Cora Cora, The Maldives

The Maldives is one of those destinations I feel everyone should experience once in their lifetime. It touches your soul , changes you and hurts your heart to leave. It really is just so special! We are so privileged to have recently visited the Maldives for the second time, this time staying at the newly opened Cora Cora Maldives – and I can’t wait to share everything about the resort!

Cora Cora Maldives is a five star, premium all inclusive resort situated on the Raa Atoll. Previously known as Loama Resort, a redevelopment saw the resort reopen in late 2021 with a new brand, new concept and many exciting changes throughout the resort. Their mantra at the resort is “It’s Freedom Time”, whatever that Freedom may mean to you. And after living through covid for two years, Freedom is a very welcomed motto for most as it was vastly taken away from us right? You have a dedicated Freedom coach during your stay to help with anything you may require, and all get a “Freedom” temporary tattoo on arrival.

Getting to the Island

The Maldives is a very easy place to get around – after flying into Male Airport your representative will generally meet you on arrival at the airport and have you transferred to your resort either by boat or seaplane. We had a few hours wait before our seaplane transfer so we were taken to a beautiful lounge where we had snacks, drinks, WIFI and chargers.

Our seaplane transfer with the barefoot pilots aboard Maldivian Aero was an incredible experience that I will never forget. Flying over the fringed reefs, the rings of blue and seeing islands resorts scattered all over the Indian Ocean is just breathtaking. On arrival at Cora Cora’s jetty, you will be greeted by smiling staff, hand shakes and flower garlands to welcome you to paradise.

The Accommodation

The resort accomodates 100 villas split between water and ocean, with the beach villas all having direct beach access. There are the options of beach pool villas, beach suite, lagoon villa, lagoon pool villa, duplex lagoon pool villa, or for families – a two bedroom pool villa, two bedroom beach villa or the ultimate family accommodation – the two bedroom family water villa with waterslide!

We stayed in the Two Bedroom Beach Pool Villa which was just unbelievable and for a family of five – more than ample space. Having your own private pool with kids is so handy, especially for families with younger kids who still nap in the day. It means mum and dad can enjoy some time swimming while they sleep, or for boisterous kids – they can splash and scream all they want without the fear of annoying other guests…..yes we have all been there! 

There was a king and twin connecting room, both with direct access to the pool / outside area, dressing area with vanities and mini fridge, and outdoor bathrooms complete with bath and two outdoor showers…..and tiles to die for!  The villa was just amazing for us five and great for the kids (teens especially) being able to have their own space away from Mum & Dad.

We did inspect a pool lagoon villa which was STUNNING (see the photos from the bath below!!) and would love to try a water villa if we ever return, as the views are just beautiful and being able to snorkel from your villa would be fantastic.

Swimming Pools

There is one main swimming pool area at the resort which is located at Acquapazza Restaurant and for all ages. It has a great Beach Club vibe and plenty of seating for both sun and shade. The kids loved having a swim while waiting for their lunch here, and its a great spot to watch the sunset with a cocktail at the end of the day.

Kids Activities

Cora Cora welcomes families and is well set up to accomodate them, unlike many resorts in the Maldives. So many think of the Maldives as a honeymoon destination only – but if you pick the right resort, it is a fantastic family holiday destination! My kids at 15, 13 and 8 weren’t bored for a second here and all had the best time.

KIDS CLUB

Cora Kids is a great little kids club for ages 3-12 that has an outdoor shallow wading pool, giant chess, craft activities, toys, TV and plenty of scheduled activities throughout the day. From treasure hunts to cooking, craft and dancing, the little ones will be kept busy and entertained while Mum & Dad enjoy some time together. 

ART CLASSES

My 8 year old and I did an art class down on the beachfront with Shameen, who is a Tiktok sensation thanks to his passion for creating beautiful artwork and videos at the resort. The class took about 1.5 hours and taught us various techniques to create some beautiful pieces, which we were both very proud of! You can find out when the art classes are scheduled through your app and book through there, or ask your freedom coach.

GAMES

There is a pool table, ping pong table and foos ball in the reception area for guests to play aswell as plenty of kids games and books. We spent a lot of time playing table tennis, it has since become our favourite hobby!

WATER SPORTS & DIVING

Our two oldest kids scuba dive and my 8 year old was excited to see he could do a PADI bubble maker at his age at the resort. The dive staff were all so lovely and fantastic with the kids. The Bubble maker started with skills in the pool and getting a general feel for scuba diving, and if they feel ready – its off to the ocean to dive the lagoon. They only go down 2 metres at that age but my little one saw 2 nurse sharks which was the highlight of his trip! The eldest two also did a dive and absolutely loved exploring the crystal clear aquarium like lagoon. You can also hire your snorkelling gear at the dive shop for the duration of your stay, free of charge, and grab some kayaks to explore the lagoon here too.

There is also jet skis, fly boards, tube rides, wakeboarding and parasailing that you can arrange if you are after an adrenalin kick!

SNORKELLING

The house reef here is incredible, and easily accessible from the beaches. Straight out from our villa at the drop off we saw reef tip sharks, nurse sharks, eagle rays, turtles and so many beautiful fish. Just check the tides and keep and eye on the current and if you arent sure where’s the best and safest spots, just have a chat with the guys at the dive shop. You can also book on the snorkelling extravaganza tour or guided snorkelling excursions at the resort – we did the snorkelling extravaganza which was a few hour tour off to a nearby island reef and it was just incredible. You can book that tour in the app or through your Freedom Coach.

Food & Drink

The resort is Premium All Inclusive – which means all food and drink is included including cocktails, wine & champagne, beer, mocktails, spirits and even the mini bar stocked in your room! What more could you want!?

