After all the research we’ve done and in regards to our previous two visits we can say that the best time to visit the Maldives is from December to April. But as usual whilst the weather is perfect during this time, it’s also the busiest season to visit so expect crowds and higher prices all round. Despite the Covid-19 situation the tourist has begun to return to Maldives and also some new markets opened while other countries were in lock down. The current nation with most visits to Maldives is Russia.

May to October is considered the rainy season but with this comes more affordable accommodation options. We opted for July since we have to use our plane tickets which was primary meant for the Philippines but sadly, they are still closed for foreign tourists.

In just over 3 weeks of our traveling around the Maldives we’ve visited 4 local islands.

• Make sure you have a booking reservation before you arrive in Maldives. Visa on Arrival is subject to having a reservation for the entire length of stay and return ticket.
• Dress a little modestly when moving through the village and always swim at the designated bikini beach
• There are no ATMs on the islands – take cash, which you can withdraw in the local currency at the airport upon your arrival in Maldives or you can use widely accepted USD

Dhangheti

Located is in the heart of South Ari Atoll, Dhangethi is home to mesmerizing mantas and gentle whale sharks. Dhangethi is an island part of the Alif Dhaal (aka Southern Ari) Atoll some 90 kilometres from Male. It is about 350 meters wide and just under 1 km long. It’s the atoll capital and home up to some 1,000 +/- inhabitants. Dhangethi itself, is very quiet and beautiful, and the people are very friendly. The village is so quiet and nice and you will need a short time to explore the whole island.

Getting there: Transfers

As per most of the Maldives’s islands there are three options to reach the island: speed boat, ferry and by air. The staff will wait in the harbour of Dhangethi island to receive you, where the speedboat arrives.

The local slow ferry runs between Malé and Dhangethi Island (via Mahibadhoo) most days (except Friday). The trip is a 6 hours/per way costs around 5$. Direct speedboat comes 30 minutes before the departure time. The final time of departure is decided on the day itself. The tentative given time is between 15:00 and 16:00. Check on the day itself by calling what time they are departing and come 30 minutes before departure. The journey time is 1 hour 45 minutes and it costs 45$/person one way. 

 Things to Do

 Swim with Whale shark that’s why so many people come to this part of Ari Atoll.  Whale sharks are normally spotted all year. The best spot to see them is the reefs near Maamigili Island within 15 minutes speed boat ride from here. They are known as the biggest fish species and they can grow up to 10 m in length (in Maldives the average size is 6-8 m).

Whale sharks are rather slow-moving creatures and are curious, but obedient. Whale sharks will eagerly come close to snorkelers, divers, and boats and will often stay close as long as they don’t feel in danger. Just please don’t swim too close to them or even touch them. Remember that we are only here to observe and admire them in their own habitat. We can highly recommend Island Scuba Maldives that took us to this trip which turned out to be absolutely stunning. We’ve seen mantas, turtles and the Holy Grail itself – Whale Shark.

They are also offering newly opened rooms for rent. So, STAY at Island Scuba Maldives😊

Besides the obvious reason, you can also enjoy turtle snorkeling, night fishing with BBQ, dolphin watch trips, sunset cruise, island hopping and excursions to the nearby reefs.

Where to stay?

Our pick was Perla Dhagethi. The rooms are basic but nice and cleaned daily. We loved that this place also has a pool which is not common feature on local islands and free use of bicycles should you want to explore the island a bit. They also offer beach towels and you can replace them with fresh ones anytime you need to. The staff are friendly and really helpful, if you need anything, there is always someone in the reception area to help you.

Where to eat

 Dhangethi guest houses are offering included breakfasts in their rates: fresh fruits, local tuna dish (maldivin local breakfast), continetal toast and jam, pancakes and omelet made for you.

In-house restaurants are also serving a spectre of Maldivian, Asian and Westeren food.

But if you decide to eat outside, here are some places worth checking out. The Blue Moon Café has basic Maldivian dishes, tuna sandwiches, fried rice/noodles served with a fried egg on top. Fresh juices are also good. Excellent location on the seaside with limited shade if you are sitting outside.

The other place where we had our dinners was Monalaz café. Also great location on the beach and some of the best  kothu roshi we had here while on Maldives.

The Beach

 The island has a small fenced off area for the bikini beach. Only 5 minutes’ walk from the place we’ve stayed is a tourist beach with beautiful white sand. The beach is cleaned daily and, on our visit, there were only a few tourists there so plenty of space for kids playing on the beach and us beach bumming.

