Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives Guide

A complete guide of Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma in the Maldives. From the hotel rooms, restaurants, facilities, pools and beach - we reviewed every aspect of the resort. Find out if you should stay at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma.

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12 min read

Relaxing at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives

When you think about the alluring Maldives, chances are you’re imagining azure, crystal blue waters flowing calmly as you take a walk around your water bungalow in the middle of the beautiful Indian Ocean.

Without a doubt, the Maldives is breathtaking, and worth every bit of praise as one of the world’s top island destinations.  But staying in paradise doesn’t come without a price tag. To lounge around in one of these tropical atolls, you’ll need to either stay at a resort, or on a local island.

The Maldives is world-renowned for its crystal blue waters

The local island experience is a great up-and-coming way to get a taste of a destination that was once off limits to budget travellers, but this sort of trip is a different ball game altogether.

Can Luxury on a budget be achieved in the Maldives?

What if you wanted all-in meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner sorted, a selection of restaurants, day trip opportunities, a gym and your room neatly made up, with a modest price tag? The Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives seems to tap into this niche, promising maximum comfort while keeping the budget relatively at bay. Is it worth staying here? I hear you ask.

Well, we stayed at the resort for 7 days, and have summarised our findings right here to make your decision that much easier. Read on to find out what we thought!

Note: The Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma is also commonly referred to as the Kandooma Resort or Holiday Inn Kandooma.

So did luxury on a budget live up to our expectations? Well, let’s break it down!

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Rooms

Garden villas, beach villas, beach houses, overwater villas – what’s your choice?

The Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma has a range of accommodation options to suit your budget and comfortability needs.

We stayed at the beach house, which perfectly accommodated to our needs. Our room was spacious, vibrantly decorated with the colours of the ocean, and cleaned frequently.

The rooms at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma were spacious and gorgeously decorated

The bathroom area was great, with plenty of room to dry your wet clothes off.

Overall, we couldn’t complain about our room. While we wouldn’t classify it as ‘luxury’, it was certainly clean, immaculately decorated, comfortable and had plenty of room.

If you had a bit more cash to splurge, you could check out the overwater villas. Described as being ‘perched over translucent, cerulean waters’, the overwater villa allows you to wake up to stunning ocean views. Equipped with a private sundeck, overwater hammock and a huge bathtub, this is Kandooma’s equivalent to the famous overwater bungalows of the Maldives that you probably would have seen on Instagram at some point.

Holiday Inn Maldives Water Villa

While we no doubt would have loved to stay at a water villa, we’re saving up to stay at a ‘classic’ overwater bungalow with a straw roof and wooden exterior.

The overwater villas overlooking the blue waters was definitely a picturesque sight

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Food and Dining

A few dining options await you at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma.

For a casual, laid-back vibe, the poolside Bokkuraa Coffee Club is an affordable option for your everyday meal. The Kandooma Café is slightly fancier, and is an all-day dining buffet restaurant with a large selection of international and local cuisine.

Bokkuraa Coffee Club was the resort’s most affordable and laid-back option

For some fancier fine dining, The Kitchen is a good option for a more romantic atmosphere. Of course, the food here is a little more expensive.

The Kitchen was the resort’s finest restaurant

If you’re looking for a drink, Kandooma has a variety of bars including the Lounge Bar, Sunset Deck, BAR-aveli, and the Bokkuraa Pool Bar.

Themed nights are also a common occurrence, which can be a festive way to celberate your stay in the Maldives.

Overall, the food was good. We did get a little tired of having to choose from the same menu frequently at the Bokkuraa Coffee Club (we were trying to save money – it was the least expensive option there!), but the food wasn’t bad at all.

The buffet breakfast at Kandooma Café was amazing – there was such a wide selection of different treats on show, and we stuffed our bellies to the brim during these mornings.

We ate at The Kitchen only once and it was by far our best meal at the resort. The food here was super tasty. Of course, expect to pay fine dining prices when eating here.

The Kitchen was our favourite restaurant and it helped that it had amazing views

Although most of the time we ate at the Bokkuraa Coffee Club to save money, we would recommend you actually pack some snacks before you arrive at the resort.

The restaurants all close either at 10pm or 10:30pm, and the in-room dining is only available until 11:30pm. Luckily, we packed some instant noodles and other goodies just in case we were feeling hungry, which actually saved us a few times.

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Staff

The staff were extremely friendly at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma. Upon check in, we received a welcome drink and cool towel. The check in process was seamless, and when everything was ready, we took off in the resort buggy to be taken to our room without needing to walk in the heat.

