chinmoylad

They do mix it up - seen yellow and sandy beige and brown at other parts. Think it does add a little bit of colour to a very rustic environment, so not too bad.

I think SS Samui, which just had a massive renovation, is incorporating a lot more green as well.

chinmoylad

Thanks for the comparison. Yea, before going I didn't realise SS Laamu wasn't quite as secluded as first imagined - I was thinking "far from Male = secluded".

surftb15

That being said, there are some advantages to 6S over Maalifushi

+ Snorkeling / Diving

There is an area in Laamu called Maavah and in that channel is some big sharks/fish, etc. Its a one hour boatride away from 6S.

+ Surfing

House break is descent, better then Maalifushi. The surf breaks surrounding 6S are also a lot better and UNCROWDED (major factor in Maldives).

- Proximity to local islands

Bad when locals burn the trash and its windy!
You also always see locals around the island, scavenging at night, fishing, riding boats.

- Rooms

Hit or Miss.

Go to Maalifushi if you want seclusion and the feeling of getting away from it all. GO to 6S if you don't mind decor, want to surf a bit, and want a nice house reef. The house reef isn't great, but much better then maalifushi. The 6S also has access to plenty of good dive / snorkel sites near the island as well.

surftb15

I actually will be at the SS Samui in February for 5 nights. Taking the mrs. for valentines day. Excited to check it out - Rates are a lot more affordable then 4S and the pools are double the size.

frisbfreek

My wife and I are looking to stay in the Maldives for 6 nights later this month. I'm leaning toward staying at Cocoa Island in a Dhoni Suite for the following reasons:
- No seaplane transfer (we are arriving late evening, so any resort with a long transfer would mean we have to stay somewhere else our first night, and return to MLE airport the next day to catch a seaplane)
- 4th night free, which makes it cheaper than most other high end options that I can see
- All the great reviews

However, being the perfectionist trip planner that I am, I also have the following concerns:
- Only 1 restaurant: We can be quite picky with our food, so will we have enough variety?
- Do we really only get to pick 1 hot entree at breakfast, or can we order more? We'll be jetlagged, so we will be quite hungry at breakfast.
- Do people find the spacing between Dhoni Suites to be adequate?


We're also looking into the W Retreat & Spa since we'll get a boatload of points. I know the two are quite different, so the comparison gets difficult. The accommodations look better, more variety of food, but it would obviously be at a different price point.

Also, if we do pick the W, what are the recommended places to stay for our first night?

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated too!

sfoactuary

We stayed at Cocoa Island last year and absolutely loved it. The year before we had stayed at Conrad Rangali Island which is a mega-resort in comparison, and Cocoa Island just had such a different feel in that it was much more private with more personalized attention.

To answer your questions:

- Yes there is only 1 restaurant, but on each of the 4 nights we were there, there was a themed option (seafood buffet, Indian night, Italian night, etc.) in addition to the same standard menu for added variety

- We were told that we could each order an entree at breakfast, and could have a 3rd entree to share. I'm a huge eater and that was more than enough each morning, since there is also a buffet with fruits, yogurt, pastries, etc.

- We stayed in a 1BR villa so cannot comment on the experience of staying on a Dhoni Suite, but we did walk by them several times and I'd say that the spacing is a bit tighter than that of the Conrad for example

Other comments:

- Being able to take the speedboat was a huge plus for me, and a key reason why I chose Cocoa Island. Of course, others will argue that it means you are closer to the airport and will not as feel as secluded, which is true. You can see the Holiday Inn resort in the distance, and will occasionally see ships passing by. But since I had an early morning arrival (6AM) and evening departure (10PM), I ended up getting early arrival and more importantly late departure, leaving for the airport at 7:30PM.

- Worth keeping in mind that Cocoa Island is very small, you can essentially walk across the entire resort in 5-10 minutes. If you're the type that gets restless or claustrophobic, that should definitely be a consideration

Here's my review if you are interested in further details.

aa213bb

Was there for a total of 5 nights earlier this year - March - and thoroughly loved it. Completely agree with sfoactuary

frisbfreek

@sfoactuary, wow great review! Good to know that we can get some more food at breakfast. The food does look very good in those pictures too. I'll definitely confirm with my wife that the size of the island won't bother her.

Also, how was wifi connectivity while you were there? I'm generally ok without much of it, but my wife does like to do some online shopping during vacation. It could also provide for more things to do if it rains.

sfoactuary

Happy to help!

From what I could remember the wifi was good and was available across the entire island. We were even able to stream videos, so the speed should be more than sufficient for surfing the web/shopping.

aa213bb

Wifi was great - we stayed in both a Dhoni Loft and in a 1BR Villa. Again, this was ~ 4 months ago.

illico

We just returned from Cocoa Island. We were there from July 29 to August 2 (four days and four nights).

Echoing sfoactuary, I absolutely enjoyed our stay there. small island but tranquil, beautiful and the service was quite good.

There is only one restaurant as mentioned. For dinner, you can choose from the all day dining menu, the evening's a la carte menu, the healthy menu, and depending on the day the special menu (thai, indian, seafood bbq...) I thought there was quite a variety. We did not really eat lunch while there but they also have sushi themed lunch, taco themed lunch...

For breakfast each person can select one item plus another to share (3 items for two people) as well as the buffet items of yogurt, cereals, breads, fruit, juices... I dont think you will go hungry.

We stayed in a 1BR villa as well so cannot speak about the dhoni suites. they seemed tight together but I did not hear anyone complaining while on site. judging from the reviews most people seem to find them comfortable.

The wifi was decent.

I thought our time spent was amazing.

MikeFromTokyo

You might also consider FS Kuda Huraa, Taj Exotica, and Gili Lankanfushi.

I would never go anywhere near the W as I loathe the brand, and it looks pretty bad from what I have seen. Given the alternatives I see no reason to factor in points when teaveling to the Maldives.

DSI

We loved Cocoa and also--for a moment--considered the W for points. If we went back we'd probably go to Soneva to try something new, but Cocoa was a great place and a great value with superb food and service. The island also has a cool history and much of the staff helped build it.

chinmoylad

Agreed. I love the grounds of the FS but I'm not too sold on their villas.

Looking forward to your SS Samui trip report.

frisbfreek

Thanks for the feedback everyone! We did end up booking Cocoa Island due to price as well as convenience (not having to worry about the timing of seaplane transfer is great). Will let y'all know how it is!