Due to my work, I have been fortunate to go to many Club Meds over many years. I have previously stayed at Club Med Finholu in the Maldives which is the quieter, more 'luxury' resort a few minutes by speedboat from Kani. This was my first stay on Kani and I was not disappointed.
I travelled with my 18 year old daughter for a week long stay in September. We were allocated in a Deluxe Beachfront Room with terrace which was spacious, had an incredible view and was located close enough to everything but far away enough not be disturbed at all.
As an older resort, things can be a little rough around the edges and there were certainly a few things in the room and around the resort that need updating, a bit of TLC and touching up but on the whole a great resort, lovely room, spacious and very comfortable. Worth mentioning that the two rooms (same category) next to us were being renovated whilst we were there so possibly the remaining ones will be too.
Having been fortunate to stay in some very high end Maldives properties, you cannot claim this is luxury in terms of finish etc. but it is luxury if you are looking for an excellent all-inclusive property, short boat transfers and superb activities on offer.
Food was varied and plentiful with new options every day with cuisines on offer to suit all tastes. My main criticism would be the main restaurant though, it is in need of a serious update. There was again some work going on around the area but not sure if a major update is on the cards.
TIP: There is an air-conditioned room in the restaurant which can be a welcome respite from the heat.
We also ate one night in the a la carte which does need to be booked but is included. We had a fantastic meal and the seafood/steak sharing platter was superb.
The resort itself was very quiet with low occupancy. This was great for us and meant no queues for anything and no issues partaking in any activities from the twice daily snorkel boat trips, padel tennis, sailing, paddle-boarding etc.
The beach bar was great and the sunset music sessions were always something we looked forward to before dinner. I think as the resort was quiet, evening entertainment was centred here rather than the main theatre. It was a lovely setting to enjoy the Club Med atmosphere.
The resort is very family orientated with excellent kids club facilities and lots going on for many ages. There is also the exclusive villa part of the resort which is close to 'adult only' with no children under 8 permitted and I think unlikely that many families would choose the overwater villas. I did arrange an inspection of the villas and exclusive area and they are lovely but I still personally prefer staying on the beach.
Rageb, the Chef de Village is doing a fantastic job and his team were superb in all departments. Special mentions must go to Ripon at the bar, so attentive and always smiling - a credit to Club Med.
Also to Erica in reception for sorting out some presents for home that were mistakenly taken from the room (my daughter left them next to the bin!) and Selene on the snorkelling team - non-stop energy and really helped my very nervous daughter enjoy the snorkelling trips and wanting to go back for me.
We did pay extra to have the unlimited lobster one evening. Was set in a private garden and was worth every penny. An unforgettable experience for my daughter and first time she has had lobster, let alone unlimited. We also paid for one fishing excursion which was two hours at sunset and a although not hugely successful on the fishing front, it was a great experience.
We tried to do something every day. My daughter learnt to sail in near perfect conditions, we played padel (very hot!), we went on 4 snorkelling boat trips (two are included every day), played petanque, had a sushi making lesson, swam lots and had the most relaxing time but you can be as active as you want.
All in all a fantastic trip. Possibly a different atmosphere with higher occupancy but for us it was perfect. We may have been a little lucky with the weather but I would still recommend going 'off season' as it is very good value for money and still always warm.
Thank you Kani!