Kandima Maldives has been named Winner of the Family Activities & Entertainment category at the Family Traveller Awards 2026, hosted by Family Traveller, the UK’s leading family travel brand, at a ceremony held at riverside venue The Swan on London’s South Bank on Friday 11 September.
The awards drew hundreds of entries across 19 categories spanning hotels and villas, tour operators, cruise lines, destinations and the wider travel industry. An independent panel of family travel journalists shortlisted finalists in each category, before thousands of public votes produced the winners.
The win is a recognition to Kandima’s efforts in opening the Maldives to groups and families, with island infrastructure purpose-built to welcome multigenerational families, accessible room rates to suite different budgets, and a full-year events calendar that offers groups real reasons to travel together for shared adventures and memories of a lifetime.
The resort has long positioned itself against the Maldives’ traditional honeymoon-only narrative, championing the destination as a haven for every age group. Newer launches this year, including Kandima Running Club and Fresh Labs’ foraging and farm tours, turn everyday movement and island agriculture into social activities that parents and children can undertake together.
Major attractions that opened doors in recent years, from Fast Track, the Maldives’ longest and fastest asphalt go-karting circuit, to PlaySpace, a groundbreaking entertainment hub bringing together family gaming, thematic escape room adventures and VR experiences for older children and grown-ups,also shaped Kandima into a destination that grows alongside its guests, across life stages and generations, and evolving traveller preference for more active escapes.
“Winning this award means a great deal. We would like to thank all guests and partners who have voted for us and have experienced Kandima over the years. We’ve always believed a great family holiday is about balance – with the freedom to come together as a group and just as easily find a moment of your own. It’s a philosophy we will continue to stand by, with more in the making.” said Dermot Birchall, General Manager of Kandima Maldives.
Looking on, plans are in place to develop an Adventure Park with new outdoor experience zones to bridge the gap between children’s play and adult recreation, with a programme of challenge-based and active pursuits for collective discovery and team building.