I visited Maldives almost 20 years ago. It was my graduation trip, and because I went with a group of friends to visit our Maldivian friends, I guess you can say it was one hell of a graduation trip. We had such a fantastic 2 weeks on the islands — and I will always hold those memories near and dear forever. From that time on, Maldives had always been special to me. So imagine my elation when I learned that I was heading back to Maldives again — and this time, to Club Med Kani!

The Club Med Kani in Maldives

Ten days in Maldives. Ten days just on Club Med Kani. I was heading for a work and play holiday with a bunch of friends — and we were to spend our time exploring and filming, and then relaxing at the resort and its surrounds. The island country of Maldives is made up of more than 1,000 coral islands, grouped into 26 low atolls over almost 300² km in the Indian Ocean. Most of the islands are now home to local villages and luxury resorts; leaving only 300 islands inhabited.

Club Med Kani is located on Kanifinholu Island — it’s a private island where the resort takes up the entire 2-km stretch of island. The island is located about 20 km north of the main island capital of Male, and the Male International Airport on Hulhule Island right next to it. Just like the Club Med brand all over the world, Club Med Kani is an all-inclusive resort — food, beverage (and alcohol, yay!) and a whole lot of activities are included in the stay. Best part though, is that it is a party resort with nightly entertainment and parties; but if you want your own quiet time, there’s always a place around the island to find it. There’s always something exciting to do at Club Med.

Our team all ready to hit the skies, and then the ocean!

Arriving at the Male International Airport at Maldives’ Hulhule Island.

And we’re off to our holiday destination — via sea!

Club Med Kani’s lobby reception area.

Couldn’t get a good view of the Club Med Kani entrance at night, so here’s the morning view.

Getting to Maldives and Club Med

We took an evening flight on AirAsia. The flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the Male International Airport took a little more than 4 hours; so it was dark by the time we arrived in Maldives. Our return flight back to Kuala Lumpur was also at night, so it was really a pity that we couldn’t see the beauty of Maldives (and all that shades of blue and turquoise) from above.

Upon arrival, we headed over to many resort booths at the arrival hall to look for the Club Med Kani booth. The officer at the booth was already expecting us with a list of names; and we were registered on the spot, and had our luggage tagged and labeled. We were then escorted to the jetty to board the Club Med boat that brought us straight from Hulhule Island to Club Med Kani in about 45 minutes. At the resort lobby, we were given a brief introduction of the resort by the GOs (Guest Officers), before being handed our keys (which is attached to a pretty wristband that we have to wear throughout our stay) and brought to our rooms.

I love Kani… definitely!

And I’m going to be in this dreamlike state, away from reality for a little while.

Different shades of blue, and different shades of white.

I’ll just be swinging and chilling all day long in such a beautiful place.

The Club Med Kani, in all its Maldivian beauty.

The Club Med Kani Experience

It was hard to make out the actual beauty of the resort when we first landed on Club Med Kani because it was dark — but what a breathtaking view we were greeted with first thing the next morning. From my visit 20 years ago, I could just vaguely recall the beauty of the island (the photos I took with a film camera back then didn’t really help); and at first sight, I was reminded again why Maldives is so special.

My eyes were rewarded with bright blue skies with patches of wispy white, turquoise waters that turn to shades of blue further out into the horizon, pure white glistening sand, and coconut trees with leaves lightly dancing in the breeze. Oh, Maldives. The thought of just having this view everyday for the next ten days made my heart so happy with joy. It made me want to wake up as soon as the sun rises every morning so that I never miss a moment — and that’s exactly what I did.

The beautiful coconut tree lined walkway to my beach villa.

Comfy bed with such pretty a pretty turquoise feature wall.

And this was my home for a week!

A bathroom with full amenities and his and her sections.

And just outside my room is the beach!

The Oceanview Superior Rooms

For most of our stay, we were in the Oceanview Superior Rooms. All of the rooms in Club Med Kani are either facing the beach or the garden — and mine was a lovely villa (with another room next to mine) right smack in front of the beach, and all the way at the far end of the resort. I enjoyed the peace of being away from the main action of this lively resort for my own quiet time, but being so far also meant that I had a lot of walking to do for meals and activities!

I love the white, dark orange and turquoise color combination that makes up the interior of the room — it reflected the white sand, the dark orange sky at dusk, and the turquoise sea. The room came with all basic amenities of a 5 Trident Luxury Services resort — King-sized bed, his and her bathroom with separate shower, vanity, bathrobes and slippers, safe, television, coffee and tea making facilities, a huge in-room sofa to lounge on, and a verandah. There was also a list of all the resorts’ other facilities, as well as timings for meals at the restaurants and all the fun activities.

The exclusive overwater villas at the Club Med Kani.

My comfy bed that overlooks the open sea.

A dip in the ocean any time my heart desires!

Check out this bathtub with the most gorgeous views.

The collection of villas standing on stilts over the sea, from afar.

A Night in the Overwater Villas

Later on during our stay, we moved into the luxurious and exclusive Overwater Villas. The villas are separated from the rest of Club Med Kani — guests here have exclusive access to their own private beach and the Manta Bar Lounge (that serves late breakfasts, and canapes with champagne every evening). On the day that we shifted rooms, we were checked-in again at a separate reception area, and given a new different colored wristband to access our villas.

The Overwater Villas are EVERYTHING. As soon as I entered the beautiful wooden villa with stilts over the crystal clear waters, I felt like I was transported into my own little haven. The villa has its own entrance room that leads to the main bedroom and a sheltered balcony with gorgeous sea views. The balcony has deck chairs for some sun time; and stairs that lead down towards the ocean for a swim. And after I’m done with my ocean swim, I can continue soaking in my bubble bath while still enjoying the endless turquoise vistas through its full-length glass windows. Oh, and in the morning, I get to have breakfast in bed too! I felt so pampered.

