Cora Cora Maldives

Cora Cora Maldives is located on Raa Maamigili island in Raa Atoll, a short seaplane flight from Male will see you arrive at this small but beautiful island. A selection of beach front and over water villas mean that wherever you stay, you’ll have direct access to the crystal clear waters that entice you to explore. Once you touchdown at Cora Cora you’ll understand exactly why their motto of ‘It’s Freedom Time’ is just perfect for this fun and contemporary resort. Of course the island is naturally beautiful, this is the Maldives after all, and of course the surrounding waters are turquoise and the palm fringed beaches are brilliantly white, but here at Cora Cora Maldives there is so much more going on than that.

Cora Cora Maldives has something that no other resort in the Maldives has; they have a museum on site that draws attention to the history of Raa Maamigili and the Maldives in general. This history is something that many people are unaware of and we found fascinating. Being able to spend time in the excellently curated exhibition was thought provoking and a real bonus, as was seeing the island water wells which had been excavated, the reconstructed traditional house and the other historic ruins which have been preserved.

The Vegan Food

With all guests on the same ‘Premium All Inclusive’ package at Cora Cora Maldives, there is no confusion about what’s included or where you can eat. There’s also no confusion about what you can eat as a vegan guest as the ‘Moksha Cuisine’ dishes are clearly marked on every menu. There are other vegan and plant based dishes throughout the multiple menus, and the breakfast buffet items are labelled with a small vegan icon. In addition, the kitchen team at Cora Cora are more than happy to create and innovate using the ingredients they have available, meaning exciting ‘off menu’ dishes are available too.

Breakfast was served at Tazäar, relaxing next to the ocean whilst perusing the buffet and a la carte menus (which both featured vegan options). There were delicious masala dosa and idly with spicy sambar and coconut chutney, platters with salad, babaganoush, Violife vegan cheese and vegan prawns and delectable bowls of bean laden, piping hot ‘foul medames’. Not to mention indulgent ‘chola bhatura’ where pillowy deep fried Indian bread was served with a spicy chickpea curry (we did say it was indulgent). On top of this there was coconut chia pudding, a whole area for vegan cakes, breads, fruits, salads and juices; we can guarantee that vegans won’t go hungry at Cora Cora.

We loved hanging out at My Coffee which acts as a central hub at Cora Cora, being open all day for light bights, cakes, coffees and drinks. It’s also where you can enjoy the resident DJ every night as the wine and cocktails flow. We enjoyed our daily wellness shots, vegan cheese and tomato toasties, delectable vegan cakes and free flowing coffee, our favourite being oat milk or almond cappuccinos. Not to forget the vegan ice creams and sorbets. Pumpkin ice cream? Coconut ice cream? Banana ice cream? Mango sorbet? These are the things our vegan dreams are made of, meaning that My Coffee was one of our favourite spots on the island.

Dining at ‘Aquapazza’ gave us the chance to eat Italian inspired food. From the ‘Moksha Cuisine’ selection we ate healthy bruschetta of tomato and avocado on pumpernickel and a fresh and nutritious green salad with asparagus, artichoke and avocado. Chef was happy to make an off menu mushroom, asparagus and truffle risotto; perfectly cooked and completely delicious. No Italian meal would be complete without pasta and pizza; our spaghetti arabiata and spaghetti alio oglio were excellent and the pizza came laden with gooey vegan cheese which made it even more perfect. Finally, our Italian dining experience ended with sweet and creamy vegan coconut panna cotta and a trio of the excellent vegan ice creams. It was all just perfect.

At Teien, we found vegan nigiri topped with buttery avocado, fresh maki rolls stuffed with daikon, enoki tempura and shredded cucumber and a vegan kushiyaki platter where a rainbow of different veggies had been grilled on tiny skewers. The chef also made a protein rich vegan beef teriyaki, a tasty off menu request that was rich with sweet soy teriyaki sauce. For desert we delved into little, eggless ‘Vegan Purin’ puddings, drenched in sweet maple syrup. Like sweet little clouds of deliciousness.

The food at Ginger Moon, the pan-Asian restaurant at Cora Cora, was quite possibly the food highlight of our stay. We enjoyed a cooking demo and lunch with the lovely Chef Euis, who showed us her expert skills in the kitchen, and we returned for dinner not wanting to miss out on more southeast Asian delights. Dishes that we enjoyed included a fresh and fragrant green papaya salad, a rich and delicious vegan red curry with tofu, lightly fried rice noodles with tofu, and a grilled eggplant with tomato, onion and lime juice that was quite simply packed with flavour. Do not miss out on Ginger Moon when you stay at Cora Cora, where the all female team will welcome you with their infectious smiles, and serve you with plant based culinary creations that will make you want to come back for more.

The Vegan Essentials

Non feather pillows and duvet were available at Cora Cora, an easy vegan win. We loved the vegan welcome amenities in the branded and layered box, and the water was in refillable glass bottles. Our bathroom amenities were not tested on animals and came in refillable dispensers, this along with bamboo toothbrushes and a bamboo razor certainly reduce the reliance on single use plastic. This all gets a big thumbs up from us.

We headed to MOKSHA Spa for a massage treatment in one of their delightful overwater spa rooms, complete with a glass floor below the massage bed. Yes, you can watch the fish going about their daily routine whilst you are being pampered by one of the excellent spa team! We loved the daily yoga classes are in the open air sala at the end of the spa jetty, an absolutely dreamy location. The fitness centre was fully equipped with modern equipment and the pool was the perfect length for an aquatic workout pre-breakfast. They’ve certainly got your wellness and wellbeing at the fore when you are guests at Cora Cora.

The Vegan Food Quest Verdict

Check in to Cora Cora Maldives to see a team who are championing vegan cuisine as part of their Moksha concept. The future of travel includes embracing veganism, and we were impressed to see how this has been a central feature at Cora Cora from the start. We loved our stay on this beautiful little island, not just for the vegan food but for the whole experience there. This small island has a huge heart and a team that welcomes you as part of their extended family making for a very enjoyable and very vegan friendly stay.

We were guests of Cora Cora Maldives but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.

Cora Cora Maldives
Raa Atoll
Maldives

Telephone: +960 658-4888
Email: info@coracoraresorts.com
Cost From: £575 / $700 (July 2022)