COMO Cocoa Island

"A resort reachable by speedboat, offering a convenient and beautiful beach experience." - Lee Cobaj,Connor Sturges

"Christina Ong’s hotels—the Turks and Caicos’s Parrot Cay, Bangkok’s Metropolitan—are all about detail, and Cocoa Island is no exception, from the reconditioned Vietnamese fans in the bar and restaurant to the signature bathroom products made by Baldwins, the renowned British herbalist. The 33 freestanding accommodations resemble a phalanx of dhonis (traditional Maldivian fishing boats), but the interiors are best described as New England beach hut meets National Geographic, with tongue-and-groove white walls and ethnic floor cushions. Blindingly white bathrooms have been accessorized with Indian sandstone backsplashes. The pool isn’t especially large, but when a hotel is located in the giant, turtle-filled, dolphin-friendly infinity pool that is the Indian Ocean, what does it matter? Often hotel spas can feel like an afterthought, but Cocoa’s Shambhala Retreat, like the one at Parrot Cay, is a dominant force, with regular yoga workshops, meditation, and a panoply of treatments. The food—a fusion of Indian and Pacific Rim—manages to be both healthy and indulgent. Note: A full renovation was completed in January 2020."

"Over little Cocoa's 20-year history, bigger, flashier resorts have tried to upstage it—splashy hotels with submerged spas, snow rooms, and ice-skating rinks. But this living-coral island—in a prime, not-too-hectic spot in the often-busy South Malé atoll, 40 minutes from the airport by speedboat—has remained in the limelight precisely because of its gimmick-free simplicity. The refreshed overwater villas (34 in all, some shaped like Maldivian dhoni boats) epitomize this less-is-more attitude, with dark teak, crisp white walls, and deep bathtubs. The sandy-floored COMO Shambhala spa has less comprehensive service offerings than its Bali sibling, but the therapists are still top-notch. There's a new Pilates studio, where guests with even the most pandemic-weary postures can straighten themselves out with the head-to-toe alignment programs, and more COMO wellness retreats are promised by the end of the year. For now, extra invigoration comes from being pummeled by a dozen jets in the free hydrotherapy pool. But the Indian Ocean is the main attraction, of course; unlike a lot of the reefs that surround Malé, Cocoa Island's are colorful, varied, and recovering well from 2016's worldwide bleaching event. Take a trip with Maldivian conservationist Aminath Angeela to learn more about rising sea temperatures and coral regeneration—you'll also spot octopus, lobster, lionfish, reef sharks, and amber-eyed hawksbill turtles. In keeping with the low-key vibe, there's only one restaurant, but the food is always enticing. There are coconut smoothie bowls for breakfast; proper pizzas and lobster rolls for lunch; and an Indonesian feast or surf-and-turf barbecue in the evening. Peaceful, pampering, smart but unpretentious: This is the essence of what a Maldives hotel should be."