Our amazing family vacation at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives

Come join this mum and her family as they take you through their awesomely fun-filled family vacation at Holiday Inn Kandooma Maldives. We bet you'll be hopping on that plane to the Maldives in no time after reading this!

As a family, we just love travelling. A family vacation is a great way of strengthening familial bonds – the kids have an awesome time, and everyone - including mum and dad - gets to reconnect and relax.

So earlier this year, we were hit with wanderlust. "Where should we go", my husband and I wondered? But before I go any further, I just want to share this mummy-truth with you.

As parents, it’s ever so important to pick a holiday destination that is kid-friendly. We’re not just talking from a geographical point-of-view. The place you stay in should ideally be super kid-friendly and offer plenty of activities for tired parents to relax and rejuvenate, too.

Think Kids Clubs, spas, beaches, plenty of yummy food for both the kids and adults… you get the picture.

This is why I was beyond delighted to get an invitation to review Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, because I know all InterContinental Hotel Group hotels offer everything I look for as a mum in a holiday destination. Plus, the Maldives has always been on our must-go family travel list.

So without further ado, take a journey with me through my own family’s journey to this beautiful resort and country, and find out for yourself just why Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives is the perfect destination for your next family vacation!

Getting there – it’s a breeze!

Flights from Singapore to the Maldives are in plenty and reasonably priced, too. Our flight was hassle-free, considering my husband and I were travelling with our noisy and cheeky three- and almost six-year-old boys.

After landing in Malé Airport, and with our luggage, the boys’ transformers, toy dinosaurs and cars all accounted for, we excitedly headed out of the airport to hop on our next mode of transport – a boat that would get us to the Resort.

First things first and we all popped on life jackets, and then sped through the sparkling turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean to our destination. And we were there, in just 45 minutes!

The Beach Villa we stayed in was just perfect. Find out what made it so family-friendly on the next slide.

So spacious, so comfortable, so kid-friendly!

We all exclaimed a collective "wow!" when we saw what was going to be our home for the next three days -- the Family Beach House.

Tastefully decorated in ocean tones of soothing blue and white, the beach house’s backyard is literally, the beach.

The beach house offers families two levels of space, with the bedrooms being on the second level and the living and dining areas at the bottom.

With plenty of spacious rooms, comfortable beds, a TV room, bathrooms galore including fun outdoor shower areas, and a shower located just at the entrance to the house for washing off the sand and sea from little feet after a morning of fun on the beach – this space was exactly what we needed as a family with young kids.

After making sure the beds were perfectly comfy by rolling around on them, the boys declared they wanted to explore the beach. So all we had to do was step out of the beach house, and voila, we were on the beach!

Playing on the silky smooth white sand dotted with shells, and in shallow, sparkling blue water became a daily morning ritual for the kids during the time were there. And just a short walk (or buggy ride) away was the kids’ favourite place ever – the Kandoo Kids Club.

On the next slide, read about what kids can expect at this super-duper Kids Club!

Hours of fun for the littlies at the Kandoo Kids Club

A well-equipped Kids Club is every child’s and parent’s dream when on vacation.

It’s a child’s dream come true for obvious reasons. But for parents, a great Kids Club means that they can leave the kids there and get some well-deserved time together, knowing the little ones are being looked after and having loads of fun.

The Kandoo Kids Club, from a kid’s point-of-view, is two storeys of awesomeness. Beautifully decorated, it is packed full of books, paints, game stations and more.

Here, my boys had hours of fun every day, painting, drawing, colouring and playing to their little hearts’ content.

The friendly staff even helped them bake cupcakes one day and also took them on a beach walk, where they said ‘hi’ to the tiny hermit crabs scuttling around on the beach.

Just outside the Kids Club is a super fun kids water play area. Need I say more?!

What can parents do while their little ones are thus occupied? Find out on the next slide!

More fun (and relaxing) activities!

I have to say that the beaches and ocean surrounding this resort are incredibly pristine. The water is crystal clear and teeming with amazing sea life. And you know what this makes it perfect for – yes, snorkelling!

If snorkelling is your thing, the friendly hotel staff can make your dreams come true. They even have free practice lessons in the swimming pool if you want to get some experience before trying the real thing.

You must try the dolphin tour, too. There’s nothing more amazing than seeing these beautiful mammals in their natural environment, which is what we set out to do. However, on the day we did the tour, the dolphins decided to take the day off, so unfortunately we didn’t see any. But you just might!

We also took the Island Tour, which is a trip to an adjoining atoll where you get a taste of real Maldivian island life. We picked up a rather gorgeous bowl made of cinnamon bark and coconut shell, which now sits in our living room making it smell delicious and reminding us of our Maldivian getaway.

Mums, you mustn’t miss out on a relaxing session all by yourself at the Kandooma Spa, which offers a range of divine aromatic massages and spa treatments.

Tip: send the hubby off snorkelling and the kids to the Kids Club and there you have it – a whole afternoon to yourself!

A foodie paradise... for kids! Read about the delicious goodies that kids can enjoy, on the next slide.

Delicious food for the kids

Both my kids are rather fussy eaters. So taking them out for a meal can be a stressful experience unless I know there is food on offer that they like to eat. But I’m not happy for them to gorge themselves on just French fries and tomato sauce, either. I try to make sure they eat healthy food, even when eating out.

So I was really happy with the yummy yet nutritious options that were there for the little ones at the newly refurbished Kandooma Café. I got to know that the kids menu was specially designed by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®) and Nutrition Australia with nutrition and taste at its heart.

Every day for all three meals, there were different options for the little ones, ranging from dim sum and noodles, sushi, and delicious little chicken pies, to mini pizzas and more. Needless to say, I was one happy mum watching my normally picky eaters stuff themselves with these delicious (and healthy) treats and ask for more!

A chocolate fountain that looks like Willy Wonka brought it there? Head to the next slide without delay!

And more delicious food, this time for the adults!

We had all our meals at Kandooma cafe, and what delicious meals they were! We feasted on international cuisine from all parts of the world, trying something different each day and at each meal.

And the desserts were simply divine. The highlight had to be the chocolate fountain looking like it had been taken straight out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory!

We were told that the entire menu had been updated recently, so really, it was no wonder each day we wandered into the café expecting our taste buds to be pleasantly surprised.

I have to also mention the lovely outdoor sitting area with a view of the beach and blue, blue ocean. This was our favourite breakfast spot and my husband and I found it so relaxing sitting here, sipping our morning cups of hot coffee, while the kids played under the coconut trees nearby.

We would go back in a heartbeat…

I hope you enjoyed reading about our super-fun family vacation at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives. You can check out their Facebook page here.

Hear it mum to mum -- you can rest assured that your family will get star treatment and your kids will just love it at this stunning resort.

Plus, you can also earn IHG Rewards Club points by booking your next holiday at Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives.

What are you waiting for, parents? Book that flight to the Maldives now!