices available: either the Soneva seaplane or the Manta Air seaplane. The Soneva seaplane is private and more comfortable, while the Manta Air seaplane carries slightly more passengers and may stop en-route at other destinations before arriving at Soneva Secret. The round trip seaplane transfer from Male to Soneva Secret costs $2,300 USD per adult and $1,1150 USD per child.
Guests can also take a domestic flight (wheeled airplane) from Malé International Airport to the Kulhudhuffushi Airport in the Haa Dhaalu Atoll. After the flight, you’ll board a speedboat for a one-hour ride to Soneva Secret.
Guests can also fly directly by private jet to Maafaru International Airport, where Soneva host will meet and greet you from your flight, and assist with immigration and customs to ensure that your journey is as fast and seamless as possible. You will then board a 25-minute seaplane flight (onboard the private Soneva seaplane) to Soneva Secret.
You can also book a private charter to Soneva Secret on Soneva’s own seaplane or a Manta Air seaplane. The CIP service is offered by the Velana International Airport and includes being met at the stairs of the aircraft and escorted through immigration to the lounge to wait for your onward transfer. A one way charter flight – including CIP service – costs $12,000 USD (for up to 9 persons) on the private Soneva seaplane and $7,500 USD (for up to 12 persons) on the Manta Air seaplane.

Seaplane transfers are arranged by Soneva Secret according to the arrival and departure details of the guests. Some notes:

As seaplanes land on and take off from water, they will only fly from sunrise to sunset. The last seaplane flight from Male to Soneva Secret departs at 17:00 (5 pm), so please ensure your international flight lands in Malé no later than 15:00 (3 pm). If your flight arrives later, Soneva can assist you in booking an alternative domestic transfer, an overnight stay in Malé to catch the first seaplane flight at 09:00 or a domestic flight to Soneva Fushi to take a seaplane to Soneva Secret the next day.
For guests departing from Soneva Secret, seaplane flights can be arranged for international flights scheduled for a departure time after 10:00 (10 am).
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to know upfront whether you will be transferred in a Soneva seaplane or in a Manta Air seaplane (the schedule depends on Manta Air, which also maintains the Soneva seaplanes). All guests who transfer to Soneva Secret on the Manta Air seaplane instead of Soneva’s private seaplane, will receive a resort credit as compensation, valued $100 USD per person per voyage. The resort credit can be redeemed against food and beverages, experiences and spa treatments, excluding third parties and retail outlets.
The CIP service cannot be arranged for the following airlines on departure due to the airline’s rules and regulations: Air France, Lufthansa, Discover, and Edelweiss Air.

This is a review of the private Soneva seaplane transfer to Soneva Secret. In this arcticle:

To make it more ‘visual’, I’ve made a YouTube video documenting my transfer to Soneva Secret, which you can watch below.

1. AIRPORT & SEAPLANE TERMINAL

Upon arrival at Velana International Airport, also known as Malé International Airport, and after passing immigration, guests are met by a Soneva host, who takes care of the luggage and provides assistance with the check-in at the Manta Air counters to secure the seaplane boarding passes. There are two seaplane operators in the Maldives: Manta Air is the newest airline while Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) is the oldest air carrier in the country (and also the largest seaplane operator in the world). Some resorts work with TMA while others (such as Soneva) have contracts with Manta Air.

Once checked in for the seaplane transfer, the Soneva airport staff transfers guests by Tesla to the seaplane terminal, which is located on the other side of the airport’s perimeter. The drive to the seaplane terminal takes only 5 minutes. The seaplane terminal – the largest of its kind in the world – is designed to accommodate more than 100 seaplanes and operate 300 daily flights on average – rising to 600 during peak season – with the capacity to serve more than 6,000 tourists a day. The modern 4-story terminal includes new facilities, and 42 lounges of which all except two have been leased to resorts. The terminal’s sleek design reflects the turquoise and blue shades of the famed Maldivian lagoons.

CHEVAL BLANC AIRPORT LOUNGE — MALE SEAPLANE TERMINAL

2. SONEVA AIRPORT LOUNGE

At the seaplane terminal, Soneva operates its own airport lounge, which opened in 2023. The lovely lounge is decorated in Soneva’s signature eco-chic design – with splashes of grey and purple – and features plenty of seats and sofas. Facilities include a play room for children, an outdoor terrace (with views of the seaplane docks) as well as showers to refresh a little. Drinks, snacks and WiFi are provided on a complimentary basis, and one corner of the lounge features a small buffet with cheese, cold cuts, chocolates and ice cream (reminiscent of the cold rooms and ice cream & chocolate parlors at the Soneva Resorts).

3. SONEVA SEAPLANE

From the lounge, it’s a short stroll to the seaplane docks. As mentioned above, there are two seaplane choices available: either the Soneva seaplane or the Manta Air seaplane. The Soneva seaplane is private and more comfortable (seating 8 passengers in a VIP layout), while the Manta Air seaplane carries more passengers (15 in total). For my flight to Soneva Secret, Soneva used its private seaplane, which is fitted in a leather design, with four pairs of seats facing one another.

Each seaplane in the Maldives has a crew of two pilots and one flight attendant (alias luggage handler), all of them wearing shorts and operating the plane barefoot. Seats are not assigned, so the first ones on board can choose the best seats. There’s no door between the cockpit and the cabin, so you can observe the pilots’ activities when you are not distracted by the awesome views while flying over the atolls. It can get quite hot in the cabin, although some fans cool down the temperature as soon as the seaplane leaves the docks. Also, the seaplane is really loud, and passengers are provided ear plugs for their comfort (as well as iPads with resort information). There are no toilets onboard.

MALDIVES SEAPLANE FLIGHT — SONEVA PRIVATE SEAPLANE

4. FLIGHT

The flight from Male to Soneva Secret takes around 75 minutes, although it may last a few minutes longer in case a stop-over is made at another resort to drop-off other passengers. There’s no service onboard, and there’s not much to do, except for enjoying the phenomenal views as you fly over several atolls. The seaplane flight to Soneva Secret is probably the most beautiful seaplane flight you can take in the Maldives, as you fly over three of the country’s most spectacular atolls: the North Male Atoll, the Baa Atoll and the Raa Atoll.

For most people, thé iconic image of the Maldives is that of a deep blue ocean interspersed by tiny palm islands surrounded by ridiculously clear lagoons and sugar white beaches. The only way to see that breathtaking view of 50 shades of blue is from the air, and although you will catch a few glimpses of the islands from your plane upon landing or departure at Male airport, the best vantage point for the breathtaking panoramas is offered by the seaplanes that take guests to their resorts. Flying on board a seaplane in Maldives and admiring the picture-perfect archipelago from a bird’s eye perspective is one of the ultimate experiences that the destination has to offer.

5. ARRIVAL AT SONEVA SECRET

At Soneva Secret, the seaplane lands at short distance from the resort (as not to disturb the guests on the island and in the villas). After landing, the seaplane docks at a small wooden platform, just off the island’s shores. From here, it’s just a three minute speedboat ride to the resort, with the boat landing directly onto the beach, Robinson Crusoe-style, which adds to the charm of the experience. The entire arrival experience feels grand (and a bit like the White Lotus), with a warm welcome from the hotel’s staff members equipped with umbrellas, cold towels, and a signature scented face mist.

To be continued next week …