Why Paradise is Found at COMO Maalifushi, The Idle Maldivian Island | The Escape

by Rob ChiltonMay 24, 2022May 24, 2022

Take your foot off the gas…

The fastest moving things at Como Maalifushi are the lizards. They skitter across the white sand, pausing briefly to admire your papaya Oran sandals, before disappearing into the lush undergrowth to find their lunch.

Villas are either nestled in the jungle of the island, stand on the blissful beaches, or sit on wooden jetties

This resort in the southern Thaa Atoll is a 60-minute seaplane flight from Male International Airport and therefore far from the noise and clutter that can distract visitors at other Maldives properties. Como Maalifushi is a place where time doesn’t stop exactly, but definitely slows down to a snail’s pace.

The resort’s decor comes from the mind of Japanese interior designer Koichiro Ikebuchi. It is simple, peaceful and uncluttered. The perfect backdrop for a holiday with unwinding in mind

Shady pathways under a canopy of tropical trees and plants lead Zen-minded guests from their villas to the restaurant, the pool or spa. Don’t want to walk? Hop on the retro bikes left outside your accommodation and pedal along the sandy lanes instead.

The resort is all about endless ocean views

Como Maalifushi is a children-friendly resort but don’t think for a second that means you’ll be annoyed by shouty kids’ activities and gaudy entertainment. The kids club for children aged 4-12 (younger kids are allowed with adult supervision) is a discreet jungle villa filled with wooden toys, plus a packed timetable of fun activities such as tie-dye T-shirt making and coconut-shell painting. A couple could happily come here on their honeymoon and enjoy romantic candlelit dinners without ever realising it’s a family resort.

The aim of Como Maalfisuhi is to provide guests with a calm environment that is focused on your wellbeing.

Sea breezes and sunsets are your quiet companions at Como Maalifushi. It’s a placed designed for contemplating nature and reconnecting with loved ones

Yes, you can order an ice-cold mocktail and a juicy burger, but you could also tuck into nut and seed toast or homemade coconut yoghurt for breakfast. The children’s menu – hooray – is refreshingly wholesome and a million miles away from the sadly predictable and ubiquitous chicken nuggets and chips. While most Maldives resorts offer the same cookie-cutter menu, Como Maalifushi has its dedicated Como Shambhala series of dishes that are an enticingly healthy option for those who want their holiday to be a rejuvenating and healing experience rather than a schlubby blow-out where you end up going home feeling worse than when you departed.

The Madi (which means manta ray in the local language) resturant serves up Indonesian, Mediterranean, Thai and Maldivian dishes; the casual pool bar Thila (named after Maldivian submerged reefs that are home to marine life) does a nice line in salads and tasty pizzas; while Tai offers Japanese-inspired sashimi and sushi with an ocean-facing cocktail bar. Tai is also the scene of the once a week 6:30pm shark feeding, which is a pretty dramatic sort of sideshow to take in while sipping a drink and enjoying the spectacular technicolour sunset.

Indonesian, Mediterranean, Thai, Japanese and Maldivian dishes await in restaurants that use the open ocean as a backdrop

Villas with thatched roofs are either nestled in the jungle of the island, standing on the blissful beaches, or positioned on long wooden jetties that stretch out into the ludicrously clear Maldivian lagoon. Decor by Japanese interior designer Koichiro Ikebuchi is simple, peaceful and uncluttered. Beige, cream and oatmeal is the calming colour palette you’ll find here and at Como’s 13 resorts around the world. Coffee tables carved out of hunks of driftwood are a highlight design feature of the villas.

The Como Shambhala signature massage – executed with a revitalising and dreamy blend of lavender, geranium and bergamot essential oils – is a good place to start your stay, with its objective to rebalance the body and mind. A treatment you may well need after the ride in the 15-seater seaplane to get to the Atoll. The gentle walk out to one of eight spa huts on a boardwalk above the sea water really helps to clear the mind and prepare the body for the sensory pleasure of the Asian-inspired holistic treatment that awaits.

A popular excursion is the two-hour sunset cruise that takes you alongside pods of playful dolphins as they leap into the air and perform acrobatic twists – you’ll need a speedy finger reflex if you’re to photograph one in full flight. Elsewhere, you could while away a couple of hours by signing up for a yoga class, booking a scuba dive, or commandeering the resort’s communal vintage board games such as chess, Monopoly and backgammon. When your eyelids begin to feel heavy, pack away the pieces and saunter back to your villa in the balmy nighttime breeze, wishing those speedy lizards a sleepy goodnight.