Tag: Maldives

And now for some unintentional rhyming, welcome to part two of my Komandoo review! For my thoughts on the resort’s accommodations, reef, and on the island itself, please see the previous post. In this post I’ll cover Komandoo’s service, recreation, and food.

Spoiler alert: I loved this place. I miss everything about it.

Service

As I mentioned in my previous post, we were instantly wowed with the service from the moment we stepped off the plane. Our luggage was whisked away to our room (I’m so grateful for not having to drag our bags through the sand), we were handed a a cold towel, a fresh coconut, and a scoop of homemade coconut ice cream, and then Stefanie gave us a helpful overview of the island while walking us to our villa.

Speaking of the villa, our room attendant, Ibrahim, made sure we always had everything we needed throughout the week. He quietly swooped in and out when we left to go to the restaurant or to snorkel, and we loved returning to our temporary home to find everything completely spotless along with fresh towels expertly crafted into animal shapes. We enjoyed the little sweet treats he left for us at the end of each day, and we especially savored the white chocolate-covered strawberries on Valentine’s Day.

Every time we ate at Falhu, the main restaurant, Shimaal and Ali waited on us with grace and care. No request was too big or too small, and we didn’t want for anything day in and day out. Things seemed to run seamlessly at the restaurant and in all areas, for that matter. We felt taken care of by the entire team at Komandoo – they seem to truly love their jobs. Everyone we encountered beamed with smiles and gave us the warmest greetings, and we felt they genuinely wanted us to have a wonderful time at the resort.

Recreation

I’m generally not a do-nothing kind of traveler even when it is vacation, and Komandoo’s recreation and relaxation offerings provide the perfect place for someone who likes to stay busy. But it’s a fun and/or relaxing kind of busy, of course.

An extensive menu of treatments and services at the Duniye Spa is an excellent place to start, but I didn’t end up getting to use the spa! I kept thinking I would go, but before I knew it our time on the island was up and I hadn’t booked a single treatment. Even the laziest of days passed so quickly, so my advice is to take advantage of everything your heart desires. I’ll be sure to promptly sign up for a service or two on our next visit.

On the more active side of things, Komandoo provides plenty of outlets for sporty and adventurous types. With a fully outfitted dive center right on the island, guests have a wide range of scuba diving opportunities for both beginners and experienced divers. They also offer snorkeling trips and rental equipment. Chris and I opted to bring our own fins, masks, and snorkels since we planned to do as much snorkeling as possible, but it looked like the dive center and shop had a great selection of gear.

The one thing I definitely set out to do on this trip was a snorkeling excursion to see manta rays. We stopped by the ProDivers dive center to sign up, but we were told by one of the dive center members that the unfortunately manta rays had not been out and about the past couple of weeks and that he didn’t want to disappoint us, which I appreciated. So we’ll just have that on our list for next time. We have been on quite a few boating trips to snorkel, and we were really looking forward to being able to snorkel right off the shore. That’s exactly what we did almost every day and we loved it.

In addition to scuba diving and snorkeling and fishing trips, several water sports are on offer including kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and wind surfing. I love kayaking and would have enjoyed trying SUP and/or wind surfing, but we had an unusually crazy windy week on the island and I didn’t want to wind up on another island or even lost at sea, so we didn’t attempt any of these. My list of reasons to return to Komandoo is quite long at this point, so I guess we’ll just have to go back!

As it turns out, I truly needed a good bit of unscheduled downtime, so it was perfectly fine that we didn’t do any water sports (other than snorkeling) or the manta ray excursion. Chris did beat me at a leisurely game of giant chess though. And tucked into various areas all over the island we also found other ways to stay active if we wanted to – table tennis, a dart board, a fitness center, and a volleyball/badminton court.

Last but not least, Komandoo offers boat trips for deep sea fishing, visiting local islands, or to watch the sunset. I hear the sunset cruise frequently includes dolphin sightings and we signed up for that one, but we missed it. Someone, I won’t mention names, fell asleep that afternoon. Instead, we happily watched a beautiful sunset with cocktails from the Thundi bar, which ended up being one of our daily rituals.

