Six Senses Laamu: Practicing Eco-Luxury

The Maldives, a paradise floating in the Indian Ocean, captivates many resort enthusiasts. This island nation, comprised of over 1,000 islands, is an oceanic country whose main industries are tourism and fishing. While the basic concept in the Maldives is one island, one resort, there are over 100 resort hotels, with nearly 20 new hotels slated to open in recent years.

Previously, there was a rush of resort hotel openings mainly within reach of the capital, Malé, by speedboat or seaplane. However, the areas near Malé are now overcrowded. Recently, resort hotels have begun opening in distant atolls accessible by domestic flights. Although the distance has increased, compared to seaplanes which can only fly during the day, using domestic flights, which can also operate at night, has increased the number of resorts accessible on the same day by transferring. By using a night flight from Haneda Airport, it is possible to arrive in the Maldives during the day, and access to the Maldives has significantly improved.

At Six Senses Laamu, with Ikue Masudo.

The new resort "Six Senses Laamu" has opened in the Laamu Atoll, an area of southern atolls that is attracting attention as a new resort area, accessible by domestic flights. This resort is operated by "Six Senses Resorts & Spas," which has a proven track record in managing high-end resorts such as Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili, which are said to be among the most popular in the Maldives.



The Six Senses Group is highly supported by the world's affluent as an eco-luxury hotel. They were early adopters of carbon taxes, contributing 2% of accommodation fees to carbon reduction activities, and in resort construction, they have accumulated a wealth of know-how through unique trial and error, such as using materials that can be returned to the earth as much as possible and maintaining buildings without paint to avoid polluting the sea and soil.

"Newly opened Six Senses Laamu."

At Six Senses Laamu, newly opened by Six Senses, a pioneer in luxury resorts in the Maldives, a charity event called "Water /Wo/Man" was held from September 30th to October 4th. Representatives from marine conservation organizations worldwide, marine scientists, professional surfers, free divers, and other athletes active in the world's oceans gathered. I participated in this event with my friend, actress Ikue Masudo, who is also a free diving athlete and a renowned naturalist who lives in harmony with nature. We also spent a vacation at "Six Senses Laamu," which is said to be packed with new proposals.

An Environment Integrated with Nature, Where You Can Dive into the Sea from Anywhere

A flight of about one hour south from Malé Airport. The domestic flight does not fly at very high altitudes, so the flight offers views of the beautiful necklace-like atolls floating on the sea from above.

Six Senses Laamu is located 20 minutes by speedboat from Kadoodhoo Airport in the Laamu Atoll. While overwater rooms are not uncommon in the Maldives, most of the public spaces such as the reception, restaurants, and water sports center at this resort are built over the water, allowing guests to feel close to the sea at all times. You can dive into the sea from the restaurant, bar, or your room whenever you wish.



The characteristics of this resort are not limited to its buildings. The sea itself is distinctive. The waters around this resort are not shallow; they are relatively deep. A short boat ride from the resort takes you to where large waves are breaking. That's right! This is a surfing paradise, rare in the Maldives.


It was precisely because of this active sea that the charity event "Water Wo/man," where marine conservationists and water sports athletes gather to think together,
was held.

Ikue Masudo.

Charity Event "Water Wo/man"

"Professional surfer Terry Simms."

The event featured demonstrations and workshops by world-class professional surfers, kite surfers, and free divers, as well as conferences by environmental activists and debates between athletes and environmentalists, all centered around marine conservation. Notable attendees included Hollywood actress Daryl Hannah, known for her support of Sea Shepherd; supermodel Helena Christensen; professional surfer Terry Simms; and Carl Lundin, director of the Coral Reef Conservation Fund.


Regarding the event itself, despite the presence of many celebrities, it was honestly a bit unclear what the main theme was, perhaps because it was the first time. However, the sight of people from different countries, professions, and backgrounds gathering and talking late into the night with the sea as their theme was something rarely seen in Japan.

In the past, it seemed like many people were drawn to the scent of money from luxury brands and fashion companies. Now, I truly feel that people are flocking to money associated with the keyword "environmental protection." I felt a sense of dissonance, wondering if the thought processes of water sports athletes, who live with the sea and rely on it for their livelihood, and environmental activists are too different when discussing the sea and environmental protection. Athletes and journalists would drink late into the night, while environmental activists were busy preparing for conferences and debates. The difference in how they enjoy the sea is likely significant.

Workshop at the charity event "Water Wo/man."

