Four Seasons Maldives: Kuda Huraa with kids
There comes a point in the long flight to the Indian Ocean where you wonder if it’s really worth it for a family holiday – but having stayed at Four Seasons Maldives Kuda Huraa with kids, I’d travel twice as far for this slice of child-friendly luxury.
ad/review stay*
It’s not just the turquoise seas and coralline white beaches (although those are as fabulous as you’d expect). I stayed at both the Four Seasons Maldives resorts to check out their family-friendly activities, and the other temptations if you love marine life like my budding miniature marine biologist.
And if you worry you’ll be the odd ones out among the sea of honeymooners enjoying candlelit dinners, forget that too. Children aren’t just tolerated, they’re welcomed, with special activities and endless smiles making Kuda Huraa with kids a perfect choice.
Check out my tips for visiting the Maldives with kids before you travel
Four Seasons Maldives Kuda Huraa: the essentials
The resort island is in the North Male Atoll, around a 20-minute speedboat ride from the main Velana international airport at Male – stepping out into the tropical sunshine, with the boats bobbing on the bright aqua waves beats the usual taxi rank or bus hands down.
We’d already been met and escorted into an air-conditioned lounge from our long-haul flight (we flew with Qatar Airways, although during the winter months you can go direct with BA), all the tension of the plane journey melting away.
On every journey we took to and from the Four Seasons Maldives resorts, there was at least one other family travelling – including a baby on one occasion – so we were far from unique.
A life-vest, chilled water and the first of many many cool towels were also provided before being greeted by waving staff and the sound of drums.
The island is designed like a Maldivian village, with 98 rooms including new two-bedroom beach pavilions with pool and 10 deluxe beach pavilions with pool (some opening in December 2019) plus overwater villas.
Kuda Huraa has one of the largest freshwater pools in the Maldives along with a kids’ splash pool (as well as a separate adults-only pool), kids club and spa, including treatments for children.
Normally set on its own island a short boat ride from the main island, the spa had relocated to a couple of villas during renovations, feeling very secluded and private among the gardens.
There are also four restaurants – Indian cuisine at Baraabaru, Italian at the Reef Club including some great pizza, Cafe Huraa (for the breakfast buffet as well as great fish and seafood) plus Kandu Grill (also with some fantastic fresh fish).
The resort is also home to a marine discovery centre, with programmes including turtle rehabilitation, plus a string of activities such as watersports, snorkelling and diving – more on all those below!
Four Seasons Maldives Kuda Huraa with kids
The villas
There’s nothing quite like staying in an overwater villa and ours at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa was wonderful. They’re impressively spacious and unlike some resorts, you can stay in them with children – doors out are lockable, although the current is stronger here, so it would be less relaxing if you have excited toddlers.
Ours had two twin beds pushed together, including bed linen decorated with sea creatures for my daughter, one of several little touches I loved.
High ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows gave it a cool airy feel, with splashes of colour everywhere.
There’s separate storage space too, with plenty of room for our suitcases and to unpack, plus chairs, a desk and a cushioned section looking out onto our private pool – you could open the sliding glass doors to go straight out into the water if you wanted.
Outside there was also a big deck with two net areas to relax above the waves, a couple of different loungers and cushioned chairs plus a table to chill out at.
Down the ladder lies the Indian Ocean itself, and while you’re advised to wear a life jacket if you do swim here, my seven-year-old and I had no problem reaching the nearby sandbank while wearing them as well as spotting rays circling in the water near our villa.
You can head straight from the deck into the shower as well, which was another clever touch – toiletries are provided in refillable decorative bottles, along with extra travel size bottle of toiletries for kids.
Add in a bathtub, two sinks and lots of counter space (hurrah!) plus those life jackets tucked away under the basins and there was everything you needed.
Plus a few things you could live without but were a wonderful finishing touch: bathrobes in both adult and child sizes, flipflop slippers, and for me, a copy of Ibn Battuta’s travels in the Indian Ocean – known as one of the first travel writers, that’s one the best (and most unusual) reads I’ve come across in a hotel.
