Kandima is a vibrant, well-designed resort and absolutely worth visiting — though a few inconsistencies keep it from a full 5 stars.
Island layout & vibe - Kandima sits on a natural island with a house reef, meaning real coral, fish, and wildlife — a big plus for snorkeling and nature lovers. The island itself is long, so understanding the layout is helpful.
The headquarters area (middle of the island) includes reception, Flavor buffet, main pools, Azure (Mediterranean à la carte), Aquaholics (water sports), and daily activities.
On the far right side are Zest buffet, Smoked (steakhouse), pools, Zest Beach, a natural pond, art studio, and more activities. This area also includes the classic water villas (basic, whirlpool, and sunset).
Important note: the Ocean Water Pool Villas (the fanciest of bookable villas) are not on the wooden pier. Entry is through the jungle, and they face the open ocean, not the lagoon. This is where we stayed, and while we were initially surprised by not being on the wooden pier, it was a 10/10 experience — extremely private, peaceful, and quiet. Highly recommend for couples and honeymooners as you don’t get that privacy at all with the villas on the wooden pier.
Across the lagoon side are the Sky Studios, the most affordable option and where many families stay. Lounge chairs are plentiful across the island and are first-come, first-serve — we never had trouble finding seating. Some guests felt entitled to chairs/their spot but this was far and few.
The left side of the island is less developed and includes Smoked (Asian restaurant), beach villas, and beach pool villas. It’s farther from most dining, so guests often rent bikes (~$6/day) or use the hop-on, hop-off bus running every 10–15 minutes. The bus runs the whole island so accessible anywhere though we enjoyed walking.
The far left sandbank, often featured on Instagram and TripAdvisor, is currently closed due to coral residency construction. This was disappointing, as it’s one of Kandima’s most unique features and not accessible.
Family-friendly atmosphere (worth noting) - Kandima is a very family-friendly resort, which we expected. However, we were surprised by the number of babies and toddlers, especially under age 2. With children under 5 staying free, the resort naturally attracts many young families. Guests seeking a very quiet or adults-only feel — particularly around pools and dining areas — may want to keep this in mind as there were a lot of screaming babies. This was surprising for us - while we are well traveled, other family all inclusive resorts we stayed at often had children that were school aged. Perhaps a different demographic for the Maldives but something to note for those expecting a quiet peaceful experience. We often hibernated to our room for that.
Beach & snorkeling - The beach is beautiful, made of sand and coral. Some areas can be rocky, but it was very manageable and we didn’t need water shoes though some guests did opt for them if snorkeling. Several snorkeling spots are accessible from the beach and are better suited for beginner snorkelers. There’s also a boat-accessed house reef, with trips running about six times daily for the more advanced snorkelers. Kandima does have a house reef but its average and there are better ones out there. Despite that we were impressed with the wildlife we saw and happy with our snorkeling experience.
The most maintained beach stretches from Flavor to Zest near the Sky Studios. Past that, toward the beach pool villas, the beach becomes more natural and coral-heavy/less swimmable due to how rocky it is.
Lounge chairs were always available. Beach towels are provided, though towel exchange locations aren’t clearly explained — we only learned on our last day that Breeze Bar seemed to have a towel station.
Note on sea shells - while you can observe you cannot take these off the beach. The wildlife depends on seashells (lots of hermit crabs), so these will be confiscated.
Sunset/sunrise - sunrise only seen from the ocean villa side (aka not the beach side). Sunset is visible anywhere on the beach but one of our faves was Zest beach behind the water villas as it was less crowded.
Food — a real highlight - Food is where Kandima truly shines. Quality is excellent, with lots of variety. The à la carte restaurants are fantastic, though even with the all-inclusive package, menus are limited and premium items cost extra (common across Maldives resorts). Staff is very transparent about what’s included. While we never had the premium items, the regular ones were delicious.
Buffet food can feel repetitive over time, but there’s enough variety to always find something good. Meat options were especially strong and very well cooked. A unique touch we loved: much of the produce is grown in a greenhouse on the island, which really shows in freshness and quality.
Villa & room service - We stayed in an Oceanfront Pool Villa (second most expensive category) and it was absolutely worth it for a honeymoon — spacious, private, and beautiful. Highlights included the rain shower, super-soft king bed, and private infinity pool. The villa also includes a minibar with drinks and candy bars.
Housekeeping did a good job overall, but service was inconsistent. The minibar was often not restocked daily despite being included with all-inclusive. Cleaning times varied widely (anywhere from 11 AM to 8 PM), making it hard to plan around, and on a few occasions our villa had our bed made but hadn’t been cleaned.
There were also inconsistencies in decorative touches. We received lovely honeymoon decorations, but never towel animals or flowers, which many other guests mentioned and shared photos of. While minor, more consistency across villas would elevate the experience and make the resort feel like a 5 star.
Activities - There’s plenty to do, but many activities come with additional fees, and they are not cheap. The all-inclusive package includes non-motorized water sports, which was great. Yoga was included, but unfortunately it was only offered once during our stay due to the instructor being away, with no replacement — disappointing, as this was something we looked forward to.
Other paid activities include motorized water sports, scuba diving, art studio, photography, turtle snorkeling, PlaySpace (arcade games, bowling, escape rooms — Jumanji & Pirates), and go-karting.
All-inclusive vs. full board - All-inclusive mainly adds à la carte dining access and unlimited drinks. Snacks between meals and specialty drinks (like smoothies) are not included, even on all-inclusive. Definitely review menus and pricing — in some cases, full board may offer better value. We did enjoy the Al La carte but barely used drinks in between meals as they had free tonic water available.
Reef & marine life - For beginner snorkelers, the reef was excellent. We saw plenty of fish, some larger species, eels, stingrays and baby sharks. We did not see sea turtles or manta rays, and from what we’ve heard, there are stronger reefs elsewhere in the Maldives for those specifically seeking that experience.
Weather - we went during dry season but a common misconception is in the Maldives it doesn’t rain. This is a tropical environment so it always rains even if just at nighttime. We had 2 picture perfect days, 5 overcast/cloudy and one full rainy day. While you won’t see this in reviews or on the website, this is very “normal” for tropical environments. Kandima provides you with umbrella and has lots of activities despite the rain so it should not put a damper on your stay. So unless you’re lucky plan on a few gray sky days and remember you’re living the tropical life.
Honeymoon package - do take advantage of this. It included bed decor and fruit basket upon arrival , photoshoot with one free photo included, 60 min massage (amazing and also has a foot soak and tea/dried fruit - sauna and jacuzzi were complimentary included too), beach dinner (not the fancy one with lights on the beach and lobster but still felt special).
Final thoughts - Kandima is a lively, modern resort with beautiful beaches, excellent food, and a wide range of accommodations. It offers something for everyone — families, groups, and couples alike.
A few service inconsistencies, extra fees, and the closed sandbank, keep it from a perfect score — but overall, it’s a strong 4.5-star experience and a resort we’d confidently recommend, especially for those who enjoy a natural island with energy and variety as well as those with kiddos.
