Garden Room
40 rooms · 24 sqm · Queen Bed
Malahini · North Malé Atoll
Malahini Kuda Bandos
- 12 min by speedboat
- Any arrival time
- 4.5 on TripAdvisor · 2,143 reviews
- Travellers' Choice 2026
- All taxes in the price
- Visited Sep 2022
The villas
On the beach
Superior Room
7 rooms · 22 sqm · Queen Bed
Deluxe Room
10 rooms · 27 sqm · Queen Bed
Sunrise Beach Pool Villa
22 villas · 100 sqm · Private pool & hot tub
Beach Pool Suite
4 suites · 200 sqm · King Bed
House reef
Our rating
3/5
Fine
Reliable fish over coral that has largely died. The way in is the passage cut in the reef near the beach bar; elsewhere the lagoon is shallow enough that finding somewhere to swim is awkward, and the drop-off sits a long way out. Once you are there guests report baby and adult blacktips, stingrays, turtles and a lot of colourful fish, and they rate the snorkelling highly despite the coral. Snorkel gear is free and good quality. This is North Male, twenty minutes from the airport, so expect boat traffic, and it sits in the area hardest hit by the recent bleaching.
How we score house reefs, and every island ranked →Getting there
Route
Speedboat
- Journey
- 12 min, airport to island
- Last arrival that works
- Any hour
Transfers run around the clock, so any arrival time connects and you never need a night in Malé on the way in.
Shared speedboat, running day and night, so any arrival time connects. Boats are scheduled rather than private, so allow a wait at Velana.
Transfer details last checked 18 August 2026. We re-check yours against your actual ticket before we quote. See what your flight can reach →
What guests say
4.5out of 5 on TripAdvisor · 2,143 reviews
A Truly Memorable and Relaxing Stay
Our three-day stay at Malahini Kuda Bandos was one of the most relaxing experiences we have had.
Amazing Maldives Getaway with Great Food, Activities, and Friendly Staff
I had an amazing three-night stay at Malahini and really enjoyed the overall experience. The rooms were very clean, comfortable, and well maintained.
Great place for a short holiday, we had a wonderful experience
We had a great short stay at Malahini where my family enjoyed a lot. Ashraf was outstanding and exceeded our expectations making sure that all our needs are fulfilled.
Travellers' Choice 2026. Rating checked 25 September 2026. Read all the reviews on TripAdvisor →
About the resort
Malahini Kuda Bandos is twelve minutes from the airport by speedboat, and the boat runs day and night. No seaplane, no daylight cut-off, and no night in Malé if you land at two in the morning.
It is a small green island in North Malé Atoll with 83 rooms and villas and no overwater ones. Three nights for two come all inclusive with the return speedboat and every tax inside the figure.
What you pay
Pick your dates and a room and the price is the whole stay for two: the room, the All Inclusive plan, the return speedboat and every tax, green tax included. Nothing more is payable at the resort for those.
The green season is the gentlest stretch. Three nights in the Garden Room from May to September 2027 runs about a third below the January to March price.
The Sunrise Beach Pool Villa is the real step up. It is 100 m² with its own pool and hot tub, against 22 to 27 m² for the three rooms, and it costs roughly half as much again as the Garden Room. For a honeymoon it is the one to take.
Children can travel free on some dates. From May to July and in September 2027, one child aged 3 to 11 stays, eats and takes the speedboat free with two adults, on stays of three nights or more.
Three and seven nights are priced on this page. Other lengths, half board or full board instead of all inclusive, and the Christmas and New Year fortnight are not, but we can book them.
What's included, and what isn't
In the price: your room for two, all meals and the drinks on the All Inclusive plan, the return shared speedboat, and every Maldivian tax including green tax.
Not in the price: your international flights, travel insurance, spa and excursions, a private speedboat, the compulsory Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve gala dinners, Indian TCS, and anything not named above.
Who this isn't for
Anyone who wants an overwater villa. There are none. The three room categories are small, so this is an island where you spend the day outside, and with 83 keys you will see other guests.
Families wanting the cheapest room. Some Garden and Superior Rooms are upstairs, and the hotel discourages children under twelve in them. With children, take the Deluxe Room or a pool villa.
