Bandos
Maldives

4 Restaurants & 3 Bars

Bandos keeps dining straightforward: a main buffet, an overwater casual venue, a grill restaurant, and a teppanyaki counter — all accessible under the all-inclusive plan. Three bars cover the social spectrum from poolside swims to sunset cocktails to late-night entertainment.

Gallery

International

Main buffet restaurant with themed dinner nights and live cooking stations. International spread with Maldivian, Asian, and Western options. The hub for breakfast and the default dinner venue on half board.

SettingIndoor · All meals

Our tipThemed dinner nights rotate weekly — check the schedule on arrival

All plans

Sea Breeze

Casual Dining

Overwater casual dining venue with open-air seating above the lagoon. Grills, salads, sandwiches, and fresh seafood in a relaxed barefoot setting. Popular for long lunches with reef views.

SettingOverwater · All-day

Our tipRequest a table on the outer edge for the best reef views below

AI includedView menu

Grill Bar

Seafood & Grills

Charcoal-grilled seafood, prime cuts, and lobster on the beachfront. Formerly Koon Thai, now refocused on ocean-to-grill cooking. The strongest a la carte option on the island.

SettingBeachfront · Dinner only

Our tipThe fresh catch of the day is usually the best choice

AI includedView menu

Umi Yaki

Japanese

Teppanyaki counter restaurant with live cooking performances. Japanese-inspired menu featuring fresh seafood, wagyu, and vegetable sets cooked tableside by trained chefs.

SettingIndoor · Dinner only

Our tipSit at the teppanyaki counter for the full theatrical experience

SupplementView menu

Sand Bar

Cocktails

The nightlife hub — live bands, DJ sets, and themed party nights on the beach. Cocktails, beers, and spirits in a high-energy setting. The liveliest venue on Bandos after dark.

SettingBeachfront · Live music & entertainment

Our tipCheck the weekly entertainment schedule for live band nights

AI Drinks

Huvan

Cocktails

Sunset cocktail bar on the western side of the island. Signature cocktails, wines, and light snacks with uninterrupted Indian Ocean views. The quieter alternative to the Sand Bar scene.

SettingWestern tip · Sunset-facing

Our tipArrive 30 minutes before sunset for the best seats

AI DrinksView menu

Pool Bar

Pool Bar

Swim-up pool bar serving tropical cocktails, fresh juices, beers, and light snacks without leaving the water. Central location by the main pool makes it the daytime social hub.

SettingSwim-up · Main pool area

Our tipOrder the fresh coconut — served straight from the shell

AI Drinks

Dining Inclusions

Four meal plans from bed-and-breakfast to all-inclusive. The AI covers all four restaurants and house drinks at the bars. Half board and full board use Gallery as the primary venue with supplements at specialty restaurants.

Your Days on the Island

North Male Atoll's award-winning dive infrastructure — 40+ dive sites, a PADI 5-Star centre, and the only on-island decompression chamber in the Maldives — anchors the activity offering. Above water, a kids club, spa, and active sports programme fill the days.

Family-Friendly Features

Kokko Kids Club covers ages 3-12 with arts and crafts, cooking lessons, treasure hunts, and beach games. Two dedicated children's pools and a Junior Spa programme with age-appropriate treatments make Bandos genuinely family-oriented. The 15-minute speedboat transfer removes seaplane complexity, and four meal plan options from BB to AI keep families in control of costs.

House Reef & Underwater

One of the strongest house reefs in North Male Atoll. Blacktip reef sharks are regular visitors to the lagoon, and the coral coverage has recovered well from past bleaching events. Shore entry is straightforward with multiple access points. The real differentiator is proximity: 40+ world-class dive sites sit within a short boat ride, and the on-island decompression chamber makes Bandos the most dive-committed resort in the atoll.

PADI dive center on-site. Night snorkeling available. Marine life observations sourced from dive logs and guest reports.

Transfer from Malé

Ten to fifteen minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport — one of the shortest and cheapest transfers in the Maldives. No seaplane, no daylight restrictions, and arrivals at any hour. Transfer cost is among the lowest in the atolls at approximately USD 94 per person return.

Resort island map — Bandos Maldives

Who This Resort is For

Bandos occupies a unique position: heritage credentials (second resort in the Maldives, 1972), the strongest dive infrastructure at any resort in the Indian Ocean (on-island decompression chamber, PADI 5-Star), and one of the best house reefs in North Male — all at one of the lowest price points in the atoll. The 2022-2023 villa refurbishment brought the accommodation up to a modern 4-star standard. If diving and reef access are priorities, and budget matters, Bandos is the logical choice.

Bandos Maldives — FAQ