New luxury Maldives resort to place locals at the forefront of the guest experience

Sana said a key part of Villa Resorts’ mission is to showcase both ancient and modern Maldivian traditions to ensure guests are offered insights into the archipelago’s culture.

The experience offerings at Villa Haven, characterised as its Humble Hallmarks, aim to immerse guests in these traditions. These include introducing guests to "primitive" methods of cooking, such as using coconut husks to fire the stove at the Husk restaurant.

"That is how I made cakes with my grandmother,” Sana said. “By the time we were done with the baking, we’d have smoke all over our faces. There’s a different kind of beauty to this, and I realised my own daughter had never experienced it, so we wanted to revive it."

Eden’s Garden is another experience at Villa Haven inspired by local customs. Guests are invited to create their own fragrances using flowers, including native variations of rose and jasmine.

"You pick the scents to create your own perfume, and it will always remind you of the Maldives,” Sana said.

Other signature experiences include The Clay Club, a pottery workshop using materials sourced from the island, and bonfire stories served with sweet drinks courtesy of a Toddy Tapper.

“When we were little, the Toddy Tapper would come around like the ice cream man,” Sana recalled. “We’ve elevated the experience by making popsicles and alcoholic drinks out of it.

"The Toddy Tapper will also tell folklore tales to guests around a bonfire as, historically, they would tell spooky stories to children. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s unique to Maldivian culture.”

As for its environmental ethos, Sana said its people and culture were at the heart of its sustainability model.

“Sustainability is not just a word for us — it’s a way of living," she continued. "I don’t remember a time when our resorts didn’t recycle water. Each island is its own system, with its own city and its own eco-system.

“It’s the culture and heritage that we are preserving. Preservation is sustainability — it’s the definition of it.”