Have you ever wondered where all the sports stars go on holiday? With all their money and superstar lifestyles, what kind of resorts are they jetting off to when they’re not entertaining us all?
One place to get to know is Kandima in the Maldives, a resort that has had several footballers and other athletes visit since it opened in 2017.
In fact, Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella is among the names set to take his family to the island later this year following the likes of Man City’s Ederson and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez to name a few.
Several Premier League stars past and present have escaped to Kandima and it made Mail Sport think; what is it about this burgeoning hotel?
We went to see for ourselves just before Easter to give you the low-down:
You never get tired of looking at the clear waters – it’s what you imagine paradise looks like
A breathtaking look at the Aqua Villas that are the cornerstone of the resort
Accommodation
Aqua Villa
If you’ve ever seen any images or videos of the Maldives you’ll know the signature of the little islands is the clear, turquoise water that looks too good to be true.
Well, you’re surrounded by it immediately once you arrive at the resort and they’ve smartly curated their stay options to look as dreamy as humanly possible. Seriously, the jealously over the pictures we took was next level.
Our first three nights we stayed in the Aquas Villas that are stationed on a docking directly over the green sea. We had a decking area that featured a swirl pool (it’s essentially a jacuzzi but not hot) and some steps that led down into the ocean.
I had my two daughters with me and they loved jumping down into the sea. It’s shallow and clear enough that you can see the bottom, but deep enough the kids need their arm bands or lifejackets, the latter of which are provided in your room.
A view from our own personal dock. The sea level is just deep enough to jump in!
An inside look at the Aqua Villa complete with swirl pool
The colour of the sea and the views around the Aqua Villas speak for themselves
You’ll also find black tip tiger sharks (baby sharks, really) darting around in the water along with sting rays and a host of other fish swimming right up to the shore. The wildlife on the island is really special; full grown mud crabs joined us by the pool and when we ate our dinner on the beach – it’s very normal!
The Aqua Villas have a double bed and then a sofa bed at the foot of the bed to accommodate up to four people. There is also a bathroom that overlooks the sea with a wall-sized window so you can do your business or have a bath/shower while drinking in the intoxicating views.
There are TVs in the room, fridges that are re-stocked daily and the sweet, sweet air conditioning you will need to survive. It was the exact same temperature at night as it was during the day! But, that does make the sea a lovely temperature to enjoy.
Sunrise Villa
We spent our final three days in the Sunrise Villa and that is the definition of luxury. The novelty of the Aqua Villas and it’s surroundings are special, but when you walk out the front of this villa, you’re met with your own pool that’s draped in shade from all the surrounding palm trees and a sandy path straight down to the beach front and that gorgeous water.
In the garden, it’s an outdoor bathroom. Full sink and mirror with a bath tub stationed in the middle of the sheltered outside and two showers; one under the roof, one on the outside next to a daybed and another swirl pool. Truly spoilt for choice.
Inside, it’s nearly identical to the Aqua Villa but a lot bigger. The sofa bed is noticeably larger just like the outside spaces, too.
A nice, modern interior for the villas is consistent throughout, they just vary in size
The sunrise villa had the perfect balance of privacy and access with jaw-dropping views
The personal pool was the perfect size for my children both in length and depth. The island was essentially 30 degrees all day and night while we were there, so we certainly enjoyed the opportunity to cool down at night and have a shaded place to swim in the day.
The wildlife continues at this end of the island too with dozens of hermit crabs. They don’t pinch – they had plenty of chances to do so when my kids were picking them up!
What is there to do?
You could easily go to this island and stay in your accommodation – that’s what most resorts in the Maldives is about. Amazing views and total relaxation. Kandima has that covered, but it offers a hell of a lot more during your stay.
Naturally, they have plenty of activities on the water ran through Aquaholics, a centre found at the end of the island by the Sunrise Villas and reception.
We did the turtle quest and was lucky enough to see the animal in action while snorkelling and we also jet skied out to nearby islands as we skipped over the clear blue sea. Islands that Kandima owns and plans to build on, we’re told.
The spa makes the most of it’s tranquil surroundings as my partner and I were treated to a 60-minute full body massage in an open cabana as the sea danced against the nearby rocks and the wildlife sang. It truly felt like being transported to another world and I’m not really one for sitting still!
My partner, Sharna, praised the spa as the best activity of the trip: ‘The attention we were given from the moment we arrived felt like the premium service you’d hope. The surroundings combined with the massage itself was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.’
