Look at how the Maldives became the beach destination of choice for Indians

What comes to mind when you think of the Maldives? For most of us, this island nation is the epitome of a honeymoon destination – expensive and exclusive enough to impress your new partner in life, while offering much-needed private time in a romantic setting to be acquainted with each other. The younger digi-savvy generation perceives the Maldives as a made-for-Instagram spot and visits it with increasing frequency to show their social media following that they have ‘arrived’ in life. Or at least, this is what I believed till my recent visit to the country, particularly the private island resort of Kandima Maldives, located in the Dhaalu Atoll, a picturesque 45-minute seaplane ride away from Male airport.

In the months preceding my marriage over eight years ago, when the frenzy of wedding preparations took over our lives, my cousin from Dubai recommended Maldives for the ultimate post-wedding relaxation holiday. She highlighted that after nearly a month of wedding revelry, all we needed was to unwind in a beautiful spot, and nothing was more beautiful than the Maldives. We took her advice and booked ourselves a stay at Velassaru Resort. Back then, it was quite a trek to the Maldives involving flights with stops either in Sri Lanka or Chennai, and the country’s one-island-one-resort policy meant the pricing of the holiday was almost prohibitively expensive. Shelling out that kind of money was only justified as a once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon experience – certainly not for frequent vacationing. 

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However, things have changed significantly since then. The introduction of direct flights from Delhi to the Maldives in 2016 was the first step in the right direction, but the true game-changer was the pandemic. Well-mapped Covid policies of the Maldivian government invited travellers from around the world, including Indians when many international countries shunned our citizens afraid that we were carriers of the deadly virus. 

One of the first countries to open international borders as far back as July 2020, the Maldives implemented strict hygiene protocols for tourists and successfully conducted a Covid-19 vaccination campaign for its own citizens. They also began to entice Indian and Russian tourists to take the place of the Chinese, which until the pandemic had constituted the highest denomination of visitors to their country. Innovative marketing campaigns used taglines like ‘Isolation never looked this good’ to attract discerning customers looking for a leisure destination that also functioned on environmentally sustainable tourism. Lastly, Maldives is the first South Asian nation to adopt 5G technology on a large scale, to cater to the increasing demand for high-speed internet for the purposes of remote work.

According to a recent online survey conducted by booking.com, younger travellers look at environmental sustainability measures and the welfare of local communities, when choosing international destinations. They also prefer to stay away from crowds and explore lesser-known places. Maldives has been at the forefront of eco-tourism to ensure the survival of the reefs surrounding its many islands. It also ticks the other boxes mentioned above. Perhaps this is the reason why the Ministry of Tourism in Maldives, which celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2022, has already recorded half a million tourists in the country in four months. Further, they have witnessed an increase in the average duration of stay in the Maldives by 2.4 days since 2020. 

For Indians specifically, ‘value for money’ has always been the primary consideration that drives travel choices. Therefore, easily accessible beach destinations like Goa, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, offering all manner of accommodation at varying price ranges, have traditionally been preferred over the Maldives. This too has changed with a large number of Maldivian private resorts attracting an Indian clientele through the promise of ‘Affordable Luxury for All’. 

Kandima Maldives certainly uses this tagline to its advantage. Spread across 3kms, Kandima is one of the largest islands in the Maldives, offering plenty of options in terms of wellness, adventure and relaxation. Travellers are spoilt for choice with their 264 studios and villas ranging from Beach and Sky Studios that can accommodate entire families comfortably, to the more exclusive Beach Villas – with a choice of pool, jacuzzi or both – located on the island’s pristine sandy beaches, to a collection of ocean-facing accommodations including Aqua Villas, Ocean Pool Villas and Suites, presenting the quintessential Maldivian over-water hospitality. No matter what you choose, you are treated to breath-taking views of an expanse of blue offset by pristine white sand and lush greenery that is native to Kandima island. If you are lucky, you may even spot exotic sea creatures like dolphins, baby sharks, pilot fish and flying fish from the privacy of your villa. 

Initially surprised to learn that most visitors choose to stay for eight days on average at Kandima Maldives, after spending five jampacked days there, I could see why this was the case. I revelled in their many wellness options that included treatments at esKape spa, a therapeutic lesson in painting led by a local Maldivian artist at the in-house Kula Art Studio, and sunset yoga on the beach under the guidance of an Indian yogi from Uttar Pradesh. My adventurous husband and son tried their hand at numerous exciting water sports and activities including snorkelling in the deep sea to view turtles and other creatures, jet-skiing, fun rides on the water and a sea bob experience unique to Kandima, to explore the reefs around the island through water sleds. Not to be left behind, I too tried some of these and thoroughly enjoyed parasailing over the vast, gorgeous Indian Ocean. A private sunset cruise and fishing experience were other glamorous additions to our itinerary, where we hobnobbed with European, Middle Eastern, and Indian celebrities and influencers. 

When choosing a place to stay in the Maldives, the dining options often become the deciding factor, since you are constrained to an island and must eat what is available. Hence, Kandima’s ten dining options, three of which are fine-dining speciality restaurants offering the Mediterranean, live grill and Asian cuisines, give plenty of choice to gourmands. Not every dish is at par but some of the dishes are par excellence. I especially enjoyed my grilled red snapper at Azure, served under a starlit sky in an exclusive private dining experience on the beach. 

My recent vacation at Kandima Maldives was an eye-opener. It changed the way I perceived Maldives - making the islands seem more accessible and infinitely more attractive than the beaches of Goa which are increasingly overrun with tourists turning into locals. It also allowed me to view the idea of affordable luxury from a unique vantage point, where bespoke experiences, serene and unmatched surroundings and warm hospitality set the gold standard to measure the concept of ‘value for money’. The Maldives, and for me Kandima in particular, surpasses its many beach destination competitors in this regard and has therefore successfully become the destination of choice for the discerning Indian traveller.

Noor Anand Chawla pens lifestyle articles for various publications and her blog www.nooranandchawla.com_. She can be reached at_ nooranand@gmail.com_. _ 

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