Walking along the wooden jetty back towards the island, there are coral frames – part of the Reefscapers coral planting initiative to combat bleaching in the area – with fish darting around.
The water is so incredibly clear that you can just stand and gaze down every time you head out: before breakfast on the first day, we’d spotted our first ray!
Head out in the other direction, towards the end of the jetty and another smaller island used sometimes for events, and you’ll spot fruitbats and even baby sharks in the shallow waters.
Shark attacks, incidentally, are non-existent in the Maldives – the ones you’ll see are smaller reef sharks and lemon sharks.
Having taken a peek inside some of the other villas, the layouts are slightly different – you’ll find two-bedroom options for example, ideal if you have teens who want their own space or younger kids who need an earlier bedtime – but similar style, luxury and personalised touches.
The activities
If you wanted, you could pack every day full and never run out of ideas of things to do – you can even arrange a free photoshoot as part of your stay, to guarantee capturing some family holiday memories.
Tempting though it is to try a bit of everything, do save some time to lounge around the fabulous pool and hit the beach as well.
Test out watersports
There’s a huge range of watersports alone: the lagoon is a perfect place to try stand up paddleboarding or learn to surf (for kids as well).
If you’re already a keen surfer, there are various breaks around the islands with boat trips out to discover them.
You can also learn to dive here – kids aged 10 and above can try some dive experiences, and there are bubblemaker sessions for those aged 8+ as well as snorkelling for any age.
Go snorkelling
The house reef is a few minutes away by boat but if your kids are new to snorkelling or you want a short peek under the waves, there’s a snorkelling trail straight off the beach.
If you don’t have your own gear, you can borrow it from the Water Sports Centre as well as signing up for one-hour introductory snorkelling sessions.
Having introduced my daughter to the delights of snorkelling in Aruba, we strolled off the sand to see what we could find: the clownfish we were told to look out for were evidently hiding from us, but we did spot fish galore weaving through the waves around the coral frames.
Striped and silvered, solo and in shoals, flashes of iridescent blue and yellow, even a clown triggerfish with its brightly coloured pout swam around as we floated almost motionless above.
Shallow and warm, it’s also ideal for younger kids still learning to snorkel or those who aren’t the strongest swimmers.
Take a spinner dolphin cruise
If your kids are old enough, do take at least one trip out to sea as well – we headed off on a snorkelling safari at sister resort Landaa Giraavaru, but also signed up for a spinner dolphin cruise.
Starting at the Marine Discovery Centre, not far from the lobby, all the trips begin with some background from one of the marine biologists based at the resort – the perfect way to learn a little more before you set off, and ideal for curious kids to be able to ask questions.
Heading out to sea in a traditional dhow, we spotted a huge pod of the dolphins, watching them twist in astonishingly acrobatic shapes through the air – partly as a way to communicate, partly to remove parasites and partly for the sheer fun of it.
I’m convinced my daughter is something of a dolphin whisperer as we’ve seen them on every dolphin-spotting boat trip we’ve taken… but this was extra special, watching them frolic in the waves before heading back as the sun set.
Just in time, incidentally, for the resort crab races – you’ll spot the little hermit crabs everywhere, and it’s a firm favourite with kids to pick a number, watch the crabs released and cheer on their scuttling champion to cross the line first (with a prize for the winner).
Explore the Marine Discovery Centre
The Marine Discovery Centre itself is well worth a visit even if you don’t take a trip. Partly a turtle rescue and rehabilitation centre, you can spy tiny baby turtles recovering from infections before they’re released into the sea and huger adults who are often recovering from injuries – particularly from ghost nets, abandoned fishing equipment.
As many as possible are released back into the wild once they’ve recovered, although as many have multiple flippers amputated as a result of their injuries, they often find new homes in an aquarium if they can no longer dive for their own food.
There’s nothing quite like seeing the impact humans have to remind us all – and educate children – on protecting wildlife.
