Kandiland
In the resort’s words one of the largest kids’ clubs in the Maldives, with a splash zone and qualified, multilingual carers (experiences). It takes children from 6 months to 12 years; under 4 a parent or a babysitter must stay (Kandiland).
Kandima Maldives
Kandima Maldives, in the Maldives’ Dhaalu Atoll: 270 studios and villas, 10 restaurants and bars, 40 minutes by seaplane from Malé.
A week here, month by monthKandima suits families and groups who want an island full of things to do, with prices from $202 a night for 2 adults, the lowest any seller showed on Google for one night taken alone. Anyone who wants to swim to the reef from the beach may prefer another island.
Kandima Maldives all inclusive: what it covers and what it leaves out Official siteDoes it suit you?
5 pairs of hotels, and the guide tells you whether this one suits you.Like a regular
The suite for a family
With children I would ask for a 2 Bedroom Family Sky Suite: 2 Sky Studios joined by a lounge, up to 8 adults, which the resort presents as the choice for families or friends who want to stay close together.
The weeks that cost less
The calendar read on 12 October 2026 shows 7 nights at $238 each for 1–7 December 2026, one night taken alone. Booked together as 7 nights from 16 November 2026, the lowest seller asked $307 a night.
On top of the rate
Transfers are paid on top: $675 per adult by seaplane, round trip, until 10 January 2027 and $725 after, or $414 per adult by domestic flight in Comfort Class. Offer rates are subject to government taxes and service charges.
Free reef trips from HQ
Six free snorkelling trips to the house reef leave daily from HQ, the front office, at 9am, 10am and 11am, and at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm; they are unguided and come with the bed-and-breakfast plan.
What Kandima is
Kandima opened in 2017 (Visit Maldives) on the largest island in Dhaalu Atoll, according to Booking.com (Booking.com), and is run by Pulse Hotels & Resorts (official site). It has 270 studios and villas, from 55 m² Beach Studios to overwater villas with pools; on the north side of the island stand the Coral Residences, 40 private apartments that use the resort’s services (official site).
There are 10 restaurants and bars (restaurants): Flavour and Zest, the buffets with open kitchens and a children’s corner (Flavour and Zest); Azure on the beach, Mediterranean; Smoked, the grill with its smoker; Sea Dragon, the signature restaurant; Aroma, the café above a small lake (Aroma). Breeze Pool Bar has live music and DJs from 10am to midnight (Breeze).
For children there is Kandiland, from 6 months to 12 years, with a splash zone (experiences); for everyone, PlaySpace with virtual reality, the Fast Track go-karts, the BURN gym open day and night and the KULA art studio (official site). The house reef is 5 minutes away by boat, with 6 free trips a day, unguided (experiences, meal plans).
Guests give it 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 2,354 reviews, 4.7 on Tripadvisor from 3,542 and 8.7 on Booking.com from 1,206, read on 5 October 2026. They praise the staff and the children’s activities; the island is so long that you get about by bus, and the reef is reached by boat (Google).
In the Lumina Guide
Lumina Guide 2027
Kandima is a resort built for moving about, on an island in Dhaalu Atoll 40 minutes by seaplane from Malé: 270 studios and villas, 10 restaurants and bars, the Kandiland kids’ club, go-karts and an art studio.
How we choose the hotelsOur reading, point by point
What we found reading the hotel’s own pages, one thing at a time.
Location
Dhaalu, 40 minutes by seaplane; the house reef 5 minutes away by boat.
Character
A big, lively, colourful island full of activities, with music at Breeze until midnight.
Rooms
From 55 m² studios to 105 m² pool villas; no very large villas.
Food and social life
10 restaurants and bars, 3 à la carte at dinner; at breakfast guests praise the choice at the Flavour and Zest buffets.
Wellness
esKape Spa with a steam room, a 24-hour gym, yoga included.
The stay as a whole
From $238 a night in December, but the transfer costs $414 to $725 per adult.