From the beach you can easily snorkel to a house reef, where you can spot a lot of colourful fish and other sea creatures but you have to be careful during the high tide since currents can be very strong.

There is also a wooden sign of Dhagheti Island just on the right of the beach – on a public part of it – so no bikinis there, where you can take that ohh-so-nice insta photo.

Dhigurah

Dhigurah Island is often regarded as one the most beautiful island in Maldives by both locals and tourists. On the southern tip of the island is a beautiful and picturesque sandbank. A small lagoon separates Dhigurah Island Maldives and neighbouring five-star resort. But please DON’T try to swim across, since the currents are really strong.

There is a school, hospital, small local style cafés (apart from hotel restaurants) and two shops where you can get some refreshments and ice cream. But you won’t be allowed to enter the store as a tourist as the writing on the door will tell you. No can local people that work in guesthouses around the island. Dhigurah people are very serious about current covid situation and it’s working since they have slim do none cases on the island. So, you will have to wear mask and then order what you need to salesman who will bring you the goods outside where you then pay for it. As the matter of fact on Dhigurah they are strictly enforcing mask on the streets too. In general, this island is slightly more expensive for budget travellers compared to other local islands in Maldives, due to it being located slightly further away from the capital city of Malé (about 2,5 hours with speedboat). It is located on the Southern part of the Ari Atoll which features an interesting reef and a great bikini beach. Ari Atoll is one of the best places in the world to see whale sharks

It is no more than about 2 ½ kilometres long and only 250 metres wide. About 600+ people live in the populated north of the island and more than half of Dhigurah is made of pristine and unspoild tropical vegetation and sandy beaches.

We loved Dhigurah island! It’s the synonym of simple island life with gorgeous sunsets and secluded beaches.

Getting there: Transfers 

 The island is one of the last in South Ari Atoll, situated 96km south-west of Velana International Airport. If you’re wondering how to get to Dhigurah Island, travelers have a choice of either a speedboat transfer, or a short domestic flight journey. You can reach Dhigurah in about 20 minutes flight. The closest domestic airport to Dhigurah is located at the neighbouring island, Maamingili.

In about 1:30hr/ 2 hours by speed boat from Male which costs about 55$/person one way.

Or by atoll ferry which goes to the island only 2 times per week and the price ins’t too different and would take about 6 hours.

We came here from neighbouring Dangheti in about 10 minutes.

 Things To Do

As with all local islands in the Maldives, the main attractions is beyond the seashore.

Dhigurah Island is the only area in the Maldives where whale sharks and manta rays are spotted all year round.

There are amazing scuba diving sites here where it’s highly likely that you’ll swim with sharks and other beautiful marine life.

Also one of the the coolest thing to do is just to walk to the southern tip of the island. You can see lots of things along the way, tons of crabs, lizards, and even enormous flying bats on your walk.

At the tip there is a picnic area for the locals with some cabanas for shade and even volleyball court. But remember that on Fridays this end of the Island is reserved for locals and no bikinis are rule is in apply here.

There is about an hour from the end of the Village (Bliss hotel) to the tip of the Island so have some water with you if you decide to walk along seashore.

Where to stay:

There are some great, and surprisingly inexpensive, options, typically referred to in the Maldives as guesthouses. Our pick was Ithaa Dhigurah. It has 6 tastefully furnished deluxe rooms and well-appointed common area terrace when you can have your coffee on return from trips or beautiful Dhigurah bikini beach. The manager and the rest of the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Breakfast was continental/Maldivian or of your choice (pancakes in our case) and it was delicious. The rooms were cleaned daily and also was beach/bath towels. The snorkeling trips with the them were well organized and very safe. Our two kids (8 & 12 yo) lowed every moment that we’ve spent here. And so did we, so we would recommend this place to everyone in a heartbeat!

Other popular options are Bliss Dhigurah, Dhiguveli Maldives, White Sand Dhigurah and UFA Escape.

Where to eat:

 Restaurants in Dhigurah, while limited in number, offer a good variety of eating options. They are either part of the hotel/guesthouse or standalone.

The best place to eat in Dhigurah is Hermit’s, situated inside Bliss Hotel but the meals can be quite expensive here. Our usual dinner pick was Long Beach Restaurant, the most typical island restaurant in Dhigurah, Long Beach, offers seafood dishes, soups, noodles and fresh juices at very competitive prices. Situated a few meters from Hermit’s it a great value for your meals. For the rest we can only honorably mention them, since we didn’t have any meals there: Café Xenzibar, Absolute Thai, UFA Kitchen.