While staying at the overwater villas, I got my breakfast sent to my room.

The Sunset Bar, perfect place for one (or two or three) sundowners before dinner.

All kinds of cuisine on my plate — all from the delicious buffet at Velhi Restaurant.

Club Med Kani’s all-white night — everyone dresses in white and enjoy dinner on the beach.

Drinks and evening canapes at the Manta Lounge, exclusive for the overwater villa guests.

Food and Drinks

What I loved about Club Med Kani (and all Club Meds around the world), is that it is all-inclusive — and that applies to the alcoholic beverages too. I could have as many beers and as many cocktails as I want, all while soaking up the sun on the lounge chair by the beach, or when chilling at the bar. During my stay at the resort, I probably hung out the most at the Sunset Bar — I love the relaxed vibe of the place, and it is so calming just sitting by and watching the sun set after a long day. And for a more hyped up scene, Iru Bar is the place to go — I spent many nights dancing and partying it up way into the night.

We had our meals almost every day at the buffet-style restaurant, The Velhi. There were just so many options to choose from — delicious international fares, my favorite traditional Asian dishes, and many healthy options too. We dined at the restaurant for 10-days straight so we ended up having some favorite dishes — and would then hope and pray that it would be served on the buffet spread again (and celebrate when it does)!

The more refined dining restaurant, The Kandu, serves ala carte menus and requires reservations; and the smaller restaurant, The Kanna, has Asian soups, sandwiches, and a variety of small plates. We dropped by the other restaurants once or twice during our stay; but I still prefer the buffet and the variety it brings.

Diving in Maldives’ underwater with Mr Manta Ray.

Just me on a surf board, watching the sun go down at the end of an exciting day.

Walking along this isolated stretch of sandbank — in the middle of the ocean.

An exhilarating ride on the jet-ski… riding into the horizon!

Every Sunday, locals from the nearby islands drop by Club Med Kani to sell little souvenirs.

Activities — Water Sports, Snorkeling, Diving and Much More

There is just so much to do in Club Med Kani — I felt as if there was not enough time for me to do all I wanted to do. Most activities are included with the Club Med package price, but there are others that require additional charges. During my stay, I went on the specially arranged activities like diving (you can read about my experience here), surfing (but the waves were too high over coral bottom so I got a little scared), jet-skiing, dolphin-spotting, a trip to the sandbanks, and even got on the rough doughnut ride!

And of course, I made sure I did some of the inclusive activities as well, and went kayaking, sailing (you can learn for free too), joined in on an aqua-fitness session at the pool, and yoga. There’s also a gym on the beach with ocean views; and small little fun games and things to play around the resort as well — water swings, table tennis and beach volleyball. The trapeze activity was still under construction during my visit, but I’m sure it’s probably up and running now.

Every Sunday, the resort opens up its doors to the local Maldivian vendors and sellers to set up their stalls at the main area of the resort — they sell local arts and crafts, as well as jewelry and little trinkets. I did most of my souvenir shopping that night!

The party at Club Med Kani starts from day till night!

They even dance in the pool.

Especially happy when I know all that cocktails are for me.

The nightly shows are fun and entertaining — all performed by the Club Med GOs.

Cheers to free flow champagne!

Entertainment and Parties

What makes Club Med different from all the other resorts in the world are the parties and the entertainment! All throughout my stay, the GOs and the guests we just dancing and having fun all day — that’s honestly how I would picture a holiday in Club Med Kani. Music was always in the air at the main area; and even during the day, there would sometimes we be a random party at the Sunset Bar — with singing, dancing, and colorful sand dust thrown everywhere.

At night is when the entertainment really gets into full swing. There are open-aired theater performances every night, where the GO team performs and entertains the crowd with their talents. From neon shows, to musicals and ad-lib performances — some shows were as hilarious as they were entertaining. And then the Iru Bar comes to live as well — with themed nights, shot glass dominoes, and stage activities to keep the Club Med festive ambiance going all through the night.

She walks the world with turquoise diamonds.

Can I just lie here and relax for a long long time?

Surrounded by so much beauty, it took my breath away.

Sometimes, the sting rays just casually swim by to say hi.

Enjoying the wonderful ocean breeze all day errday.

At the End of the Day

I had the most wonderful time at Club Med Kani. I was already in such a gorgeous place, made even more wonderful with the amount of fun that was added into my days. I still got my endless sunshine, and my taste of the Maldives ocean — and then I could later kick back and enjoy a cocktail by the beach and fill my days with fun, laughter, and so many things to do. The GOs made everything livelier by joining us on most of our activities; and they even have all their meals with the guests.

I especially loved the Overwater Villas — I have to say it is one of the most luxurious villas I have ever stayed in. I mean, what can beat those turquoise bluish hues from my window in the morning as soon as I open my eyes? And that’s why Maldives will always be special to me — from my very first visit, to this visit 20 years later. I’m glad I got to savor both times with the people that I cherish; and I really hope that the next time I return to the island, it will be sooner than 20 years!

All set for a day on the beach, by the sea, under the sun.

A bikini shot to end the post!

CLUB MED KANI MALDIVES
Where: N 2051 North Male Atoll, 20000, Maldives.
Visit the Website here.

*She Walks the World stayed in Club Med Kani as a guest on a work video assignment; however as always, all opinions stated here are my own.