Food & Drinks

Let me first preface things by saying Chris and I are not necessarily foodies, but we do love to eat and drink and we did a lot of it at the resort. Komandoo has two restaurants and two bars, one of which also serves food. We might not be qualified to comment on the spa or the water sports activities, but we certainly ate and drank enough to have opinions about the food and drinks!

A note on Komandoo’s all-inclusive packages. We opted for the full board plan which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Falhu restaurant, and drinks like tea, coffee, and also juice at breakfast. I went back and forth on whether or not to upgrade to one of the all-inclusive package with alcoholic drinks. All guests in the booking are required to be on the same package, and while I do love my cocktails, I wasn’t sure I’d drink enough to hold up my end of the price difference. And yep, in the end the full board plan worked out well for us and it wouldn’t have been worth upgrading, even with our daily use of the mini-bar and happy hours.

The Thundi bar was conveniently located steps from the water villas, so we frequented this spot and enjoyed tropical drinks to go with gorgeous sunsets.

The Kandu Bar, situated by the pool and reception, offered a larger selection of drinks including a fabulous version of my island favorite, a banana piña colada, along with a food menu. We ordered lunch here a couple of times (not included in the full board or all-inclusive packages) when we were craving burgers/sandwiches or fish and chips and we absolutely loved the food. Everything came to us fresh, hot, and wonderfully prepared.

We ate at the main restaurant, Falhu, for all of our other meals outside of those two lunches and one lunch at sister resort Hurawalhi. We had several breakfasts from Falhu via room service in our villa, and were pleasantly surprised to find a reasonable fee for doing so ($7 per person). We didn’t end up trying the Aqua fine dining restaurant at Komandoo since we opted to go to Hurawalhi’s 5.8 Undersea Restaurant instead (separate post coming soon) and it felt a little weird to pay for full board meals and miss too many of them.

I read so many reviews ahead of our trip that raved about the food at Komandoo. Falhu serves all meals buffet style, so I assumed the reviews meant the food was good…for a buffet. We’ve been on a couple of cruises and tons of weddings, and I expected typical buffet food.

This wasn’t typical buffet food.  Not to mention Falhu’s wonderful atmosphere: soft sand floors, open-air with a cute thatched roof, and stunning views from the deck.

Each meal we were presented with an inspired array of international dishes: Maldivian, Italian, Indian, and one night we were even treated to a beach barbecue. I failed to get more photos of Falhu’s buffet like the meat-carving station and the made-to-order pasta station because I was just too busy filling my plate with deliciousness each time. I can be kind of a picky eater, but I always found plenty of things to enjoy. And of course, it was fun to try two three four different mini desserts guilt-free.

Now that we are back home, I am sorely missing our daily life at Komandoo! I think the only thing I would change about our visit is to stay longer next time.

Up next: our culinary adventure at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant.

After twenty-plus hours of flying and transit, we arrived on a tiny island in the Indian Ocean to the smell of salty air and the sounds of Maldivian drums accompanying an inviting chant: “Wel-come to…Ko-man-doo. Have a nice…hol-i-day.” It was a rhyme Chris and I repeated throughout the week with affection for our temporary home in absolute paradise. And have a nice holiday we certainly did, thanks to the ultimate relaxing environment of Komandoo. The pampering commenced immediately as we were greeted and handed a cold towel, a fresh coconut, and a scoop of homemade coconut ice cream.

Paradise. There is really no other word to describe our surroundings. Everywhere we looked, we felt like we stepped right into a postcard. I photographed the same scenes over and over, hoping to capture at least a fraction of the magic and to do this utopia justice.

In my last post I detailed how we ended up choosing to stay at Komandoo, and in this two-part review I’ll cover a full report of our time at the resort.

The Island

Situated in the Lhaviyani atoll, Komandoo is a 40-minute seaplane transfer going north from Malé. Resort accommodations consist of fifty beach villas and fifteen water villas, so compared to the majority of Maldivian resorts, Komandoo is on the smaller side, which is exactly what we wanted since we were craving a quiet, laid-back experience. The island itself stretches less than a kilometer lengthwise and it’s even shorter across the width. The beach villas line either side of the island, tucked into the lush foliage, and a half-moon of water villas curve around the end of the island, connected by a wooden jetty.

