My Perfect Maldives Vacation with a Toddler: An Honest Review of Cora Cora Maldives

🇲🇻 Maldives

20250911-20250916

Is a Maldives Vacation Only for Honeymooners?

Perceptions of a Maldives Vacation vary from country to country, but in Korea, the Maldives is almost synonymous with honeymoon destinations. The distance makes it a time-consuming journey, and there’s a strong perception that Maldives trips start at around $7,000—making it seem like an exclusively luxurious destination. When my husband and I were planning our honeymoon, we had originally intended to go to Bali, but we got married during the COVID era and ended up taking a domestic trip within Korea instead. Back then, the thought “Maldives equals expensive” meant we didn’t even consider it as an option.

Then one evening, while scrolling through YouTube, I stumbled upon a travel agency video advertising “Maldives at Southeast Asian prices.” If this was actually true, maybe we could go to the Maldives for our 5th wedding anniversary? Almost as if drawn by some invisible force, I found myself booking a consultation with the travel agency. And that’s how my Maldives research journey began.

📍 Location: Indian Ocean, South Asia (southwest of India and Sri Lanka)
🌤️ Climate: Tropical monsoon climate with two distinct seasons.
☀️ Dry season : December–April (best time to visit)
🌧️ Wet season: May–November (more rainfall and occasional storms)
🌡️ Temperature: Average daily temperature 25–32°C year-round
🌊 Water temperature: consistently around 27–30°C
💵 Currency: MVR (Maldivian Rufiyaa), though USD is widely accepted at resorts
🙏 Religion: Islam ~100% (official state religion; the Maldives is a Sunni Muslim nation)

Finding the Perfect Maldives Resort for Us: Welcome to “Maldives University”

In Korea, most people visit the Maldives only once in their lifetime—usually for their honeymoon. This “once in a lifetime” perception means that those who decide on the Maldives for their honeymoon spend considerable time researching to find the perfect resort within their budget. In Korea, we jokingly call this intensive research phase “enrolling in Maldives University.”

I went through the same process. As a family traveler among all the newlywed couples at various travel agencies, I attended consultations and looked at resort recommendations. The prices seemed to fit my budget, but when I searched for reviews, something always felt off. The more resorts I looked at, the more appealing options I discovered, and my standards kept rising while my budget remained fixed. I needed to establish clearer criteria.

My resort requirements:

• 2 adults + 1 child (age 3, free accommodation)👨‍👩‍👦
• Maldives all inclusive(food and beverages included) 🍷
• Decent food quality with meat options🥩
• Good enough underwater environment for snorkeling🤿
• Minibar refills (alcohol included would be a bonus)🧃
• Kids club accepting 3-year-olds👦
• Accessible by both speedboat and seaplane (preferring speedboat if all else equal)🛩️🚤

With these criteria set, my husband and I narrowed down our final five candidates: Cora Cora Maldives, Robinson Noonu, Anantara Dhigu, Kagi, and Dhigali.

Even after carefully selecting these favorites, each had clear pros and cons. After much deliberation, we chose Cora Cora Maldives. While its room size was the smallest among our candidates, it had no other significant drawbacks. The deciding factor? TripAdvisor reviews raved about its kids club.

When I searched Maldives resorts on TripAdvisor, recurring keywords appeared in the reviews. Only three resorts had “kids club” as a highlighted keyword: Cora Cora Maldives, Robinson Noonu, and Anantara Dhigu. Anantara Dhigu only accepts children from age 4, so that was out. Robinson Noonu also had excellent kids club reviews, but my budget wouldn’t cover an overwater villa there. Cora Cora Maldives offered overwater villas within my budget—decision made!

This process might sound simple, but between visiting multiple travel agencies, researching countless Maldives resorts, and reading reviews, it took nearly two months to make the final choice. Since this was my first Maldives vacation, I could only hope my decision wouldn’t lead to regret.

The Maldives: Far, Far Away

The day of our 5th anniversary trip finally arrived. Since COVID, direct flights from Korea to the Maldives no longer exist, so a layover is mandatory. I chose to transit through Singapore, boarding Singapore Airlines SQ605, departing from Incheon Airport at midnight. I had hoped for some empty seats nearby so we could stretch out, but the flight was completely full.