Not many people imagine a luxurious holiday in the Maldives to feature a go-kart track
There’s a whole menu of things to do with Aquaholics, but we opted for the jet-skis!
There are two main swimming pools. A 100-metre pool next to reception serves as the longest on all the Maldives islands, apparently. At the other end of the resort is a smaller pool complete with a swim-up bar and much sought-after cabanas.
There is a go-kart track that my daughter and I tried out. It has only opened in the past year and is constructed to a very high standard.
It’s a fun little track that luckily wasn’t too challenging for my daughter. The employees offer very cool prizes for the winners of the races, too.
The quality of work of at the esKape Spa is brilliant, but the setting is other worldly
The art studio doesn’t seem like something you’d jump to do, but the head artist is a miracle worker!
Down towards the Aqua Villa end of the island, there is a shop and if you look closely, a bush-like walkthrough that leads to a green lagoon and an art studio. The in-house artist helps you create something from scratch you can take away and as a self-confessed terrible drawer, it should speak volumes for how good she is she managed to help us leave with some pieces we’d genuinely hang in our house!
Elsewhere there are full and pristinely maintained tennis and badminton courts as well as a full-size football pitch. I have to be honest; I couldn’t think of much worse in that heat! But we’re told the employees on the island often play those who stay later at night when the sun is down and it’s very popular. Man City’s Ederson has been spotted playing there before.
Kids club
Kandiland is where parents can drop their little ones off if they want a break or have some plans for quality time. We made use of the facility when we had our spa treatments and our children were very happy we did.
First of all, the lady who runs the centre is excellent. Both of my kids remarked how much fun she was and how nice she was to them. I found her warm and reassuring when I dropped them there – a very good start.
Kandiland has plenty of activities both indoors and out for the children to enjoy
They have activities going on in there at various times so it depends when you drop them what they get to do, but ours were able to enjoy the spacious splash park outside and create some art and watch a movie while inside.
At other times, kids will play computer games and take part in hunts and various other in-house games. The vibe is a good one.
Food and drink
As you’ve guessed by now, the layout of the island means you have different restaurants and pools at different ends of it. If you want to go to the other end it will be a challenge in the heat or on the readily available bikes, but a shuttle bus does come by every 15 minutes or in most cases, less.
At each end there are buffet style restaurants, Flavour and Zest. The breakfast selection is vast and very impressive. It’s cooked to a premium standard and there is an egg station where the chefs will cook them for you however you want. I was very happy to get up and go to breakfast each day – was no chore for me!
At dinner time, that turns into a pasta station where once again, you can make your requests. The variety from lunch to dinner is smaller, but what is on offer is done well with a range of meats as the headline acts.
Kandima has plenty of scenic spots to enjoy your meals and make full use of the beach
The buffet restaurants really excel at breakfast. Lunch and dinner are quite similar each day
Water is brought to your table for when you sit down but fizzy drinks are readily available too. Alcoholic drinks can be ordered.
The star restaurant on the island is Smoked, a grill specialist with dining right on the beach and some of the best steak you’ll ever taste. My daughter and I had a T-bone steak that might actually be the best I’ve ever had, even better than the wagyu. Props to the chef in that place.
Azure is a close second in terms of quality. They also do steaks, but also incorporate Italian food with pastas, spaghetti and so on. We enjoyed a special dinner on the beach under the stars all by ourselves that, once again, does a great job of taking you far away from the ordinary.
A dreamy dining experience available at Azure – my family loved it
The steak on the island was exceptional, but this T-bone steak is must-have!
Sea Dragon is a more oriental style restaurant with a mixture of sea food, Thai and Chinese dishes. The ambience is nice and aesthetics are impressive, but our children weren’t fans of the menu so we stayed away. Plenty of families on the island gave us good reviews, though.
And finally, if you’re a late-night snack fiend like myself, The Deli is Kandima’s one-stop shop on the island where you can pick up things like Pringles and chocolate to keep in your room. Several visits were paid there.
What’s coming?
Kandima has grand plans to keep expanding their resort be it on the same island or, eventually, on the neighbouring few.
The first arrival is imminent – PlaySpace. Guests will be able to play VR gaming, take part in escape rooms or party the night away in karaoke rooms in this multi-entertainment complex.
The building will also have a bowling alley and a range or arcade games to give families something to do day or night.
There is also plans for a zip line to be built on the island. Given the stunning views on offer there, one has to imagine that is a breathtaking prospect.
Travel
Everyone has to travel into Male and that’s where you will be greeted by one of the Kandima team who help you navigate the domestic part of your trip. If you’re a high roller – like many of the sport stars who visit are – you will get a sea plane that will take you right up to the resort on the luscious water.
