Exploring the new Maldives resort celebrating national heritage
Travellers don’t usually pick the Maldives for a cultural break, but agents selling Cora Cora can certainly capitalise on its homage to heritage and unique selling point – a museum that’s only the second of its kind in the country
“Now you’ve shown me that, I’m going to have to take it from you,” my guide Wifag said, extending his open palm with a guilt-ridden smile. Reluctantly, I handed over the thumb-sized shard of blue-and-white porcelain I’d pulled from the sugary Maldivian sand earlier that morning.
I’d gleefully presented my find during a tour of Cora Cora Maldives’ Museum of Island Heritage after learning pieces of Chinese porcelain dating back to the Kangxi period (1662-1722) often wash up on the shores of Maamigili, as the island was commonly known before its days as a luxury resort.
My piece of porcelain now sits among the ancient artefacts on display in the museum, which I’m told is only the second in the Maldives – the first being the National Museum in the capital, Male.
Cora Cora’s museum houses more than 60 historical items excavated from Maamigili since resort development began in 2011, including Chinese porcelain bowls from the 15th century, ancient oil lamps thought to have travelled from India, a Sri Lankan drinking jar dating back to the Polonnaruwa era (1065-1120), Dutch “onion” bottles used for wine and cider in the 1600s, and copper jugs Maldivians once used for washing.
As well as items recovered from Maamigili itself, the museum curators have collected more than 400 relics from other islands in the Maldivian archipelago: a popular stop-off point for traders on the historic Spice Route.
ISLAND FINDINGS
The precious collections are all housed in the indoor museum behind Cora Cora’s reception area, but in the centre of the island there’s an outdoor museum complex too.
Once I was able to tear my attention away from Wifag’s moggy, named Orange, sitting under the Banyan tree – a cat? On a tiny Maldivian island? How? When? Why? – I was further astounded to see two bathing tanks used by Maamigili’s original inhabitants that have remained largely intact for 900 years.
Behind the tanks lie the remains of a mosque compound thought to be one of the oldest types of its kind in the Maldives, and a 130-year-old traditional house that allows guests to see what living as a local would have looked like in years past. It’s incredible to think such preservation has occurred on this small island over so many decades – and even more incredible that Cora Cora is fully embracing and celebrating the island’s history and heritage. For many resorts in the destination, claims to fame can often be more about whether you have a spa/ restaurant/nightclub under water.
Must-do excursion
Cora Cora Maldives guests interested in history and culture can book the Tsunami Ghost Island excursion for £68pp. The 2.5-hour trip sails visitors to Kandholhudoo, a one-square-kilometre landmass that was once home to 3,500 Maldivians before being left devastated and uninhabited by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami.
On my visit I heard how the majority of buildings were gutted by the wave while residents took shelter in the school and the mosque – the highest points on the island, which still stand today. My guide Abdullah, who was 13 years old and living on Kandholhudoo in 2004, took me to the rubble-ridden rooms that once made up his home and I couldn’t help but notice a small moss-covered teddy bear poking out from behind the leaves and broken glass on the floor of what was his living room.
Asked how he feels returning to the island he explained it’s emotional, but “important for tourists to come and see and understand what Mother Nature can do”. It is striking for sure; I learn there were no trees on Kandholhudoo pre-tsunami – it was a concrete jungle – but that’s almost impossible to imagine now branches snake up the staircases of the school and vines smother the sides of the abandoned houses. Nature has truly reclaimed this island, one from which all but two residents (those who sadly lost their lives) have long been relocated.
But while this cultural goldmine is surely a unique selling point for Cora Cora, which opened its doors to guests for the first time in October, director of sales and marketing Vishen Mootoo isn’t keen on advertising the resort solely on its cultural appeal; because “people don’t come to the Maldives for the culture”.
He’s right, they don’t. They come for the sun, the sea, the sand, the food and the drink, which is why Cora Cora’s “premium all-inclusive” plan will appeal to many Maldives-bound customers.
Five restaurants and bars plate up everything from sushi, west Asian curries and east Asian street eats to fine Italian fare and wellness-focused snacks. I found the breakfast spread in Tazaa, the resort’s all-day dining restaurant, to be one of the most diverse I’ve seen and that the mixologists can cater to almost any request; even mine for my favourite cocktail – a caipirinha.
Personally, I like to have an adventure-packed itinerary on my holidays – not always a preference agents might pair with the Maldives – but at Cora Cora it’s hard to imagine getting bored. I barely made a dent in the activities on offer with swimming, snorkelling, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, spa treatments, a yoga class, candle making, shopping in the island boutique, watching a movie under the stars, a sunset cruise and a poignant excursion to the neighbouring Tsunami Ghost Island (see box). In fact, I’m tempted to return sooner rather than later to try my hand at painting with a local Maldivian artist and learn to scuba dive at one of the few five-star Padi diving centres in the archipelago.
So while the Museum of Island Heritage – and the opportunity to contribute to vital historical collections with what you may find on the beach! – might make Cora Cora Maldives stand out from the crowd, it’s certainly not the only selling point worth noting for this new resort.
Watch this video to find out more:
HOW TO BOOK IT
Prices for a stay at Cora Cora Maldives cost from £600 per night, based on two people sharing a Beach Villa on the premium all-inclusive plan, which includes all meals and some activities.
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