Coco Bodu Hithi — Hotel in Malé Atoll

I am a solo female traveller and felt very safe indeed bar the weird experience of being sat in a public eating area on arrival and left for an hour (was a bit uncomfortable). Male airport does not have a dedicated waiting area for visitors on arrival and having got through security, you are placed in a general eating zone they do come back for you but this feels a bit haphazard and unsettling

However, on arrival to the island after a 40 minute, choppy, speed boat ride, we were greeted with drums, very accommodating staff and a welcome mocktail. After a brief island induction you are taken to your villa

Accommodation

Stunning, an island villa with the biggest bath and most comfortable bed I have seen, my own private pool, lounge area, balcony and walk way to my very own piece of the island. The mini bar, free water, coffee and tea were very welcome if you want them. Totally and utterly private and in truth could be used as a retreat except for the eating together. My bed was dressed daily with messages and pictures made from island flowers and leaves. Alongside the occasional tailored towels, it always generated a smile for such kind consideration. Blown away an understatement

Food

This has to be one of the best, beautifully cooked buffet arrangements I have ever come across during a vacation. It can be spicy, but flavoursome and if you are struggling to choose from the vast array of foods, they restaurant will accommodate and cook you something if needed if you before a less complex flavour - it didn't matter whether, breakfast, lunch or dinner the choice is vast and if you want to, you can eat in other restaurants on the island - Aqua was stunning

Staff

Wow, so attentive, caring, protective and simply kind, they would help you in all ways they could to make your stay the most memorable for you.

The Spa

Glorious, superb treatments, not cheap but worth everything you pay. I felt pampered and truly spoiled on my birthday, with messaged windows, candles and happy birthday sung to me - truly touched for how special they made me feel that day. I even had a birthday cake delivered to my room on return - wonderful

Nature

You are surrounded, if you don't really like creepy things :-), you may find this a challenge. I totally embraced it all and am quite captivated by the hermit crabs that surrounded by sunbed. The land crabs, geckos, bees, tropical birds, fruit bats, cats are just for starters. This is without getting in the water, black tipped reef sharks, turtles, sting rays easily visible from standing in the water, and the most glorious abundance of colour as you move to deeper waters. Has to be seen to be explained

The island was party to a fair few storms during my stay, equally dramatic and lovely to drop the temperature for a few hours but didn't diminish the experience, added in fact

Sunrise and sunsets - absolutely out of this world, colour and drama - bonkers

The downsides

Some of the apartment is a little tired, the pool was losing tiles, and the internal shower could do with a good scrub with a brush around the seams BUT for me it is a nonsense because the tiredness does not stop you using them and the pool a blessing. They are in a renovation programme so you may hear noise of villas being upgraded during the day but it doesn't really impact your experience

Things to think about taking

Sea shoes - the broken corals can be sharp under foot on the beach Mosquito spray - they like you after the storms Phone to have a torch - much ambient lighting means it is a little dark on the walk ways - very pretty but can be a little dangerous when some of the lights are not working Money - if you are not all inclusive, its pricey

Overall I am captivated, what a way to experience a holiday. You are taken away from the majority of every day life, yes you have WIFI and television if you wanted to have it but the island is magical, quiet, spiritual if you want to release from all the trappings of our every day life. My holiday was...

My husband and I have just returned from our honeymoon spent in The Maldives. We spent 10 days at Coco Bodu Hithi in one of the Coco Residence Water Villas from late Feb to early March, and we both absolutely agree that it was the MOST incredible, luxurious and enjoyable holiday we have ever been on.