Owner Sonu's Vision of "Future Luxury"

However, the strong desire of owner Sonu Shivdasani to provide an opportunity for guests to become more aware of the natural environment through their stay at Six Senses was clearly conveyed. The policy of Six Senses Resorts is "Intelligent Luxury." Sonu believes that the finest wine and cuisine can be enjoyed in Paris, Tokyo, or New York. However, he considers enjoying the finest wine and cuisine under the best natural surroundings and starry sky to be the luxury of the future, and thus produced resorts that are as environmentally considerate as possible.


Ikue Masudo, who accompanied me on this trip, was deeply impressed by the way the Aboriginal people of Australia lived in harmony with nature during her visit to their sacred sites. This led her to re-evaluate her own lifestyle and choose a path of living in harmony with the earth and nature. She moved from Tokyo to the Boso Peninsula in Chiba, cultivates her own land, grows vegetables, and lives surrounded by nature while feeling the sea. She is practicing a new definition of luxurious living in this era. As a free diving athlete, the sea itself is her theme, and she has decided to move to Ishigaki Island, at the southern tip of Japan, in search of an even richer natural environment.
Ikue and Sonu, the owner of Six Senses, hit it off. Ikue spoke about her encounter with Sonu and his wife, Eva, as follows:


"I have lived in Hawaii and have been free diving, so I have visited many seas and resorts. The blue sea and the pleasant breeze always heal me, but this time, knowing that there are people like Sonu and Eva in this world has been a healing experience for my heart."

To Six Senses' Premier Resort, Soneva Fushi

Sonu and Eva invited Ikue to see "Soneva Fushi," the pinnacle of Six Senses resorts and a place where all their aspirations are poured into, like their own children. However, at this time, it was the Chinese National Day holiday, and domestic flights and seaplanes were already fully booked. Nevertheless, Sonu personally negotiated persistently with the airline to secure seats. Seeing his pure dedication, Ikue seemed to grasp the true intention behind Six Senses Resorts.

A restaurant in the vast organic garden of Soneva Fushi. Enjoy a superb dinner under the starry sky.

Despite the busy schedule during the event, seeing Sonu personally arrange things made me "truly emotional. My encounter with Sonu made me reflect on what it means to live and to give. I am also involved in environmental activities, and when I look around, I see so many people who are unaware! I often feel indignant, wondering why they don't feel anything? But it was a good opportunity to reaffirm that I must continue to practice and demonstrate it myself," Ikue said."Soneva Fushi," which Ikue visited, is located in the Baa Atoll, about a 45-minute seaplane ride from Malé. It is a remarkably large island, unusual for the Maldives, characterized by its lush vegetation. Unlike other resorts, there are no overwater bungalows; all villas are built along the beach, surrounded by natural trees. Today, "organic vegetable gardens" are a common sight at resorts, where vegetables and herbs consumed by the resort are grown on-site using organic farming methods. This initiative has been ongoing since the resort's opening. It is a pioneer of the natural lifestyle.

Sonu comes from a wealthy Indian-British family, and Eva was a top model who graced the cover of the world-renowned fashion magazine "VOGUE" in the 1980s. Eva, who met the pure Sonu, born and raised in a wealthy family, bid farewell to a life where she had to constantly force a smile for the camera with designer clothes and makeup, and married Sonu. The two of them visited the Maldives, where Eva had frequently traveled for photoshoots during her modeling career, decided to live there, and specifically chose this location, Soneva Fushi.

Ikue Masudo checking the sea conditions.

Did Soneva Fushi provide Ikue with any inspiration...?


"I started aiming for a lifestyle in coexistence with the Earth, and that's when I encountered free diving. To participate in competitions, I dive deeper and deeper into the sea every day, swimming with whales and dolphins. Furthermore, I had experiences that forced me to become one with the consciousness of the Earth. Through these experiences, I noticed the pollution of the seas and environment, and felt the need to improve our human lifestyle. That's when I discovered permaculture, which designs permanent and sustainable living environments for humans. The fact that permaculture is incorporated into resort hotels shows that times are changing. The existence of this resort will surely bring about a revolution in people's consciousness. I am filled with immense gratitude and respect for Sonu and Eva, who are engaged in such work. And they have great taste! They are stylish and have an excellent sense of humor. In Japan, due to the earthquake, I was quite depressed, but they gave me motivation and courage! One disappointing point was that the shop handled jewelry. The story behind gemstone mining is famous, even featured in movies. For such a wonderful resort, I think it would be great to promote fair-trade products!" With these comments, befitting a naturalist who considers the Earth, she departed for her return flight.





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