MyCOFFEE Cafe and Bar

This is the one stop for coffee, ice cream, juice, wellness shots, vegan, dairy and sugar  free items, wellness items and healthy snacks. Situated overlooking the blue water, we spent a lot of time here! Bilaal, the incredible coffee man as my kids called him soon remembered our orders and would prepare our morning coffees before we even asked. Hows that for service!?

The kids ate way too much ice cream as kids do, but it was absolutely delicious on those hot afternoons and they enjoyed the freedom of taking themselves to the ice cream shop and ordering whatever they wanted – a definite bonus of the all inclusive aspect of the resort.

Ginger Moon

This was our favourite restaurant because we love Asian cuisine!

One thing to note is how amazing the resort has been for Alysse’s peanut allergy. Her favourite meal at Ginger Moon was the Mee Goreng and the staff were fantastic in ensuring that their was no peanuts. The Thai green curry here is incredible, has a spicy kick to it but that is just how I like it.

Tazäa

Buffet breakfast at Tazäa is delicious with plenty of cuisines available or if you prefer you can order a freshly made omelette / eggs, crepe, waffles or pancakes.

For those after a healthy alternative, there is green juices, alternative milks and plenty of vegan options too. Lunch here was our favourite because the burgers were AMAZING, and for dinner their varieties of curries were delicious. 

Acquapazza

Acquapazza is located at the main pool and was our go to spot for evening cocktails, the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Lunch here was also delicious and a great option for a lazy lunch by the pool.

Teien

Teien was the Japanese / Teppanyaki restaurant which I am told is one of the resorts most popular. We aren’t huge fans of Japanese cuisine, but it was nice to try some dishes and make the kids step out of their comfort zone a little (even if they did order a grab and go burger from the other restaurant after haha!)

Certain nights they also host a delicious beach bbq where you can try traditional Maldivian food amongst other cuisines and watch some dancing etc. Was just fantastic!

Wellness – MOKSHA Spa & Fitness

My daughter Alysse and I were lucky enough to experience a massage at the MOKSHA Spa and it did not disappoint. The massage rooms were in the most beautiful location and the ladies were just amazing at what they do. A massage isn’t something we treat ourselves to often, so it was a very welcomed treatment – after all self care is all part of the Freedom experience isn’t it!

We also tried a Sound Bowl Healing Treatment workshop which the kids really enjoyed, not being something any of us have done before. Max especially loved trying the gong and Alysse said she really enjoyed the healing nature of the sound bowls and would love to try a full treatment next time. If you stay more than 8 nights guests 15 and over receive a 45 minute complimentary massage as part of your stay.

You can read all the treatments they offer at MOKSHA Spa here. There is also Yoga, pilates classes, fitness classes and a Gymnasium which we used daily. Wellness is all part of the Cora Cora experience and there are plenty of activities and treatments for you to discover.

How to get around the island

The island is super small, you can walk around it in under 20 minutes. But there are bikes you can take to ride around which we loved – we love bike riding! Some parts are boggy when its thick sand but we loved riding up and down the water villa jetty looking for fish and sting rays. The bikes are included and can be picked up and returned from the lobby area.

Shopping

There is a beautiful little gift shop / boutique on the island called Sandy Toes. Here you can get essentials like suncream, clothing, jewellery, gifts, and any other bits and pieces you may require. Alysse seemed to spend a lot of time here because what 15 year old girl doesn’t love shopping?! There is also a doctor / medical centre on the island incase you become unwell or need any kind of treatment. Luckily we didn’t need to visit at all 🙂

Tours

There are plenty of tours and activities you can book like snorkelling trips, boat trips to the tsunami deserted Ghost Island nearby, scuba diving trips, sunset cruise (which is included in stays over minimum of four nights for all guests), and more. You can book all your tours and excursions through the app or speak to your dedicated freedom coach.

Our verdict?

We spent a week on Cora Cora and still didn’t feel ready to leave – it is really that amazing! Our days generally looked like this:

Coffee at MYCOFFEE Bar. Breakfast at Tazäa. Gymnasium for a quick workout. Wellness/protein smoothie from MYCOFFEE Bar. Snorkelling off the villa or around the island. Ice Cream. Swim in the pool and lunch at Acquapazza or Tazäa. Games of Pool / Ping Pong. Ice Cream. Another swim at our villa. Ice Cream. Shopping / riding around the island. Ice Cream. Cocktails at Acquapazza. Dinner at one of the restaurants. Jump into bed exhausted but relaxed! Repeat again tomorrow!

This was our first time experiencing an All Inclusive Resort and we would 100% recommend it to everyone, especially families. We all know how fussy and hungry kids can get and usually we are needing to run off to mini marts mid morning for snacks to tie them over until lunch time. So the beauty of this resort for us was giving the kids the freedom to chose when they wanted to eat – if they weren’t hungry they could eat something later. If they were starving again, they could head off to get a snack. They were always happy and had more flexibility in everything they did.

The resort was everything and more that we could have asked for. The staff went above and beyond. The rooms were INSANE. The water – crystal clear, warm and free from the sea lice and stingers we usually suffer with in Asia. The marine life – incredible. I cannot begin to put into words the way the Maldives makes you feel and the way it changes you. If you have dreamt of visiting the Maldives all your life like I had – do it! You will not regret it and will be left with nothing but the most precious memories that you cannot put a price on.

Thank you so much to all the team at Cora Cora for having us and we can’t wait to see you all again soon!

*Disclaimer – we were hosted by the resort but our review is 100% our own opinion.