Helen Janneson Bense: A Dream Come True

Photography – Bobby Bense

Model/Styling/Editing – Helen Janneson Bense

Location – Soneva Jani, Maldives

Outfit Details

Dresses – Sky Nadiyya Dress | House of Harlow Gaines Dress

Astars Capitola Embroidered Lace skirt | Embella Free Spirit top

Swimwear – Heidi Klein Ostuni Halter One piece

Hat – Je T’aime

Our trip to Soneva Jani was every one of my childhood dreams come true; a place where anything feels possible, a place so filled with magic and natural beauty it sparks the imagination. It starts with your two story overwater villa that includes a waterslide that goes straight into the ocean, a retractable roof right over your cloud bed to watch the stars at night, and an all you can eat ice cream parlour! No wonder people call it ‘disneyland for adults’. I still have to pinch myself as I look over these images and remember our special time. I loved how it was both so laid back and luxurious. Everyone is barefoot, riding bikes, enjoying the endless turquoise waters and relaxing vibes, and the smiles are contagious!

On arrival we were greeted by our wonderful Ms Friday host, Nikki, who is one of the loveliest humans on this earth! She was so amazing and genuine; she really cared about making our stay totally spectacular. And it was! Every single detail was perfection.

The beautiful Soneva Jani resort was created mostly overwater within a 5.6km crystal clear turquoise lagoon. Most of the villas along with the Gathering are situated over water, along with some island sanctuaries on the beach. The white wash wood, light neutral decor paired so perfectly with the turquoise views and provided such a calming and light feel. Within our villa we had a lovely open layout; including a sunken lounge, an indoor/outdoor style bathroom with private lagoon, a walk in mini bar kitchen, relaxed writing space equipped with a wifi on/off switch, and a huge bedroom with adjacent smaller nooks for the children’s beds. It was so great to be so close to them in an overwater villa. We had no worries at all. Upstairs we had even more spectacular ocean views from our sala and access to the best part – the waterslide! Stepping out of the villa you enter into the huge infinity pool, along with hammocks, sunbeds, a sunken lounge and your stairway to turquoise heaven (ocean).

We had many wonderful, memorable experiences at Soneva Jani. We enjoyed a delicious Peruvian dinner at The Directors cut by Gaston, which they made completely vegan for me :) After dinner we watched Pete’s dragon here with the family at their Cinema Paradiso. It’s actually the first ever overwater silent cinema + Peruvian restaurant in the Maldives. We enjoyed our movie amongst the stars in luxurious comfort, with popcorn and family cuddles.

Between lounging in our immaculate villa and eating up the entire abundant vegan food supply at the Gathering, we were pretty much always in the ocean. We even went on an incredible snorkelling trip here in the Noonu atoll with Soneva Jani’s expert marine biologist. It was such a treat to see all the rainbow colours of the underwater world and snorkelling is by far our favourite family activity, the images speak for themselves, but I had to investigate the Top 5 Best Underwater Fishing Cameras (2022 Review) – FotoProfy.

One of my absolutely favourite moments of this trip was our sunset family dinner. Soneva Jani set up a personalised dinner suited to all our dietary and culinary preferences, with our own chefs preparing and cooking our dinner fresh right there on the beach. Surrounded by lanterns and a starry night sky, we listened to the sound of the waves and the laughter of our children. It was one of the most perfect moments forever forged into my memory banks, anchored with so much love.

Our journey from Soneva Fushi to Soneva Jani has filled our hearts with love and inspiration. Make sure you read about all the wonderful sustainable initiatives Soneva resorts has in place, from my previous post or here on their website.

I hope you all get to live your dreams and experience a little Soneva magic.

With love and gratitude,

Helen xx