Kaafu (Malé) Atoll · Makunufushi
Cocoa Island photographer.
2 shoots on the island, every frame made there. Golden hour, unhurried, gallery in 48 hours.
- Atoll
- Kaafu (Malé) Atoll
- Island
- Makunufushi
- Villas
- 33
- Travel fee
- US$580 · speedboat
- Sessions from
- US$320
Cocoa Island sits on the island of Makunufushi in Kaafu (Malé) Atoll. It is a small island of 33 villas, which means empty beaches at sunset and no queue for the jetty. I have been photographing on Maldivian resort islands since 2013, and every session here runs the same way: I arrive on the resort's own transfer, meet you at your villa or the jetty, and we walk into the light.
The 2 shoots below were photographed at Cocoa Island; the most recent in April 2019. Every frame is from the island itself — no stock, no other resort standing in.
The travel fee to Cocoa Island is US$580 by speedboat, always quoted on its own line, so the package price is the package price.
Shoots at Cocoa Island.
The light at Cocoa Island.
At Cocoa Island we start about an hour and a quarter before sunset on the beach that faces the open sea, move through the shallows as the light turns gold, and finish on the pool deck after the sun has gone. Central atoll islands have the classic Maldivian sunset — long, gold, and over the water. Sunrise sessions are quieter still, and the water is at its clearest.
Sessions I photograph at Cocoa Island
Questions about Cocoa Island.
How much does a photographer cost at Cocoa Island?
Portrait sessions start at US$320 (Tropical Memories, 20–40 minutes) and run to US$4,250 for a full day with drone and a sunset cruise. The travel fee to Cocoa Island is US$580, which covers the speedboat transfer from Malé. Weddings are quoted on the ceremony.
Can I book an outside photographer at Cocoa Island?
Most Maldivian resorts welcome a photographer booked directly by a guest; a few have an exclusive in-house studio. I confirm Cocoa Island's current policy with the resort before you pay anything — usually within six hours of your enquiry — and if the island is exclusive I will say so plainly.
What is the best time of day for photographs at Cocoa Island?
The last seventy-five minutes before sunset, then the blue hour. Sunrise is the alternative if you want the beach to yourselves and the flattest water. Midday is for the drone, not for portraits.
How do you get to Cocoa Island?
Cocoa Island is reached from Velana International Airport by resort transfer; I travel the same way, on the day. I book the same transfer through the resort and arrive on the day of the session.
When will we receive the photographs?
A sneak peek within 24 hours and the full edited gallery within 48 — often before you leave Cocoa Island. Every image is delivered in full resolution with a personal licence to print and share.
Which season is best at Cocoa Island?
Kaafu Atoll has two monsoons: Iruvai (late November to early April) is the dry season with clear skies and still lagoons; Hulhangu (April to November) brings dramatic clouds, short showers and the best sunsets. The shoots on this page were made in Reyva, Furabadhuruva.
Check your date at Cocoa Island