the maldives and me
as i’m sure many of you saw in my instastories (but saved in a highlight if you missed them!), a few weeks ago i had the incredible opportunity to attend and photograph a trip to the maldives thanks to zapwater and coco collection resorts. i was joined by four influencers - krystal, lisa, megan, and jenna - in addition to the amazing and fabulous zapwater evp jenn lake for this trip to paradise the other side of the world. so let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?
best time of year to go
typically you’re going to find warm and sunny temperatures all year round. november-april is the peak season for the maldives as this time typically has the best weather. monsoon season is from may-october but during our trip in september, we only had one rainy night on our last evening and the morning we departed in addition to a few quick showers on a few of the days. so don’t let monsoon season completely deter you from booking your trip! just know that rain may be a possibility during your stay.
how long to stay
i would strongly recommend staying at least 5-7 days. anything less than that may be too short of a time for the distance traveled. this will allow you to adjust from jet lag as well as experience everything the resorts have to offer…and give you enough time to sit on the beach and do nothing.
getting there & back
admittedly, before this trip, i wasn’t totally sure where the maldives were located exactly. but i’m here to tell you that the islands are located in the arabian sea just southwest of the southernmost point of india…you know, casually on the oppositie side of the globe. like any journey to the other side of the world, it did take a bit of time to get to there. my journey started out with a near 13-hour flight from newark to dubai (megan was also on my flight too!). after a quick hourlong layover, we met up with the rest of the group and hopped on a 4-hour flight to malé (the capital of the maldives) and after landing, we were promptly met with a speedboat to take us directly to our first resort. after a 45-minute ride, we pulled up to the spectacular island that housed our first coco collection resort: bodu hithi. in total, the journey took just less than 20 hours (but can take over 24 hours depending on where you’re coming from in the states); and honestly 20 hours isn’t as bad as it sounds.
during the flight to dubai, there was no one in the middle seat (#blessed) so i could stretch out a bit but made sure to get up and walk around whenever i could, and then i had an entire row to myself on the flight to malé…truly what dreams are made of. when we landed on got on the speedboat, it honestly felt so refreshing to feel the wind and smell the salt water that i didn’t even notice the 45-minutes go by.
we were also lucky to stay at the second property in the coco collection family during our trip and our voyage to that island involved a sea plane! i got really excited for this haha! when we left bodu hithi, we headed back to the airport in malé via speedboat. from there we got on a small sea plane with a few other guests going to the resort. it was only about an hour ride but we flew low enough to be able to have amazing views of the all the islands on the way there. we basically landed right at the front door and we were so excited to explore palm dhuni kolhu.
at the very end of the trip, we were all incredibly sad to leave. the route home took a little longer compared to the way there due to my 11-hour layover in dubai…don’t worry though, everything in the airport is open 24-hours a day…yes, even the chanel! thankfully there is a reasonably-priced hotel within the airport that you can book a room for a few hours at a time for this exact reason. needless to say, i opted for that option and slept like a baby (after i picked up a little something from chanel of course).
the coco collection resorts
as i mentioned, we were lucky enough to visit both the coco collection resorts during this trip. first resort on our itinerary was bodu hithi. the resort was absolutely picture perfect and we stayed at this property for three nights/four days but wish i could have stayed a month there. it was everything i hoped it would be and then some. of the two properties, my preference definitely leans towards this one mostly because of our accommodations. we were fortunate enough to stay in their residence over-water bungalows which are set apart from the rest of the island. our bungalows had a one-bedroom layout that included a living room, bedroom with a king-sized bed, vanity/closet, spacious bathroom with a tub that was larger than my nyc apartment, and an expansive deck complete with lounge chairs and an infinity pool.
bodu hithi offered 5 restaurant options and a wine bar on the island: all offering different cuisine. air is a casual poolside retreat for more casual dining. aqua is set over the water that specializes in a thai and southeast asian seafood menu (my personal favorite from here). latitude is best for casual bites and poolside cocktails. stars offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with a menu of mediterranean and asian cuisine. this was also closest to our bungalows and as a result, we ate here the most! and for all things japanese, tsuki is going to be your place to dine! we truly loved every spot and loved the variety of options!
