Choosing an island in the Maldives...

Choosing an island to stay on in the Maldives is not straight-forward as they are not all made equal. Some are accessed by speedboat, others by seaplane. Some islands have a spectacular, easily-accessible house reef whilst for others you'll need to hop on a speedboat to swim with turtles, rays & reef sharks. Some islands have a wide sandy beach whereas others are not so blessed. And the focus on sustainability is not consistent either; fortunately, a few islands are now focusing on their environmental impact - no mean feat in the Maldives where produce has to be flown in, waste management practices are generally poor, and solar energy panels are far & few between. 

This said, the two COMO resorts that we stayed at this week - Cocoa Island and Maalifushi - offer an abundance of reasons. First off, the staff are brilliant; attentive, genuine & very personal. Second, the focus on wellness is evident not only in the daily yoga, pilates, state-of-the-art gym and sublime spa treatments, but also in the COMO SHAMBHALA menu which offers tasty, lighter meals in addition to a wonderfully-diverse a la carte. Furthermore, the beaches - particularly at Cocoa Island - are amongst the best in the Maldives; wide expanses and fine sand that extends through to the restaurants for relaxed feet-in-sand dining. Likewise for the house reef at both resorts; a breath-taking display of marine life directly accessible from your private deck, and Marine Biologists on site too who are busy tracking whale-shark movements in the area and offering daily guided snorkel & dive trips. And finally, we were thrilled to see an immaculate, organic kitchen garden at Maalifushi; herbs & vegetables grown locally with no fertilisers or pesticides. 

Accommodation is either over-water or beach-front. Ask us about our favourite suites & villas; we’d love to share our top tips with you.