What were the highlights of your visit?
Almost instant de compression
There is no doubt the Maldives is a magical place to visit and should be on everyone’s bucket list. Cocoa Island was easily reached once arriving at Male Airport by boat (a 45 minute ride) and I felt we had absolutely made the right decision to come here first.
It is a tiny island and was the perfect place to de compress for me after a stressful couple of years throughout the pandemic. The lack of stimulation allowed me to drop everything (worries, phone, responsibilities) and just be. To stare into the surroundings and feel my body and mind unwind. Even though all of the rooms were occupied it felt like during the day we were on our own private island until dinner when we saw the other guests.
The hydrotherapy Pool
Most people underestimate the healing power of water and in my mind there is nothing better than a really good hydrotherapy pool to help you unwind. The one at Cocoa Island has some great powerful jets for the shoulder and neck tension and I would visit at the end of the day (it’s open until 9.30pm). It also is very beautiful.
Wellness
The Como Shambhala brand has been iconic for many years in terms of wellness and each Como resort has different immersions of it.
At Cocoa Island the team at the spa have the usual very high standard of experienced, skilled and kind therapists you would expect. The treatment list includes a range of holistic therapies ranging from the wonderful Como Shambhala massage, (which uses their signature oil blend and techniques and is perfect after a long flight) to reflexology, skin detoxifying treatments and holistic facials. I would say the emphasis here is on quality over quantity to be sure with supreme attention to detail. During my stay I went for the Como Shambhala Massages which were exactly what I needed plus a stretching therapy session by one of the wellness specialists which helped unwind my tight body.
An element of the Como Shambhala philosophy is that of pilates and core strengthening and you will find pilates reformer machines at many of their resorts. It felt surreal to see the pilates reformer studio on this little island retreat but it is in fact the perfect place to work on your core under experienced supervision if you can summon up the energy.
Activities
There are complimentary yoga classes ranging from power yoga to more gentle flow classes and I also saw on the schedule a fitness class at the sandbank (which I didn’t get up early enough to attend) but on meeting the fitness specialist I bet it was a lot of fun.
Everyone who stays at the resort are encouraged to go to the watersports centre to get their flippers and mask as the island sits adjacent to the most spectacular reef that is easily reached from your own water villa. This provided for me a most meditative and wonderful activity as I lost myself in the beauty of the sea life.
If you are a diver then a dive is a must. After a long gap of several years since my last dive, the instructors gave us an effective refresher course building my confidence so I could explore the magnificent sea life at lower depths.
Food
The COMO brand has wellness as one of its key pillars and food is a big part of this. The regular menu is healthy using whole fresh foods, herbs and spices but if you want to take this to another level there is a specific Como Shambhala menu that has been constructed specifically to combine raw and cooked ingredients to help boost energy, balance blood sugar levels and satisfy cravings. There are very tasty options available for breakfast, lunch and dinner and you can eat extremely healthy dishes without sacrifice. There is also a specific juice menu which provided me with the most delicious and nutritious lunch on the days that I didn’t have the appetite for a full meal.
Why Wellbeing Escapes?