We’d traveled several times since our son was born, but overnight flights had been rare. I was worried, but our little one found a comfortable position and slept soundly throughout the six-hour flight. We landed at Singapore Changi Airport at 5 AM—an ungodly hour.

With a 5-hour layover before our Malé connection, I had hoped to explore Jewel Changi. But at 5 AM, absolutely nothing was open. Even Jewel’s signature waterfall wasn’t running. We gave up on sightseeing and spent our time at the SATS Lounge in Terminal 2.

A 5-hour layover with a toddler is quite long. Without the lounge, surviving dawn hours at the airport would have been brutal. We managed by letting him watch cartoons on a tablet—a rare treat we don’t usually allow. I attempted the self-serve laksa at the lounge, though nothing compares to the one I had at Lau Pa Sat years ago. I’ve heard Terminal 3’s SATS Lounge is better, so if you have a long layover like we did, consider heading there instead.

After what felt like an eternity, we boarded the 10 AM Singapore-Malé flight (SQ432). The crowd was incredibly diverse—people from all over the world. Naturally, also completely full. The four-hour flight to Malé passed with our son sleeping again, exhausted from his 5 AM wake-up. I wished I could lie down too.

Six hours of flying, four more hours of flying, plus five hours of layover waiting. And we still hadn’t reached Malé. My exhaustion was accumulating, and landing at Malé Airport wasn’t even the end.

Stepping outside the airport, countless people held signs with resort names. That’s when it hit me—this really is the land of resorts. I quickly spotted the Cora Cora staff among them. After a luggage weight check (seaplanes have strict limits), everything was handled by the staff. This is where Maldives resort service truly begins.

Seaplanes don’t depart on a fixed schedule like taxis, so we waited in a lounge at the seaplane terminal. A short 5-minute bus ride took us there, and stepping outside, I was greeted by the Maldives sea. Usually, harbor waters are murky everywhere, but here—even at the harbor—the water was stunningly beautiful.

The lounge offered drinks and pastries. Our son, finally alert after sleeping through both flights, grabbed a muffin and croissant. I was too exhausted to care about food—I just wanted to board the seaplane, get to the resort, and collapse.

I’d heard that seaplane waits could stretch to 1-2 hours if they needed more passengers, but we were lucky. Many guests were heading to Cora Cora, so we departed after only about 10 minutes. The seaplane was exactly as expected: tiny, no air conditioning, uncomfortably hot, and loud enough to require the earplugs they handed out.

The flight from Malé to Cora Cora took about 50 minutes. Since every passenger was going to Cora Cora, we didn’t need to stop at other resorts. Watching the various islands and resorts from above made time pass surprisingly quickly.

Final tally to reach Cora Cora Maldives:

When you arrive at the resort, staff greet you with welcome necklaces and celebratory drum beats. I’d anticipated this moment would feel magical, but in reality, I just wanted to check in and lie down immediately. The journey to a Maldives resort is truly long and grueling. The silver lining? Our son handled this marathon without major complaints.

Living in Singapore would mean reaching the Maldives in just 4 hours without layovers. Singapore’s proximity to Bali, Bangkok, and other Southeast Asian destinations suddenly seemed incredibly valuable.

Stepping off the seaplane, we met Aju, our butler. Walking toward the lobby, my first impression of Cora Cora was surprisingly casual. From the logo and fonts to the building colors and decorations, every detail reflected the resort’s vibe. The “It’s Freedom Time” slogan, the bright colors, and the welcoming logo all conveyed a friendly, approachable atmosphere.

During check-in, Aju shared the WhatsApp contact for any needs and introduced the Cora Cora app for reservations. After a brief resort tour, we headed to our water villa.

Aju mentioned a restaurant was still open if we wanted lunch. No, no… just get me to the room! Our villa was number 232, decorated with a painting of a child on a swing. Each room has unique artwork. Initially, I thought the paintings looked a bit tacky and that removing them would make the space cleaner. But they grew on me. I hadn’t thought much of it, but my 3-year-old used that painting to identify our room.

