When it comes to choosing a destination for your honeymoon, there seems to be so much pressure to pick the perfect one, right? When my husband and I finally decided on the Maldives (with a few days in Duabi), the search began for the ideal resort. Of course we always like to keep our vacations budget friendly so we made sure we did our research (a lot of research).
Besides budget, other important things we were looking for in a resort for the Maldives was:
- An all-inclusive package
- An island not too far from the main airport
- A resort that had some fun activities
This is how we came to find Kandima; It checked off all the boxes for what we were looking for. Being that it was a fairly new resort at the time, we found an amazing deal on orbitz.com. We couldn’t pass up! (Always check multiple travel sites for the same resorts and compare).
In this blog post I will be sharing all about the ‘kool’ Kandima resort, why I loved it and tips if you are planning to visit!
Be sure to also check out my previous post “16 Things You Should Know Before Visiting The Maldives”
How to Get There
The island is just a 30-minute flight from Male’ International Airport to the domestic airport in Dhaalu Atoll, followed by a 20-minute boat ride to the island. You also have the option to take a seaplane directly from Male Airport to Kandima. I highly suggest this option since it’s a lot quicker, just a little pricer!
Room Types / Accommodation
Kandima offers so many room types – 266 studios and villas to be exact. This is great because it gives you so many options, not only for couples but for families and large groups as well.
Here’s a list of all the room types available:
- Beach and Sky Studio
- Beach Villa with Jacuzzi
- Beach Pool Villa with Jacuzzi
- Aqua Villa
- Aqua Villa with Jacuzzi
- Ocean Pool Villa
- Honeymoon Pool Villa
My husband and I opted for the Aqua Villa and we loved it! Amazing ocean views with a spacious bathroom, living space and outdoor deck with direct access to the ocean. It was everything I ever imagined a over-water villa to be! If you are looking to travel with a larger group, your best bet is to go for the Beach and Sky Studios since it is 4 studios in one building. I saw a few large families / groups do this.
More About Kandima
- The island is about 2 miles long
- It houses the largest pool in the Maldives measuring 330 ft long
- Ten restaurants and bars including:
- Zest- The ‘nicer’ buffet (in my opinion)
- Flavour – Buffet located near the lobby (more of the family buffet)
- Azure – Mediterranean inspired dishes with more of an elegant atmosphere.
- Breeze – Located at the larger pool on the island. This pool area is more of the family friendly pool. You can also order food and drinks right to your beach chair or play pool by the bar.
- Deli – Casual food boutique for a quick bite or for something to take back to your room.
- Aroma – Aroma is the best spot to grab a morning coffee with a sweet treat or a savory waffle (yum). If you like fancy coffee, this is definitely where you want to start your morning. Also try the savory waffles at least once! You’ll thank me later.
- Smoked – This was hands down my husband and I’s favorite restaurant at Kandima. We ate here about three times in one week. They serve perfectly cooked steaks, fresh fish and amazing appetizers. You’ll also receive a few small surprised from the chef himself.
- Beach Club – A modern poolside dining atmosphere with a swim up bar. This pool was more of the adult pool. You can also order food and drinks right to your beach chair / bed.
- Sea Dragon – Authentic Chinese cuisine with a modern twist, served family-style. You get to choose your own catch of the day! (Not included in the all-inclusive package)
- Forbidden Bar – An indoor bar located in the same building as Sea Dragon. It has a small outdoor seating area (facing the less calm side of the ocean). They held karaoke night here, but other than that there wasn’t much going on.
Here are some overall Pros and Cons of Kandima:
Pros
- All-inclusive packages (some even include excursions)
- Above average food and drinks
- Beautiful and new rooms
- Breathtaking atmosphere
- Friendly staff
- Modern / young atmosphere
Cons
- Not much of a nightlife (but that’s common for most Maldives resorts)
- If it rains, the dirt paths are not fun to travel through
- Limited amount of bikes for rent (they were unavailable for our whole stay)
- The shuttles that run between both sides of the islands don’t run consistently. Sometimes they would come often and sometimes we’d be waiting a while.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend this resort to anyone and everyone. The food was great, the drinks were perfect and I absolutely loved the atmosphere. It was the best trip I have ever taken, despite the long hours of traveling.
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Feel free to ask me any questions or if you’ve visited the Maldives yourself, let me know where you stayed!
For more info on visiting the Maldives check out “16 Things You Should Know Before Visiting The Maldives”
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For more photos from my trip visit my Instagram page!
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*All photos are mine, unless otherwise stated
Wanderlissa 
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