COMO Maalifushi was the first and is still the only resort in Thaa Atoll, an hour's seaplane flight south of Malé, surrounded by uninhabited islands, surf breaks and reefs. It's the larger of COMO's two Maldives resorts, and its 59 suites and villas were designed by the Japanese architect Koichiro Ikebuchi, with high rafters, teak floors and thatched roofs.
One-bedroom options range from the 101 m² Beach Suites, each with a garden, a small pool and direct beach access, to the 120 m² Water Villas with a private pool and steps into the ocean. Families have a wide choice of two-bedroom Beach Suites, Beach Villas and Beach Houses, plus the larger Maalifushi Beach and Water Villas, the 408 m² overwater COMO Villa and the four-bedroom COMO Residence for up to 12.
Madi serves seafood-led dishes all day by the beach, with three themed nights a week; Tai is a Japanese restaurant for sushi and sashimi at lunch and dinner; and Thila is a sand-floored, open-air bar by the pool. Surfers go out with Tropicsurf to 'Farms', about 25 minutes away by speedboat, and further to breaks in Laamu and Dhaalu. There's diving at 33 charted sites in Thaa, freediving, whale shark night snorkels, fishing, a night alone on the uninhabited island of Lavadhoo, the COMO Shambhala Retreat, daily yoga, and Play by COMO for children.
Gut zu wissenIt's remote: the seaplane alone costs $1,100 per adult return, and you need to land in Malé by about 3.15pm. The best surf, from June to September, comes with the southwest monsoon, when rain and wind are more likely.