Cora Cora Maldives — Hotel in North Maalhosmadulu

We went on a family holiday with our little 18-month-old for 7 nights and the experience at Cora Cora Maldives surpassed all expectations. Our accommodation in the beach villa was simply splendid—spacious, modern, well-lit with high ceilings, and an outdoor bathroom that was a delight, boasting two showers. The daily replenishment of our minibar added a nice touch. Just steps away from our villa lay a breathtaking white sandy beach that hugged the turquoise sea.

Despite the island's small size, a mere 20-minute walk along the perimeter, everything—main pool, restaurants, bars, and facilities—was conveniently located on one side, easing navigation. The beach is regularly cleaned in the morning. On one lucky day, we woke up early to see the sunrise and found a family of stingray swimming just in the lagoon in front of our villa. We also managed to see dolphins just a few meters from the shoreline and baby sharks.

For us, avid snorkelers and divers, the Maldives didn't disappoint. We were provided complimentary snorkeling gear for the duration of our stay. The house reef around Cora island was a vibrant underwater world, teeming with colorful fish and corals. We did like nine dives and saw the whole gang—sharks, rays, turtles, you name it. Huge shout out to Danilo, Mohamed, and Marcus from TGI Cora for showing us the underwater wonders!

Now, let's talk food. When it comes to dining, our experiences at Cora Cora blew away our previous all-inclusive resort encounters. Tazaa, the buffet restaurant, impressed us with its generous and fresh breakfast spread, offering a wide array from egg stations to gluten-free pastries. Lunch and dinner favorites included the tantalizing Maldivian dishes and the delightful fisherman BBQ buffet.

Acquapazza's fresh Italian offerings for lunch and dinner were exceptional—the salads vibrant, pizzas perfectly charred, and the pasta al dente. Our top picks were the seafood spaghetti, bocconcini salad, and the irresistible tiramisu, which I couldn't resist having daily.

Gingermoon's Asian cuisine for dinner was equally delightful, while Teien's Japanese sushi and sashimi earned the title of the best we've ever had, with fish that melted in the mouth.

Since our villa didn't have a private pool and our little one's a water baby, we practically lived at the main pool for like 2-3 hours every day. Loved that they had a pool just for kids too!

The Cora Kids club provided an array of activities, and the staff, Siba, Abbie, and Nadhy, were incredibly patient and kind, even allowing us a night off for a dinner date.

Here's something cool—this resort has its own museum! Apparently, there are only 2 registered museums in Maldives, one is located in Male and the other is on Cora island. It's small but packed with the history of the island and the Maldives.

THE STAFF Absolute champs! Can’t fault them, literally the best staff you can imagine. From the airport staff, to reception desk, cleaning services, restaurant staff, basically every single HUMAN BEING in this resort treats you with kindness and they go the extra mile to accommodate your needs and wishes. They’re not pretentious either. And the waitstaff at the restaurants? They went above and beyond, especially with our little guy, keeping him entertained so we could eat in peace.

I gotta give a massive shoutout to Hanan, our museum tour guide, shared invaluable insights into Maldivian history, fulfilling our desire to connect with the local culture. And last but not least, Zihan (Hunt), our freedom coach.He took the initiative to pre-book our dinner with alternating restaurants during our stay. He was very understanding when we asked for a late checkout so that our son could have his afternoon nap. He responded to our queries in a speed of light and did everything with a genuinely smile on his face. Thank you!

In a nutshell, Cora Cora Resort was off-the-charts amazing! We departed with heavy hearts but filled with cherished memories of nature's beauty and the wonderful individuals we encountered. We're already planning our...

We stayed in Cora Cora for 7 nights this March. We had an amazing experience!

Food After searching probably hundreds of resorts in the Maldives, we chose Cora Cora partly because of their dine around gourmet meal plan which offered access to 4 brilliant restaurants instead of the standard buffet dinner you would fine at most Maldivian resorts.The food was amazing! We had two dinners at the Japanese restaurant Teien where the locally sourced fish made delicious sushi and sashimi! We also loved the Asian food at Ginger Moon! The lunches at Tazaa were also really great and we were always curious why this restaurant was not busier at Lunch.

There were also two specialty dinners. One which was a local Maldivian buffet consisting of several curries and grilled fish & meats. But the beach BBQ was amazing! I think I had 2 lobsters, several tiger prawns, grilled calamari and a whole lot more! Truly delicious!

Drinks The wine list was extensive and we enjoyed trying a different wine with each dinner. My tip would be to take the DOC Prosecco over the Champagne. We would have a glass every evening whilst the sun set over the pool!

The cocktails were also surprisingly brilliant! Not your standard almost zero alcohol, filled with sugar syrup rubbish you get at other all inclusives - these were actually tasty!

We also loved our fresh coconuts from the bar when they were available!

The Resort Rooms were spectacular. We had a beach villa and loved our little private section of beach with some shaded sunbeds. The sea plane landing did cause a bit of noise but it never woke us up in the night. The two bedroom beach villas with pool did look beautiful and I would say perfect for a family!

