IMJ Travels
All resorts, Dhaalu Atoll

Kandima Maldives

Dhaalu Atoll · Kandima Island

A colourful, design-led island built to run for every guest type at once — families through Kandiland, divers and watersports groups through Aquaholics, and an adults-only wing after dark at Sea Dragon Forbidden Bar.

  • 264 villas
  • Kids' club
  • Reply within 24 hours
  • Maldives only for 8 years · 50+ resorts visited in person

Villas

A Beach & Sky Studio's private terrace daybed and sea view through the palms

Beach & Sky Studios

The entry category, 55 sqm along the main beach with a private terrace and ocean views — no pool, but the closest room type to the sand.

2 adults + 2 children, or 4 adults · No private pool · Beachfront

Check availabilityVilla details

A Beach Villa's bedroom opening onto its terrace and private swirl pool

Beach Villa with Swirl Pool

97 sqm on the main beach, lagoon-facing, with a king bed, sofa bed, freestanding bathtub and a private swirl pool on the terrace.

2 adults + 2 children, or 4 adults · Private swirl pool · Beachfront, lagoon-facing

Check availabilityVilla details

A Sunrise Beach Pool Villa's private swirl pool and sun loungers among palm trees

Sunrise Beach Pool Villa with Swirl Pool

125 sqm on the sunrise side of the island, with the same king bed, sofa bed and freestanding bathtub as the Beach Villa, plus a larger swirl pool.

2 adults + 2 children, or 4 adults · Private swirl pool · Beachfront, sunrise side of the island

Check availabilityVilla details

A Sunset Beach Pool Villa lit for the evening, its terrace open toward the beach

Sunset Beach Pool Villa with Swirl Pool

125 sqm along the main beach, lagoon-facing on the sunset side, with a king bed, sofa bed, freestanding bathtub and private swirl pool.

2 adults + 2 children, or 4 adults · Private swirl pool · Beachfront, lagoon-facing, sunset side

Check availabilityVilla details

A sitting nook inside a Two-Bedroom Family Sky Suite, opening onto a private balcony

Two-Bedroom Family Sky Suites

110 sqm along the main beach, two bedrooms interconnected through a shared lounge, with bunk beds for children — built for families and groups travelling together.

2 adults + 2 children, or 4 adults · No private pool · Beachfront

Check availabilityVilla details

An Aqua Villa's overwater bathroom, with a freestanding tub facing the lagoon

Aqua Villas & Aqua Villa with Swirl Pool

73 sqm overwater along the lagoon, with direct access into the water for swimming and snorkelling — available as a standard Aqua Villa or, with a private swirl pool, the Aqua Villa with Swirl Pool.

2 adults + 2 children, or 4 adults · Available with or without a private swirl pool · Overwater, along the lagoon

Check availabilityVilla details

Show all 8 villas

All villas at Kandima Maldives

About Kandima Maldives

Kandima brands itself 'anything but ordinary': 264 studios, villas and suites across eight categories, from beachfront studios to an overwater suite at the tip of its signature jetty. Kandiland ranks among the Maldives' largest kids' clubs, Aquaholics runs PADI diving and watersports, and the island counts ten dining options, including a Far East restaurant with live seafood display tanks and a private beach-BBQ programme.

Recommended For

Families

Kandiland is one of the largest kids' clubs in the Maldives, with its own water play zone, a daily activity programme, and a bespoke nanny service — plus interconnected Two-Bedroom Family Sky Suites with bunk beds.

Divers and watersports groups

Aquaholics runs PADI certification courses, scuba diving, kitesurfing, windsurfing, kayaking and jet ski alongside parasailing and live-aboard trips, with sea-turtle snorkelling built into the programme.

Groups of friends

Sea Dragon Forbidden Bar is an adults-only venue with resident DJs into the early morning, alongside Beach Club Kandima and Breeze Pool Bar and BURN Fitness Centre's group classes — aerial yoga, TRX, kickboxing.

Wine & Dine

Flavour Zest's open-air dining room, tables set beneath a timber pergola roof

Flavour Zest

Market-style buffet, dishes prepared to order · Buffet dining, dishes prepared to order

A light, bright food hall where chefs finish dishes to order rather than holding everything on a steam line.

Azure's garden dining area, lanterns lit over set tables in the evening

Azure

Mediterranean · À la carte, with wines from the resort's cellar

Mediterranean cooking served in an extensive garden setting, with a wine list drawn from Kandima's own cellar.

