Forget Your Watches at Blissful COMO Cocoa Maldives

“What keeps my heart awake is colourful silence” — Claude Monet, French artist.

Once upon a time, a dhoni boat moored near a desert island in the Indian Ocean and revealed COMO Cocoa.

There are places where it’s as if you’re transported to the first day of creation — all endless Azure waters and silence. Here, wandering under the palm trees, hearing their branches whisper like the quiet rumble of seashells, the place forever settles in the memory, and the traveller leaves a piece of their soul.

From its very first mention, the editors of iPREMIUM were drawn to this island, where palm trees tenderly rustle their leaves and waves crash loudly against the coral reefs, where life seems easy and carefree on the shores of a dazzlingly bright lagoon.

Having visited COMO Cocoa Island in the Maldives, we are convinced that this is the perfect place for dreamers, romantics, and zen seekers alike.

The creators of COMO Cocoa have managed to combine two seemingly incompatible concepts: proximity to pristine nature and exquisite luxury. 33 water villas, built in the shape of traditional Maldivian dhoni boats, seem to float on the blue lagoon. The elegant design of the villas is the creation of famous Singapore architect, Jow Kuan Chong. High ceilings, two-level space, panoramic windows, huge living rooms flowing into spacious terraces — all of this creates a feeling of fresh air and vastness. A spacious bathroom, an additional outdoor shower, and a large bath with sea salt for spa treatments in the comfort of your room provides all you need to relax and enjoy the best days of your life. A yoga mat, available in each room, is another pleasant feature, and you can also visit the yoga pavilion and meditate to the soothing sounds of nature.

From furniture made from natural materials, to the use of green energy, to spa cosmetics made from hand-picked natural ingredients, sustainability is not just a word here. Housing more than 10 species of turtles and metre-long but harmless reef sharks, as well as colourful snappers and more, COMO Cocoa boasts its own magnificent reef, along with several snorkelling areas you can explore on your own or in the company of an experienced biologist.

The morning here begins with meditation at dawn on a 2-kilometre-long sandbank, immersed in the ocean, and continues with an à la carte breakfast — objectively one of the best in the Maldives. The Chef’s signature “wellness” dishes include homemade muesli with coconut yoghurt, avocado toast, dried tomatoes and lime, and a classic Benedict to name but a few.

Sunset here is enchanting both from the terrace of your own water villa and from the pool of the Ufaa restaurant, which serves the chef’s unique interpretations of familiar European dishes — like the Maldives’ finest Caesar salad — as well as Indian and Thai cuisine. The menu here follows a natural cycle, with the menu changing depending on the season and the catch.

Yet another unforgettable experience awaits at COMO Shambhala Spa. Make sure to try the signature handmade oil massages, ocean algae wraps and facials with Sundari premium Ayurvedic cosmetics. There’s no better way to finish your relaxation than to settle in the bamboo pavilion in a thermal hot tub, watching the rays of the velvety Maldivian sun fall on the treetops.

If you’re after a romantic dinner on the sand, illuminated only by candlelight and a sky completely strewn with stars, free from prying eyes and even footprints in the sand — you’re in the right place. This is an exclusive luxury only a select few islands in the Maldives can afford: the smallest and least crowded, like COMO Cocoa Island.