The main pool area was great and we used it every evening. We didn't use it too much in the daytime as we preferred a swim in the sea. It was also very hot and the number of shaded spots by the pool was a bit limited. Also a heads up that there are some bats which fly around the pool in the evening - we found these really cool so it was a plus!

Some nice snorkelling on the house reef within a short swim.

We spent every evening sat out on our little bit of beach drinking some prosecco. We would then walk along the beach and spot small reef sharks hunting in the shallows which was very cool!

Activities We did a fair few activities. The stargazing dinner was amazing with a beautifully candle lit private platform in the trees with private chef & waiter. Would definitely recommend over the beach dinner they offer which is less private.

We did the dolphin cruise which was a fun trip out on the dive Dhoni.

We also did the turtle snorkelling which I can recommend as a way to see some turtles in reasonably shallow water.

I am a scuba diver. My partner isn't and we intended for her to learn whilst at Cora Cora. Unfortunately we just didn't have time to do it as were too busy enjoying other activities.

The massages were very relaxing set in huts with glass floors to see the fish!

Shout Outs! I am sorry I cannot remember her name, but the restaurant manager at Teien from the Philippines was lovely and made us feel extremely welcome! Really appreciated her service and the conversation! Thanks to our Freedom Guide Yan who was always instantly responding and brilliant! Unfortunately the name of our masseuses also slip my mind byt they made the experience very relaxing!

Some small tweaks Some fresh mango offered at breakfast would have been brilliant. Last time I came to the Maldives this changed my perception of the fruit - just completely different from mango in the UK! Not sure why the main pool area closes officially at 6pm? We did stay in it later but this seems a bit early. Granted we did go during the Easter Holidays, but there were a few children around. There is a kids club, but it didn't seem to be very busy. To be clear, this didn't impact our holiday negatively, just more a heads up that there are...

I'm recently home from spending 8 nights at the Cora Cora Maldives and I'm still mentally digesting how amazing this resort is. Arriving by sea-plane and being greeted by various staff at the jetty was a small but delightful gesture, it felt so personal and welcoming that I knew immediately that I was going to love this island.

One of the first things that struck me about the island was how green it is! Even from the plane you could see how lush the entire island was, my complaint about some other islands in the Maldives was the lack of greenery, but Cora Cora looks like the tropical island you envision in your mind when you think about the Maldives. Check in was a breeze and was quickly on to my beach villa - 106 which was just a few minutes walk from reception. Stepping into my room I knew I was going to love this place, there was a traditional feel but with modern convenience and style. My bed faced directly out onto the beach and the water.. Waking up to the sounds of the waves gently lapping at the beach was an absolute dream come true. The room was stocked with a plentiful mini-bar, teas, coffees and even jelly beans! Although my first thought was to have a look at the price list but quickly realised there wasn't one as everything was included and replenished every day, such an unexpected break from the norm.

The views everywhere on the island are amazing, see some of my attached pictures to get an idea of what I saw in the time I was here, the landscapes, the wildlife and even the food are visually stunning. I frequently walked around the island to get my bearings and just to marvel at the views from the white sandy beaches. It honestly feels like there isn't enough time to take everything in as it's so beautifully overwhelming.

Since this resort is all inclusive you have your pick of the various al a carte restaurants, my personal favourite has to be Aquapazza, located next to the main pool - I have to say it was hands down some of the best Italian food I've ever had and this is coming from someone who has Italian family and lived in Italy! Bruschetta, pizza, even the parmigiano were all to die for. I didn't have a single bad meal this entire time. What was really the icing on the cake though was the grab and go service, pretty much every item on the menu was available to take away. Want pizza but want to chill on your veranda outside your room? Not a problem, just order and take away! There were multiple occasions where I just wanted to chill in my beach villa with some food and listen to the waves as it was just the perfect surroundings, so this service really made the difference for me. There are other restaurants including ginger moon, tazäa, mycoffee and teien, all of which were outstanding.

This ties me to my next point - the staff. I've stayed at resorts all around the world and I would argue these are some of the best staff I have ever met. Every single member was friendly, accommodating and happy to interact with me, whether it was for a brief moment or a longer chat. Daily housekeeping was a beautiful touch that left the room feeling new everyday, it wasn't always needed but certainly nice when the room warranted a little spruce up.

In terms of activities you have many options, from all of your watersports to excursions, there's something for everyone. There's a house reef and free snorkeling gear to hire with easy access direct from anywhere on the island, I can attest to how amazing this is - just seeing all the wildlife in its natural habitat has greatly increased my love of the Maldives. Oh, also.. Totally saw dolphins near shore jumping out of the water at sunset, I'd swear they must work for the resort as it was all to perfect to just happen haha.

This place felt like home, I was welcomed as a friend but also treat like a VIP.

It's not a question as to whether I'd come back to Cora Cora, it's just a...