What makes it rare
A badge is an experience travellers look for, that is really here and that few hotels in the guide have.
They read your mind
Here: in the restaurant someone remembers your name and room number from the second day; for a birthday, a decorated room and a cake; every day, a new towel sculpture.
448 of the 467 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased. 18 hotels of 335 hold it.
Every hotel with this badge
The 5 things that matter, as guests tell them
What do Kandima’s guests say? They write it in their reviews, even those who only came for a drink or dinner: we read every one and tell the 5 things that matter, from the location to the bill.
Location
9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests write about a big, well-kept island with white-sand beaches and a lagoon, and about how much there is to do without leaving it.
Room
9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests write about spacious, bright studios and villas kept clean every day, the ocean view from the Aqua Villas and the private pool of the beach villas.
Staff and service
Nearly every guest who mentions it is happy with it. The staff are thanked by name in almost every review: waiters and bar staff, housekeepers, the team at Kandiland and the water-sports crew at Aquaholics.
Breakfast
Breakfast is at the Flavour and Zest buffets, food halls with open kitchens and a children’s corner; guests write about the choice.
Price
Guests write about the all-inclusive and about good value for families in particular; the transfer and, on the other plans, the à la carte restaurants are paid separately.
Where Kandima leads
- Staff and service
On staff and service it comes ahead of the 3 other hotels it is compared with in the Maldives.
The numbers, and how we count them
| What | Score out of 10 | Guests who mention it | Happy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | 8.3 | 68 | 87% |
| Room | 7.4 | 55 | 85% |
| Staff and service | 9.1 | 467 | 96% |
| Breakfast | 8.0 | 10 | 100% |
| Price | – | 21 | 38% |
The scores come from 500 Google reviews with text, left from 25 April 2026 to 5 October 2026. The other hotels are the ones weighed for a stay in the Maldives: for each we read its latest 500 Google reviews with text, or all of them where there are fewer, as of 5 October 2026. The score is the average of what they say, from 0 if they speak of it very badly to 10 if they speak of it very well. Where only a few mention something, the score stays close to the guide’s average: a handful of voices does not make a reputation.
The hotels we weigh it against in the Maldives:
- Kuramathi Maldives
- Meeru Maldives Resort Island
- VARU by Atmosphere
- LUX* South Ari Atoll
Price: for two on the night of 5 April 2027, from $202 (seen on Google Hotels on 12 October 2026).
What a night costs, season by season
The lowest seller on Google showed $202 to $497 a night for 2 adults, each one night taken alone, from 11 January to 29 August 2027, against $452 to $461 from 26 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. I would start with April 2027 for the lowest prices, then check the same dates again before booking.
| Period | Dollars a night |
|---|---|
| 13 October to 25 December 2026 | 215–243 |
| 26 Dec 2026–10 Jan 2027 | 452–461 |
| 11 January to 29 August 2027 | 202–497 |
| 30 August to 5 September 2027 | 288–2,244 |
The lowest price any seller showed on Google Hotels for one night searched alone, for 2 adults, read on 12 October 2026; no room or meal plan is specified. Isolated: $562 on 24 December 2026. The last 5 nights of the calendar, 1 to 5 September 2027, show $2,244, and the calendar stops on 5 September 2027. Booked as 7 nights from 16 November 2026, the lowest seller Google listed that day asked $307 a night.
Kandima, Medhufushi or Centara Mirage Lagoon
Medhufushi Island Resort is the quiet, green choice, 35 minutes by seaplane, for those who prefer a rustic island to a busy one. Centara Mirage Lagoon is another large family island, in North Malé Atoll, 30 to 45 minutes by speedboat, with a kids’ aqua park.
| Hotel | A night, from |
|---|---|
| Kandima | $243 |
| Medhufushi | $271 |
| Centara Mirage | $373 |
Lowest one-night price for 2 adults in 16–22 November 2026, read on Google on 12 October 2026; room and meal plan unspecified.
