Why Kandima Maldives is Your Dream Vacay Come True
Have you always dreamed of visiting the Maldives? You might have seen pictures of the crystal clear turquoise waters, or videos of those gorgeous over-water villas, so postcard-perfect you wonder if they’ve been photoshopped. It looks like the perfect getaway, but surely paradise must come at a hefty cost.
Here’s the good news: Kandima Maldives aims to make paradise a little more accessible to us regular folk, without compromising on the experience. Occupying the largest island on the Maldives, its extensive facilities allow it to be inclusive for everyone without feeling like a party resort. Sounds too good to be true? Read on to find out more!
Reasons why Kandima Maldives can be everyone’s ultimate vacay:
1. Activities all day err day
I spent a total of 8 days in Kandima Maldives over two trips, and amazingly never ran out of things to do. In fact, that amount of time wasn’t even sufficient to try all the activities I was interested in. Kandima has a packed schedule of activities from dawn to dusk that would appeal to a huge variety of interests – with snorkelling, art-jamming, aerial-yoga, and cocktail concoction classes, just to name a few. If all you want is to unwind, I would also highly recommend treating yourself to a massage at the esKape Spa. There’s nothing quite like being lulled to a state of bliss by the sound of the crashing waves.
For those interested in water activities, Aquaholics offers a whole host of options that include diving and dolphin-watching! We took a diving refresher course and I was particularly impressed by the professionalism of our instructor, Lee, and the state-of-the-art dive gear.
2. Awesome variety of food
A common concern that travelers have when visiting the Maldives is that they’ll be stuck on an island with only one or two restaurants to choose from. Worse still if they charge exorbitant prices for measly portions. Thankfully, with ten eating outlets on Kandima Maldives, guests are seriously spoilt for choice when it comes to dining.
Opting for the half or full-board would give you access to the main buffet restaurants – Zest or Flavour. I was relieved that the menus for lunch and dinner are different throughout the week to ensure variety. Food selection was very international and the quality was definitely above average! If you’re just feeling peckish, lighter options include waffles at Deli, popcorn chicken at the Beach Club, and my personal favourite – the best coffee and homemade sorbet at Aroma Art Cafe! Trust me, this is a lifesaver for them scorching days. I actually had the chance to try all ten F&B outlets and was pleasantly surprised that the quality of the food was consistently good throughout!
3. Spacious and gorgeously designed rooms
Each room in Kandima offers an incredible view of the lagoon or ocean. There are 9 options to choose from, each tastefully decorated with contemporary designs accented by vibrant colours! I found the rooms more spacious than your regular hotel room and the bed super comfy. Even their bathrooms are the epitome of #bathroomgoals.
I might be biased, but I absolutely loved the Aqua Villa with Jacuzzi. The instant access to the turquoise lagoon made for a lot of fun especially when we were trying to catch the sunset! The jacuzzi was also a very welcome respite from the heat, and it was quite the experience sitting in it with a glass of prosecco and just gazing out at the waters or the star-strewn sky.
Tip: In an effort to be eco-friendly, Kandima does not provide amenities like toothbrushes and toothpaste although they are available for sale at the resort’s souvenir store. So do remember to bring your own!
4. Insta-worthy shots everywhere
I’m not kidding when I say that by the end of the trip, we had enough insta-worthy shots to populate our feed everyday for the next 2 months. Kandima’s attention to detail is definitely a huge contributing factor here, with its turquoise and white accents beautifully complementing the gorgeous lagoon. Apart from the fact that the Maldives is effortlessly stunning, I really liked the fun little touches that the resort included to make it so picture-perfect. These pictures should speak for themselves.
5. Family-friendly fun
If you’re a a parent who’s always shunned beach resorts because entertaining your child for hours on end under the blistering sun is not your idea of a vacay, have no fear. Kandiland – Kandima’s dedicated children’s play area – is almost a mini resort of its own. It has its own full day schedule of kids activities that are mostly complimentary, a huge water playground, and even babysitting services for toddlers below the age of 4! Perfect if you need to steal some much-needed couple time. Kids under 12 also stay and eat for free at the buffet restaurants!
For families with older children, the resort also has many spaces that are conducive for families to hang out. The longest pool in the Maldives is one such example. If you’re seeking an adventure, you can even hike the entire length of the island to get to this stunning sand bank!
6. Excellent service and hospitality
Ultimately, what takes Kandima Maldives a notch above the rest for me is the incredible Maldivian hospitality that we enjoyed throughout our stay. From the moment they welcomed us at the pier, the staff went out of their way to accommodate any requests that we had. They also showed a genuine interest in getting to know us and we had some really great conversations that allowed us to understand Maldives a little better. I’ve never left any holiday resort with so many new contacts in my phone!
We’re really blessed to have gotten to experience so much that the Maldives has to offer with Kandima, and would highly recommend it to anyone who’s interested in exploring this slice of paradise.
From now till 31st July, Kandima Maldives is offering an incredible deal with their Tropical Summerkation package! You can also get a 10% discount if you quote “INSTAWKND18” and “ETSYEXPLORESKANDIMA” via their official website. Alternatively, you can email your reservation to mykindofplace@kandima.com.
Disclaimer: We were invited to participate in Kandima’s Instaweekend promotion, but it was not a sponsored trip. All opinions remain ours and are unbiased.
This article first appeared in ETSY Explores.
4 Comments
Jina
one of my dream place, always i wanted to go and this winter i am planning to go there. You describe your whole tour in good way even love your post and your trip experience.
ETSY
Yay that sounds amazing! I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time (: Enjoy your trip and let me know if you have any questions about the resort!
Kyle
It actually looks like a dream come true..The Maldives is a country where at least once is never enough!!
al hussine
Glad I enjoyed the post!
thanks