Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu review: Our Maldives honeymoon

We spent 10 days at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu on our honeymoon, and I am still not sure I can do it justice. It felt like our own private island, barely touched, and for most of the stay it was as though we had the place to ourselves. I could not get over the sea, so clear and so blue that I kept stopping just to look at it.

There were mornings I had to pinch myself. The staff were welcoming and kind, and nothing was ever too much trouble, which is what turns a lovely hotel into an exceptional stay. If you want a honeymoon that feels romantic in the simplest way, this is that kind of place.

What makes it work is the setting. It is a small, low-lying, barefoot sort of island in Baa Atoll, inside a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with warm water a few steps from the bed and snorkelling that starts at the shoreline, reef sharks and turtles under the villas most days. It is mid-range by Maldives standards rather than flashy, and while we came as newlyweds, it would suit families just as well.

Here is what the resort is like, which villa to book, and when to visit. Our full Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu review.

Where is Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu

Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu sits on the island of Dhunikolhu in Baa Atoll, in the southern Maldives. The whole atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, protected for its coral reefs and for the manta rays and whale sharks that gather here in the warmer months.

The resort opened in 2000 and had a full refit in 2024, so the villas you book now are more up to date than the ones we stayed in. It is small and low-rise, with the palms left standing above the rooftops, and you can walk the length of the island in little to no time.

Getting there by seaplane

You reach the resort by seaplane, a 30-minute hop from Velana International Airport in Malé. Book the transfer through the resort or your travel agent, and it is timed to your international flight.

We were knackered after the long flight out, but the seaplane made up for it. Watching the islands drop away below us felt like the opening scene of a Bond film, each one a ring of white sand around impossibly blue water.

The villas, and which one to book

We stayed in two villas. A beach villa for the first few nights, then an overwater Lagoon Villa for the last four, and each had its own appeal.

The beach villa opened straight onto the sand. We pushed the doors open like giddy teenagers, found two loungers and a stretch of beach that felt like ours alone, and were in the warm water within minutes. Like every villa here, it had an open-air bathroom, and standing under the rain shower with the stars overhead at two in the morning was an odd thrill.

The Lagoon Villa sat out over the water on stilts, one of the resort’s water villas, with a private terrace, a plunge pool and steps for direct access to the sea. That one is worth it if you want the reef as your back garden, blacktip reef sharks and all.

After the 2024 refit, the villas break down roughly like this.

• Beach villas and deluxe villas. On the sand, best for first-timers and anyone who wants to step straight onto the beach. The air-conditioned deluxe villas add a four-poster bed and a private plunge pool and terrace.
• Sunset beach villas. The same idea, set on the west-facing side for the evening light.
• Lagoon villas. Overwater villas on stilts, with a deck above the lagoon, a plunge pool and direct water access to the reef below. Our pick for a honeymoon.
• Sunset lagoon villas with plunge pool. The largest and most private, overwater with a pool and sunset views.

Rates swing a lot by season and by the deal you book, so it is worth comparing a room-only price against a package that bundles flights, the seaplane and your meals, ideally one with ATOL protection if you are booking from the UK. On our trip, the package worked out as better value than booking the room alone. Check current villa prices and offers for your dates here.

Food and dining

We went full board and never once felt short-changed. Dinner was the international buffet at Cowrie restaurant, the main restaurant, an open-air pavilion under a palm-thatched roof with live cooking stations turning out fresh fish and meat to order, a long table of salads and curries, and a dessert spread we had no business revisiting as often as we did.

We do not normally like buffets. This one kept us interested every night, which tells you something. Breakfast ran the same way, with fruit, pastries, cheeses and eggs however you wanted them.

There is more choice now than on our visit. Alongside Cowrie, you have Cornus for Asian fusion, the Conch Bar and Cafe doing Mediterranean plates, and a Beach Bar for cocktails at sundown. And yes, I did order a burger and chips to the villa one afternoon simply because I could. It was gorgeous.

Things to do, in and out of the water

The snorkelling is the reason to come. You walk in from the beach, and within a few fin-kicks you are over the house reef. We saw a turtle, a large stingray, and the reef sharks that like to cruise under the villas.

That was not beginners’ luck. Green and hawksbill turtles turn up most days over the seagrass, blacktip reef sharks are a fixture under the overwater decks, and eagle rays pass through. The reef took a hit from bleaching, and the resort’s marine biologist now replants coral with guests, so some patches are recovering while others are further along.

In season, you can go further afield. Manta cleaning stations sit near the resort, best from May to November, and Hanifaru Bay is about 45 minutes away by boat, where mantas and whale sharks gather from June to November. It is snorkel-only and daily numbers are capped, so book through the resort and keep your expectations in check, as the animals show up when they show up.

Out of the water there is plenty to fill a day, or to ignore. There is a tennis court and a fully equipped fitness centre if you want them, a couples massage at the Coco Spa, windsurfing, kayaking and catamaran sailing off the beach, and sunset boat trips with fizz and canapes, looking for dolphins on the way. One evening the hotel laid out a private dinner on the beach for my 30th birthday, and another we caught one of the resort’s movie nights, a film on the sand with popcorn under the stars. Mostly, though, we did very little, which was the point.

Best time to visit

The dry season runs from November to April, with the least rain and the calmest sea. This is peak season, so rates are highest and the resort busiest, especially over Christmas and New Year.

May to October is the wet season, with short heavy downpours and lower prices. It is also manta season, so if snorkelling with mantas at Hanifaru Bay is the dream, plan for June to November and accept that you might get rained on.

Is Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu worth it?

For us, yes, though it was not cheap and we never pretended it would be. It was our honeymoon; we had help from our wedding gift list, and we would not change a day of it.

A couple of caveats. When we stayed, there was some erosion, held back with sandbags along parts of the shore. And its remoteness is the whole appeal, so if you want nightlife, shops or day trips to other islands, this is not the place.

Would we go back? Probably not, only because we want to keep the memory as it is. But we would take the children to the Maldives in a heartbeat, and a calm, shallow-lagoon island like this one would be near the top of the list.

Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu FAQs

How do you get to Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu?

By seaplane from Velana International Airport in Malé, a flight of about 30 minutes. Seaplanes run in daylight only, so a late arrival into Malé may mean an overnight in the capital first.

Is Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu all-inclusive?

You can book room-only, half board, full board or all-inclusive. We went full board and ate very well. Package deals through an agent often bundle meals, flights and the seaplane for better value than booking the room alone.

Is it good for families?

Yes. The shallow lagoon is gentle for young children, the turtles over the seagrass are a hit, and babysitting is available on request. Check the current kids club and family villa options with the resort directly, as these can change.

Can you snorkel straight from the beach?

Yes. The house reef is reached from the shore, with the east side the best entry point. Expect turtles, reef sharks and rays. The reef is recovering from bleaching, so some areas are patchier than others.

When can you see manta rays?

Mantas are around from roughly May to November at nearby cleaning stations. For the Hanifaru Bay gathering of mantas and whale sharks, aim for June to November and book the excursion through the resort.

Which villa should you book?

A beach villa for a first Maldives trip and easy access to the sand, or an overwater Lagoon Villa if you want the sea and reef right under your deck. The Sunset Lagoon Villas with a plunge pool are the most private of the lot.

We very nearly honeymooned on the Amalfi Coast instead, and if you are torn between the two, our week in Ravello makes the case for Italy. For the Maldives, though, Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu gave us the quiet, barefoot 10 days we were after.

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