If you’re like us, the not-too-shabby alternative is taking a 30-minute domestic flight to the fleet of islands Kandima resides on and then getting a 20 minute boat ride to the resort.
The owners of Kandima also own the second airport you arrive at and the airline you use, Manta Air. So it all runs very smooth and exclusively.
To get to Male, we opted to fly with Emirates via Dubai. There are direct options, but when you have two young children it helped us to break it up and fly with a quality airline.
We had plenty of room and comfort in Emirates’ economy class
ICE is Emirates’ in-flight entertainment system which even features live TV
The children were blown away with Emirates in-flight entertainment service, ICE. It has a litany of movies, TV and games for everyone to enjoy and it even has live TV with a dedicated sports channel that I thoroughly enjoyed. Not everyone has that.
You’d expect flying with Emirates to be of a certain level but they managed to exceed our expectations. The customer service was a big part of that; when my daughter couldn’t work out how to get out of the toilet and got herself upset, one stewardess, Hibad, took great care in helping her and calming her down, right the way up until we exited the flight. We were very grateful for her sincere care.
The food options were well done and vast enough to suit all of our tastes. The benefit of spending time in the Emirates lounge at Dubai airport on the way back was a game-changer, too.
Gourmet meals are on buffet just across from a separate eatery dedicated to smaller bites both hot and cold. There’s a very basic kids play area, but the smoking room and areas where we could watch TV in comfort while we waited were exceptional.
Although I didn’t use them, there was also shower rooms and a spa on site. There is also a quiet area with chairs that recline as inviting beds for those longer layovers.
The hours frittered away at the lounge as we watched Arsenal take on Real Madrid
Emirates business class lounge in Dubai has just about everything you can think of
Other notes
There was some confusion over what board we were staying in. Most times when you go abroad and stay all inclusive you expect that all drinks and food at whatever time is included. That was not the case here.
Drinks at the swim-up pool, food and drinks at the bar by the other pool are not included. There is a tippy-top board where all of that is included, but careful if you don’t have that. It’s extremely hot there and to go from lunch at about 1pm to dinner at about 7pm without food and drink is tough.
A full-size, supremely maintained football pitch resides on the island for the stars to stay sharp
Man City star Ederson couldn’t resist playing on the Kandima pitch
The Man City goalkeeper in action on the island
The lagoon is available to take a pedalo on and it’s right behind the art studio
Kandima does also offer takeaway or room delivery options, but they cost as well.
They have their own medical facility on the island. My daughter was quite sick on day two of our stay and they very promptly called us to stay on top of it – that was nice.
The beach is stunning to look at, but it is a full of dead coral when you walk into the water. It’s really no big deal, but do think of water shoes for the children.
During your stay you are assigned a helper that you can message throughout. This makes booking a restaurant or an activity much, much easier than it usually would and is really helpful in the early days of your stay. There is also a ‘buddy’ you can message on their app, those ours did not answer when we requested breakfast (our real life helper did though, so no problem).
Another thought from my partner: It’s not the most well-lit resort at night. Around the aqua villas and if you have the legs to walk the island’s main road (of sorts) at night, you will probably need your phone’s flashlight.
The TVs in your room have a basic selection of movies to choose from and not much else. Kandima say they are making changes to that shortly and talks are ongoing. Of course you don’t sit around and watch TV much!
My only other hang-up on that would be there is no sports bar of any kind on the island where you can sit and enjoy some action with some drinks. Maybe the sports stars who visit like that little detachment? Either way, the option would be nice.
They do have fun stuff going on at the bar by reception at night and my kids loved the fire breathing, neon disco and limbo competition.
Overall
It’s easy to see why the stars are flocking to Kandima. The fact that the resort is hellbent on providing the most options of any resort in the region is a real unique sales point and it does make for the perfect family holiday in a destination where most people think it’s just romantic getaways.
Even if they didn’t do all of that, the scenery is just out of this world. You will feel like you’ve been transported to paradise. That’s not hyperbole at all. For that reason alone it would be worth visiting.
The resort is only eight years old and with the location virtually impossible to rival, Kandima is determined to make it a resort that literally has everything you could ever want. You can have the traditional dreamy Maldives holiday, but they also give you the option to have so much more.
Fancy trying Kandima out?
• Studios staying up to 4 pax from £228/night on FB and £276/night on Dine Around All Inclusive
• Villas staying up to 4 pax from £310/night on FB, £359/night on Dine Around All Inclusive
