Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives crowned Best Diving Resort

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has been awarded ‘Best Diving Resort’ in the Maldives at the 2023 TTM Awards. Located in the South Male atoll, the natural, private island resort is well known for its easy access to some of the Top 10 dive sites in the Maldives just minutes away. Among them, the famous Kandooma Thila, is just 5 minutes away from the island.

“We are thrilled and this is a great achievement for our amazing dive team and the resort. Our team is passionate about sharing the wonders of the underwater world with our guests, both experienced and those new to scuba diving,” says Mark Eletr, General Manager of Holiday Inn Resort

The fully-fledged five star PADI accredited Kandooma Dive Centre is located on the island providing qualified and experienced diving guides and instructors. The Dive Centre also has its own fleet of dive boats and offers the opportunity for guests to take courses to become licensed or advance their open-water skills. Memorable scuba diving experiences aren’t just for adults. The Kandooma Dive Centre also provides confidence building experiences for the little ones in the swimming pool with the PADI Bubblemaker programme.

“We are very lucky to have such a wonderful purpose-built dive facility. I’m a keen scuba diver myself and we have the full range of PADI programmes, a great equipment selection, and offer dive activities that promote aquatic environmental responsibility. We are particularly proud of having saved a Giant Oceanic Manta Ray earlier this month and a new association with the Manta Trust,” said Mark.

Starting from 1 September, 2023 Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives will introduce ‘DIVE FREE’ which offers guests staying 3 nights or longer, up to two free scuba dives per day including boat, equipment, air/enriched air and Guide.

“When guests see the marine life, whether that be vibrant coral reefs, Sharks, Manta Rays, Sea Turtles and a variety of fish, which are easily accessible from Kandooma they are blown away. To be able to offer free diving to our guests sets us apart from competitors. We’re pretty excited about it and there is no better time to promote this than after being named Best Dive Resort in the Maldives,” he added.

Located in the South Male Atoll just 40 minutes from the airport by boat, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives is a beautiful island paradise. White sand beaches, swaying coconut palms and turquoise waters form the exquisite backdrop for a wide variety of leisure pursuits and some of the best diving in the Maldives. Guests can choose from Garden and Beach Villas, two-storey Beach Houses, the three-bedroom Beach Pool Villa and the popular Overwater Villas with direct ladder access to the water below. Families are well catered for with the Kandoo Kids’ Club and a full activities programme. Six food and beverage outlets ensure healthy appetites are satisfied and the flavours of the Maldives explored. For those guests who desire the ultimate in relaxation, sun loungers and hammocks are located around the island and the Kandooma Spa by COMO Shambhala is the ideal place to unwind.