the spa is also the perfect place to spend an afternoon. their extensive list of treatments will have you in full relaxation mode within seconds. oh yeah, and there is no need for music because the sound of the ocean is the perfect soundtrack.
the hospitality and service were truly unparalleled. there was no expectation of ours that was not exceeded. while at bodu hithi, we had an incredible butler, gotham, who was assigned to our group. he made sure that we not only had everything we needed, but made sure everything went smoothly. gotham even ran back to my bungalow when i forgot my spare camera battery before we were about to leave for an excursion. I KNOW! he was truly an angel.
bodu hithi would be perfect for a romantic getaway, honeymoon, anniversairy or a trip with smaller group of friends. the property is on the quieter and more intimate side so it would even be ideal for a solo trip!
next up was palm dhuni kolhu. we transferred to this property - via sea plane - for a two night stay before heading back home. compared to the quiet and serene bodu hithi, palm dhuni kolhu was definitely on the livelier side. this may be because of there were a few more groups and families and the room rates were slightly less than that of its sister property - definitely two different vibes!
at palm dhuni kolhu there are 6 different room types to choose between. while we had the over-water villas at bodu hithi, we were able to stay in the beach-side villas that felt as if you were lost in the jungle. it had a spacious bedroom and private pathway to the beach in addition to the most tranquil outdoor bathroom. i did notice a few more bugs here but nothing a little bug spray couldn’t handle!
there were four restaurants to choose from on this property. the main dining option is cowire an expansive buffet experience that has anything and everything your heart could desire. cornus is a more intimate dining setting located right on the beach and lit by candles at night. the conch bar has the bar bites you need when you’re craving that perfect hamburger. and finally you can watch the sun set at the beach bar with a cocktail in hand.
palm dhuni kolhu also had the most stunning spa on it’s property. we were so fortunate enough to have a little taste of the spa services offered during our visit and were truly blown away with the selection. a few of the girls opted to have their own spa treatments and they could not stop raving about their experience!
each property felt different and unique to each other as to appeal to every visitor. i’m so happy we were able to experience both during our stay!
what to do
aside from sitting on the beach and relaxing by the pool, we did do some pretty fun activities and excursions at each resort!
bodu hithi
- floating breakfast
- snorkeling day trip to a nearby coral reef - we went with their resident marine biologist and it was so insightful to hear her talk about the reef!
- sunset cruise on a traditional maldivian boat
- spa treatments
- cooking class with one of their chefs - we made a fish curry that is a staff favorite!
- bonfire bbq dinner on the beach
for a list of all available experiences at bodu hithi, use this link here
palm dhuni kolhu
- tour of the local (and colorful) island thulhadhoo
- a visit to the on-site turtle sanctuary
- dolphin sunset cruise
- edible spa treatments (you read that right!)
for a list of all available experiences at palm dhuni holhu, use this link here
what to pack
all of the flowy dresses and resort wear you can fit in your suitcase! while it may be tempting to bring heels or even wedges, save the space and leave them at home. the entire time, i exclusively wore my white summer sneakers, flat sandals, flip flops, or my bare feet…and i didn’t hate it for a second. be sure to also include all medications you may need including any motion sickness treatments. while we never experienced bumpy waters, if you’re sensitive to movement this may be a good thing to have just in case. both properties had bug spray available in the rooms but if there is a specific kind you like, it definitely doesn’t hurt to include that. lastly, all of the sunscreen you can take. being as fair as i am, this is always one thing i never forget. but the sun is so much stronger than you think and even when i applied spf 100 (every hour), i still got burned on my back when we went snorkeling. and as much as i looked like a dork, i carried the hotel-provided umbrella with me everywhere to protect me from the sun. i was definitely not kidding around haha!
things to keep in mind before you leave
thankfully no visas are necessary for your trip but if you are not up-to-date on any shots, be sure to reference this list here. thankfully i did not need anything else before i departed! it is also good to keep in mind the culture. the main religion in the maldives is islam. while the resorts are not as strict, it’s always good to be mindful of customs. and because you will be traveling through the maldives capital malé, be aware that importing or carrying alcohol of any kind is illegal.
overall the maldivian people were so incredibly kind and welcoming and i truly couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
thank you so much to zapwater and the coco collection for having me on this truly once-in-a-lifetime trip to a bucket list destination!