This was our first trip to the Maldives and I had planned a surprise for our 10th wedding anniversary. I spent hours researching different islands and areas but once I saw Kandolhu I knew that's where I wanted to go. We were able to get a great deal from Michaela at Reisser Travel as well for 6 nights on the ultimate inclusions plan. There were so many good things to say it's difficult to know where to start.
From the moment you see the island you know you are in a special place. It really is more beautiful that it looks in the pictures. For me it was a perfect combination of stunning natural scenery, seclusion, and amazing, friendly service.
For rooms we ended up splitting our time between the deluxe pool villa and the ocean pool villa as I had read a lot of reviews that people actually preferred the beach villas to the overwater rooms. While the beach villa was beautiful and spacious, I think we ended up being the opposite as the ocean villas were stunning and we regularly just sat on the deck or in the pool and stared out at the water and sea life that passed by. Overall, all the rooms looked amazing so I don't think you can really go wrong but being our first time in the Maldives the over water villa just had that extra wow factor.
The snorkeling and water sports were also amazing. As others have mentioned the coral has been hit by bleaching but once we were in the water it didn't matter as we were regularly surrounded by schools of fish, turtles, sharks, and rays. I've never seen so many fish in such a small place. We also went on the snorkel safari excursion to two other reefs and had a great guided experience in a slightly different venue. We saw lion fish, lobster, turtles, sharks, and a mother and baby eagle ray among many other creatures. Once we got over the anxiety of seeing our first shark up close the snorkeling couldn't have been any better. We also used the kayaks and SUP frequently.
The food and drinks were definitely another highlight of the trip. I was very keen on finding a resort were we could eat at multiple restaurants and not have to worry about the cost and the ultimate inclusions plan was perfect for us as it really does include pretty much everything at all the restaurants. Every meal we had was amazing. From breakfasts at market, to ceviche and tacos at Ata Roa, to fine dining in Olive we really loved it all. Having the mini bar and wine fridge included was a great perk as well. We spend many sunsets with a glass or three of wine from the fridge and it was always restocked in the morning. We were also lucky enough to be there for the chef's digestive meal on the beach which included great wine pairings. The food and wine were amazing and I've never seen anything like the "granny smith apple" filled with foie gras.
We used the spa for the 90 minute couples treatment which was also great, although I'm pretty sure I fell asleep for about half of it. I guess it was too relaxing.
What really sets the resort apart is the amazing service from the entire staff. From Mark and Laura to all the amazing service providers, everyone we passed or saw during out stay always had a smile on their face and was eager to say hello, chat, or help with anything we might need.
Overall, I can't think of anything about our trip that wasn't perfect. It will be hard to go anywhere else for vacation after staying at Kandolhu.
