Hotel Review: Kandima Maldives

An active lifestyle resort with a 100-metre pool, tennis courts and an electric go-kart track

Key selling points for travel agents:

• 100-metre outdoor pool, one of the longest in the Maldives
• Oceanfront electric go-kart track, the longest and fastest in the region
• Largest kids’ club in the Maldives, featuring a water park and babysitting
• Sports Arena with tennis and volleyball courts, a football pitch and fitness centre
• Weekly beach parties, movie nights, live bands and DJs, and art exhibitions
• Private in-house yacht charters
• Daily expert-led excursions, including snorkelling in the house reef and tracking turtl
• 270 studios, villas and suites with accommodation options to suit every budget
• Award-winning wellness centre, including spa, yoga and meditation
• Up to 10 distinct dining options

Overview: A game-changing destination in the Maldives, Kandima sets itself apart from the fly-and-flop brigade with a vast array of activities.

At 3km long, Kandima is the largest island in Dhaalu Atoll, vast by Maldivian standards, yet it manages to cleverly convey a sense of seclusion with one of the largest pools in the archipelago alongside plenty of sporting, entertainment and wellness options, some available 24 hours a day

Overflowing with palms, the resort is a beauty, with a large lagoon, a flourishing house reef and mangrove-rimmed lake, all of which guests can explore via paddle boats, bicycles or buggies. 

Kandima is overflowing with palms

Rooms: Accommodation, just steps from the beach or perched overwater, some with private infinity or whirlpools, include Beach Villas, Ocean Pool Villas, the two-storey Sky and Beach Studios with balcony swings, and the Sunset Aqua Pool Suite with its sizeable infinity pool.

Overwater Villas

Facilities: There’s an activity here to suit everyone, from football and volleyball matches at the arena to anti-gravity yoga and Zumba sessions, and for those who need an adrenaline fix, the electric go-kart track offers hair-raising bends and speeds of up to 80km per hour.

Water enthusiasts will also find plenty on offer, from canoeing and water-skiing to parasailing and even overnight fishing trips. Snorkellers can enjoy daily discovery sessions at the in-house reef filled with confetti bursts of tropical fish.

Divers have access to more than 30 sites along with expert guidance

Kandima also keeps guests entertained with craft classes and movie nights below the stars, while pampering them with signature spa treatments, including a sleep-inducing coconut foot ritual. 

Sporting facilities

F&B: Dining is equally expansive with 10 restaurants to choose between. Sample Asian flavours at Sea Dragon, handmade pasta at Azure and juicy ribs served straight from a pit at Smoked. There’s also a sleek glass-walled food hall filled with multiple cooking stations and a kids’ area, ideal for families. 

At the resort’s beach club, one of the region’s most expansive, parents can sip cocktails in cabanas perched above the pool, while little ones are occupied at the largest kids’ club in the Maldives. 

Kandima's pool

Getting there: Domestic flight to Dhaalu from Velana International Airport, Malé, and speedboat ride or seaplane from Malé, with transfer time at 50 and 40 minutes, respectively. 

Contact: Ahmed Mounir, Assistant Sales Manager, email: ahmed.mounir@kandima.com  and visit www.kandima.com  

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