Six Senses Kanuhura
Kick off your shoes and step onto the jetty at Six Senses Kanuhura for a luxurious holiday on an iconic island in the Maldives. Located in Lhaviyani Atoll, about 120km or 40 minutes north of Malé by seaplane, Kanuhura island is known for its long, white sandy beaches that uniquely fringe the entire perimeter of the island. This natural beauty is an excellent pairing with the eco conscious luxury hotel brand Six Senses. And even better than a break on a tropical paradise island, a stay at Six Senses Kanuhura actually encompasses 3 paradise islands, the other 2 of which are uninhabited and reached by boat from the island jetty. Regulars to Six Senses properties will spot familiar features and feel at home with the laid back, wellness and sustainability driven vibes. Six Senses Kanuhura however, also brings a fresh energy to the party with a sleek contemporary design throughout the villas, where whitewashed walls, glossy coloured tiles and patterned cushions abound. Buildings like The Point, a modern circular building which houses a rooftop pool and bar and a modern tapas restaurant below, carry on the theme which, as brand loyalists will be happy to know, seems to meld perfectly with the straw roofed, wood-clad rustic-chic buildings and cabanas to be found elsewhere.
Home for our stay was a Beach Retreat with Pool, and oh my what a home it was. Measuring an impressive 1830 square feet it was everything we could have dreamt of and more. As one of the newest accommodation options at Six Senses Kanuhura it was modern, stylish and luxuriously appointed with the finest of furnishings, amenities and tech. The dining area with high ceiling and floor to ceiling windows was impressive, and even more impressive when we discovered the cozy lounge complete with sofa and huge TV on the mezzanine. In a separate building, our bedroom was accessed via an expansive decking area, with even more expansive private beach garden and private infinity pool with multiple seating areas to dine, relax or just simply chill. And what a bedroom it was, we would go as far as saying it was perfect. Bright, spacious and modern, with all mod cons and more including double vanities, bathtub, insane rain shower and direct garden access via the outdoor shower. The spacious and elegant water villas at Six Senses Kanuhura were equally as well appointed and very stylish indeed, but we would go as far as saying that our Beach Retreat with Pool is hard to beat, as it was very close to being perfection.
The Vegan Food
Guests of Six Senses are invited to ‘Eat with Six Senses’ and that’s exactly what we did, with varied culinary adventures each and every day during our stay. One of the many joys of being in the Maldives is that you don’t have to look too far to find a Sri Lankan chef and once this happens, you’re just one small step away from one of the best breakfast dishes in the world: ‘String Hoppers with Kiri Hodi and Pol Sambol’. Hoppers are steamed noodle cakes made from a rice flour dough that has been pushed through a press. Served with a coconut milk curry spiced with curry leaves, garlic, turmeric, shallots, cinnamon and fenugreek seeds, these lacy noodle nests should be drenched in the creamy curry and topped with spoonfuls of spicy ‘Pol Sambol’, a spicy condiment made from fresh coconut, limes, chilli and shallots. Six Senses Kanuhura have a truly global team of chefs and so getting an authentic Sri Lankan breakfast staple which was spiced to perfection was not only easy but an absolute treat. The Sri Lankan delights continued with freshly prepared pol roti, seeni sambal, dal curry, grated coconut and chilli sambal which were exactly as they should be, flavour packed and delicious.
If you’re looking for a more traditionally Western breakfast, then look no further than the excellent team of chefs who were happy to help create another off menu delight. At Six Senses Kanuhura, you might not see these vegan dishes on the menu but behind the scenes in the kitchen there are passionate, creative and enthusiastic chefs who were more than happy to turn their ideas into to reality and work some magic with plants. Every element tasted different from the thyme spiced potato cake and creamy tofu scramble to the tart pickled ‘plant bacon’ and garlicky greens. Chefs also made off menu vegan waffles, avocado toasts, topped with fruit and flowers, vegan gyoza, vegan sushi and masala dosa to make sure that we didn’t go without. We couldn’t leave Six Senses Kanuhura without foraging from the buffet and in the cold room for leaves, veggies, fruits and pickles to create our very own superfood plate which we dressed with balsamic vinegar and almond oil. Plant power and eating the rainbow for that extra health kick to start our day.
When Executive Sous Chef Manuel arrived to our table and introduced the award winning (best in Spain) olive oil with genuine passion, we had a feeling that the lunch we were about to enjoy at The Point was going to be pretty special. We are happy to say that we were correct. The menu boasts a selection of ‘Spanish nibbles’ and that’s exactly what we got. Each of them showcasing the quality ingredients at their heart, and each of them prepared with the same passion as the award winning olive oil introduction. Freshly baked bread with the ubiquitous tomato, garlic and olive combo that takes us back to lazy breakfasts in Spain was served first, and this was followed by a rainbow of healthy and nutritious plates. Our ‘Patatas Bravas’ were perfect, and trust us when we say that we know good ones to bad ones as we’ve most certainly had both. The simply labelled ‘Heirloom Tomatoes’ were far from simple. Perfectly seasoned tomatoes were drizzled with the award winning olive oil, topped with basil leaves and the tiniest fermented tomberries which delivered an explosion of flavour. A perfectly refreshing gazpacho followed by a delightful salad with grapes, blueberries, mixed leaves, apple and topped with finely grated hazelnuts left us feeling alive and healthy, whilst lightly salted ‘Padron Peppers’ that had been charred and packed a punch. This was perfect food for a sunny afternoon next to the Mediterranean, or indeed a sunny afternoon in the Indian Ocean. Our lunchtime finale was refreshing bowls of freshly made sorbet with caramelised and finely sliced pineapple that refreshed our palates and left us smiling.