You can use the buggy at any time to get to anywhere you want on the island. While the island is completely walkable from any point, it does get hot in the Maldives so you may want to utilise this perk. To request a buggy ride, just call the reception from your room and they’ll be at your doorstep in no time.

All the staff at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma were exceptionally friendly

Kandooma’s staff was full of diversity, coming from all over the globe. During our stay we met individuals from Russia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Philippines, France, Australia and more. From the waiters to the tour staff, everyone was always keen for a chat and willing to help.

We couldn’t speak more highly of the staff. If you choose to stay at Kandooma, we know you’ll feel the same way about its lively staff members.

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Activities and Facilities

The resort offers plenty of activities to keep you from being bored in paradise. We’ll discuss some of the activities and facilities that you can check out during your stay.

Pool

Kandooma’s infinity pool is wide, multi-tiered and very pretty indeed. It is right in front of the resort’s main café.

Kandooma’s pool was coloured refreshing blue

The pool was located in front of the café, making it conveniently available for a dip after breakfast or lunch

Kandooma’s swimming pool was multi-tiered and perfect for all swimmers

Spa

Kandooma Spa by Como Shambhala is open from 9am to 9pm.

Wellness was definitely something Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma contemplated with its spa facilities

Along with spa facilities, there were also plenty of day beds to just relax on

While we didn’t try out the spa services, we found the resort very relaxing

Gym and other wellness

Kandooma has a spacious gym with most of the usual gym equipment you can find at your local gym. We utilised this every day. The gym was usually empty as well - what a bonus!

The resort also hosts frequent yoga sessions and other exercises around the atoll.

Kandooma’s gym was spacious and had all the necessary gym equipment for a good workout

Stand-up-paddle boarding, kayaking, Zumba classes and other activities are also available. Most of the time, these activities are complimentary too.

Complimentary kayaking was available on the resort

Gift store

If you’re keen to do a bit of souvenir shopping, the gift store can be found near the check-in area. We found that most of the souvenirs were actually cheaper on the resort than on the neighbouring local island of Maafushi.

The gift store had a nice selection of souvenirs for shoppers to purchase

Kids

If you’re planning on bringing the family, you’ll be pleased to know that Kandooma houses the Kandoo Kids Club – a sanctuary for kids that features a library, an arts & crafts area, gaming zone and an outdoor splash pool. Babysitting services are also available upon prior request.

Day Trips

The excursion desk offers a plethora of activities to keep you busy if you’re the sightseeing kind. Some excursions on offer include a wreck safari, sunset cruise, dolphin cruise, whale shark snorkelling, turtle point snorkelling, fishing, catamaran cruises and visits to other islands.

The resort had a range of day trips available

They also offered us a free snorkelling trip every morning, which was such a great added bonus.

The resort staff took guests out on a speedboat every morning for a complimentary snorkelling tour

During our stay, we did the following activities:

• Turtle point Snorkelling

• Dolphin cruise

• Day trip to Guraidhoo Island

• Day trip to Maafushi Island and sandbar via private speedboat

• Banana boat ride

• Complimentary snorkelling tour every morning

We absolutely loved the turtle point snorkelling. It was a surreal experience swimming in the beautiful turquoise waters of the Maldives alongside these majestic turtles. The dolphin cruise was also fantastic – we got to see so many dolphins during our trip.

The dolphin cruise was such a fun way to see dolphins swimming about

We saw so many dolphins on our dolphin cruise!

The day trips to the neighbouring islands were fun, but rather underwhelming. Although it was interesting to see the way locals lived in the Maldivian islands, there wasn’t an awful lot to do on the islands except have a general walk around. Guraidhoo, which is only about a 5-10 minute boat ride away, is a truly local island with very little tourist development. Maafushi was a bit more of a touristy island than expected with numerous tour providers, hotels and souvenir shops.

The Guraidhoo tour took us through a neighbouring island

Colourful Guraidhoo buildings

The banana boat ride and complimentary snorkeling tours were fun and enjoyable as well – we found that the latter was such good value considering that it was free. We got to see many colourful fish and coral, and it wasn’t all too bad waking up to those clear blue waters either!

One our most memorable trips was taking the speedboat out to visit a private sandbank during sunset

Our trip was filled with adventures for days

Surfing

One of the resort’s beaches is a ‘surf beach’, where the waves are more wild than the resort’s main beach. This beach is perfect for surfers to catch a break.

Most of the beaches on the resort were calm, and suitable for swimming, but others were more suited for surfing

There were also a few viewpoints that provided for a nice scenic surprise

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Beaches

The resort has many beaches, as the whole atoll is practically surrounded by the calm waters of the Maldives.

