What's Life Like At Kandooma, Maldives in April 2021?

Last updated: 23 April, 2021

Ben Horvath – Hi Steve, how’s things in paradise? I noticed some impressive images and clips on my @kandooma_right Instagram feed of Kandooma showing it was on the pump yesterday!

Steve Lanfranco – Yes, Kandooma was on the pump yesterday Benny, it was the best day of the year to date and there was only 6 or 7 surfers around on hand to enjoy it. It was super clean and quite hollow too. The handful of guests we have on the island along with Lars and Jinu certainly made the most of it.

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BH – How has early season been so far at Kandooma Resort, and the Maldives in general?

Steve – We have had relatively consistent, fun, small waves in early April and around the Easter Holidays. Yesterday, Monday April 13th, was the first decent swell of the season delivering perfect waves pretty much everywhere in the Maldives. Kandooma was pumping!

The end bowl at Kandooma on Monday April 13, 2021. Photo Jinu

BH – How was it travelling back into the Maldives under the current circumstance? Please elaborate on how travel into Singapore and then onto the Maldives was. Let us know of Covid-safe protocols, how safe you feel and so on?

Steve – Very easy, Singapore, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha are the main gateway airports and all are very efficient, safe and set up for Covid-safe travel and transit. Depending on transit times there are transit hotels and lounges passengers have access to, which makes the stopover all that much smoother.

A flawless empty barrel reels off unridden down the line on Monday April 13.

One more perfect empty from Monday. – Photo Jinu

BH – What is the current situation in the Maldives in terms of Covid? Is there any Covid around in the Atolls specifically? How bout Male?

Steve – For most islands, especially private resorts like Kandooma, there are no cases of Covid and it’s very safe because the resorts all have very strict protocol in place. There are cases on the main island of Male but arriving passengers go straight from the airport to their resorts, so geographically speaking, Maldives is at an advantage when it comes to containing the spread.

BH – How safe are you feeling at Kandooma? I mean, I would picture it as perhaps the safest place to go on a surf trip right now? Would that be accurate?

Steve – Yes, most certainly, the resort staff and management have very strict protocols in place and social distancing is one tiny part of the Covid travel safe policy. Imagine Kandooma as it’s own country when it comes to dealing with Covid and it’s government and laws are managed and controlled by it’s management and staff. It makes its very easy to deal with and as far as health, hygiene and safety goes, it’s probably one of the best examples on dealing with the situation and ensuring guests are safe whilst they enjoy a holiday in paradise.

Welcome to dreamland

BH – So how are the numbers of travellers, and surfers in particular?

Steve – The resort overall is about 60 percent full at its busiest, but we don’t have too many surfers here at the moment. So there are plenty of uncrowded waves to be had. We are talking about literally a handful of surfers.

Kandooma overview

BH – What’s capacity at the resort? It must be the opportunity of a lifetime to score discounted and uncrowded waves right now? Dreamland?

Steve – When the resort is full we have 50 surfers at capacity but at the moment we have on average 6-10 each week. Yes, now is the time to score uncrowded waves like never before, great deals/discounts. If you can travel to the Maldives on a surf trip this year, do it!