After Aju’s room orientation, I wanted to film one of those room tour videos everyone makes at Maldives resorts. But the moment we entered, our son started exploring everywhere, knocked over the welcome snack box, moved cushions around, and carried the trash can to different spots while I was picking up snacks. I gave up on filming immediately. This is what traveling with a child means.

Our son had slept through the flights, so while I was finally feeling human again, he was fully charged and demanding swimming and sand play. Summoning my remaining energy, I played with him at the pool. Aju had reserved dinner at the main restaurant Taaza for Spice Route Night—apparently a Thursday buffet. But I was too exhausted to have an appetite, so our first dinner in the Maldives was modest. If you’re completely drained on arrival day, skip the buffet and opt for à la carte.

That first day was consumed by travel, and I collapsed from complete energy depletion.

This Is What “True maldives all inclusive” Means: Eat Whatever You Want!

After a deep sleep, I woke up feeling refreshed and could finally enjoy Cora Cora properly from day two. The daily rhythm: wake up, have breakfast, swim, have lunch, sip coffee while watching the sea, stroll around the island or join resort excursions, then dinner—and the day is basically over. The most repetitive activity during a resort stay is probably eating.

We chose all-inclusive because we have a child, because my husband and I both love eating and drinking, and because we didn’t want to worry about costs in expensive Maldives. If you research Maldives resorts, you’ll find many offer all-inclusive packages, but typically these limit you to one appetizer, one main, and one dessert per person per meal, with extra charges for certain menu items.

That’s why some resorts like Cora Cora offer “Unlimited All-Inclusive.” Since all guests automatically receive all-inclusive, there’s no need to track whether your plan includes lunch, dinner, or alcohol. Just go to any restaurant at mealtime and order whatever you want, with no limits on dishes. This felt like “true all-inclusive” to me.

People generally eat similar amounts anyway, so unlimited menus don’t differ dramatically from limited ones in practice. But psychologically? Huge difference. Some resorts charge extra for specific items—understandable for something like teppanyaki, but it makes you wonder why they call it “all-inclusive” at all.

maldives all inclusive resorts I researched:

At Cora Cora, breakfast is a buffet at the main restaurant. Lunch is available at two restaurants. Dinner options include three restaurants plus occasional buffets at the main restaurant.

Before the trip, I wondered if I’d get tired of eating at the same resort restaurants every meal. But staying only 4 nights meant I could only try each dinner venue once (except the main restaurant). I wished I’d stayed longer to revisit my favorites.

Honestly, nothing at the breakfast buffet particularly impressed me. Breakfast was the most disappointing meal of the trip. But eating a leisurely morning meal while listening to waves—how long had it been? The morning sun wasn’t harsh, and without air conditioning, it wasn’t even hot (though the mosquitoes were absolutely relentless). It finally felt like a real vacation.

For lunch, there’s the main restaurant with diverse options and the Italian restaurant Aquapazza. Both were good, but I personally preferred Aquapazza. Taaza’s burger and calamari were quite tasty. Aquapazza’s steak was solid, and while pasta varied by dish, the risotto was delicious overall. The tiramisu was especially good—paired perfectly with Cora Cora’s signature cocktail “Bitter Sweet.”

Dinner options included Aquapazza, Ginger Moon (Thai-focused Asian cuisine), Teien (Japanese), and occasional buffets at the main restaurant. I skipped Aquapazza for dinner assuming it’d be similar to lunch, but later learned the dinner menu differs—a regret.

Ginger Moon offers Korean dishes too, but reviews warned the taste differs significantly from authentic Korean food, so I stuck to Thai dishes like tom yum and pad thai. Surprisingly exceeded expectations. If I had to pick the restaurant closest to authentic local cuisine, it’d probably be Ginger Moon.

My biggest disappointment was Teien. Being Korean, I eat Japanese food frequently since Korea and Japan are close and Japanese cuisine is common in Korea. The gap from authentic taste was too wide. I understood that sashimi texture would differ in tropical climates, but I expected at least the grilled skewers to be decent. They weren’t. The karaage was so unbearably salty it was almost inedible. If I return to Cora Cora, I probably won’t visit Teien again.

