Not content with winning Destination Deluxe’s Eco-Hotel of the Year and bagging a spot in the top 15 Resort Hotels in Asia by Travel + Leisure, Soneva Fushi in the Maldives is adding another feather to its bow this year, with the world’s first fine dining zipline experience with Flying Sauces. It’s a bucket-list experience that combines some of the world’s best gastronomy with the adrenaline rush of a 200-metre zipline. Intrigued? With the idea of helping guests to reconnect with the sights and sounds of nature whilst immersing themselves in the best hospitality, the zipline idea was born. Fearless diners – or perhaps even hungry ones – are strapped into a safety harness, and will then soar over the island’s lush jungle to reach an elevated dining platform, where an amuse bouche awaits, followed by a refreshing shooter.
Once you’ve de-clobbered yourself, you can sit amid the treetop canopy and relinquish all culinary control to Chef Rasal, as he whips you up a seasonal menu in the open kitchen, with dishes all paired from a cellar of over 9,000 fine wines. Your experience is in good hands, as Chef Rasal is a long-time Sonevian and since joining the company, has worked with more than 50 Michelin-starred visiting chefs, including Tom Aikens, Vicky Ratnani and Tim Raue.
For Flying Sauces, he’s hand-crafted a six-course menu to be served at your treetop table, including Hokkaido scallops carpaccio with crispy wild rice, celeriac two ways with raisin salsa, black cod with artichoke purée and teriyaki truffle sauce and marinated prawns with avocado puree, chorizo oil and rocket.
If ziplining in the dark isn’t your thing, you can also book breakfast or lunch in the treetops, arriving in style whatever the time. Hooked yet?