Kandolhu Resort at Maldives Review

Heaven does exist. My wife and I came here before we got married to get our tan on. We stayed for three wonderful nights and wish we could have stayed longer. Too bad my bank account just couldn't handle an entire week. Get the all inclusive package as we ate and drank our way to an extra 5 pounds. It is literally all you can eat and drink for the entire time that you're on the island. We stay in the over water pool villa and it was absolutely gorgeous. I will definitely return but this time I want to try the beach houses. The staff were all wonderful and the entire experience was a dream come true.

We had the most spectacular stay here for our Honeymoon. The service was entirely faultless, the accommodation was wonderful and the island is absolute paradise.
Despite its small size, we could have stayed here a month and never been bored. The food is truly a highlight. Delightful ceviche at lunch time and Michael's creations for the set meal in the Olive absolute favs! Michelin star quality!
We swam with turtles everyday and the snorkelling was fantastic.
The small touches make such a difference and create an environment where you feel entirely at home and relaxed...writing this makes me wish I was back there now!
Special mention to Mae for being a marvellous guest relations team member and constantly going above and beyond and to Pam in the Spa who fixed my back with two Thai massages that I've struggled for years with and am now walking like a normal human again.
LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND CANT WAIT TO BE BACK X

Amazing. Excellent, attentive service. Incredible house reef. 5 restaurants. Very intimate setting.

It has been a wonderful stay! The staff was excellent, the food so delicious and well made, the island was just perfect.

Woow this is a piece of heaven. facilities were unbelievable in the rooms as well as in the restaurants. I felt that I entered into an other planet. Really enjoyed mt stay. One of the luxurious resorts in Maldives. I would recommend this place without any doubt to anyone.

Kandolhu exceeded all expectations and was one of the best vacations we have ever been on. The island was even better than anything you see in the movies or on TV.

This was our first trip to the Maldives and its a bit daunting to pick an island you want to stay on....after sifting through reviews and various forums we decided to visit Kandolhu and for 7 days.

Our criteria:
- smaller more private island
- great house reef / snorkeling
- ability to swim with Manta Rays and Whale Sharks

The Island:

What can I say that hasn't been said in the other reviews, the island is beautiful! Its small and you can walk from one side to the other in 5 minutes. The landscaping is excellent and everything on the island is well maintained.

Room:

We stayed in the overwater villa with a pool. It has an amazing view of the ocean and sunset....the room was in excellent condition and amazes you every time you go back to it. The bed was comfortable and there were plenty of towels and toiletries.
The best part is walking on the dock to the room and looking down at the water to see all kinds of fish....you will even see reef sharks and turtles swimming by.
There is an entrance right to the water so you can snorkel around the villas or go to the channel to get to the reef.

Food:

The food was delicious and lots of variety. We love seafood and all the dishes were freshly prepared. We opted for the ultimate meal plan(includes all meals and drinks) as we loved the wine and smoothies! There are 5 restaurants which 2 of the 5 are open for lunch and 4 of the 5 for dinner.
We found ourselves at the Sea Grill most nights as they would have fresh fish(caught that day) to be grilled or baked.

Snorkeling

To start off we have snorkeled in Belize, Hawaii, Thailand, Bunaken (Indonesia) and other places in the Caribbean and the Maldives has been the best place out of all of them.
Snorkeling was the absolute best part of the vacation for us. The house reef was full of fish and the eco system looked extremely healthy. Lots of soft coral and coral recovering from the storms a few years ago.
The variety of fish was unlike any other place we have visited. Every time we went snorkeling we would see black and white tip reef sharks of various sizes, hawksbill sea turtles, clownfish, and many more.

Excursions:

We went on almost all the excursions the island has to offer. All of them exceeded expectations!
- Snorkeling excursions: We were taking to reefs nearby the island and all the places were full of sea life! Our guide was excellent and took amazing video of the sea life and us snorkeling!
- Sunset Cruise: We went out on the boat and had some Champagne while the crew took our pictures with the sunset. It was beautiful....we even saw a bunch of sharks swimming near the boat on the way back.
- Swimming with Manta Rays: We were lucky and able to swim with Manta Rays and they would swim right by us...this was an amazing experience and something we will never forget!
- Swimming with Whale Sharks: Another amazing once in a lifetime experience. We were able to spot a whale shark and jump in and have it swim right by us!

Staff

What more can I say....the staff was beyond outstanding! Extremely friendly and helpful for anything you need! The level of service could not be better!
A special shoutout to our excursions guide and team as we were able to spot Manta Rays and a Whale shark and capture videos and photos that will last forever!

Covid:

Kandolhu felt extremely safe and clean while we stayed there. The island was following all the protocols to ensure a safe environment (masks, sanitizer, etc)

There are 2 new requirements due to Covid:
- RT PCR test(bring printed copy) that is done 72/96 hours before your departure to the Maldives (nasal swab, not the rapid test)
- Health declaration form to be filled out online 24 hours before arrival in Male

We also needed a printed copy of our receipt for our stay in Kandolhu

Located 70 km southwest of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, this small island is a home away from home. While the beach outshines with its white sand and emerald water, the amazing accommodation options and toothsome food here also More

An amazing place that is beyond expectation, they take care of small details and surprise you with their kindness.

The experience at the Japanese restaurant was amazing, thank you chief Nikko :)

Overall, this was an amazing experience to the point that I'm having a hard time readjusting to "the real world" following our return. My wife and I stayed in one of the ocean villas (sans pool) during a recent four day/five night visit to Kandolhu, and I cannot recommend this place enough to anyone who is interested in visiting the Maldives. Hell, I'll recommend it to people who aren't interested in visiting the Maldives.
The entire island (including facilities, landscaping, and rooms) is extremely clean, rather contemporary, and operates with a primary focus on customer service while appearing to do so quite efficiently. The staff is amazing including: Mark & Laura (who manage the island), Aisha & Malcom (in the dive center), the aquatic sports team, the restaurant/food service staff, the room service staff, and the nearly invisible army of people who keep the island humming so that you can enjoy a relaxing stay in one of the most remote and beautiful places on this planet.
The major attractions (in my opinion) are the beaches and the reef. This includes snorkeling and diving on the house reef or just relaxing on the peaceful and uncrowded beaches. If you re looking for something a little more adventurous, try a couple of hours sailing on their 16ft catamaran.
In addition to the accommodations and activities, the food was very good and the drink prices amazingly reasonable (especially given that you re in the middle of the Indian Ocean). Treat yourself and significant other to a private dinner on the beach one night and spend the late hours sipping cocktails at the bar. Regardless of how you choose to spend your time at Kandolhu, it will be an amazing experience.

Absolutely breathtaking location and impeccable service. Everything about Kandolhu exceeded our expectations. The staff are very friendly and professional and bent over backwards to make our stay perfect. The food is some of the best we've ever eaten, full of flavor and very unique. Big thanks to the management Marc and Laura for making our honeymoon extra special. Will definitely be returning!