Kagi Resort & Spa Island, Maldives

Kagi Maldives Spa Island is a boutique resort in the North Malé Atoll, either an hour speedboat or a short seaplane hop from the airport. The partially reclaimed, beautifully manicured island is dominated by two sweeping, organically-designed structures: the excellent over-water Baani Spa and the hub, housing most of the restaurants, the bar, wine cellar, main pool and chef’s herb garden. The latter doesn’t appear to have a name but it should. We’ll call it the hub.


With just 50 villas, all with private plunge pools, there is a distinct feeling of exclusivity. Visitors to other Crown & Champa resorts will find the rectangular floor plans familiar. Perhaps they could have been a little bolder with Kagi but the interiors are modern and well-appointed, and we like the indoor-outdoor bathrooms and easy access to the lagoon from the over-water villas. So nothing really new here, but then this is not in the high-end luxury price bracket and besides, Kagi guests are likely to be spending much of their time on or under the water, or in the spa or other facilities (one point to note: over-water villa categories have been reallocated, and not all the Beach Villas have a great aspect, so do speak to us about your preferred location on the island).

Despite the small number of villas there is a nice array of dining options. Main restaurant Noo Faru is a standard international buffet for breakfast and dinner, in a lovely setting with well-separated tables and ocean views. Nonna, upstairs in the hub, offers Italian cuisine, in a space that is frankly vast for the number of covers, while signature restaurant Ke-Un showcases Pacific Rim cuisine with local twists, and Spa Corner offers light and healthy options for lunch. Tasty snacks are also available at Uffa bar, which is pleasant during the day time as it fronts onto the pool area but in the evening the high roof and stark lighting means, like Nonna, it lacks intimacy. These are minor quibbles that could be largely ironed out with a little interior space design magic. There is also a range of meal plans from B&B to Premium All Inclusive to suit all tastes.

Baani (‘Ocean Swell’) Spa is an impressive wellness and fitness facility, promising to Release (stress), Restore (balance) and Regain (momentum) for guests along a holistic journey that encompasses a wide range of treatments and therapies from curated massages to reflexology to sound chakra balancing. While the Baani Spa is the iconic selling point, the resort could easily be called Kagi Maldives Reef Island. Easily accessed from the beach or water villas, Kagi has a house reef in as good condition as any in the Male atolls, with an abundance of corals and marine life. We were very impressed with the Euro-Divers team and we enjoyed fantastic guided snorkelling on the house reef, both during the day, where we spotted more Regal Angelfish than on any other reef, and at night, swimming amongst the nurse sharks and rays that congregate near the arrival jetty.

Other activities include non-motorised water sports, the usual excursions, a nice games room and low-key entertainment. There’s also a boutique, medical clinic and comfortable departure lounge. When Kagi opened younger children were not permitted but that policy has now been relaxed. However, it’s clearly not designed to accommodate and entertain little ones and we’d probably advise other resorts for Maldives family holidays.

If what you need is a modern, boutique resort, in the Male atolls, with a good house reef and super spa and wellness ethos, Kagi might well be your sweet spot.