 The Beach

The west of the island is a thin yet expansive beach with vegetation lining along the shore so plenty of shades for kids. The sandy seabed, gorgeous transparent water, and shade nearby make it the perfect place to spend a sunny day. This bikini beach is about five kilometres long and extends to a narrow point, where you can walk around the island – sandbar at the tip. This is one of the most romantic beaches in the country, which lights up with numerous stars at night and sunsets are stunning. The currents are not too strong, and you can swim and snorkel in peace here. Kids really loved it. There are also kayaking and canoeing options. Keep in mind that the beach is not very clean – some stretches are littered with plastic, which is sadly the case for the most Maldives local Islands.

FULIDHOO

Fulidhoo is part of the Vaavu Atoll which is with only five inhabited islands the least populated atoll in the whole Maldives. Lately Fulidhoo became very popular with visitors traveling to local islands. And as we seen with our eyes quite rightfully so. Fulidhoo is a small island that you wouldn’t mind at all being stuck on. With a population of more or less 300 people, there are no cars on Fulidhoo. You will quickly adopt that “island vibe” and like most locals stroll around barefoot.

When you travel to Fulidhoo you will see that there is no other island around when you leave South Male Atoll behind you and will get the real castaway feeling on approach.

Getting there: Transfers 

 There are three boats a day going to Fulidhoo, a speedboat and a local boat in the morning and another speedboat in the afternoon. The speedboat ride is only 1 hour and costs 40$. The local boat costs only 3,50$ but takes about 3,5 hours and does not run during the weekends. The locals boat also connects with the popular island of Maafushi in South Male Atoll.

Things To Do

 Let’s start with diving. Vaavu Atoll is like heaven for those looking for amazing underwater experience in Maldives. Because of the many channels that connect the center of the atoll with the Indian Ocean the marine life in Vaavu Atoll is like no where else around. Contrary to most other local islands in Maldives, diving in Fulidhoo guarantees you great visibility underwater all year round.

Fulidhoo is so small that it takes 20 minutes to walk around the entire island.  There’s a main street with a few grocery stores and gift shops, the mosque and several guesthouses with restaurants and dive centers by the dock. When you stand on a crossroad of two main sandy streets at the middle of the island, you can actually see the ocean on all 4 sides. Fulidhoo’s streets are colorfull and filled with the friendliest locals we’ve met in Maldives.

At the evening they gather at the pier for sunset fishing and talking about their day. This was our kids favorite thing to do in the entire trip so when we left the island there were plenty of tears.

You probably have seen those pictures of people walking close to the shoreline followed by a handful stingrays. On Fulidhoo stingrays get very close to the beach as well. At night time they always hang out around the pier where it is guaranteed to spot them and sharks almost every time follows them.

You have to go shark swimming. This is such an amazing experience. The Mureed guys took us on a 3 point snorkeling trip to Dhiggiri Resort. We were swimming with more than 20 nurse sharks and the experience was really everlasting,

Fulidhoo island is an experience! Leave your flipflops at home and go around bear foot. That is the way to go on a local island in Maldives!

Where to stay

 We stayed at The Mureed, the place at the end of the main road, just in front of the bikini beach. The level of service here is incredible. You can basically ask for anything and they will try to accommodate your needs. The room was big and very clean, we especially liked the decor. The food was amazing, diverse, fresh and oh so tasty. Here we really have to thank our host from The Murred because they went beyond everything to make us feel at home and we made a special bond with every single one of their staff. Svit and I went to a tradicional Maldivian fishing early mornig with Jacks and it was great.

The owner Neezam and his wife were so helpful in every way, preparing a birthday surprise on the roof top of the hotel for our friend Edita’s birthday (choco cake was the best of all that we had on our travels around Asia). He also arranged ear dropps for Nia when her ear got infected. Nia just felt »in love« with Phaintey. He entertained her during our meals and  went fishing on the peer with her. We highly recommend Mureed’s as the place to stay while on Fulidhoo.

Reading the reviews other great options to stay on Fulidhoo are Kinan Retreat, Luau Beach Inn, LaPerla and Thundi Guest House.

