Softly spoken and clad in robes the colour of marigolds, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, one of the many high-profile speakers at the inaugural Soul Festival, puts into words a response many arriving at Soneva Fushi are familiar with. A deep, reflexive exhalation, a subliminal dropping of the shoulders and a curling of the toes in the sand. An immediate, subconscious grounding that takes place as soon as you step off the boat and onto this magical island in the Maldives’ Baa Atoll. A villa at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives Richard Waite There are few places on the planet as wholeheartedly committed to wellbeing as Soneva Fushi. Thirty years after opening, the original resort from Sonu and Eva Shivdasani is still the standard bearer of a specific type of luxury that artfully combines sustainability, individual wellness, social responsibility, and innovative but intuitive hospitality. It’s a philosophy that touches every aspect of the 63-villa resort, from its onsite water bottling plant and organic gardens; to the plant-based menu at Shades of Green, one of 11 dining destinations; beach-facing villas that have been built around the tree line to ensure they are as minimally invasive to the natural environment as possible; and Soneva Soul, where ancient healing melds with modern science in an expansive wellness centre that meanders among the treetops on the fringes of the Indian Ocean.

This laser-sharp focus on wellness has blossomed to include the annual Soul Festival, a five-day gathering of leading voices in the wellness sphere. Panel discussions, workshops, healing rituals and transformative experiences bring a holistic lens to the many facets of wellness – from the scientific to the spiritual, the complex to the practical, and the personal to the planetary.