By Kai
Introduction
Hi, I’m Kai, and I’m from London, England.
Before my gap year, the Maldives seemed like a place reserved for dream vacations or honeymooners. I’d never been to Asia before – let alone the Maldives – and I had no idea what to expect. But when the opportunity came up to work at a kids’ club on a remote island resort, I decided to take the chance.
What followed was an experience I couldn’t have planned for. In total I spent ten weeks this past year living and working at Soneva Jani, one of the most well-known resorts in the Maldives. My role was somewhere between staff and guest, and every day brought something new – whether it was helping a child rappel down a climbing wall, setting up for a holiday event, or simply trying to stay cool in 30°C (90°F) heat.
This blog is a look back on what those weeks taught me – about working with kids, stepping into responsibility, and adjusting to life in an environment completely different from home.
What Life Looked Like
The time I spent there was the closest I’ve been to a paradise. The white sand beaches covered in palm trees, perfect 30°C weather, rays and every other marine animal that you think would fit on an ocean postcard were like nothing I’d ever seen before. The only issue was that I quickly learned that me sleeping in 24/7 heat without AC doesn’t really work.
The job title I got was “Mr. Friend”. I wasn’t a full-time staff member, but I wasn’t a guest either. As a teenager, my role was to be a bridge between the kids and the employees. I was someone closer to their age who they could connect with more easily, and I helped wherever I was needed.
Each day was a little different, but most of it centered around spending time with the kids. I played football (or soccer if you want to call it that), coached tennis, and went swimming in the sea. I also got to go scuba diving, tubing and even flyboarding, which was definitely a highlight. On quieter days, I helped prepare activities, set up for events and decorated for the upcoming holidays. There was a lot of behind-the-scenes work that went into making everything feel fun and special for the kids.
What I Took Away From It
Working at Soneva Jani was a big learning experience for me, with a steep learning curve. It taught me a lot about what well-oiled teamwork looks like. It was also the first time I had a job where I needed to step into a leadership role, even if it was informal. I learned how to be present with the kids and how to balance that with helping the rest of the team when things got busy.
What I learnt most about, however, was the complexities of the child psyche. Despite the beautiful surroundings, it was near impossible to relax with some of the kids’ lack of self-preservation. Explaining how careening headfirst down a waterslide less than a second after their friend went wouldn’t end well or explaining that the seagrass that touched their foot wasn’t a great white shark was entertaining at first, but it got old pretty quick. However, hearing their pure joy and excitement in every word of their story of the seashell they found on the beach at breakfast or of the turtle eggs they saw hatching at dinner made up for their insistence on finding the quickest way to get injured whenever possible.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, I’m super happy with the time I spent at Soneva Jani. I went from not knowing about the opportunity at the start of October to being flown out two weeks later, and the spontaneity just added to the excitement. It wasn’t just about being in paradise – it was about learning how to connect with people I would never have met otherwise and realising that I knew nothing about looking after kids and then being thrown in the deep end with the kids of Bollywood stars. It’s pretty hard to figure out a way to have a free holiday in a five-star resort, so finding it disguised as babysitting was a very nice surprise.