Kandiland, the Beach Club, the 10 restaurants, esKape Spa, PlaySpace and snorkelling from the platform
The kids’ club and its splash zone, the pools and the DJs, buffets and à la carte dinners, treatments, go-karts and trips to the reef.
The Beach Club and Breeze
The Beach Club has its pool and cabanas and the venue opens from 10am to 10pm (Beach Club); Breeze, on the beach, from 10am to midnight, with live bands, DJs and shisha (Breeze). Pool parties and beach games come round once a week (meal plans).
Flavour, Zest and the à la carte
Flavour and Zest are the buffets, with open kitchens: breakfast from 7 to 10.30am, lunch from 12.30 to 2.30pm, dinner from 6.30 to 10pm (Flavour and Zest). For dinner there are also Azure, Mediterranean on the beach, Smoked, the grill, and Sea Dragon (restaurants).
esKape Spa
The spa has a steam room and a plunge pool; among its treatments are esKapism, a scrub and massage, and the coconut Sea Coconut Secret (esKape Spa). From 11 a guest can have a treatment alone, from 4 to 10 with a parent.
PlaySpace and the go-karts
PlaySpace has virtual reality, interactive games and old arcade favourites; next to it is Fast Track, the go-kart track (official site). The KULA art studio, with a Maldivian resident artist, runs painting classes (experiences).
The reef by boat
6 free trips a day leave from HQ, at 9, 10 and 11am and at 2, 3 and 4pm, for the house reef 5 minutes away by boat (experiences). In the resort’s words you see dolphins, turtles and fish of every size there (FAQ).
Good to know before you book
Premium All Inclusive requires at least 4 paid nights and includes dinner at Smoked, Sea Dragon or Azure from the chef’s menu; on the other plans the à la carte restaurants are charged, with 20% off. Source: kandima.com
You cannot swim to the reef from the beach: the house reef is 5 minutes away by boat, with 6 free unguided trips a day (FAQ, meal plans). Guests in February, March and May 2026 describe it as largely intact and full of life, with turtles and reef sharks (Google).
The transfer is paid on top and weighs on the bill: the return seaplane costs $675 per adult until 10 January 2027 and $725 from the 11th, $375 from 2 to 11; the domestic flight with the speedboat costs $414 per adult in Comfort and $610 in Sapphire, taxes included (getting here). The international flight must land at least an hour before 3pm, the last seaplane.
The island is long: a bus runs up and down it day and night (FAQ). Between February and September 2026, 6 Google reviews say the buses are too few or irregular.
On breakfast, half board and full board you eat at the Flavour and Zest buffets; the à la carte restaurants carry a 20% discount (meal plans).
Rates are subject to service and taxes (offers): tourism GST is 17% (MIRA) and the green tax is $12 a person a day (MIRA). The prices Google shows already include them.
Check-in and check-out happen at any hour, with no fixed departure time (meal plans). The island has a medical centre, a dentist and a decompression chamber (FAQ).
Studios, beach pool villas and overwater villas
Getting here
By seaplane from Malé, 40 minutes, or by domestic flight to Dhaalu and then speedboat.
| Seaplane | 40 minutes to Kandima’s jetty; $675 per adult return until 10 January 2027, $725 from 11 January, $375 from 2 to 11, free under 2 (getting here). The last one leaves at 3pm. |
|---|---|
| Domestic flight | 35 minutes to Dhaalu Airport, then 15 by speedboat; in Comfort $414 per adult and $300 per child, in Sapphire $610 per adult, taxes included (getting here). |
| On arrival | At the airport you look for Kandima’s Airport Buddy, holding the resort’s sign, who takes you to the seaplane or the flight (FAQ). |
| Offers | On the Family offer, from 4 nights between 1 May and 31 October 2026, the domestic flight costs half and the seaplane a quarter less (Family offer). |
Sources read on 5 October 2026.
From Malé to Dhaalu
The resort, the 2 airports and the Thilabolhufushi sandbank. Tap a place for details.
