COMO Cocoa Island
We arrived by speedboat (45mins from Male airport) in the dead of night. The temperature was pleasantly muggy but in the dark it was very hard to get a sense of where we were. After a very brief and pleasantly informal check in, bleary eyed we weren’t capable of taking much in! We were escorted from the pier to a long wooden walkway stretching out in to the bay. Arranged along this were a string of overwater bungalows - the only type of accommodation at this uniquely small property - all of varying size and a few shaped like the local Dhoni boat. It took a bit of concentration, whilst gawping at our surrounds, not to fall in to the water! First impressions on entering my room were definitely wow. It was enormous, with a bathroom (indoor and out) on the left and a huge double height living area at the end of the entryway. From here a set of glass doors opened out on an oversized deck, replete with the obligatory sunlounger and steps down in to the water. Upstairs was a mezzanine bedroom with a very welcoming super king size bed as well as another small powder room.
One of the reasons we love Como properties so much is their understated approach to health and wellbeing. Breakfast is a combination of buffet and a la carte, all served in an airy and open pavilion which they also use as the main space for lunch and dinner. No limp and overcooked bain-marie here! The selection of buffet pastries is baked freshly on site, the juices are freshly squeezed and the a la carte options cooked to order are simply divine. The fruits, strangely enough, are imported from Australia. You can check out some of their COMO Shambhala Cuisine recipes here and perhaps try your hand at recreating something at home:
Our first day was a little overcast; December should traditionally be a safe bet for weather (peak season runs from November to April) but these days you never can tell! Fortunately, this didn’t hinder our first activity which was a turtle snorkelling trip by boat. The two girls who led our group were fantastically enthusiastic about island life and their incredible job. After getting familiar with the difference between Green Sea Turtles (larger & rarer in these parts) and Hawksbill Turtles (bearing a very distinctive curved beak) we headed out about 30mins from the resort to a drop off point and promptly dived off in to the deep. Sadly, both turtles are categorised as ‘threatened’, and in the Hawksbills case, critically endangered. So, it was a real privilege to see them gently going about their lives in this pristine environment. You’re not allowed to chase them or hover above if you can help it, but they seemed quite happy to go about their business and didn’t appear in the least bit shy.
We had planned on a sandbank picnic lunch which did sound pretty fabulous but unfortunately this was relocated inside due to the inclement weather. Luckily the weather soon cleared up for us to partake in a hotel inspection; being such a tiny island this was a much less involved task than normal! We were shown around the beautiful spa centre (which features a very impressive hydrotherapy pool – a picture required to do it justice!)
As well as a visit to some of the other room types. From the lead in Dhoni Suite which is a more intimate (and single level) version of the ones that were comfortably ensconced in, the Loft Villas. Through to the two-bedroom Como Villas, one of which you will find located at one end of the boardwalk (for sunrise) and at the other end (for sunset.)
This property has an extraordinarily high repeat client business (while we were there a guest was in residence on their 40-somethingth visit!!) and from touring the island you can see why. There are only 33 overwater suites and villas and a charming, barefoot lux vibe. This is the kind of place where the staff know your name but are never intrusive. And from the first few hours with your toes in the sand you already feel a million miles away from home.
That afternoon we had a gentle hatha yoga session with the sounds of the sea gently lapping somewhere behind the palm trees. Bliss. Followed by their signature ginger tea and a short stroll out along the sandbank to check out the amazing contrasting blues surrounding you on the atoll. Perhaps the best thing that we did though was to snorkel just off the deck of our own room. Around 100ms from the steps was the most incredible drop off point where the atoll meets the sea. Surrounded here by hundreds of infinitely coloured and interesting fish (and the odd shark) it was like bobbing around in a real life aquarium!
In the evening we enjoyed a candlelit seafood feast on the beach.
After breakfast we headed out by boat to a nearby floating platform where we hopped on the efficient Maldivian seaplane service for our 50min flight south to Maalifushi. I didn’t realise there was a time zone difference in the Maldives, so we set off at the same time as our arrival. Maximising our time spent on the beach!
From the air you can clearly get a sense of the remoteness that comes with a stay this far out in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is made up of 26 ring shaped atolls, harbouring more than 1,000 coral islands.
COMO Maalifushi
Maalifushi is currently the only resort located on the unspoilt Thaa Atoll, which is one of the most southerly. Well regarded for its diving and the opportunities to surf (season from April to October) its also just a great place to get away from it all!
First impressions; it’s a very different proposition to Cocoa! For a start it’s very much larger. With an island footprint that eclipses that of its more established northerly neighbour and around double the room capacity. They gift you with a bicycle on arrival that you use to get around (though you also have the use of a buggy which is only ever a summons away if you don’t fancy peddling.) My jaw dropped when I was shown to my room; a Water Villa. It was gigantic with a free-flowing living area, bedroom and bathroom all configured around an inviting sundeck (replete with private pool.) As well as unimaginably inviting views of the azure water and various islands scattered beyond. It really does have to be seen to be believed.
After some time to enjoy our rooms we had a briefing at the dive centre and I almost burst with excitement when I realised that Whale Shark diving is an opportunity here. Which we of course promptly signed up for. Rather unusually they do the dives at night when the sharks are drawn up to the surface by fishing lights in order to feed. It’s by no means a guaranteed sighting, I believe in general it happens once or so a week. But just in case, the dive team set aside your gear and equip you with an old school Nokia phone which you are to keep on you at all times in case of a call out (between 1900hrs and 2300hrs.) Suffice to say the phone never left my side! For lunch we dined at their informal Thila Bar. And in the evening we were hosted for yet another delicious seafood BBQ dinner, in the main restaurant Madi, which was of course perfection.
The following morning the indulgence continued with a sixty-minute COMO Shambhala Massage. I was only sad that I spent most of the time with my face down as the environment of the treatment room was beyond amazing and the water views were somewhat wasted on me! My masseuse was a lovely lady from Indonesia (by way of the COMO Parrot Cay property) with a deft touch that sorted out any remaining stress.
Following this we were led out by boat to a nearby island (which belongs to the resort) where they had set up just for us an elaborate picnic lunch. Picnic being an understatement.
Once we were sufficiently satiated with lunch and massages, we had a resort inspection to check out anything we hadn’t yet experienced. The highlight of which was definitely for us the chance to check out the Como Villa which was an extraordinarily beautiful two-bedroom space of gargantuan (4392sq ft) proportions.
The rest of the day was largely ours at leisure. Then dinner this evening took place at Tai, the specialist Japanese restaurant.
The next morning the sun was shining yet again (after that first day of slightly inclement conditions the weather had been very kind) so we headed out by boat around the island for another turtle dive. The conditions were a little on the choppy side and the snorkel itself was in deeper water but the things we got to see made it so worthwhile; from turtles to sharks, rays, giant clams and even a reclusive moray eel.
In the evening, as the sun was setting, we headed out yet again on the water - this time amongst the luxurious surrounds of the 68ft house yacht “Cameron.” We were out to spot Spinner dolphins but we were completely unprepared for the unbridled glory of seeing hundreds of them surrounding the yacht as we cruised along, waking up from a day of rest and leaping out of the water. Nobody knows for certain why they do it but it makes for a most impressive site!
