Kudos For Kooddoo


Anyone who has endured the haul from Male International Airport south across the Maldives to Gaafu Alifu knows that getting there is definitely not half the fun. But that two-hour-plus turboprop and speedboat combination has been cut by at least half with the September debut of Kooddoo Airport, a domestic hub right on the doorstep of The Residence Maldives and a 20-minute speedboat ride to the Park Hyatt Hadahaa. With nine more luxury retreats slated to open in the near future around Gaafu Alifu—one of the world’s largest atolls and a must for serious divers—the airport couldn’t have opened at a better time. From Male, national carrier Maldivian takes only 45 minutes to fly over the archipelago’s full spectrum of nautical hues and reef-fringed islets to Kooddoo, a twice-daily service that gives resort-bound guests an extra hour or more for tanning and other paradisiacal pursuits.

Originally appeared in the October/November 2012 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Kudos For Kooddoo”)


 

Share this Article

Related Posts

Finding Balance at Joali Being

The first dedicated wellness retreat in the Maldives may put decadence ahead of denial, but the expe...

Marriott International is Reopening Its Maldivian Resorts

Four of the group’s five private-island outposts in the country will resume operations next Thursd...

Niyama Private Islands Launches Skydiving Experience

Thrill-seeking couples and honeymooners now have another activity to try on a bucket-list trip to th...

These Airlines are Running Flights to the Maldives

Though the Indian Ocean country has now reopened to international tourists, only four global carrier...

Maldives Considers Vaccine Tourism Plan

If it goes ahead, the Indian Ocean nation could be the first country to offer coronavirus jabs to fo...

New Hotel: Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa

This recently opened all-villa resort features its own cocktail lab and a teens-only rooftop lounge.