I also tried Spice Route Night buffet (Maldivian cuisine focus) and Fisherman’s Catch BBQ buffet (seafood). Spice Route Night wasn’t my style, but my husband who loves Indian food enjoyed it. Fisherman’s Catch was the opposite—I loved the grilled lobster, but my husband has a shellfish allergy and prefers meat over seafood, so it was less ideal for him.

During our four days, I’d wake up and eat, swim and eat, walk around and eat. The café next to the lobby served coffee and ice cream anytime, and we visited every single day without exception.

On typical vacations, even at resorts, you go sightseeing, research what to eat, wonder about local specialties and popular dishes, check maps, and deliberate constantly. In the Maldives, you can’t leave the resort, so you simply eat what’s available. I thought this would be a drawback, but actually, not having to think allowed me to focus entirely on relaxation. This style of vacation might be uniquely Maldivian. What I expected to be boring turned out immensely satisfying—and being able to freely order any menu item without restrictions? This must be paradise.

I Caught the “Maldives Ocean Is on Another Level” Disease

When I first started planning the Maldives trip, I naively thought: the lagoon probably looks the same as on screens, but the house reef snorkeling must reveal incredibly colorful underwater worlds, right? So I prioritized resorts with good underwater environments.

Later, I learned that resorts famous for great underwater environments actually look similar to Korea’s East Sea—not the tropical paradise I imagined. I adjusted my criteria to resorts with a good balance of both lagoon beauty and underwater life.

Upon arriving and seeing the lagoon in person… it was far more beautiful than I’d imagined. Cora Cora isn’t even famous for its lagoon, yet the water color was mesmerizing. Gradually, I fell completely under its spell.

My favorite part of each day was sitting on the sofa in front of the lobby, gazing at the glass-like emerald sea. Sitting in cool shade, thinking about nothing, watching the ocean—all worries disappeared, and my mind became as clear as the Maldivian water. If even a resort not known for its lagoon could affect me this way, what must the famous lagoon resorts look like? I became incredibly curious.

But is watching the sea all there is to do in the Maldives? Absolutely not. I found the snorkeling quite satisfying too. Of course, if you simply want to see diverse marine life and vibrant corals, there are better destinations worldwide. Underwater conditions vary by resort, but Cora Cora’s house reef didn’t show me the colorful corals I’d hoped for—though the fish variety was impressive.

The snorkeling excursion, however, delivered exactly what I wanted: vibrant corals and abundant fish. Totally satisfying. Some resorts even have baby sharks and eagle rays swimming near the beach, turtles visible from the house reef, or dolphins playing just offshore.

Beyond the house reef, you can enter the water directly from your room, but those crystal-clear waters appear clear because of white dead coral on the bottom. You won’t see many fish, and there’s honestly not much to look at underwater.

Since Maldives vacations mostly mean staying within the resort, you’ll naturally spend time at the pool too. One disappointment: during my visit, the main pool was under construction, so only the shallow sub-pool was available. But lying in a cabana, watching sunlight sparkle on the tiles, or seeing the sunset reflected in the pool—any view brought peace of mind.

And this is all-inclusive, remember? Aquapazza, attached to the pool, serves drinks and cocktails you can take with you. Being Korean, I naturally ordered a mojito first. A famous line from the Korean movie “Inside Men”—”A mojito in Maldives, please”—by actor Lee Byung-hun made it almost mandatory for Koreans to take mojito photos in the Maldives. I don’t usually love sweet cocktails, but the sweet, minty refreshment suited the Maldives atmosphere perfectly.

Throughout our stay, water was ever-present: morning swims in the ocean or pool, afternoon lagoon-gazing, pre-dinner sunset watching. I’d thought such a monotonous vacation wouldn’t suit me. But the Maldives’ isolated environment, allowing complete focus on the water’s changing colors throughout the day, proved genuinely valuable.

Since returning, I’ve been researching our next destination, but now every beach I see just makes me think: “I want to go back to the Maldives.” People say travelers catch “Maldives ocean is on another level” disease after visiting. I guess I caught it too.

Maldives with a Child is An Excellent Decision – Happy Kid, Happy Parents.

The main reason I chose Cora Cora was TripAdvisor’s highlighting of the kids club. If our son couldn’t adapt to it, we wouldn’t be able to do snorkeling excursions or even house reef snorkeling—parents can’t exactly leave a toddler alone. His kids club adaptation was my critical mission.

