Kandolhu Maldives

The island is recommended to anyone who is looking for peace and quiet and is also fascinated by the underwater world, as the house reef is completely intact and fantastically varied. Many different corals, you can meet nurse sharks, eagleray or white tip reef sharks or black tip reef sharks. At the moment there are three turtles living on the house reef. The island is a culinary dream with everything your heart desires. All the staff from the reception, dive center, housekeeping, restaurant service, cooks and also everyone in the background are courteous, warm and friendly and you simply felt at home. This island was our 5th time on the Maldives, each time we were on a different island, but Kandolhu cannot be compared to the other islands with the warmth of the staff and the house reef. We are already planning for next year.

The most beautiful island with the most beautiful staff. We keep returning to Kandolhu because of this. Serene is how I would describe Kandolhu. It gives such a feeling of calm & contentment. The staff are such genuinely wonderful people who clearly love their job and enjoy making sure guests have an amazing and unforgettable holiday. Simply, I would urge anyone who gets the chance to visit Kandolhu to do so, it really is the very best.

Kandolhu just Wow! We recently returned from our Honeymoon, Kandolhu being the second and final island we visited. It truly is a wonderful place with fantastic staff who can't do enough for you, so much that it feels mean to single anyone out, but a special mention to Zinadh, Elvira & Estella who made our stay so special. The beach pool villa was just beautiful and to snorkel around the reef is the most amazing experience. The restaurants and food are top quality and some of the best dining experiences we have ever had. Claudio and Luciana, congratulations to you and your team, we will be back! Andrea & Terence :-)

We had the most amazing holiday courtesy of the staff and management at Kandholu Island. We had no idea what to expect, but were blown away by the friendliness and expertise of everyone on the island. Truly a Paradise!! Thank you Kandholu and to everyone who works there, especially Elvira, Estella, Ameen, Sharif, Gayan and Nameen in the restaurants and bar. And to Claudio and Luciana for making us feel so welcome!! But everyone is great!! David and Anne [Mary]

Our stay at Kandolhu was absolutely amazing! From the moment we arrived, everything felt so peaceful and welcoming. The island itself is a lush, tranquil paradise surrounded by pristine waters and vibrant marine life. Our villa was perfect, with stunning ocean views and every little detail taken care of. It felt luxurious but still super cozy. The staff made sure we had everything we needed and went out of their way to make us feel special. The food was a highlight for us, there’s a great mix of options, and every meal was delicious. During our stay, my wife and I treated ourselves to a spa session, and it was one of the best decisions we made! From the moment we walked in, the calming ambiance set the tone. After the massage, they gave us some herbal tea, and we just sat there enjoying the calm atmosphere. We left feeling so relaxed and refreshed. Kandolhu is the perfect getaway for anyone looking for peace and relaxation. It’s the kind of place where you can truly unwind and leave all your stress behind.

This review is very, very overdue but I spent six nights at Kandolhu in March 2024. I booked the resort looking for outstanding snorkeling, a super quiet and naturally beautiful island, and excellent food/bungalows (yep, I was looking for it all). Overall, I was thrilled with my stay and look forward to returning, although I would book a bungalow other than the beach bungalow in the future. SNORKELING Yes! This island absolutely lives up to its reputation as having one of the best house reefs in the Maldives. There are two very easy access points from the jetties, with stairs so that you can just sit and then slide into the water; the arrival jetty also had a case of towels for you to use when you got out. Honestly, even if I had gone no further ever than the arrival jetty, I would have been thrilled. There were large schools of bait fish, nurse sharks, black tip sharks, and turtles right there. In fact, the very first morning when I got in, I swam maybe fifteen feet out from the steps in and a large nurse shark headed directly under me for the shade of the arrival pier. Being a solo snorkeler who is not the most physically fit of human beings, I mostly snorkeled between the arrival and service jetties; I did do the snorkel-around-the-island that is included with the Premium AI package and we snorkeled about 80% of the island, which was fabulous (unfortunately I couldn’t quite make it around the point due to the current and my physical abilities). There are so many anemones, beautiful coral formations, and sharks. Multiple times I saw lion fish underneath the service jetty, which also has the most gorgeous coral formations right by the step into the ocean. This is definitely a place where you did not have to be an Olympic-caliber swimmer to enjoy the snorkeling. An unexpected bonus, for me, was that when it was low tide, walking around the water’s edge was like looking into an aquarium. Just be aware that there can be currents at certain times of day, particularly on the “points”—and if it gets too strong, just turn around and you will go flying back to multiple exit points. THE ISLAND Kandolhu is a super pretty island. I was able to walk around it by the beach if I timed it correctly with the tides in about 10-12 minutes at a slow pace. It’s not big, but it is beautiful. The interior is lush and jungle-like. There are loads of herons, crabs, and juvenile sharks in the shallows. They strongly encourage you to ditch your shoes on arrival, and the sand here is very conducive to that. I encountered no mosquitoes, although there was an overly friendly millipede in my outdoor shower that simply refused to believe that I did not wish to be friends, nor did I want it to crawl up my leg. BEACH VILLA I booked and received a beach villa (111). The bungalow has a truly comfortable outdoor seating area that is covered and has a partial sea view; there is really no additional seating area inside other than the bed (there is a desk chair but I’m a lounger s