With Helena's friends and family based in the Netherlands and Shaun's in Australia, the Maldives sits almost perfectly in the middle of both countries. While the Maldives is our preferred location to cater for our guests, our wedding plans are dependent on minimum guest numbers. We will give all guests plenty of time to book flights, but please don't book anything just yet.
It's approximately 10 hours flight time to the Maldives from Amsterdam and Brisbane. Most flights will stop over in the Middle East from Europe or Singapore from Australia.
Tourism is the number one contributor the Maldives economy. As such, the industry works like clockwork. Expect airport transfers, hotels and activities to run on time with high levels of customer service. While the majority of residents follow Sharia Islam, 'resort islands' like Kandooma operate like a western-style resort. While not mandatory, expect alcohol, swimwear and relaxed dress.
Post-COVID travel is definitely more expensive. With the wedding being held in the low season, you can expect the best rates possible. The Holiday Inn Kandooma is also a very reasonably priced 4 star hotel offering value for money by Maldives standards. Guests can expect to pay approximately $200 per person, per night. This includes breakfast daily and free scuba diving. All prices on the island are in US dollars, and service tax and GST is added to every purchase. Tipping is not required. If you're travelling solo we can try and put you in a twin room with another solo guest to save on cost. Beer is the perfect guide to prices abroad and you can expect to pay $7 USD for a tap beer at Kandooma.
While we can't mandate fun, we'll be making sure all guests take up the opportunity to eat world class food, snorkel or scuba dive in amazingly clear waters with manta rays and turtles, surf epic world class reef breaks with dolphins, and lounge by the pool and beach with a cocktail in hand. Doesn't this sound like fun and don't you deserve a holiday?
A safe amount of time in the Maldives is 7 nights. This allows for guests to get some sunshine while contending with the chance of a tropical storm with windy conditions. If you're strapped for time, 5 days is still a good amount of time -- especially if you get lucky with 5 days of sunshine. If you're planning to surf or scuba dive remember that the weather can impact conditions. The more days in the Maldives, the more opportunity for good conditions.
You're in luck! Kids stay and eat free at Kandooma. The hotel has a fantastic kids club with dedicated childcare staff. If you've got very young kids (i.e. under 2) you can also hire a nanny on the island who will look after your kids in your hotel room. There's also a great kids pool and playground.
We are negotiating directly with the hotel to make sure we get the best room rates. Once we have an idea of the number of confirmed guests we will make contact with you to advise next steps. Please do not book flights or accommodation yet.
Yes, that's correct. The island has a world class right hand break straight off the north of the island. If you are planning on surfing you will need to book your room through Perfect Wave, a surfing travel agency located on the island. Perfect Wave also has a brand new boat that will take surfers to nearby surf breaks too. There is a strict cap of 40 surfers on the island at any one time. Notable surf breaks include: - Riptides: a really fun, long right hander located in the middle of the ocean between two islands. Works best on low tide and extra volume is handy. 5 minutes by boat. - Foxy's: a fast left hander that barrels off a point. Not always big, but very fast. 5 minutes by boat - Quarters: a fund right hander that works well on a longboard or a shortboard. Expect long waves with a middle section that picks up pace. You'll take off on a gentle, fat wave but then get blasted down the line to the second section. 15 minutes by boat. - Kandooma right: A world class right hander. Handles big swell but also delivers on small waves. Even 1-2ft waves work well. No need for a boat ride to this break. - North Male Atolls: Perfect Wave also organise trips to North Male Atolls to surf breaks like Sultans, Jailbreaks and Honkeys. This usually costs an additional $50 and takes 1.5 hours on the boat.
Kandooma is the number 1 dive shop in the Maldives. The resort includes complimentary scuba diving for certified divers staying 4 nights or more. The dive boat goes three times a day (8.30am, 10.30pm, 2.30pm) and most dive sites are a 5 minute boat ride away.