At just over 3 years old, our son communicates reasonably well in Korean but knows only “Hello,” “Yes,” and “No” in English—nothing else. I worried most about whether he could adapt to an unfamiliar environment without being able to communicate. We decided to stay nearby during his first kids club visit.

About 30 minutes later, the kids club called saying he was crying. He’d bumped into something while playing and had been crying for mom and dad ever since. My heart sank—was one day too soon? Should we give up? But he seemed to like the space itself and didn’t want to leave. A staff member suggested trying the outdoor play area.

The moment he saw the sand play area, he became transfixed. Kids club adaptation attempt #2 began. The sand was incredibly effective. When we returned an hour later, he was still playing in that exact spot.

That night before bed, I asked what was the most fun that day. “Kids club,” he answered. Would he go again tomorrow? “Yes!” Adaptation: successful.

The next morning after breakfast, I asked if he wanted to go to the kids club. An eager yes. We sent him in his swimsuit, and my husband and I finally got to snorkel at the house reef. One round trip took about an hour. Passing by the kids club on our way back, we saw our son playing joyfully in the kiddie pool with staff members Sadha and Siba, like a fish in water. In just two visits, he’d completely adapted.

This let us confidently book a snorkeling excursion. The following day, we sent him to the kids club right after breakfast in his swimsuit. He walked in without any resistance, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

After the Extra Vaganza snorkeling tour, I hurried back worrying something might have happened. I spotted him walking outside with Sadha and Siba. Where were they going? They’d taken him to the beach in front of the lobby for water play. He was in his swimsuit, but they were in regular clothes—their pants getting soaked by seawater. They didn’t care. Watching them prioritize his enjoyment over their own comfort moved me deeply.

After checkout, the kids club shared photos they’d taken of our son during his time there. Every single photo showed him beaming with pure happiness.

Was the kids club his only source of joy? Not at all. When we rode the buggy between restaurants, he loved sitting in the front seat next to the driver. The restaurant staff were all so friendly that even our usually shy son started initiating high-fives and playing around with them, treating them like favorite uncles.

Following the barefoot staff, he’d kick off his shoes the moment we reached the lobby. The soft sand everywhere became his favorite toy. The unlimited ice cream available anytime. Without question, our son enjoyed Cora Cora the most out of our entire family.

Other destinations require leaving the resort for sightseeing, sitting in strollers, or enduring boring shopping trips. The Maldives’ no-leaving-the-resort structure turned out to be absolutely perfect for our toddler. Seeing him this happy naturally made me happy too.

Conclusion: Our Maldives vacation was truly the best ever.

The Maldives is a perfect place for vacation. And Cora Cora was the most perfect vacation my husband, our son, and I have ever experienced.

What did we do? Wake up, eat, swim, eat, watch the sea, drink coffee, rest, eat… not much else. Sounds boring, right? With 24 hours in a day, what do you do with all that time?

The surprising truth: despite such a simple schedule, I was incredibly busy. So busy that I—someone who normally stays up until 1 AM—passed out exhausted by 10 PM every night.

What made this vacation at Cora Cora especially happy? Ordering any menu item without restrictions. With a child, unexpected situations arise constantly—but even if he fell asleep, we could get takeout and eat in our room. The friendly atmosphere (rather than ultra-luxurious) suited our family trip perfectly. Our butler Aju helped make our vacation special. And the kids club staff whom our son adored—Sadha and Siba.

The journey from Korea to the Maldives required enormous time and was exhausting. But after returning, I finally understood why people go to the Maldives. “I want to go back to the Maldives” became my constant refrain. Every single element was satisfying.

During our visit, the main pool was under construction, leaving only one pool usable. My husband joked, “Guess we’ll have to come back to use that pool.”

If you’re planning a Maldives trip with excessive expectations of luxury, ultra-premium service, or high-end hotel experiences, Cora Cora might not be the right fit.

Since Cora Cora was my first Maldives resort, I can’t objectively compare it to others. But for those seeking a peaceful, friendly resort atmosphere—a vacation that truly feels like vacation—especially families with young children, I wholeheartedly recommend Cora Cora Maldives.

It’s Freedom Time!