Kandima

We visited Kandima as a family of four, with two children aged 12 and 6, at the end of August and it was quite simply the most amazing holiday we've ever had. It was special in so many ways. We are restricted to school holiday travel dates and we initially had concerns about visiting during the Maldives so-called "rainy season". If you're in the same position, please don't let that put you off. During our stay, it rained briefly for around five minutes one afternoon before the blue skies returned almost immediately. We also had one heavy downpour, but that was in the middle of the night while we were asleep. The weather was fantastic and certainly didn't impact our holiday in any way. One of the biggest myths about the Maldives is that there's nothing to do. Kandima is the complete opposite. From the moment we arrived, there was always something happening, whether it was water sports, activities for the children, family entertainment, excursions or simply enjoying the stunning surroundings. We genuinely wished we had longer! The range of activities was incredible and completely changed our perception of what a Kandima Maldives holiday can be. We enjoyed a dolphin cruise (sadly no dolphins on our trip, but that's the reality of seeing wild animals in their natural habitat), jet skis, paddleboarding, glass kayaking, reef snorkelling and even football, which was a particular highlight for our son. One of our favourite memories was taking part in an art class together as a family of four. The amazing thing is that we still didn't have time to do everything. There's a fantastic entertainment complex with bowling, VR headsets and breakout rooms, and yes, unbelievably, there's even a karting track on the island. A karting track in the Maldives! If anyone thinks there's nothing to do in the Maldives, Kandima proves them completely wrong! This is a special island. The food and drinks were another huge highlight of the holiday! There was an excellent variety throughout our stay (we went for the all-inclusive package) and we were genuinely impressed by the quality of both the food and the premium drinks included in our package. We enjoyed meals at three of the à la carte restaurants, each offering something completely different. Smoked served fantastic steaks and fresh seafood, Sea Dragon delivered Asian-inspired flavours and Azure offered Mediterranean dishes in a stunning setting. All super fresh! For day-to-day dining, Flavour and Zest provided buffet-style options with a big choice of freshly prepared dishes, meaning there was always something new to try. As a family with children aged 12 and 6, everyone found plenty they loved, which is not always easy to achieve on holiday! We spent seven nights in an Overwater Villa and it was every bit as special as we had imagined. Waking up each morning to nothing but turquoise water and endless ocean views was incredible. The villa itself was beautiful, spotlessly clean and came with a fully stocked minibar, while the bathroom was simply stunning. Relaxing in the huge bath while looking out across the ocean is an experience we'll never forget. One of the most amazing parts was the wildlife right beneath our villa. Every day we saw countless colourful fish, baby reef sharks, stingrays and even a manta ray. In a twist of fate, despite not seeing any dolphins on our dolphin cruise, we were lucky enough to spot dolphins swimming near our villa instead! It felt like living in an aquarium and was something our children talked about constantly. The overwater villa alone made the trip feel truly magical. Whilst staying at Kandima we celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary by renewing vows in private followed by a photoshoot with the onsite SNAP team - both our photographers were absolutely incredible so kind and guided us perfectly leaving us with the most gorgeous images to treasure forever. The island itself is breathtaking, the facilities are exceptional and every member of staff made us feel welcome and looked after throughout our stay. Our children loved every minute and there was the perfect balance of fun, relaxation and adventure for all ages. I think it is important we mention some staff. I want to start by saying we had no negative interactions with any staff on the island but these stood out. • Sunny at Flavour Bar, who kept our daughter entertained all week with playful teasing, jokes and plenty of laughs. She always looked forward to seeing him. We also have to mention Shelton, whose magic tricks amazed all of us. • Rasel at Breeze Bar, who was incredibly welcoming from day one. He served my wife her very first cocktail of the trip, fittingly called a "Kay", and from that moment on made us feel completely at home. • Nazeem in The Deli. Whether it was a beautiful coffee to start the day or an ice cream treat for the children, he was always so kind, friendly and welcoming. • Sandeep and Sid at The Beach Club. These two are an absolute credit to Kandima. Every interaction with them was filled with humour, warmth and genuine kindness. We ended up going back to the Beach Club to relax because of them to be honest! • DJ Akram, who was simply class. Every evening he created a fantastic atmosphere with music that genuinely had something for everyone. • Josh and Stella, who ran the football sessions. Our son absolutely loved taking part and looked forward to it. From the very first session, they made him feel welcome and part of the group. They created a brilliant atmosphere that was fun, inclusive and competitive in all the right ways. • Everyone at Aquaholics. The team there were fantastic throughout our stay, always friendly, professional and focused on making sure everyone had a great experience. Whether it was paddleboarding, glass kayaking, snorkelling or any of the other water activities, they made everything easy and enjoyable. A special mention has to go to the team running the jet skis, which ended up being one of the highlights of our holiday. • Family art class with Zima. The session was outstanding from start to finish and became one of the most special memories of our holiday. Zima was amazing with the children, full of encouragement, creativity and patience and somehow managed to show the same patience with me too! By the end of the session, we each had our own painting to take home, giving us four unique souvenirs that will soon be hanging on our walls. Last, but certainly not least, we would like to thank Dermot. I first met him while playing football and immediately found him to be incredibly friendly and approachable. We chatted a few times during our stay and even saw him around the restaurants, never once realising that he actually worked on the island. It wasn't until a conversation on our final evening that we discovered he was the General Manager of Kandima. To us, that says everything about the culture he has created. Dermot was humble, genuine, kind and completely down to earth. There was no sense of hierarchy, just someone who clearly loves what he does and genuinely cares about the experience guests have. The atmosphere, service and people throughout Kandima are a reflection of that leadership. What he and his team have created is something truly special. We are incredibly grateful for the memories, friendships and experiences we leave with, and while we arrived thinking this would be a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, we are already trying to work out how we can come back. Before we came, we described this as a once-in-a-lifetime trip celebrating our 10th Wedding Anniversary. Now that we've experienced Kandima, we've completely changed our minds. We absolutely have to find a way to come back to the Maldvies one day! BUT back to Kandima! We still have so much more to do! Thank you to everyone at Kandima for memories that our family will treasure forever x

Location is amazing! The atmosphere was incredible from the late night entertainment to the everyday lively greetings from staff. The rooms were beautiful and spacious, comfortable, had views of the ocean and felt like absolute paradise. Good value for money. Very clean resort. Very peaceful and noise levels were good! The amenities were fantastic. We definitely used the gym, yoga studio and beach bars the absolute most. We thank Jo the trainer for keeping us so active on holiday whilst still enjoying things we don’t usually get at home. Running across the whole island, sunset stretching on the beach and high intensity workouts facing a beautiful ocean view were definitely some of our biggest highlights. I recommend these sessions to all people because they are fun ways to keep your body moving on holiday whilst still enjoying the beach environment… plus keeps you looking good in your bikini 😉🤣🤗. Thank you Kandima and thank you Jo the trainer.

The experience is wonderful the food an also the staf sunny, zain , lia is fentastic .we perfect holiday in one of the greatest resorts in maldives .

Freeze bar saved our vacation)))

We had a amazing time in Kandima the place is like a paradise. Our room service was great! The man Naail who did our room was brilliant very kind .We definitely looking forward to come back!