Where to eat

 To be honest, eating somewhere else never crossed our minds after we had our first meal at The Mureed. Their chef is just amazing! The food was the most tastefull we had all over Maldives and the variety of it was endless. We never had the same food on our FB in the entire stay on Fulidhoo.

Most guesthouses serve local and foreign dishes such as American breakfast, fried fish, curries, or chapati. The best food on the island is definitely fresh seafood. In grocery stores, you can purchase ice cream, fruits, bottled water, and soft drinks.

Bikini Beach

Bikini Beach is paradise on earth and we were alone virtually every day. An unspoiled beach with wooden sunbeds awaits you on this paradise island. You can borrow snorkeling gear from your guesthouse and you will see lots of marine life on the reef since the water’s visibility is incredible even by the shore.  The beach is cleaned daily and is very safe for kids too. You can also catch some beautifull sunsents here

THINADHOO

It is located 78 km south of Male with neighbouring islands of Felidhoo and Keyodhoo.  Official population of Thinadhoo is just over 50 people and mostly the island is developed in the way of tourism. Hotel area along with a tiny village occupies about 1/3 of the island and on the other side there is a tropical “forest ” that leads us to the island’s bikini beach.
Thinadhoo has a rich and nice house reef where you can see variety of colourful tropical fishes as well as sea turtles, sharks and rays. There are several uninhabited islands and sand banks nearby.

The island is divided into two parts: a village where only about 50 people are living. Between the village and the bikini beach stretches the jungle. The island is clean and well maintained with almost no rubbish. There’s no school or hospital on the island.

Thinadhoo is perfect for families with children, romantic couples and those who likes private, comfortable and quite retreats

Getting there

There are two scheduled speedboats from Male to Thinadhoo: 10:00 and 16:00 and time travel is around 1,5h, depending on the weather condtitions. But please check actual departure time with your hotel, because this is Plumeria speedboat. The price is ….. As usual in Maldives you will be greeted and accompaneid by their representatives.

You can also take a public ferry for 5$/person one way and duration of 5h 30min with two stops on the way (Maafushi and Fulidhoo).

There is also always availabe privat speedboat for the ones with deeper pockets and it needs to be arranged directly with the provider of the transfer. Seaplane by seaplane to Thinadhoo, Vaavu Atoll takes about 20 minutes and costs 400$+ /person one way. Trip must be booked in advance with not less than 5 days before arrival.

 Things To Do

 Besides enjoying one of the most beautiful beaches in Maldives, you can go on the swimming with shark trip, on a sunset cruise, fishing, Ship wreck snorkeling/diving or sandbank visit. Beautiful sandbank that we’ve visited is perfect to admire the colors that you have hardly seen before. It is surrounded by very low waters and is always deserted so it guarantees you absolute privacy. During clear days the seawater offers incredible shades of blue.

Where to stay

 There is only one hotel (Plumeria Maldives) where we’ve stayed at and a few guest houses mostly Italian owned and at the time of our visit under renovation.

The best feature of this hotel would honestly have to be the staff. From the GM Azeez to our room service and restaurant staff, they were really just so accommodating, helpful and friendly throughout our stay here that was unfortunately just 3 days long. The hotel offers plenty of entertainment options (table tennis, children playground, ping pong etc.) as well as enough food options at every meal to please even the pickiest eaters. The grounds around the hotel and the whole beach which includes the “jungle” path to the beach as well is very clean. On our final evening here, we received a special treatment with a complementary drinks and seafood platter which was a totally unexpected surprise and the kids even got a hat, T-shirt and a toy as a gift which they love. We appreciate the fact that the general manager makes an effort to talk to the guests even though this is a big hotel and guests can get lost in a crowd but this really is not the case here.

Where to eat

Most of the guests staying in Thinadhoo are having their meals in hotels as there is only one place to eat outside.

Bikini Beach

Despite its rather small size, Thinadhoo can boast one of the best bikini beaches in Maldives. The beach is really nice: no dead corrals on the beachside where you enter the ocean. The house reef surrounding the island is gorgeous which makes Thinadhoo one of the prettiest places in the Maldives.

Turtles, clownfish, scorpionfish, and a great variety of colourful tropical fish can be easily spotted by snorkeling, both starting from Thinadhoo beach, being the reef easily accessible from the shore.

Bikini beach of Thinadhoo is quite long (about 500 meter). We loved the fact that the beach huts were separated with greenery to give you a sort of private feeling and there were plenty of sun-beds available which for us, party of 5, is not always easy to find.