A speedboat ride from Malé is all it takes to reach Kandooma Maldives, and the South Malé Atoll resort now has something new to show off: the Leading Family Resort title at the South Asian Travel Awards, handed out on 8 October at the awards' tenth-anniversary ceremony, which recognised tourism businesses across the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Why did Kandooma win? A lot comes down to practical family maths. Children under 13 stay and eat free at the 146-villa island, and getting there skips the usual seaplane hassle — families are met at Velana International Airport, luggage handled, and transferred by speedboat in around 45 minutes. That matters more than it sounds: seaplanes often mean extra costs and tight luggage limits, which is exactly what you don't need after a long-haul flight with kids.

General Manager Andrew Drummond says the resort is now chasing an often-forgotten group: teenagers. Kids aged 13 to 18 tend to outgrow the kids' club but aren't ready to simply lounge by the pool, so Kandooma is building experiences that give them independence while keeping parents reassured. Accommodation scales with family life too, from Garden and Beach Villas with extra beds and interconnecting options up to two- and three-bedroom beach houses for bigger clans.

Beyond the family angle, the island runs a PADI 5-Star dive centre, a surf shop, watersports, the Kandoo Kids' Club, a COMO Shambhala spa and a rotating programme of activities and entertainment, all wrapped in an all-inclusive, Green Globe-certified package.

Kandooma wasn't the only Maldivian name picking up silverware. JOALI BEING in Raa Atoll landed No. 8 among the world's best spa resorts in Condé Nast Traveler's US Readers' Choice Awards — Ocean Pool Villas start from USD 2,442 a night, B&B — while The Nautilus in Baa Atoll ranked sixth among Indian Ocean resorts in the same reader poll, adding to its two MICHELIN Keys this year. Up north in Haa Alifu Atoll, JA Manafaru earned a spot in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide hotel selection, its second international nod of the year after a Forbes Travel Guide recommendation. Its treetop restaurant Kuri, serving a five-course tasting menu for just four guests inside a living banyan tree, is one of the more distinctive dining rooms in the country.

For travellers, this cluster of awards is a useful shortcut. If you're planning a first family trip to the Maldives and dread the idea of a pricey seaplane transfer with toddlers, Kandooma's speedboat access and free kids' dining remove two of the biggest headaches. If it's a wellness-focused or once-in-a-lifetime couples trip instead, the recognitions for JOALI BEING, The Nautilus and JA Manafaru signal where the region's most polished — and reader-vetted — stays currently sit.

Maldives Insider