I noticed right away how immaculate the island was at every turn. As if by magic, though I know it’s due to a lot of hard work from the grounds staff, all of the pathways and beaches were perpetually free of debris and trash. The overall aesthetic at Komandoo is well-manicured but natural.

As a sign on the island states,”If you’re not barefoot then you’re overdressed,” the majority of guests spend their days sans shoes, enjoying the feel of the powder-soft sand beneath their toes. The restaurant, reception area, and bars all have sand floors, and there is even a flip-flop station at the end of the water villa jetty in which to deposit your sandals for the day. (We did find it necessary to wear our shoes to walk on the hot jetty.)

Almost every nook of the island is dedicated to making this a magical and peaceful place for guests, from the major amenities like the beach bars, restaurants, and spa, to the smaller touches like hammocks and wooden swings throughout. This is an island that evokes instant relaxation and wellness, and it literally invites you to put your feet up at every opportunity.

One of my many favorite things about this trip is that I didn’t suffer even one bug bite thanks to the care of the grounds crew (they treat the area on a regular schedule) and maybe also to the luck of having a breezy week. We spotted a few cute crabs and small lizards around the island, but aside from one bee at lunch and a few tiny ants after we left a cookie sitting out in our room (our fault, we know better), we never saw any bugs or spiders.

At night the island glowed courtesy of beautiful lanterns and tiny sparkles along the beach that mimic the water’s bioluminescence.

The Villa

Now I want to gush about our villa and how happy we were with the choice to stay in one of Komandoo’s Jaccuzi Water Villas. The novelty of a bungalow perched right over the jewel-toned water of the Maldives claimed a spot on our bucket lists a while ago, and we decided to splurge a bit on this trip by booking one of the resort’s fifteen water villas. At 77 square-meters, Eagle Ray #9 provided more than enough space for us with plenty of storage, too. We were actually a little surprised at just how big the villas are, especially when you factor in the oversized bathroom and the huge deck with steps that lead directly into the ocean.

Our amazing room attendant took great care of us the entire week. Fresh towels transformed into animal art topped our bed each day, mini bar staples and bottles of water were replenished daily, and nightly turndown regularly included sweets along with special treats on Valentines Day.

The lavish bathroom offered a giant Jacuzzi tub, double sinks, a spacious shower, and a separate water closet. Thoughtful touches included toiletries and plenty of places to hang wet towels and swimsuits. Bonus: you might laugh, but I marveled over the privilege of being able to flush toilet paper in our bathroom. Some of the Caribbean island homes we’ve stayed in (even on the more upscale side) don’t always have that luxury!

While we had gorgeous skies almost the entire trip, we did encounter an unusually windy week on the island. As a light sleeper, I sometimes noticed a slight shimmy in the villa at night, and I could often hear the water slapping against the steps and the stilts, but I quickly became used to water villa life and managed to get a pretty deep sleep most nights. Our king-size bed felt supportive and cozy, and it was always a welcome respite after a day of fun in the sun.

The WiFi signal wasn’t always the fastest, but we were able to check in with friends and family back home and upload a few photos. It was enough to feel connected, but also slow enough to encourage us to disconnect, which we definitely needed! And as hot as it gets during the day, it’s worth mentioning that the air-conditioning kept us perfectly comfortable whenever we needed it.

Our favorite part of the villa was easily the outside space. The design and layout of the water villas ensures that each guest has ample privacy. To take full advantage of the outdoors, we treated ourselves to room service for breakfast on most days (more on Komandoo’s food in the next post). Starting our day by enjoying a delicious meal on the deck, gazing out onto the Indian Ocean became one of my favorite daily rituals.

Any time we got a little too hot, we descended the stairs right into the water to cool off. It felt like stepping into an aquarium – we found several coral heads and tons of colorful fish only a few meters from our villa. We even spotted an eagle ray gliding along the lagoon one afternoon.

