Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma
Maldives

3 Restaurants & 4 Bars

Three restaurants cover international buffet, Asian seafood, and Mediterranean poolside grilling, supported by four bars ranging from the elevated Sunset Bar to the beachfront BAR-Aveli. The Thursday Seafood & Grill Night at The Asian Kitchen is the weekly standout.

Kandooma Cafe

International Buffet

The main buffet restaurant serving all three meals daily with live cooking stations and rotating themed nights. Spirit of the Maldives evening showcases local Maldivian cuisine.

SettingIndoor/outdoor · All meals

Our tipSpirit of the Maldives themed night has the best local dishes

All plans

The Asian Kitchen

Asian & Seafood

Asian-inspired cuisine and fresh seafood with ocean views and a live show kitchen. Thursday Seafood & Grill Night draws the biggest crowd of the week.

SettingOcean views · Show kitchen · Dinner

Our tipThursday Seafood & Grill Night is the weekly highlight

AI included

Bokkuraa Pool Deck

Mediterranean Grill

Poolside Mediterranean grill serving fresh salads, grilled fish, and light bites at the main pool. Perfectly placed for a midday break between dives or surf sessions.

SettingPoolside · Lunch

Our tipThe fresh tuna steak off the grill is consistently excellent

AI included

Bokkuraa Pool Bar

Pool Bar

The main pool bar serving cocktails, fresh juices, and frozen drinks throughout the day. The daily ice cream scoops are a hit with families.

SettingPoolside

Our tipThe daily ice cream scoops are the afternoon poolside ritual

AI Drinks

BAR-Aveli Beach Bar

Beach Bar

Casual beachfront bar with bean bags on the sand, serving cocktails, beer, and light snacks. The most relaxed drinking spot on the island and a natural gathering point at sunset.

SettingMain beach · Bean bags

Our tipGrab a bean bag at sunset — the most relaxed spot on the island

AI Drinks

Sunset Bar

Cocktails

Elevated cocktail bar perched above The Asian Kitchen offering unobstructed 360-degree panoramic views. The best vantage point on the island for sunset and stargazing with a premium cocktail in hand.

SettingElevated 360-degree views · Above Asian Kitchen

Our tipThe 360-degree elevated deck has the best sunset views

AI Drinks

Sway Lounge

Cocktails

The social hub near reception with live entertainment, DJ nights, and a full cocktail menu. The liveliest venue after dark and the place to be for weekly themed evenings.

SettingReception area · Live entertainment

Our tipWeekly DJ nights bring the most energy after dark

AI Drinks

Dining Inclusions

Three meal plans from breakfast-only through to all-inclusive — strong value for an active resort.

Meal plan prices are a guide only — generally an average across the year. Resorts can change them at any time, they often vary by season, and a plan sold in one season may not be offered in another. We'll confirm what's available and the exact price for your dates.

Your Days on the Island

A resort built around action — Kandooma Right surf break is metres from shore, the PADI 5-Star dive centre runs daily, and Kandooma Thila ranks among the Maldives' top 10 dive sites. Onshore, the spa is by COMO Shambhala, the kids club has water slides, and the excursion desk runs everything from dolphin cruises to shark snorkeling trips.

Family-Friendly Features

Holiday Inn Kandooma is built for active families. Kandoo Kids Club runs 8am to 8pm with a splash pool, water slides, and supervised activities — all free. With up to four children per room. Family villas sleep up to eight, and there is no minimum age for overwater villas. Parents dive or surf while children play.

House Reef & Underwater

Kandooma's house reef is accessible directly from the overwater villas and the beach, with a good variety of hard and soft corals on a sloping reef wall. Blacktip reef sharks, turtles, stingrays, and nurse sharks are regular residents, and seasonal manta rays add to the appeal. The real strength is proximity to Kandooma Thila — ranked among the Maldives' top 10 dive sites — where grey reef sharks, eagle rays, and dense schools of fusiliers patrol the thilas and overhangs. For a 4-star resort, the marine credentials are exceptional.

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

Transfer from Malé

Kandooma Fushi sits 35 km south of Velana International Airport in South Malé Atoll — a 45-minute speedboat ride. No seaplane required and transfers operate day and night.

Resort island map — Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives

Who This Resort is For

Reviewed by Tym Lewtak, founder of LuxAtolls ·Updated Sep 27, 2026

Holiday Inn Kandooma occupies a unique niche — it is the only resort in the Maldives where you can surf a world-class wave from the beach, get two free dives per day, and put the kids in a club with water slides, all on a 4-star budget. The COMO Shambhala spa, Kandooma Thila dive site, and complimentary transfers on longer stays add serious value. It will not win design awards, but for surfers, divers, and active families, the combination is hard to match at any price.

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives — FAQ