The Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is a luxurious paradise located in the heart of the Indian Ocean. With its stunning white-sand beaches, crystal-clear waters and lush tropical gardens, the resort offers an unforgettable experience in one of the world’s most beautiful locations. The resort is situated on its own private island, giving guests the ultimate experience of privacy and relaxation. We found that although their is an airport on this island, we weren’t disturbed by the minimal planes using the runway.
The resort offers two accommodation options, from luxurious beachfront villas to stunning overwater bungalows with a glass bottom window on the floor. We were fortunate enough to experience both villas so we can give you a full review of what each experience was like.
Did we have a preference? Read on to find out.
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Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort
The Mercure Maldives is one of those places to visit once in your lifetime. In this post, we will share why.
- What is Mercure Maldives
- How to get to Mercure Maldives
- What to Expect at Mercure Maldives
- Overwater Bungalow
- Beachfront Villa
- The Restaurants
- Activities at Mercure Maldives
- Before you leave for the Maldives
What is the Mercure Maldives?
The Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is an exclusive and luxurious adults only resort located on Kooddoo Island in the Maldives. Situated on the Indian Ocean, it is a perfect destination for those looking for a tropical paradise getaway with nothing but relaxation. This is exactly why we booked to stay here.
From its stunning beaches to its luxurious villas, this resort delivers a unique experience and one you won’t be forgetting in a hurry. The resort’s facilities include a spa, fitness center, restaurants, and bars, as well as a variety of activities to enjoy.
The hospitality is exceptional at the Mercure Maldives, as well as the amenities, and activities at the resort. It is no wonder why the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is one of the most sought-after resorts in the Maldives.
How to get to the Mercure Maldives?
The Mercure Maldives is located on Koodoo Island in the south of the Maldives. From Male, it is a one-hour flight with Maldivian Air. When you book to stay with Mercure Maldives, this is included in the price of your stay and will be booked for you by the resort. There will be flights to Koodoo Island throughout the day and the resort will be able to accommodate your needs. As we were already in the Maldives prior to visiting Mercure Maldives, we wanted to get an early flight to the resort to maximise our time there.
We actually booked an additional night at the resort to give us the additional time as otherwise, we wouldn’t have arrived at our overwater bungalow until 8pm at night, so we decided to book an additional night in a beach bungalow instead and we arrived in at lunchtime.
What to Expect at Mercure Maldives?
The Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is a luxury resort located in the southern part of the Maldives. It is a perfect place for those who are looking for a peaceful and relaxing holiday with stunning views of the Indian Ocean.
When you arrive at Male airport, you will be met by a representative from Kooddoo who will escort you to the check-in and then the airport lounge. From the moment you step off the plane, you will be greeted by the friendly and welcoming staff of the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort. They will escort you to the resort’s reception area by a short buggy journey where you will be served a refreshing drink while your check-in is being processed.
You will then be escorted by buggy to your villa where you can start to live your best life in your luxury villa!
During your stay at this all-inclusive resort, you can expect a beer bucket of 4 of your chosen beers delivered straight to your door and the mini bar in your room re-stocked daily.
Overwater Bungalow at Mercure Maldives
Staying in an overwater bungalow at the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is sure to leave you with unforgettable memories.. and definitely leaving you wanting that once in a lifetime experience to happen again!!
The overwater bungalow is surrounded by crystal-clear waters and a vibrant coral reef teeming with marine life.
Each bungalow is the same, very spacious and beautifully designed, featuring traditional Maldivian architecture and modern amenities. Each bungalow has a private sundeck with direct access to the ocean, where you can soak up the sun, admire the stunning views, and even spot tropical fish, black tip reef sharks, nurse sharks and even turtles swimming below.
Inside the bungalow, you’ll find a comfortable king-size bed, a spacious bathroom with a rain shower, and all the amenities you need for a luxurious and relaxing stay. We loved the interior design of the bathroom and it led outside to a private bathtub and shower on the decking.
Inside the bungalow is a glass floor area, allowing you to admire the marine life beneath your feet. There is also a mini bar that is filled daily with your favourite snacks and drinks including a selection of spirits, beers, wines, chocolates, crisps and biscuits.
When booking an overwater bungalow you can either choose to stay in one that has a sunset view or one that looks back onto the beach.
Beach Villa at Mercure Maldives
Staying in a beach villa at the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort is a truly unique and memorable experience. The villas are located just steps away from the sparkling blue waters of the Indian Ocean and are covered by palm trees making you feel like you are in your own secluded paradise.
The beach villas are spacious and beautifully designed, with traditional Maldivian architecture and modern amenities. Each villa has a private terrace with comfortable seating, where you can relax and take in the stunning views of the beach and ocean. The villas also feature a spacious bedroom with a comfortable king-size bed, a large bathroom with a rain shower, and all the amenities you need for a comfortable and luxurious stay.
Leading out from the bathroom is a private outdoor shower area with a bathtub.
There is also a mini bar that is filled daily with your favourite snacks and drinks including a selection of spirits, beers, wines, chocolates, crisps and biscuits.
The Restaurants at Mercure Maldives
The food at the Mercure Maldives is absolutely incredible! The resort features two restaurants and a bar, offering a range of local and international cuisine. The Alita Restaurant serves a buffet breakfast and dinner, while the Vistas Restaurant serves an a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. For a more casual dining experience, the Vistas Bar offers a selection of snacks and drinks throughout the day.