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Recommended for you
A day at Kandima
7am
Breakfast at Flavour
Breakfast at the Flavour buffet runs from 7am to 10.30am, on the days Flavour is open.
12.30pm
Lunch at the buffet
Lunch at Flavour runs from 12.30pm to 2.30pm, with live cooking stations and a children’s corner.
The afternoon
Cabanas by the pool
The Beach Club is open daily, 10am to 10pm, with cabanas overlooking the turquoise pool.
6.30pm
Dinner at Flavour
Dinner at Flavour runs from 6.30pm to 10pm, with international chefs cooking in front of you.
After dinner
Music at Breeze
Breeze Pool Bar is open until midnight, with live bands and DJs.
Kandima Maldives reviews
Platform scores and what guests write about the children, the reef, the transfers and the food.
Scores read on 5 October 2026
Guest voices
From the resort’s Google listing, August to October 2026: families, the reef, a honeymoon, the buffet and the details.
GoogleKandiland’s splash park
A family in September 2026 describes children happy at Kandiland, between the splash park and the mocktail and cookie workshops, while the adults tried jet skis and paddleboards.
Google · September 2026Read the review
GoogleThe reef, booked ahead
A honeymooning couple in August 2026 write that the beach was almost deserted and that there were daily trips to the coral reef, to be booked.
Google · August 2026Read the review
GoogleFrom flight to seaplane
A Turkish honeymoon couple on all-inclusive had booked the domestic flight and were put on the seaplane instead: about 50 minutes, one more good memory.
Google · September 2026Read the review
GoogleThe buffet
A traveller on a fourth Maldives trip, in October 2026, calls the food the biggest let-down: on full board, a buffet with little choice.
Google · October 2026Read the review
GoogleThe details
A happy guest in August 2026 flags pillows too thin, noise from a plant room beside the bed and too few buses.
Google · August 2026Read the review
Questions before you go
How much does a night at Kandima Maldives cost?
On the Google Hotels calendar, read on 5 October 2026 for 2 adults, a night cost $259 on 16 November 2026, $256 on 7 December, $694 on 26 December, $851 on 7 January 2027, $294 on 8 March, $354 on 12 May and $288 on 10 June. Google names neither studio nor meal plan.
For 16–19 November 2026 Booking.com offered the Sky Studio at $317 a night and Hotels.com at $330 (Google Hotels). The price includes service, taxes and green tax: Booking.com’s link carries $267.78 of them for the 3 nights. The transfer, $414 to $725 an adult, comes on top (getting here).
Is Kandima Maldives all-inclusive?
There are 4 meal plans: breakfast, Half Board PLUS, Full Board PLUS and Premium All Inclusive (meal plans). Premium covers the buffets, dinner at Smoked, Sea Dragon or Azure from the chef’s menu, the minibar with wine and beer, a snack from 3 to 5pm and unlimited drinks at set hours: at lunch and dinner, at the Beach Club from 10am to 10pm and at Breeze until midnight. It needs at least 4 paid nights (meal plans).
How do you get to Kandima from Malé?
By seaplane, 40 minutes, at $675 per adult return until 10 January 2027 and $725 from the 11th; or by domestic flight to Dhaalu, 35 minutes, and 15 by speedboat, at $414 per adult (getting here). For the seaplane the international flight must land by 2pm.
Does Kandima have a house reef?
Yes, but 5 minutes away by boat: the resort runs 6 free, unguided trips a day, at 9, 10 and 11am and 2, 3 and 4pm (experiences). You cannot swim to it from the beach; guests in 2026 describe turtles, reef sharks and rays there (Google).
Is Kandima good for children? Is there a kids’ club?
Yes: Kandiland takes children from 6 months to 12 years, with a splash zone; under 4 a parent or a babysitter is needed (Kandiland). Babysitting costs $25 an hour plus taxes from 9am to 8pm and $30 until midnight (Kandiland). On every meal plan 2 children up to 5 stay and eat free (meal plans).