Before you book
The prices on this page hold for bookings made by 31 October 2026.
The speedboat is shared and scheduled, so allow up to an hour's wait at the airport in October, and 30 to 45 minutes from November. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out at 12:00.
Send us your dates and who is travelling, and we will price two or three rooms with everything inside the number. Message our Maldives specialists on WhatsApp or send us an enquiry. We reply within 24 hours.
Our last visit
We were last here
September 2022
Stayed in a beach villa with its own pool. Malahini Kuda Bandos is twelve minutes from Velana by resort speedboat, and the boats run day and night. A late landing still reaches the island the same evening, and a dawn flight home costs nothing. There are no water villas. Every room and villa sits on the beach or in the garden, and on an island this small you will see...
Read the visit note →Frequently asked questions
Where is Malahini Kuda Bandos, and how do you get there?
Malahini Kuda Bandos is in North Malé Atoll, twelve minutes from Velana International Airport by shared speedboat. The boat runs day and night, so a late or early flight still reaches the island the same day. The return shared speedboat is in every price on this page. Allow a wait at the airport, as boats are scheduled.
What meal plans are available?
Every price on this page is All Inclusive, with all meals served buffet at Maaga, the all-day restaurant, and the drinks on the plan. Half board, full board and All Inclusive Gold are also sold. Tell us which you prefer and we will price your dates on that plan, including any children travelling.
What rooms and villas are there?
Five categories, none over the water. The Garden Room is 24 m² and the Superior Room 22 m², both sleeping two, the Garden Room up to three. The Deluxe Room is 27 m² for up to four. The Sunrise Beach Pool Villa is 100 m² with a pool and hot tub, and the four Beach Pool Suites are 200 m².
Is Malahini Kuda Bandos good for families?
Yes, with the right room. Some Garden and Superior Rooms are upstairs and the hotel discourages children under twelve in them, so book the Deluxe Room, which takes two adults and two children, or a pool villa for up to four. Children under three stay, eat and travel free apart from green tax from age two.
What happens at Christmas and New Year?
The resort holds two compulsory gala dinners, charged per adult: US$200 on Christmas Eve and US$400 on New Year's Eve, with a lower charge for children. The festive fortnight is not priced on this page for that reason, but we can book it and will show you the full figure first.
The resort
Tap any photo to see it full size.
More photos on Instagram: @malahinikb (opens in a new tab)
Tell us your dates and who is travelling
We will price two or three villas with the speedboat, and the taxes inside the number, and quote dates outside the ones above on request. We reply within 24 hours.
A day here
Proximity sets the shape of your day here. Twelve minutes by boat from Velana is about as close as the Maldives gets, and it means nothing about your flight times matters. Add a reef we rate well above this island's price, three restaurants and a beach bar, and you have a very simple day.
- Speedboat, 12 min
- Arrivals any hour
- Premium all-inclusive
- House reef 3/5
Day 1, arriving
A shared scheduled speedboat, twelve minutes, running day and night. Any arrival time connects, so there is no daylight window to miss and no night in Male at either end. The boats are scheduled rather than private, so allow around thirty to forty-five minutes waiting at Velana while they fill. That wait is all it takes to get here, which is a remarkable thing to be able to say about a Maldivian island.
Do these three things when you land.
- Ask where to enter the house reef. It is the best thing about this island and it is free.
- Check which room you have booked if children are travelling. The resort strongly discourages under-twelves in the Garden and Superior rooms because some are upstairs.
- Check what your plan covers before you order. Maaga serves everybody. Kuredhi and The Bluu open up on All Inclusive Gold, which needs four nights or more.
Days 2 to 3, your full days
Mornings
A strong house reef, which is rare at this price and is the reason to choose this island over anything else in its band. It is a private island with a reef you can use, rather than a lagoon you look at.
- Anyone who came to snorkel
- Get in early and go often. Several islands at three times the price cannot match this reef.
- Divers
- North Male's sites are all within reasonable reach, and being twelve minutes from the airport means the boat time goes on diving rather than on transfers.
- Families
- Book the Deluxe Room or a pool villa. The Deluxe takes two adults and two children, and children under three stay, eat and travel free.