Smoked's angular, teal-accented building on the beach among the palms

Smoked

Grill — steaks and grilled fish · À la carte grill menu

A modern grill house with the kitchen open to the room, built around steaks and freshly grilled fish.

All 7 restaurants and bars

Experiences

  • Art Studio & Craft Workshop

    A resort's own art studio, gallery or craft workshop where guests create or view local and traditional artwork — pottery, lacquer, glassblowing.

  • Destination Private Dining

    A private meal on the beach, in a villa, a garden or an overwater deck, arranged by a private chef and butler outside the resort's own restaurants.

  • Dolphin Cruise

    A dhoni or speedboat trip, usually timed to sunset, built around spotting wild dolphins — the most widely offered named excursion in the Maldives.

  • Group Fitness, Gym & Training Classes

    Structured group fitness beyond a yoga mat — HIIT, TRX, Pilates, boxing and circuit training, run out of the resort's own gym or fitness pavilion.

  • Floating & Aerial Yoga

    Yoga staged over or above water — aerial, floating-platform or paddleboard yoga, distinct from a standard mat class.

  • Kayak, SUP & Sailing

    Kayak, stand-up paddleboard, sailing dinghy, windsurfing and kitesurfing — the wind- and paddle-powered end of the watersports centre, bundled as one booking.

All 12 experiencesWellness at Kandima Maldives

Good to know

Getting there

Malé · 40 minutes by seaplane, or 35-minute domestic flight to Dhaalu Airport plus a 15-minute speedboat

Seaplane
40 minutes direct from Velana International to the Kandima jetty
Domestic flight
35 minutes to Dhaalu Airport, then a 15-minute speedboat crossing
Nearest airport
Dhaalu Airport (domestic) · Velana International (MLE)

At a glance

Villas
264 villas · Private pool in some villas · Largest 130 m²
Dining
6 restaurants · 3 bars
Families
Kids' club (Kandiland) · Babysitting
Diving & reef
Dive centre (Aquaholics)
Spa
esKape Spa

Before you book

How do I get to Kandima, and how long does the transfer take?

Two ways in from Velana International: a 40-minute seaplane straight to the Kandima jetty, or a 35-minute domestic flight to Dhaalu Airport followed by a 15-minute speedboat crossing. IMJ arranges either as part of the booking.

Are meal plans available at Kandima?

The brochure doesn't specify meal-plan structures such as bed & breakfast, half board or all-inclusive. With ten dining options and a Deli boutique orderable through the resort's own app, check current plan options and inclusions directly with Kandima or your consultant.

Is Kandima a family resort, or does it have adults-only areas?

Both. Kandiland is described as one of the largest kids' clubs in the Maldives, with its own water play zone and a daily programme of supervised activities, plus a bespoke nanny service. For adults, Sea Dragon Forbidden Bar runs as an adults-only nightlife venue with resident DJs playing into the early morning.

What's the house reef and snorkelling like?

The brochure doesn't rate the reef directly, but several villa categories — including the Aqua Villas — sit overwater with direct access into the lagoon for swimming and snorkelling, and Aquaholics runs snorkelling outings with sea turtles as part of its watersports programme.

How many restaurants are there, and what's the mix?

Kandima's brochure describes ten dining options island-wide. Six are named restaurants — Flavour Zest (buffet), Azure (Mediterranean), Smoked (grill), Sea Dragon (Far East, live-tank seafood), Deli (boutique snacks) and Aroma Café (lakeside coffee and crêpes) — plus Destination Dining's private beach BBQs and beachfront dinners, and three separate bars.

What villa categories are available, and which have a private pool?

Eight categories across 264 studios, villas and suites. The Beach & Sky Studios and Two-Bedroom Family Sky Suites have no private pool; the Beach Villa, Sunrise and Sunset Beach Pool Villas (all 'with Swirl Pool'), Ocean Pool Villa and Sunset Aqua Pool Suite all do, and the overwater Aqua Villa is available with or without one.

The factsheet

Every fact we hold on Kandima Maldives (villas, dining, transfers) in one document.

Download the factsheetPDF

A chef plating a whole grilled lobster at Sea Dragon, Kandima's Far East fine-dining restaurant

Talk to a specialist about this resort.

Thirty minutes on dates, occasion and which island actually suits you. No obligation, no scripted pitch.

Inspiration for the next trip

A few ways into the resorts, by the kind of trip you have in mind.

Check availability