The main beach was a bit small, but beautiful nonetheless

Kandooma’s main beach was compact but blaringly turqouise

We thought the main beach (which is just in front of the infinity pool) was a bit small. Still, the water was as blaringly turquoise as the pictures we had seen of the Maldives on Instagram. We were happy to witness the classic blue, turquoise waters of the Maldives. No filter needed here!

The beaches on the resort were splendid

We were told we could only fly our drones from the jetty area to protect the resort guests’ privacy. We still took some cool drone shots from there. The resort look magnificent from up above.

There was a limited area to fly our drone, but we still came out with some great shots

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma from above

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Access

Kandooma is easy to access. While some other resorts require a long boat ride or seaplane flight, Holiday Inn runs a convenient speed boat service that will be ready to pick you up if you book beforehand with the resort.

The speedboat is a fun 45-minute ride and a quick way to get acquainted with the lovely blue waters that you’ll be seeing for the rest of your trip.

Access to Kandooma resort is a short 45-minute speedboat ride from the airport

We visited in December 2017, and prices for the return transfer were as follows:

• Adults: USD 229 nett per adult for a return transfer from the international airport.

• Children: USD 139 nett per adult for a return transfer from the international airport.

Note: On Booking.com and other sites, prices are listed as “Adult: USD 149 per adult round trip, inclusive of all taxes, Child (2 -1 2 years): USD 90 per child round trip, inclusive of all taxes”. However, when attempting to book, the ‘airport shuttle fee’ is closer to the Decemer 2017 prices - so it may be wise to double check prices by calling the resort.

While the prices are a little steep, we recommend you book the transfers anyway as finding your own transportation to the resort can be tricky.

The speedboat ride takes you from the airport straight to the resort’s jetty

Public Ferry From Male to Kandooma

If you’re hellbent on saving money, an alternative way is to take the public ferry. To get to the resort, you’ll need to take:

• The public ferry from Velana International Airport to Male. You can buy the ferry ticket from the ferry ticket counter outside the airport for 10 Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR), which is less than 1 USD.

• From Male, take the public ferry from Male (Villingili Ferry Terminal) to Guraidhoo. Guraidhoo is a neighbouring island, about 100m from the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma. Take note that there is only one ferry a day for this route, departing from Male at 2:30pm, and departing at 7:00am from Guraidhoo for your return. The ride takes approximately 2 hours and costs 30 MVR (about 2 USD per person). The ferry does not run on Fridays.

• From Guraidhoo, book a transfer from Guraidhoo to Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma. The price of this transfer is currently not listed on the resort’s website, so you should call them to confirm how much this will cost you. When we inquired back in December 2017, the price was around 50 USD per person one way (around 100 USD return).

Alternatively, you can book a speedboat ferry from Male to Guraidhoo which takes about 40 mins and 30 USD per person. The speedboat runs about 3 times per day.

As you can see, while you may be saving about 126 USD on transport costs, the hassle in the end might not be worth it, so think carefully if you want to go the public ferry route.

The public ferry route is made even more hassling if your flight lands after the departure time for the ferry from Male to Guraidhoo, as it only leaves once a day at 2:30pm. If you miss it, you will have to sleep overnight at Male.

Affordability

A standard room (beach villa) at Kandooma comes in at around 210 AUD (147 USD) if you book early in advance, not including taxes and charges, while an overwater villa can be priced as low as 485 AUD (342 USD) if you’re lucky.

However, depending on when you book, they can also be priced as high as 1,330 AUD (937 USD). Prices are rates per night, without breakfast.

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Holiday Inn Kandooma Resort Maldives Pro’s and Cons

Pro’s

• Amazing, hospitable staff

• Relatively affordable compared to other resorts in the Maldives

• Picturesque pool area

• Plenty of activities to keep you busy

• You get those striking blue waters without paying a fortune

Cons

• Activities can be on the expensive side

• Difficult to access if not taking the resort transfer

• Dining options can get repetitive

• Main beach is nice, but slightly underwhelming

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Final Verdict - Should you stay at the Holiday Inn Kandooma Resort?

We explored the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma’s grounds for 7 days. What was our final verdict?

Overall, the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma is a suitable option for those seeking to enjoy the resort experience without breaking the bank. It’s important to set your expectations realistically. Just like the old saying goes: you get what you pay for.

As the resort is more on the mid-range scale, don’t be expecting ultimate luxury. Nonetheless, we had a highly enjoyable stay.

We were happy to have travelled to the Maldives in our early 20’s as working travellers, and got to enjoy the comfort that the resort experience brings. We have the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma to thank for that.

Ready to book a room at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma? Click here.

Note: This is not a sponsored post, and anything written is our true and honest opinion.

Visited, or planning to visit the Maldives? Let us know in the comments below!