Afternoons
This is a small, simple island rather than a resort with a programme, and that is the point of it. There is an excursion list and a dive centre, both priced by the resort and both moving through the season, so tell us what you want to do and we will price it against your dates.
Evenings
Maaga is the main restaurant, an international buffet running breakfast, lunch and dinner, with themed dinner nights. Kuredhi is Mediterranean and a la carte. The Bluu is the third, open from ten in the morning until midnight, with a two-course lunch and dinner and a snack menu in the late afternoon. Bar 75 sits on the beach until six. The price on this page is built on the plain All Inclusive plan. All Inclusive Gold is sold above it, opens up Kuredhi and The Bluu properly, and rates 3 out of 5 on our all-inclusive ratings. Gold needs a minimum of four nights.
Day 4, leaving
Nothing to plan around. The boat runs at any hour, so a dawn flight home loses you nothing. About as forgiving a departure as the Maldives offers.
Who this island's day does not suit
Anyone who wants an overwater villa or a large island. There are no water villas here, and with 83 rooms you will see other guests. What you get instead is a genuine reef and the shortest transfer in the country.
What you will still pay
Diving, excursions and the spa are what reach the folio. Drinks depend on your plan: on All Inclusive Gold the premium spirits list is discounted rather than included, so ask for a particular whisky and it lands on your bill. Small touches come free rather than charged: a cake and bed decoration for birthdays and anniversaries, ten pieces of laundry on stays over five nights, and a beach dinner on longer stays in the villas.
Day 1, arriving
A shared scheduled speedboat, twelve minutes, running day and night. Any arrival time connects, so there is no daylight window to miss and no night in Male at either end. The boats are scheduled rather than private, so allow around thirty to forty-five minutes waiting at Velana while they fill. That wait is all it takes to get here, which is a remarkable thing to be able to say about a Maldivian island.
Do these three things when you land.
- Ask where to enter the house reef. It is the best thing about this island and it is free.
- Check which room you have booked if children are travelling. The resort strongly discourages under-twelves in the Garden and Superior rooms because some are upstairs.
- Check what your plan covers before you order. Maaga serves everybody. Kuredhi and The Bluu open up on All Inclusive Gold, which needs four nights or more.
Days 2 to 7, your full days
Mornings
A strong house reef, which is rare at this price and is the reason to choose this island over anything else in its band. It is a private island with a reef you can use, rather than a lagoon you look at.
- Anyone who came to snorkel
- Get in early and go often. Several islands at three times the price cannot match this reef.
- Divers
- North Male's sites are all within reasonable reach, and being twelve minutes from the airport means the boat time goes on diving rather than on transfers.
- Families
- Book the Deluxe Room or a pool villa. The Deluxe takes two adults and two children, and children under three stay, eat and travel free.
Afternoons
This is a small, simple island rather than a resort with a programme, and that is the point of it. There is an excursion list and a dive centre, both priced by the resort and both moving through the season, so tell us what you want to do and we will price it against your dates.
Evenings
Maaga is the main restaurant, an international buffet running breakfast, lunch and dinner, with themed dinner nights. Kuredhi is Mediterranean and a la carte. The Bluu is the third, open from ten in the morning until midnight, with a two-course lunch and dinner and a snack menu in the late afternoon. Bar 75 sits on the beach until six. The price on this page is built on the plain All Inclusive plan. All Inclusive Gold is sold above it, opens up Kuredhi and The Bluu properly, and rates 3 out of 5 on our all-inclusive ratings. Gold needs a minimum of four nights.
Day 8, leaving
Nothing to plan around. The boat runs at any hour, so a dawn flight home loses you nothing. About as forgiving a departure as the Maldives offers.
Who this island's day does not suit
Anyone who wants an overwater villa or a large island. There are no water villas here, and with 83 rooms you will see other guests. What you get instead is a genuine reef and the shortest transfer in the country.
What you will still pay
Diving, excursions and the spa are what reach the folio. Drinks depend on your plan: on All Inclusive Gold the premium spirits list is discounted rather than included, so ask for a particular whisky and it lands on your bill. Small touches come free rather than charged: a cake and bed decoration for birthdays and anniversaries, ten pieces of laundry on stays over five nights, and a beach dinner on longer stays in the villas.
Tell us which dates you are looking at and we will check this against the week you will actually be here.