There are regular turtle feeding and information sessions, although watching the inquisitive turtles swim over to check her out was enough to delight my daughter.
With child-friendly corners and plenty of chances to get hands on, the centre has some great opportunities for all guests to learn more as well.
Sessions at the kids club
The kids club staff also take children to the Marine Discovery Centre several times a week as one of their sessions, plus the turtles inspire some of the crafts: kids can even help with the coral frame projects.
But there are also games, arts and crafts, even pizza making on the list plus a lovely bright cool room near the pool and Cafe Huraa for kids to hang out.
The sessions are included in your stay and even during the UK October half-term, it was easy just to stroll up with my daughter to see what she wanted to try, rather than any complicated advance booking.
The spa
And if you need to recover after all those activities? Where better than the spa…
A lot of the treatments are inspired by the ocean and use marine ingredients, including the signature healing waters massage.
With a water-filled mattress on the massage couch, you feel almost rocked to relaxation – after having a pampering foot rub and choosing your oil blend.
In the couples treatment room, my daughter also got to try her own first massage – rebranded for kids as a wobble wobble treatment, her therapist used coconut oil.
And if my seven-year-old doesn’t have the kind of aches and tired muscles that I do, she loved feeling grown up as she lay next to me.
The pool
The shallow shelving entrance to the pool is perfect with kids – there’s space for little ones to splash, or once they can swim, you can relax on a lounger while they play without getting out of their depth.
And if you want to get a few lengths in, the infinity edge feels like you’re swimming towards the horizon… or perhaps to the swim up bar instead.
With loungers and covered beds, this was – inevitably – one of my daughter’s favourite spots. Warmer than our private pool, no day was complete without a visit here.
The food
For a tiny island, we ate better than I’ve done in many cities. Not just the wonderful fish and seafood – although ceviche overlooking the waves is always wonderful.
At Baraabaru, I was reminded of my stay in Kerala, not a million miles away with Indian inspired dishes eaten by the light of torches. In the sea below, sharks cruised beneath the jetty, swimming from one pool of light to another.
At Kandu Grill, meltingly fresh tuna was the perfect start, followed by a choice of the catch of the day and some astonishing giant prawns.
Add in fritto misto, pasta, risotto and wood-fired pizzas at Reef Club, and there’s something to tempt everyone… including my often picky daughter.
The same goes for breakfast at Cafe Huraa, where freshly cooked pancakes and waffles sat alongside a changing choice of freshly cooked Asian dishes like noodles and Pho, as well as fruit, pastries, Maldivian curries and breads, eggs and sausages, smoked salmon and sashimi, fresh juice and more.
Stays aren’t all-inclusive and the secluded island price factor does mean that it’s worth keeping an eye out for offers, such as kids eat free or discounts to offset the total. You can’t bring your own alcohol in to the Maldives (check out some of my other tips here) so that’s something else to bear in mind.
Four Seasons Kuda Huraa with kids: the verdict
A trip to the Maldives with kids is never a bargain beach break – but for an unforgettable luxury experience, the islands are simply heavenly.
And if you’re worried that your family is going to be tripping over honeymooners at every turn, the Four Seasons Maldives resorts are ideal – I wished I could have spent twice as long relaxing and trying out the activities, not to mention spotting all the fabulous marine life.
We both loved the marine conservation work that the resort does to safeguard it too – not just the turtle rehabilitation and coral planting, but other programmes and research from the marine biologists.
Easier to reach than some other resorts which need seaplane trips, it’s another bonus if you’re visiting the Maldives with younger kids. But one thing I remember most is the atmosphere: warm, friendly and laid-back, you feel instantly welcome.
Almost as if you’re coming home… if home happened to be in one of the most beautiful places on earth!
PIN FOR LATER: KUDA HURAA WITH KIDS
Disclosure: My trip was courtesy of Four Seasons resorts for the purposes of review – all opinions about staying at Kuda Huraa with kids, including my astonishment at the shapes spinner dolphins throw, are my own.
Images and video copyright MummyTravels
LIKED THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER