I spent a week at a 5-star hotel in the Maldives — here's how much it really cos

Metro

6 days ago

After 24 hours of travel, I thought I'd be racing to bed, but as I wander along the beachside path, I stop in my tracks.
The turquoise water is teeming with tropical fish of every colour, a kaleidoscope of orange, pink and purple swirling in constant motion. My jaw drops as a baby shark glides silently beneath the surface.
I'm in the Maldives, in a hotel perched on a cyan blue atoll that's unlike anywhere I've ever stayed – and it's fair to say I've laid my head on some impressive pillows.
From the The Headlands in Newquay, to the world-famous Atlantis on Dubai's The Palm, it takes a lot to leave me speechless.
The five-star Kandima – a 'go-to' haunt for Premier League footballers – has everything you'd expect from luxury accommodation in this part of the world: over-water bungalows, swim-up bars and arguably the most aesthetic scenery on Earth. Oh, and it's on its own island.
But the feature that truly sets it apart? An all-inclusive package which means the cost of every snack and tipple, from a la carte restaurants to your mini bar, is included. I was ready to suspend reality.
Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration. Sign up here. Flights: £800 per person from London Heathrow (with Gulf Air).
Sea plane: Price varies depending on which resort you're staying at, but for me it cost £544.96 per person for return flights.
Kandima's Sunset Beach Pool Villa with Swirl Pool: £747.55 per night – this is the accommodation I lodged in. Alternatively, opt for a Beach & Sky studio for £469.13 per night.
Private dining experience: £165 per person.
Floating breakfast: £118 per person.
Sunset cruise: £51.20 per person.
Couples full body massage at Eskape Spa: £155 per person.
Extra food and beverages: £103 for two.
TOTAL: £6,370.96 per person
On arrival at Kandima, I am greeted like an old friend and shown to my villa. You can stroll along the beach or jump in one of the hotel buggies, which drop you right at your door.
There are 270 studios and villas to choose from, each with bright, light interiors and blue touches, inspired, of course, by the Indian ocean.
The most basic Beach & Sky studios sit within a complex of four across a two-storey villa. These are the most typically 'hotel room' like, but are still bigger than most London flats.
The top-end of the premium offering are the overwater bungalows, which sit at the end of a jetty. Naturally, they come with an infinity pool and a private deck.
I stayed in the Sunrise Beach Pool Villa, a mid-range option with its a hot tub. Sat on the beachfront, these spacious beach villas have a private deck which extends towards a pool and out onto the beach.
The open air bathroom is stunning, with a standalone tub, rain shower, a second shower, day bed and the aforementioned hot tub. A word of warning: when you go to the toilet in the night, expect to do so under the watchful eye of countless geckos.
Minutes after arriving, I submerge myself in my private pool and sip on a complimentary bottle of champagne, before heading to one of the hotel's two outdoor pools – including the longest pool in the Maldives.
A week wasn't enough to do everything Kandima has to offer – and in keeping with the theme, pretty much everything is included in your stay.
I rose bright and early for morning yoga on the beach. You can also hire bikes and cycle to the lesson, serenaded by the dawn chorus.
From sunrise to sunset, you can watch the sun go down on a cruise with a glass of bubbles for £51.20 per person. If you're lucky, you'll get dolphins accompanying your boat around the island.
For something more active, the resort offers a range of water sports. Paddleboarding and snorkelling are included in your stay. I saw every fish imaginable, as well as a rather terrifying adult shark. Avoid the Moray eels – they bite.
Of course, after a hard day of swimming and fish-spotting, the only antidote is a full-body massage, which start from £155 per person.
It's pricey, but the masseuse seemed to rid my back of every knot. Hearing the waves lap on the shore outside only added to the experience.
The all-inclusive package allows you to dine almost without limit at any of Kandima's 10 restaurants and bars.
Sea Dragon offers a la carte Asian sea food. I indulged in delicious crispy squid, along with Vietnamese fresh spring rolls, chicken satay and Vietnamese-style stir-fried beef.
For breakfast, you can choose between buffet menus at Zest or Flavour. I ordered a fresh omelette and espresso every morning.
Azure, another a la carte offering, serves up traditional Mediterranean food, with an impressive seafood selection from scallops to salmon and sea bass. The steak restaurant, Smoked, served a mean slab of beef, perfectly cooked to my requested medium-rare.
If you want to up your content game, Instagrammable floating breakfasts can be ordered for £118. For that price, you get fresh pastries, waffles, salads, omelettes, fresh fruit and pressed juices (photos optional).
You can also book a private dining experience, which for me, was a highlight of the trip. Picture this: you walk down to the beach, where a table decorated with fairylights is set for two.
There's Caesar and Greek salads, aged black angus striploin, lobster, grilled tiger prawns, lamb rack, chicken, rainbow trout, mussels, broccoli, halloumi, tuna fried rice and hasselback potatoes. At £165 per person, it's expensive, but it's truly a feast. More Trending
It's worth noting that any food you order poolside is extra; this includes the Breeze Pool Bar and the Beach Club.
At Breeze, the lobster (£31), as well as the steak sandwich (£18) were divine, while the Beach Club blew me away with their cob salad (£14), asparagus (£9), nachos (£9) and classic burger and chips (£22).
Travelling to the Maldives from London is no mean feat. There are various routes via the UAE, but for our trip we took a six-hour flight to Bahrain, followed by a four-hour connection to the Male, the Maldivian capital.
Then it was another 45 minutes by sea plane to the island. As a nervous flyer, this 10-person propeller plane was more than a little daunting.
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This article was first published on February 14, 2025.
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