COMO Maalifushi

Our recent trip to the Maldives wouldn’t be complete without a stay at the new COMO resort, which we had been looking forward to checking out for a long time. Having now returned to the considerably less glamorous Europe, we are happy to report that our eagerness to visit Maalifushi was fully justified.

The resort was the first to open in the remote Thaa Atoll, with only a couple of resorts located further south. It took a long journey to get to Maalifushi, so it was a relief to finally disembark on the main jetty—and begin to take in the island in all its beauty.

The island

Maalifushi feels wilder than some other islands in the more developed parts of the Maldives. With the tall palm tree forest, wide beaches, and natural reefs, it has some of that undiscovered feel, a rarity these days.

It is just one of the mostly uninhabited islets, their green silhouettes strung one after another, until the last one disappears in the sea mist haze. The closest neighbor is a picture-perfect green patch of land—and guests can just swim or wade to it over the shallows.

COMO style

This sister resort to the much-admired Cocoa Island, Maalifushi, follows the COMO trademark style of eco-friendly, understated luxury.

Its design and atmosphere fall somewhere between the sophisticated minimalism of the Aman Resorts and the Six Senses eco-chic—a sweet spot to be in.

White on blue

There are sixty-six villas on Maalifushi. Some are over water (ideal for couples), some on land, with gardens—these are great for families with small children. All offer seclusion and luxury with a laid-back feel. The interiors are designed with oak floors and elegant furniture, and swathes of mosquito netting around the beds.

We preferred the overwater suites and villas; white-painted, full of light, with large sun decks and thatched gazebos outside, their infinity pools reflecting the colors of the lagoon and sky.

The beachfront villas are more peaceful and private, though—with their jungly little gardens and paths leading to the combed beach.

Island life

Maalifushi is great for couples, but this resort is more family-focused than Cocoa Island. There are child-friendly beach picnics and snorkeling trips on offer, as well as a nice kids’ club.

Still, Maalifushi is mostly about peace and tranquillity, and as such, it is as serene a destination as you can find. Restorative yoga, top-notch spa treatments, beach-front exercise, and excellent healthy food are all parts of the exquisite body and mind restoration experience.

in our opinion

During our latest trip to the Maldives, we visited several resorts (island hopping: a good idea!) and would pick the perfect combination of peaceful ambiance and pared-down looks of COMO Maalifushi at any time.

Ideal for couples who are after some peace and quiet, looking to escape it all.

*This review contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you.

What we love

• Spacious but cozy, luxurious villas—especially the beautiful villas on stilts (with large swimming pools). They were some of the best we tried!
• This island smells good! Famous for its Shambhala Spas, COMO has its own range of high-quality cosmetics, distributed in tiny bottles in the guest bathrooms, but also available at a small spa shop
• Speaking of which, COMO Shambhala spa was even better than we expected. Excellent massages, great ambiance
• The overwater sunset bar—beautifully designed and offering healthy juice drinks and inventive, champagne-based cocktails
• Tall palm forest!
• Food was excellent, we especially liked the à la carte breakfasts, with a range of healthy dishes in the COMO Shambhala menu
• House reef, natural and undisturbed—it's only a short walk down the main pier and a few steps down to a shallow reef, which then drops off to 20 m. It provides some excellent snorkeling—and although we haven't tried, we are told diving is great too
• The staff is well-trained despite the resort being relatively young

What you should know

• From Malé airport, guests will take a 60-minute seaplane transfer to COMO Maalifushi. 
• The sunset-side water villas are less private on the sun decks—as an occasional snorkeler can be spotted in the shallow waters outside
• People looking for a happening atmosphere may find this place too quiet
• The sand is not consistently silky and smooth as on some other islands—in some parts of the beach, it may be too coarse for sensitive feet (we braved it, though!)
• The breakfast selection is great, but it might feel somewhat limited after a while
• A large part of the island is fenced off as the staff area (there are some 300 people working at the hotel)