Frankly, the Maldives were never on my personal bucket list. I felt like the photos I saw were promising something I wasn’t longing for – to relax and do nothing. I rather love being active and see and explore things throughout my travels. But then I’m married to a guy who loves the beach, who craves relaxation and a pause from it all. Especially from our constant whirlwind of travel experiences! So, I gave in and let him have his Maldives getaway.
But secretly I was hoping I’d enjoy it as well…
And then we arrived in the remote Thaa Atoll on a tiny seaplane and my mind about the Maldives was changed quickly.
Where to go in the Maldives: 1,192 islands to choose from
But, let’s start at the beginning: The choice of where to travel in the Maldives. The options are endless. There’s budget stays on local islands (think 20 USD bed & breakfasts) as well as high-end ultra luxury private islands. There’s family resorts and adults only hideaways. There’s diving hotspots and even some swell to surf on.
Well, and then there’s a whole atoll comprised of 66 islands and just one single resort on one of those! Welcome to COMO Maalifushi.
COMO Maalifushi: Truly away from it all
Compared to busier atolls you will really feel like you got away from it all here – at COMO Maalifushi in the very exclusive Thaa Atoll. The only way to get here is to take a seaplane for about an hour’s flight going South from Maldives’ capital city Malé. The journey starts at the elegantly furnished seaplane terminal in Malé in a lounge, where they serve complimentary pizza rolls and drinks. Then you hop on a seaplane steered by a barefooted captain. So the getaway begins!
Season: When to visit COMO Maalifushi
We travelled to Maldives at the end of October, which is also at the very end of the low season when the summer rains slowly subside. Yet when we arrive in Malé it’s grey and cloudy and drizzles a bit, so we worry about the weather the next days… would it be sunny and dry? We check the weather forecasts, but quickly learn that they are unreliable (and not precise enough for each Atoll).
Maldivians don’t even check the weather report, so we just have to go with the flow.
Also they say that the seasons have become less stable and clearly defined (due to global warming – which is affecting the Maldives in many ways as you most likely know already), basically meaning the weather periods are not as clear cut anymore. But luckily during our seaplane ride down South towards the Thaa Atoll the clouds slowly cleared up and we could marvel at the shades of turquoise and blue from above, that only really come to light when the sun is out.
We stayed at COMO Maalifushi for 4 nights and got lucky with 4 days of the most beautiful weather!
Our recommendation would still be to visit the Maldives in the winter months (the high season starts around Mid November), when the summer rains and clouds give way to the picture perfect, dry and sunny Maldives weather. Unless you plan to be under water for most of your visit – then the weather above the ocean surface isn’t as relevant and you can decide upon other factors (f.e. whale shark season!).
Family friendly vs. adults only
Since we’re traveling as a couple without kids we usually try to choose adults only hotels, but COMO Maalifushi is a family-friendly resort. Yet, it seemed they manage to keep families and couples quite separated and we enjoyed lots of quiet and calm, only at breakfast and dinner we even noticed the families with kids staying at the resort.
If you’re traveling with kids then you might want to know that there’s an incredible kids club at the resort (we obviously haven’t tested it, but it looked impressive). Yet, we can attest that the resort caters to both needs equally without too much interference. If you don’t appreciate kids at the restaurant you can always opt for room-service or private dining experiences, which the resort will gladly arrange.
The villas at COMO Maalifushi
The resort consists of 65 suites and villas and we stayed at one of the one bedroom overwater villas, that are so iconic for the Maldives. Our villa faced East so we woke up with the sunrise every morning, which we absolutely loved (your preferred room orientation can be booked in advance – of course there’s also sunset facing villas available).
Our overwater villa
The villa itself was incredibly spacious with a large living room and bedroom, indoor bathroom and outdoor shower space as well as a huge deck with a private plunge pool, a pergola for some shade and a staircase to access the lagoon for a swim or snorkel session directly from the room.
The design is very understated and elegant and has been carefully updated in the last years, but it’s not ultra modern. The one thing we noticed is that the AC seemed to be a bit dated and was quite noisy. After inquiry with management they let us know that they’re going to replace the AC units soon, so this small problem should eventually be solved.
Activities at COMO Maalifushi
For us it was clear that we didn’t want to hang around the villa, beach or pool the whole day – as beautiful as they all are. For adventure seekers there’s a whole array of activities on offer at COMO Maalifushi. We opted for a few different activities:
- A Kayak Snorkel Adventure at the house reef
- A boat tour to an uninhabited private island called Lavadhoo
- A Dolphin Cruise on a traditional Dhoni boat
Kayak Snorkel Adventure
The kayak snorkel adventure starts at the lagoon of the island, where you’ll meet up with your guide. Together you paddle out to a part of the house reef that’s otherwise inaccessible and this is where you put on your snorkels and discover the reef together. The guide will point out interesting sights like rays or sharks, that are frequently seen here.
Boat tour to an uninhabited private island called Lavadhoo
Our favourite activity must’ve been the private island excursion though. The team of COMO Maalifushi picks you up on a boat and brings you to Lavadhoo island – a neighbouring uninhabited island that belongs to the resort. Here they’ll drop you off and leave you along for some true Robinson Crusoe feeling. But it’s not all rugged and wild – the island is equipped with lounge chairs, beanbags, hammocks and umbrellas as well as a shower and even a fully operational flushing toilet.
