Stay Here: Kanuhura Resort, MaldivesBy Angelica Malin
Planning an island escape? We have just the ticket. The Maldives will steal your heart; with 26 natural atolls, 1200 islets, stunning sand bars and bright coral reefs scattered over the turquoise waters, the natural beauty of the destination will take your breath away. You need to make Kanuhura Maldives top of your list for luxury travel destinations. With 5* service, the most beautifully designed interiors, a relaxed, easy-going vibe and world class food, this island retreat really has it all. Here’s everything you need to know about Kanuhura Maldives:
Kanuhura Maldives Review: The Lowdown
If you’re looking a real taste of the Maldives, Kanuhura is the place to come. Voted one of the leading family resorts in the Maldives, the recently-renovated resort is perfect for families, couples and solo travellers alike. You’ll be astounded by the natural beauty of the island; one of the largest islands in the Maldives, the resort transports you to a total island paradise, complete with lush, green foliage, crystal clear waters and perfect white sandy beaches. Frankly, the true, untouched beauty of this island must be seen to be believed. You’ll feel like a character straight out of the Jungle Book, trust me.
The resort is unique in many ways. Firstly, it’s the only resort in the Maldives to boast two totally private, deserted islands. The islands are the perfect place for escaping it all; you’ll feel like a real explorer as you travel across the sparkling waters by dinghy to reach the islands. For beautiful beachside lunches, Jehunuhura (only a 5 minute boat ride away) is home to the seculded restaurant Drift Grill, and for untouched natural beauty on a private island, visit Masleggihura, the resort’s second deserted island.
Kanuhura Maldives is part of the Sun Resorts group, a high-end property collection, who have six luxurious properties located in Mauritius and the Maldives. Boasting impressive beach resorts in the Indian Ocean, Sun Resorts work hard to make sure every guest leaves with a holiday of a lifetime. Right on.
Kanuhura Maldives Review: The Rooms
The rooms at Kanuhura Maldives, ranging from the Beach Bungalow to Retreat Family Beach Pool Villa, are simply divine. Home to 80 villas, all furnished in the island’s statement gypset style, each villa boats a private wooden deck stretching to the beach or over the lagoon. For simple beauty, the Beach Bungalow has stunning views over the lagoon, with an elegant design that draws you in. We loved the Beach Pool Villa, for even more privacy, with its sensational private pool, beach and ocean views. It’s the perfect spot for watching the Maldivian Sunset from your private plunge pool, glass of wine in hand.
If you’d like a real Maldivian experience, choose one of the Water Villas. At 125 square meters and standing on stilts over the lagoon, the Water Villas offer an incredible view of the ocean. Picture it: relaxing in an overwater hammock on your private sundeck, with magnificent ocean views and fish life below. Take things a step further with the Water Pool Villa, which offers a private sundeck and plunge pool, with a magnificent view of the Indian Ocean.
You can’t beat the beauty of the Sanctuary Pool Villa – the island’s presidential villa set in its own landscaped area with three bedrooms, a living and dining area, a spacious veranda, a private pavilon, BBQ area, a private garden and a private pool. And for a real family getaway, there’s the amazing Retreat Grand Beach Pool Villa, which features a a large private terrace and a private pool, with two separate beachfront villas set around the pool. Glorious.
Kanuhura Maldives Review: The Activities
You’ll be totally spoilt for choice with all the activities on offer at Kanuhura Maldives. From snorkelling to deep-sea diving, personal training to island excursions, sunset cruises to spa pampering, you can fill every second of the day with fun, exciting activities, if you please. For wannabe mermaids, there’s so much to do and see with excellent watersports, fishing, a beautiful lagoon, snorkelling and 40 dive sites nearby. At the SUN Watersports Center, you can enjoy complimentary non-motorized watersports and use of snorkelling equipment, as well as jet skis, waterskiing, catamaran sailing, banana-boating and windsurfing.
For divers, the resort is perfect, as Lhaviyani Atoll is excellent for everything from scuba diving excursions to over 40 dive sites and PADI certification courses. If you fancy exploring the surrounding natural beauty, the resort offers all sorts of excursions, including island hopping, dolphin-spotting cruises, manta-ray snorkelling, sunset cruises and visits to a local villages to see local Maldivian life. It’s time to get exploring.
