Name: Kandolhu Maldives
Address: 39 Orchid Magu, Maldives, Maldives, 20209
Telephone: +9606660150
Price range: from €0pp (7 nights includes flights and transfers)

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Beach

Kandolhu Maldives was pure perfection. From the serene atmosphere to the incredible food and vibrant reef, everything felt effortless. The staff were warm, attentive, and made the whole experience feel personal — I couldn’t have asked for more.

The tranquil atmosphere paired with truly world-class food was beyond anything I expected.Honestly the meals alone were worth the trip. 😁

And snorkeling… I wasn’t even keen at first. But with a little encouragement from the amazing water sports team, that completely changed. Swimming with turtles and exploring the reef right off the beach turned me into a full-on snorkeling fan. 🐢🐠

Kandolhu Maldives. I just returned and already want to go back.

We have just returned from a wonderful 11 nights in paradise.  This isn’t the holiday for you if you are looking for 24/7 activities and entertainment but if you are looking for pure relaxation, amazing hospitality, stunning snorkelling and great food then I couldn’t recommend Kandolhu more highly.  Yes, some areas of the villas need some TLC but as mentioned in a number of reviews this is due to take place in the next couple of months and we certainly came across nothing more than general wear and tear.  Our villa was kept immaculately clean - as were the public areas - and if you needed anything you simply had to ask.  The staff were all amazing and helped make the holiday but we would particularly call out Elvira, Ameen, Maan and Shering (the best massages I have ever had!).

The food was varied, tasty and with more restaurants to choose from than you would expect for a resort of this size. A big thank you to chef for the amazing prawn and coconut curry he made for us one evening after I had commented how much I liked coconut! 

My only slight niggle was on the departure arrangements.  Our flight was late at night which meant we had around 5 hours at the airport.  On our day of departure we were told that we could have booked the Kandolhu lounge at the sea plane terminal - but as this required 24 hours notice it was not possible to do so and instead we had to pay for the use of an airport lounge.  It would be really helpful to make guests aware of this option with plenty of notice please. 

We are looking forward to coming back.  We very rarely visit the same place twice but will definitely be making an exception for Kandolhu 🥰🥰

Simply paradise!

We have visited the Maldives several times , but for us the peace and tranquility of this small island was the best.On an island like this nothing else is required.

The service one of the island’s outstanding features .From Gobbson our room boy to the restaurant staff all were outstanding. Our particular favourites were Elvira , Ameen and Maan. As for Raghu the chef,as well as his cooking skills he was the most delightful and modest person.

The cocktails were the best we’ve had in the Maldives. The barman from northern India was so interesting to talk to.( so sorry I can’t recall your name)

I recently read a review written by someone from The Czech Republic , it seemed she must have been to a different island!!!!

I recently read

Paradise

Small and beautiful island  and clean island 
Specially snorkeling is  one best island beautiful reef many fish around .................
One building too many restaurant ..breakfast not so good ......

When we are Departure not good .......

Snorkeling best 

Kandolhu is a tiny island, you can walk around it in under 15 minutes. The atmosphere is charming, the sea views at breakfast are stunning and there are only 30 villas in total. 🩵

We were originally booked in a basic beach villa, but it turned out to be so small we didn’t even have space to unpack our suitcases. So we decided to pay for upgrade to a basic water villa for more comfort. While the space was better, it was clear that the villas are quite worn and in need of renovation - which, we were told, is planned for summer this year. Still, the prices remain high despite the current condition, which doesn’t really feel justified. 😒

⚠️Caution: If you’re considering a water villa with a pool and privacy is important to you - think twice. The entire bathroom is glass-walled and easily visible from the ocean. Staff may say no one passes by, but in reality, people do snorkel and swim nearby. You can close the blinds, but that defeats the purpose of the view. 

The biggest highlight of Kandolhu is definitely the snorkeling! It’s among the best we’ve experienced in the Maldives and we’ve seen a lot. 🥰👌🏼The reef is easily accessible and you can snorkel all the way around the island. I saw so many anemones, blacktip, whitetip and grey reef sharks, turtles, moray eels and a huge variety of fish. The marine life was absolutely incredible! 🐠🦈🐢🐙

Beach: there really isn’t much of one. During high tide, the water reaches the bushes and during low tide, you can see sandbags in some places. A few villas have better beach access, but if you’re looking for a wide sandy beach or a large swimming lagoon, this isn’t the place.

Food: I can’t say anything bad about the food - overall, it was good. Not exactly a gourmet experience, but considering the price range, it was more or less what we expected. The highlight was definitely the butter chicken and naan bread. 😊

Service: it was sadly underwhelming for a 5-star resort. There’s no butler service - everything goes through reception. Staff seemed overwhelmed, dishes weren’t being cleared and they struggled to keep up. Several items were missing from the menu for days (like tuna or fresh watermelon juice) and when we asked, the response was a simple shrug. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Also, because the island is so small, there are no sports facilities like a tennis or volleyball court. Not even a pool table - even though there would be space for one, for example instead of the library, which is usually empty anyway.

Housekeeping: was very poor - everything was smeared: the glass doors, TV, shower and mirrors. The floor wasn’t properly cleaned either. We haven’t experienced such poor service even in 4-star resorts. 😳

A major disappointment was the resort management. They weren’t very proactive and made no real effort to check if guests were satisfied. It’s quite clear that the current team lacks experience with running a Maldivian resort.

When we raised concerns about the cleanliness at reception, no one from management followed up or came to speak with us and no one checked back later to see if things had improved (unfortunately, they hadn’t much).

From what we’ve seen in other Universal Resorts properties as well, it seems they are increasing prices while cutting back on spending and investment. It’s a real shame. 😕

All in all, Kandolhu is a lovely resort for snorkeling enthusiasts and those seeking peace and quiet. But if you’re after luxury service or need more activities, it might not be the best fit - especially if the weather turns bad, as there’s not much else to do. 🙈

I’ve already visited 54 Maldivian resorts as a tourist. If you’d like a closer look at Kandolhu, you can find it featured in my highlights on Instagram anezka_travel. 🌴

Amazing snorkeling, outdated villas and inexperienced resort management 🥹🥲

Even in the Maldives an island so perfectly formed as Kandolhu is rare The island is lush with wide sandy beaches surrounding the emerald green and is home to one of the most colorful and lively house reef in the MaldivesEven in the Maldives an island so perfectly formed as Kandolhu is rare The island is lush with wide sandy beaches surrounding the emerald green and is home to one of the most colorful and lively house reef in the Maldives

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