Zip across the clear blue waters from Kanuhura to a deserted island paradise and eat at Drift where lunch is served on the beach under the shade of the coconut trees. With the waves lapping at the waters edge, this will surely give you enough luxury castaway vibes to last a lifetime. When on a tiny tropical island in the Indian Ocean, you would not expect multiple menu options, whether you are vegan or not. So when we arrived and found that the small but perfectly formed menu indeed had a couple of exciting sounding plant based dishes, and in addition the wonderful Chef Rajesh had prepared a couple of surprises for us we were more than content. From the menu we chose the ‘Grilled Cauliflower’ served with corn on the cob, truffle fries and a chimichurri sauce. It was excellent and when combined with the insanely beautiful location made for an excellent light lunch. When chef brought a delicious salad made of fresh figs, mixed leaves, fine shavings of pickle ginger, with mango dressing, along with grilled asparagus and avocado toast, our light lunch turned into a veritable vegan feast. It’s not often we get to enjoy lunch on the beach of a deserted tropical island, but we have to say we could become accustomed to it, this was ‘destination dining’ in its truest sense.
Bottega is the Italian restaurant at Six Senses Kanuhura and where we enjoyed a six hand cooking demo and delightful lunch, before returning for dinner in the evening. Our cooking demo was delivered by three of the passionate chefs at Six Senses Kanuhura, Rajesh, Fahmy and Suranga who guided us through creative procedures, exciting plating and exciting ingredients, all delivered with fun and the warmest of welcomes. We were treated to carrots like you’ve never seen them before, delicate celeriac roses served with a velvet like leek, potato and truffle sauce, a nutritious and delicious walnut salad, and a trio of Arabic mezze dishes that were as packed with flavour and nutrition, as they were beautiful. Our demo and lunch ended with ‘Six Senses Superfood Balls’ which were oh so good, and the perfect way to get both that chocolate hit, and all of the goodness packed within too. As De La Soul once said, “three is the magic number” so after enjoying a cooking demo from three passionate chefs, that included three mezze dishes that made us smile, it was only right that we chose the perfect Italian combo for dinner at Bottega, that trusted trio of salad, pasta and pizza. We knew we were in safe hands as Chef Fahmy was at the pass and Chef Rajesh was in the kitchen, and we enjoyed our final meal at Six Senses Kanuhura by working our way through one of our favourite mealtime combos. Thank you chefs for your time, your passion and your excellent food that made us both very happy indeed.
Returning to The Point at night was a must as the far reaching ocean views were blessed with a sublime sunset that made this our favourite dining destination on the island. And of course, the food was pretty special too so we were happy to have another chance to enjoy the culinary creations of Chef Manuel. We were served carrot which had been sliced paper thin and then compressed into torched orange cuboids and sat in a shallow pool of gazpacho. Juicy, flavourful, sweet and succulent leaving us with the problematic situation that once you have tasted carrots this good, there is no return. Next up was a duo of aubergine fillets slathered in mojo rojo sauce and finished with a zig zag of creamy garlic vegan mayonnaise. Rich and tangy with a slightly spicy flavour, smoky undertones running throughout the beautifully cooked eggplant flesh. Spanish rice with pumpkin was a sunshine coloured gift on a plate. Finished with basil oil and flowers from the island, this comforting rice dish was full of the flavours of pumpkin, each grain coated with creamy, pumpkin goodness. That ‘simple’ heirloom tomato salad that we enjoyed for lunch a few days previously was back and that made us smile. Perfect. Finally dessert, for years it has been commonplace to hear vegans proclaiming that “we don’t just eat lettuce” but of course sometimes we do, but not usually with dessert. Our dessert at The Point included candied beetroot, beetroot caramel, coconut ice cream and shredded baby gem lettuce. The sweet, crisp shreds of green lettuce mixed perfectly with the creamy coconut ice cream and deep earthy beetroot caramel, combining to make spoonful after spoonful that was big on flavour as well as texture. Bravo Chef.
The Vegan Essentials
The ‘low hanging fruits’ have most certainly been picked here at Six Senses Kanuhura, meaning you won’t find any single use plastic throughout the resort, and water is processed on the island and distributed in glass bottles, bathroom amenities are in refillable dispensers and made from sustainable materials wherever possible. But sustainability at Six Senses means far more than this, it means a commitment to reducing food miles and menus that will eventually have 50% plant based options, it means making their own coconut oil and using the coconut bi products for compost and fertiliser, and it means recycling glass and growing up to 100kg per month of salad leaves at Earth Lab, in their very own hydroponic garden. Every where you look, efforts are being made to develop new initiatives and expand on existing ones, and this work never ends here at Six Senses Kanuhura as sustainability is at the core of everything they do.
The Vegan Food Quest Verdict
Six Senses has recently undergone transition from a small boutique operator, to one that is now part of IHG with more than 6000 global properties. We have to say we were concerned that everything we fell in love with back in 2010 at Six Senses Ninh Van Bay on our honeymoon would somehow be lost. But that certainly hasn’t happened, the commitment to the environment, the sustainability initiatives, the ‘Eat with Six Senses’ concept have all remained and continue to thrive. As one of the newest Six Senses resorts, Kanuhura lives and breaths everything that Six Senses stands for and we loved every minute of our stay.
We were guests of Six Senses Kanuhura but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.
Six Senses Kanuhura
Lhaviyani Atoll
Maldives
Telephone: +960 662 0044
Email: reservations-maldives@sixsenses.com
Cost From: £2400 / $3000 (July 2024)