Located over one hundred kilometres north of Male Airport, the region had been virtually inaccessible to the casual traveller up to now. With the recent opening of the Baa Atoll's first luxury resort, the live-aboard only scenario has changed though. Located on Kunfunadhoo Island, one of the Maldives' largest tourism islands, the new resort will operate under the name Soneva Fushi and is the brainchild of London-based investor Sonu Shivdasani. As the so far only resort development in the Baa Atoll, it can be safely credited with having opened the Maldives' northern region to tourism. Natural materials abound, plastic is frowned upon, sewage is treated, water is desalinated on the island and garbage is incinerated using latest technology.
Staff is trained to respect wild-life and hatching turtles are protected on the island.
Soleni Dive Centre, a modern PADI facility, operates on Soneva Fushi under a ten-year contract. Owned and managed by two true Maldives dive veterans, Thomas Waelchli and his wife Lisa Benini, Soleni offers full courses and daily boat excursions. The dive centre also offers scuba tryouts once or twice a week and a host of specialty courses such as UW Naturalist, UW Videography, Drift Diver etc. Thomas is a highly accomplished underwater videographer and happy to share his experience and technique with others. The Maldives have always come with the reputation of being a world-class dive destination, but for Asian divers the country was a somewhat difficult destination to get to.