You set a time for the team to return and deliver a picnic lunch to the island, which you’ll then get to enjoy in the shade while watching the local birdlife of the island. After lunch you can enjoy some more time on the island, explore a bit, hop in the water or just relax in pure privacy.
We hear you can even stay overnight on Lavadhoo island, so that’s something we’d definitely consider next time!
Dolphin Cruise by Dhoni
Finally we also went on a dolphin cruise (although the team was quick to inform us that there’s never a sighting guarantee). But indeed we got lucky and encountered a whole school of the inquisitive spinner dolphins during the cruise. They joined the boat, swam next to us for a whole while and showed their jumping skills (note: spinner dolphins love to join boats, but are very shy with swimmers – so they can usually only be seen from boats and only rarely while snorkelling or diving). The boat ride lasts until sunset and we got spoiled with sundowner drinks somewhere in the Thaa Atoll – with zero other boats or tourists around.
(During our visit the traditional Dhoni boat was in the workshop getting fixed, but usually this experience happens on one of the beautiful wooden Maldivian boats.)
Other activities at COMO Maalifushi
Other activities include an array of spa treatments at COMO’s Shambala spa, complimentary Hatha yoga sessions or marine biologist presentations, where you get to learn more about the local wildlife from sharks to dolphins and also about the efforts that COMO Maalifushi undertakes to restore corals and create habitat for the marine life. We truly never had a dull moment in our four days on the island and could’ve easily extended our stay to be able to experience more!
Next time we’d plan a visit between November and April when the whale sharks join the waters of the Thaa Atoll and COMO Maalifushi offers a whale shark night snorkel adventure! That sounds like a dream.
Food & restaurants at COMO Maalifushi
There’s three restaurant options at COMO Maalifushi – and we tested all three of them during our stay. When we first arrived we were a bit tired from the long flight, so we opted for a very early dinner at the all-day dining bar and restaurant Thila, where we were surprised with a special vegetarian menu and even the option for gluten-free pizza (my husband was pleasantly surprised) and other international cuisine.
The second day we opted for the main restaurant Madi, where breakfast and dinner are served. Breakfast is a combination of buffet items and à la carte dishes. We especially loved the fresh juices on offer (beetroot, apple, celery, ginger was a favourite) as well as the vanilla french toast with an incredible passionfruit curd.
Yet, our favourite breakfast was definitely our in-room floating breakfast – which you can have directly from the comfort of your private terrace (and even inside the pool if you like)! Or in a bathrobe of course…
The team also arranged for us to eat at the third restaurant – Japanese restaurant called “Thai” (it’s confusing, I know). Dinner is served in a beautiful over-water pavilion, with nurse sharks circling around. The restaurant is not 100% ideal for vegetarians though, so we would rather recommend eating here if you are either an omnivore or at least pescatarian.
As vegetarians we always have an eye out for plant-based options and were honestly a bit worried before the trip. The Maldives are obviously all about seafood and many resorts delve in seafood barbecue nights, lobster tails and so on. COMO Maalifushi is no exception. Although there’s plenty of vegetarian and vegan options (and even separate menus for us every night) the dishes did seem a bit like an afterthought. We think there’s still room for improvement in the plant-based section and we left that feedback with the resort as well.
Why would we return to COMO Maalifushi?
There’s a few very good arguments, why we would return to COMO Maalifushi even though the vegetarian food can still be improved:
- Incredible, very remote location
- Dense tree canopy & natural jungle
- Serene vibe & atmosphere
- Professional & personalised service
The main one for us is the incredible location. The feeling of serenity you get when you’re in a place so far away from it all is unbeatable. The Thaa atoll is truly stunning and you can feel that COMO Maalifushi is the only resort here. There’s no boats cruising around in front of your water villa, no seaplanes circling above your head.
The island is a truly tranquil heaven.
We also especially loved the dense tree canopy of the island with countless coconut palm trees, that provided ample shade on hot days. Later during our trip we learned that this is not a given on Maldivian resort islands. Some resorts sit on newly built man-made islands and lack this type of natural vegetation, that had time to grow for decades. This also allows for wildlife to exist here – from beautiful fruit bats to geckos and hermite crabs, there’s some land animals to be seen as well.
Yet, the real argument for COMO Maalifushi is simply the outstanding vibe of the island and its serenity. This is something that no photo can truly convey, but trust us when we say the atmosphere here is really special. Sprinkle this with the incredibly friendly and professional service of the team and you won the jackpot.
You can already tell when you arrive on COMO Maalifushi that island time is setting in with its very slow pace. At the same time the staff is really well trained and seems to honestly love their job. It feels like the resort management really takes great care of the team – some of them work here since the opening more than a decade ago (and that’s not a given, especially here where staff is away from their families for long periods of time on end).
So you’ll e surprised by my takeaway (at least I was): Sometimes my husband is right. A bit of relaxation can’t do no harm. And no, it doesn’t get boring on the Maldives!
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