Which villa should you book at Kandima?
As a family, the 2 Bedroom Family Sky Suite, 2 studios joined by a lounge (Family Sky Suite); as a couple, an Ocean Pool Villa, 95 m² over the water with a pool (Ocean Pool Villa), or one of the 2 Sunset Aqua Pool Suites. For sunset on the beach, a Sunset Beach Pool Villa, 105 m² (Sunset Beach Pool Villa).
Are there overwater villas at Kandima?
Yes: 30 Aqua Villas and 29 Aqua Villas with Swirl Pool, of 73 m², 18 Ocean Pool Villas of 95 m² with a pool and 2 Sunset Aqua Pool Suites (villas). Each sleeps up to 4 adults, or 2 adults and 2 children.
Is spa access included in the room rate?
No: esKape Spa treatments are paid, with 15% off when you book on the site (esKape Spa); every meal plan includes the scheduled yoga and fitness classes (meal plans). No day pass for outside guests is published.
What restaurants are there at Kandima?
10 restaurants and bars in all (restaurants): the Flavour and Zest buffets; Azure, Mediterranean on the beach, at lunch and dinner (Azure); Smoked, the grill, at dinner (Smoked); Sea Dragon; Aroma, the café, 10am to 6pm (Aroma); the Deli with villa delivery; Breeze, the Beach Club and the Forbidden Bar.
Is there a dress code?
Beach casual by day and smart casual in the evening (FAQ).
Is Kandima open all year? When is the best time to go?
The Google Hotels calendar had prices for every month from November 2026 to August 2027, and the offers cover the summer too. The dearest nights fall between Christmas and Epiphany: $452 on 7 January 2027 against $281 on the 11th. Observed rates are not an operating calendar for every facility.
What happens at Christmas and New Year?
Between 26 December 2026 and 7 January 2027 the minimum stay is 5 nights and nobody checks out on 31 December; the Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve gala dinners, for adults and children, are included in the rate (festive offer).
Is Kandima good for a honeymoon?
The LuvPerks offer, from 3 nights, brings fruit and sparkling wine on arrival, a romantic dinner and a decorated bed; from 7 nights a 55-minute couples’ massage (LuvPerks). The resort also sets up private dinners on the beach and on the Thilabolhufushi sandbank (Castaway).
Can you get married at Kandima?
Yes: the resort arranges weddings and proposals on its 3 km beach, over the water, on a yacht or on a deserted island, with Maldivian boduberu drums and dinners under the stars (weddings). Prices and the largest number of guests are not published; enquiries go to mykindofplace@kandima.com.
What is the pool like at Kandima?
There are 2 shared pools: the Beach Club’s, with cabanas over the turquoise water, with the venue open from 10am to 10pm (Beach Club), and Breeze’s, on the beach, with music until midnight (Breeze). The Sunset and Sunrise Beach Pool Villas, the Ocean Pool Villas and the Sunset Aqua Pool Suites have their own (villas).
What are the check-in and check-out times?
The meal plan advertises check-in and check-out available 24 hours a day (meal plans). Ask for confirmation against your flight times to establish when your room will be ready and how late you may keep it.
Is the Wi-Fi free?
Yes, in the studios and villas (official site).
What do guests say about Kandima?
4.7 out of 5 on Google from 2,354 reviews, 4.7 on Tripadvisor from 3,542 and 8.7 on Booking.com from 1,206, read on 5 October 2026. Guests like the staff, the activities and the price; the reef is reached by boat, the distances on the island are covered by bus and the transfer is paid on top; of the buffets, several guests write that the dishes repeat after a few days (Google, Tripadvisor).
Do I need a car at Kandima?
No. The island is long, and a hop-on hop-off bus, the Kandima Express, drives up and down the resort from day through to night.
Other hotels in the guide
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Kagi Maldives Resort & Spa
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Kandolhu Maldives
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Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
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Hurawalhi Island Resort
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JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa
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