The Reef

Chris and I have become avid snorkelers over the past few years and have had the opportunity to explore some of the world’s best snorkel sites, so having a good reef topped our resort requirements list. Fellow travelers mentioned Komandoo frequently on travel forums with regards to a good reef, and we can now wholeheartedly agree!

On one side of the island, the reef was super easy to reach – from the sunset beach bar we could enter the shallow and super clear lagoon, and swim a few meters past the barriers and then through a cut in the reef. We did this routine a couple of times since it was quick access from our villa. I did notice a bit of coral bleaching, but from recent reports it sounds like the reef is well on its way to recovery.

On the other side of the island, the swim out to the reef was a bit longer, but with the reward of a huge section of healthy coral teaming with fish. We snorkeled most days, and it was amazing to see a few new-to-us fish for the first time: unicorn fish, Maldives anemonefish, and an eel. We hung out with one of Komandoo’s resident turtles one day, and we always loved walking along the shore accompanied by baby black tip reef sharks.

I miss everything about the island, and I can’t wait to return again someday. Now that we are back home in the States, we occasionally find ourselves chanting fondly: “Wel-come to…Ko-man-doo. Have a nice…hol-i-day.” Thankfully I get to relive our trip by writing about the experience! In part two of my review I’ll talk about Komandoo’s service, activities, and food. Stay tuned!

Early last year when Chris and I were honing in on our travel plans for 2017, we decided to use our upcoming milestone birthdays as a good excuse to select some extra special destinations. We both have a Big Birthday this year (eek!) and decided we would each choose a Big Trip to commemorate our respective days in a super fun way.

For his pick, Chris decided on a place that has held a top spot on our bucket lists for quite some time: the Maldives. No need to twist my arm on that one – I immediately got to work researching and planning!

For most people, planning a trip to the Maldives mainly involves choosing accommodations, starting with the decision to stay at a hotel, a resort, at a guest house, or on a liveaboard. We tend to stay at vacation rental villas when we head to the islands, but we decided to try resort life in the Maldives since resorts comprise the majority of accommodations in the atolls. And the ease of an all-inclusive just sounded so nice compared to my characteristically intricate travel itineraries.

Chris and I held a very official planning meeting (a.k.a., lounging around in the living room) where we discussed our requirements, and we ended up with the following list: somewhere completely relaxing and quiet with a smaller number of adults-only guests, an over-the-water bungalow, a beautiful house reef for snorkeling, and a good restaurant/bar.

Dream vacation wish list in-hand, I did a good old-fashioned Google search and scoured popular travel forums to come up with our perfect spot in the Maldives.

The number of resort options in the Maldives was pretty overwhelming, but having a list of requirements definitely helped to narrow things down. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect Maldives destination, too, I recommend making a quick list of must-haves (e.g., budget, family programs, scuba dive center, private pool, etc.) and starting your search from there.

One of our own requirements indeed narrowed the choices down significantly: adults-only. It was important to us to find a utterly tranquil environment for this trip. We initially aimed for resorts that seemed to have a more relaxed vibe based on reviews, but my ideal preference was to find a strictly adults-only resort just to be on the safe side.

At the time of my search, it was a little difficult to find information on exactly which resorts implemented an 18-and-older policy, but Komandoo is one that was mentioned most frequently in travel forum discussions. Lucky enough, Komandoo also fit the bill as a smaller, laid-back resort. After seeing photos of their gorgeous overwater villas and reading rave reviews about their house reef, food, and service we were sold!

While we typically take advantage of shoulder season for a lot of our trips, we decided to book peak season in the Maldives to give ourselves the best chance for good weather. We finalized our choice back in March of 2016, booked and paid, and began the loooooong countdown.

Fast-forward to February 2017 and we were finally off to our own little slice of paradise. Getting to the island was a bit of work and an adventure in itself. Our route took us from Washington-Dulles to Dubai, then onto Malé and finally Komandoo. We had the pleasure of flying on a double-decker A380 for the first time, and we ended our journey with a stunning seaplane flight from Malé to Komandoo. Landing directly on the water was quite an experience!

Stepping onto Komandoo’s floating “airport” and being whisked away by boat pointed toward the resort was just the beginning of our wonderful time in paradise…stay tuned for a detailed overview of the resort!