Holiday Inn Kandooma Named Maldives' Leading Dive Resort 2025

Tuesday 1st of July 2025

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has been named the ‘Maldives Leading Dive Resort 2025’ at the World Travel Awards, becoming the first-ever winner in this newly introduced category. The award was announced at a gala event held on June 29 in Tanzania, celebrating excellence in tourism across Africa and the Indian Ocean.

The win recognises the resort’s strong focus on accessible and memorable diving experiences. Located just minutes from some of the Maldives’ best dive sites, Kandooma offers guests the chance to explore renowned spots like Kandooma Thila, a grey reef shark cleaning station; Guraidhoo Corner, known for pelagic marine life; and Medhu Faru, a stunning coral wall drift dive.

General Manager Mark Eletr described diving around the island as “like diving in a living aquarium,” where divers often encounter manta rays, reef sharks, turtles, moray eels, and schools of vibrant fish.

A key factor behind Kandooma’s diving success is its ‘Dive Free’ program, which gives certified guests staying three nights or more two complimentary boat dives per day, with equipment and professional guidance included. The initiative aims to make scuba diving more accessible by removing cost barriers.

Kandooma’s on-site 5-star PADI dive centre offers training from beginner to advanced, including night dives, underwater photography, and wreck explorations.

With a strong commitment to sustainability, marine conservation, and guest value, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has shown that top-tier diving can be exciting, enriching, and affordable.