The best part is, this is all-inclusive so you can eat and drink until your heart is content without needing to worry about the bill at the end.
Each night of the week was a different food theme, each one just as incredible as the next. The tasty food was a real highlight of our stay at the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort.
Activities at Mercure Maldives
There is a great selection of activities at the Mercure Maldives so although the island is small, you won’t be stuck for things to do if you want to get out and about.
When you arrive you will be given an itinerary of things to do at the resort and you can book in when suits you.
Some of the activities include:
- Scuba diving
- Sunset dolphin cruise
- Jet Skiing
- Snorkelling and sandbank trips
- Climb a coconut tree
- Sunrise Yoga
- Fishing trips
- Spa treatments
There is also a fitness centre and a games area at the resort.
The Spa treatments are an additional cost but if you are here on a relaxing holiday, you might want to spend some time here. I (Gemma) thoroughly enjoyed a full body massage here whilst little did I know, Campbell was planning a surprise proposal around the resort!
We thoroughly enjoyed the sunset dolphin cruise as we saw a huge pod of dolphins playing around with our boat for an hour as the sunset. This was such a magical experience.
If you attend the coconut tree climbing activity, you can actually give this ago yourself, trust me, it looks hard but it is so much harder than it looks!
Did we have a preference?
Both the overwater bungalow and the beach bungalow offer such a different experience so we were really pleased that we tried both. There is something very unique about being able to see the underwater world through a glass window on the floor of your bedroom though and we loved being able to climb off our decking into the sea. So the sunset overwater bungalow had to be the winner for us.
Before You Leave for the Maldives
Before you set off on your way to the Maldives, there are a number of things you will need to get organised to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey. These include what to pack, where to stay and what is the best insurance for your trip to the Maldives. All of this is discussed in detail below.
How to Get to the Maldives
When you arrive in the Maldives, you will arrive by flying into Male airport. From here, you will need to take a taxi or a boat to the centre of Male or a boat or seaplane out to the island where you are staying.
What to Pack for Your Trip to the Maldives
Given the climate of the Maldives in general, packing for this trip is relatively straightforward. The temperature in the Maldives averages around 28 degrees c.
When it comes to the weather, the Maldives is a tropical country meaning it has two seasons: wet season and dry season. During your visit to the Maldives, it may rain, and if you happen to visit during the wet season, it will rain a lot. Make sure you pack a waterproof or a poncho for your days out adventuring to avoid getting too drenched.
As a general rule for packing for the Maldives, it is best to think “layers”. Pack a few light layers of clothing, including a jumper and a waterproof, and wear as many layers as you want according to the weather.
Given the beautiful sights and scenery that you are no doubt going to see around the Maldives, we highly recommend packing a good camera for your trip. If you want to read more about the cameras we use and why we love them, check out the link below.
You can read what else we keep in our camera bag over here.
Photography Equipment
Main Photography Camera – Sony A7v Mirrorless Camera and Sony A7iii Mirrorless Camera
Microphone – Shure VP83 Condenser Shotgun Microphone
Main Lens – Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
Zoom Lens – Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
Camera Tripod – ZOMEI Z669C Camera Tripod
Gorilla Pod – JOBY JB01507-BWW GorillaPod
Action Camera – GoPro Hero 9 Black and Insta 360 One RS
Drone Camera – DJI Mavic Pro 2
Camera Bag – Lowepro Flipside 300 AW and The Nest by Tropicfeel
Phone Tripod – Manfrotto MKPIXICLAMP-BK, Mini Tripod with Universal Smartphone Clamp
Hard Drives – LaCie Rugged Mini, 5TB, 2.5″, Portable External Hard Drive
SSD – SanDisk Extreme Pro 1TB Portable NVMe SSD
Travel Adapter –Worldwide Travel Adapter Universal Travel Plug with 4 USB Ports+Universal AC Socket
What is the Best Travel Insurance for Maldives
I know travel insurance is the least enjoyable thing to purchase and look at when you’re planning a trip, however, you wouldn’t want to be without it in the event that something happened. Accidents can happen anywhere and the extortionate medical bills will ruin your trip if you are not covered.
To ensure you have a stress-free trip with no worries about potential medical bills, make sure you cover yourself when you travel. We can recommend using SafetyWing, a backpacker-friendly and cheap insurance company that provides good coverage and support. It is also nomad-friendly, unlike most other insurance companies, meaning you do not need to worry about being out of your home country for too long.
Get a quote for your travel insurance right here and get covered!
So there you have it, your guide to the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo Resort. We can’t recommend booking a trip here enough, you will have the experience of a lifetime.If you are visiting this incredible resort and have any other questions on what to expect, leave us a comment down below. We love to chat about this stuff! If you have already been, let us know how it was!
Also, remember to share this with your friends and family that you are going to share this amazing experience with. Sharing is caring and we want to ensure that everyone is fully prepared to maximise their experience.
Come and find us on social media to see where we are currently exploring. Tag us in your photos from your stay and we will share them with the rest of our community of explorers and backpackers.
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Hello. Gemma and Campbell. We enjoyed your videos on your YouTube channel, and subscribed to your channel. We have a question about the dress code in the resort.
Thank you
Christie
Hi Christie! Lovely to meet you, thank you for the support. It was very casual at the resort without any real dress code or concern about local religions on the Kooddoo island. We typically dressed smart for meals as it felt nice, however, there was no pressure or rules for what you can and cannot wear to different areas of the hotel. Hope this helps!