Equally, if you just fancy lying by the pool, sipping pina coladas (my kind of holiday) and soaking up the sunshine, that’s totally fine too. In fact, the island has such a sense of peace and serenity about it, you’ll be forgiven for totally losing track of time and wanting to get lost in the relaxed, island vibes. For little ones, there’s a great Kids Club, offering a daily schedule of action-packed fun, so everyone will be kept entertained on the island.
Kanuhura Maldives Review: The Spa
It would be a crime to visit the resort and not try their beautiful spa. The award-winning Kokaa Spa has a great range of luxury massages, facials and body treatments (in fact, one of the longest spa menus in the Maldives), which are inspired by global healing traditions. We loved the Japanese reflexology, which is a real pampering treat for the feet, releasing tension and balancing the body through specialist pressure points.
A totally holistic experience, the spa boasts nine treatment rooms, complimentary steam bath, plunge pool, whirlpool and sauna, yoga and meditation sessions, and fitness classes, including Zumba, Maldivian warrior workouts, Pilates, boxing and water aerobics. The spa uses a fantastic, quality range of products in their treatments, including Terres D’Afrique from South Africa; Voya from Ireland and Subtle Energies from Australia, to enhance your spa journey. We never wanted to leave the beautiful serenity of the spa.
Kanuhura Maldives Review: The Food
The food alone at Kanuhura Maldives is worth travelling for. The dining options are fantastic; they have something for everyone (great for families with little ones, too) with a choice of eight restaurants and bars. From easy barefoot beach feasting to haute cuisine by candle-light in a secret garden, the resort is as formal as you want it to be. Which is ideal for people like me, who don’t like brushing their hair whilst on holiday. The breakfast buffet at A Mano is one of the largest you’ll find the Maldives, with everything from freshly-made Nutella pancakes to build-your-own fruit salads and delicious bakery treats on offer.
There’s a great deal of variety amongst the restaurants on the island. For grab and go, the Deli offers healthy juices, gourmet sandwiches and fresh salads, as well as tempting homemade ice cream (the coconut sorbet is my weakness, if you’re wondering). You can also pre-order a picnic here, which is super fun for kids. Drift beach grill is the place to come for secluded lunch by the sparkling blue waters, and if you want something really special, organise a private picnic for a special, romantic excursion or Destination Dining on the beach, where all your Maldives fantasies can come true.
In the evening, Bottega is the island’s Italian restaurant, serving up the best freshly-made pastas, risotto and antipasti around. I loved the Spaghetti Frutti Di Mare with locally-caught seafood, tons of fresh tomato sauce and al dente homemade spaghetti. And if you’re a greedy one like me, you’ll love the resort’s buffet restaurant A Mano, meaning ‘made by hand’, which offers a personal touch on global recipes, in a beautiful location under the palm trees. The restaurant comes alive in the evening, transforming into a lively food market with live cookery and boasting a different culinary theme for every night. Wednesday is Seafood Night and I can happily report it’s a total winner.
Veli is the island’s Asian restaurant, with a great location on the beach, overlooking the ocean. The restaurant offers everything from hand-made sushi to tandoori grilled meats and Yakiniku tables for Korean-style barbecues. Eating Singapore noodles with our feet in the sand? We’re sold. For fine dining, the Chef’s Herb Garden is a foodies’ dream, with a special candle-lit dinner every night in the heart of the resort’s herb and spice garden. We love that the restaurant has no menu, serving only what’s fresh and seasonal that day.
Kanuhura Maldives Review: Our Verdict
Kanuhura Maldives is the perfect package of luxury in a beautiful island setting. The resort brings together natural island beauty, fun-filled activities, delicious food (that buffet, oh that buffet) and the most sumptuous decor, that will give you a holiday to remember for years to come. We can’t recommend the resort enough; Kanuhura Maldives stole our hearts and we’re sure it will steal yours, too.
Rates at Kanuhura Maldives start from $975 per night based on two sharing and staying in a Beach Bungalow Sunrise room to include breakfast, Wifi and taxes. For more information, see here.