Our favourite things as follows: Buggy transport readily available - our villa was further out than many from the main buffet restaurant. You walk along the boarded walk-way out over the ocean, but can call a buggy to pick you up once you get to the main island. It's all walkable, but sometimes we didn't fancy it in the heat. Good wi-fi in the rooms (unlike some other resorts we looked at). Smart TV in the living area where you can log into Netflix, YouTube etc. Every night there was a turn down service whilst you were out at dinner, where they would also replenish food, water and towels. One night we came back and they'd decorated our bed with flowers and leaves spelling "Happy Honeymoon" and provided a chocolate cake. It was unbelievably well done and thoughtful - thank you to the gents who did this. They fumigate each day which means there are very few bugs - we were actually surprised when we saw one! I normally get bitten badly on hot holidays, however I only suffered 2 tiny ones here. A true miracle! The Sandbank experience - costly but worth it and it now ranks in the top 5 of our best days ever. A big shout out to SURESH and his team who took us out via boat and set us up with shade, seating, food and water. They worked like a well-oiled machine and catered to our every need. Thanks to them, we had a once in a lifetime experience that we'll never forget. The spa is amazing and the couples massage we had there was my favourite bit. Thank you to the ladies who work there and made sure we had a fabulous experience and were comfortable the whole time. Food-wise, we went half-board and this was more than enough for us. A semi-big breakfast generally saw us through to the evening meal and the breakfast and dinner spreads were plentiful and delicious. The evening meals are themed per night and will have a live cooking station which always served extra-delicious bits. We became friendly with a waiter who worked in the main restaurant called Hassan - who became one of the trips absolute best bits. He would go out of his way to make sure our water was topped up quickly (we only drank water and he was quick to get this arranged for us the minute we arrived), and ensured we always got a great table (no monetary incentive involved!). On our final evening, he set up a specific table for us which he decorated with flowers and wording "See you soon". It was such a lovely touch and we so appreciated all his hard work, then and throughout the whole time we'd been there. He was kind, attentive and friendly. Thank HASSAN, you truly made us feel so special and we won't forget your service.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our host, PAUL, a truly fantastic and kind host. Paul met us upon arriving at the island and checked in with us in person every day thereafter. He would recommend what to book, see and do, and worked tirelessly to ensure we got everything we wanted. He was only ever a Whatsapp away, and never made anything feel like too much hassle. He was always so well presented and there with a smile on his face. We got to know him a little over the holiday and he us. Without wishing to sound over the top, we were incredibly sad to say goodbye to Paul; he had become a friendly face that we loved seeing and have already reminisced many times about how we miss him! A huge thank you to you Paul. You are amazing!

In case it wasn't clear, we absolute recommend Coco Bodu Hithi. Great views, food, accommodation and most of all people. We will be...

I will be giving a detailed review I will be giving to help other tourists decide. First and foremost, we went on a 5D/4N honeymoon, which included 2 nights in an island villa and 2 nights in a water villa, i.e. Coco Residences. The Beach villa has two types of rooms, one on the white sand beach and one with snorkeling water. Please let them know ahead of time if you have any special requests.

In terms of the property, the island is large enough, clean, well-kept, and a proper 5-star property. They will greet you with music and escort you to reception, where a person will be assigned to take care of your stay. We were given a welcome drink (mango frooty) and our rooms were ready in no time. We were initially given a room with a snorkeling view (room no 336, no beach), but we requested a room with a beach view overlooking the villa, which they provided (room no 312) the next day. Room no 320-333 will be best, 310-319 would be after that which are beach facing. room no 334-341 are with no beach.

We went snorkeling after receiving our complimentary snorkeling equipment from water sports counter. It was convenient to the beach. There is a scarcity of equipments depending on number of guests. We had a complimentary canoe/kayak ride that we were unable to use due to windy weather, but it is available for honeymooners. We went scuba diving (175USD x 2), which was an amazing experience. The scuba instructor was knowledgeable and helpful. but when we checked other islands, they provided two people to accompany us, one to hold and another to take photos, as you pay around $40 for GoPro photos. However, we only had one instructor, and we are holding the GoPro in our hands. You need to collect the photos via HDD/Pendrive. We chose the full-body spa (300USD per couple), which was excellent and of high quality. It wasn't spectacular, but it was enjoyable.

Now for the rooms, they were super awesome. All Beach villas have the same interior and are large and airy, with 5-star quality products, and large bed, and are designed for honeymooners. The pool is large, cozy, and very private. Ideal for spending time with your loved one. The rooms have air conditioning, and the veranda has plenty of seating. Honeymooners will receive complimentary champagne.

Then we went to Coco Residency, which are the most luxurious water villas in Coco Palms. The stay exceeded our expectations, with ample space for everything, high-quality products, plenty of sitting areas, a bathtub overlooking the sea, and bedroom overlooking an infinity pool.

There are various restaurants there, but AIR is the primary one that is covered by the meal plan. Every day, we could choose from alternatives that included European, Asian, Indian, and American cuisine. Even though our complimentary honeymoon supper with them was not particularly remarkable, one drink and special seating are normally provided but since it was raining it was nothing special. Near AIR the common area had a large infinity pool with a seating area is a lovely place to relax. From movie nights to karaoke nights, they host a variety of events here. Their photographer created two complementary images for us, and we printed and soft copy was sent in email.

The only thing I missed were bicycles, which would have been fun. Better lighting on island internal roads at night. One will need to use flashlight to walk through even on the water villa wooden roads.

Overall, we had a wonderful time at Coco Bodu, and they went above and beyond to make our honeymoon memorable. Absolute love for this place, and we may go there again.

I've attached some photos...