Dharavandhoo island in the Maldives: everything about the rest, how to get there, prices

Dharavandhoo is a beautiful, green island located in the waters of Baa Atoll, where marine life is in full swing around the clock.

The island has an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, and its territory can be conditionally divided into three zones: a village, an airport and a dense tropical forest that occupies a significant part of the island.

Dharavandhoo has two mosques and two football fields, a health center, a kindergarten and a school.

The island economy is based on tourism, fishing and agriculture.

Characteristics of the island:

• Length - 1330 m
• Width - 480 m
• Atoll - Baa
• Distance from Male - 117 km
• Population - about 800 people

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How to get from Male to Dharavandhoo

The distance from Dharavandhoo to Male is 117 kilometers, which can be overcome by plane or by speedboat.

By seaplane

This method will be the fastest as Dharavandhoo domestic airport is quite popular and has good connections with the Maldivian capital. The flights are operated by airlines such as Maldivian, Manta Air and Flyme. Travel time will be about 30 minutes, and flying over the islands, admiring the Maldives from a bird's eye view, is an exciting activity in itself.

Interestingly, the price of air tickets for local residents can be significantly lower than for foreign tourists. Therefore, before buying tickets, talk to your hotelier, perhaps with his help you can get a transfer at a more attractive price.

Rayyu Maldives

By boat

Travelers who prefer to feel the wind and light spray of salt water on their skin can order a speedboat transfer from their guest house. In this case, the journey will take about 2.5 hours, and the cost of the trip will depend on the guest house.

Alina Kacharho

Hotels and guesthouses on Dharavandhoo

According to the information posted on the website of the Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives, about a dozen hotels and guest houses are currently officially registered on the island. We recommend taking a closer look at the following options:

• Kiha Beach is a friendly 4-star hotel with a private beach area and outdoor pool. It offers a good restaurant, spa, snorkeling opportunities, and a variety of excursions (about $ 130).
• LVIS blancura is a hotel with a private beach, restaurant, shared lounge area, garden and sun terrace. Animated entertainment, babysitting and car rental services are provided (about US $ 70).
• Biosphere Inn is a small guest house located near the beach. There is a cafe and a backyard for relaxation on site, guided tours are organized for guests (about US $ 80).
• Hanifaru Transit Inn is a small and well-kept guest house with a friendly atmosphere and courteous staff, located in the very center of the island. Well suited for travelers on a budget. There is a restaurant and a terrace, it is possible to book excursions (about US $ 65).
• Aveyla Manta Village is a contemporary beachfront hotel that combines elements of luxury and rustic charm. It offers deluxe rooms with ocean views, a restaurant, a sightseeing boat and the hotel's own dive center. Discos, cultural shows and movie screenings are organized for guests (about $ 140).
• Blue World Dharavandhoo is a miniature guest house offering 4 spacious and comfortable bungalows with private bathroom and air conditioning. There is also a restaurant and a well-equipped dive center (around US $ 80).
• Star Tree - a cozy guest house near the beach. There is free parking and a small restaurant with evening entertainment.
• Violet Inn is another guest house located right next to the beach. Has a spacious terrace and rooms with minimalist design. Guests are offered excursions, dive tours and water sports facilities (about US $ 65).

Mohamed Nazeef

Nutrition

Most of the guesthouses have their own restaurants and offer their guests accommodation with meals. In addition, there are several cafes and grocery stores on the island. You should not expect any special culinary delights from local establishments, but the food here is quite tasty and satisfying.

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What to do on Dharavandhoo

On Dharavandhoo, you can take a break from the city noise, be inspired by nature and take beautiful photos for social networks, try the local cuisine, get acquainted with the life and traditions of the islanders.

The owners of guest houses try to diversify the leisure of vacationers as much as possible, offering romantic picnics and fishing, swimming with manta rays and watching whale sharks, night barbecues on the beach, visits to local and resort islands, organization of sea trips.

Combined excursions are possible. For example, a sunset dolphin cruise can be combined with night fishing on the reef outside the lagoon. When you return, you can prepare your own barbecue catch and enjoy a leisurely dinner with pride.

Bikini beach

Visiting the beaches is an integral part of a Maldivian vacation. In the northern part of the island is Bikini Beach - a long and wide stretch of clean, white, sandy beach, where you can relax in swimsuits. Guests of the island can comfortably sit on the sun loungers, which have marks on the belonging to a particular hotel / guest house.

This beach is quite visited, but it cannot be called overcrowded (unlike the Bikini beach of Maafushi island, which is popular among tourists), so each guest is guaranteed a certain personal space and comfortable rest here.

Not far from the beach there is a good house reef teeming with underwater inhabitants.

Mohamed Nazeef

Water sports

Some hotels and guest houses (for example, Aveyla Manta Village) offer guests a range of non-motorized water sports, including kayaking and windsurfing. Fans of a more dynamic pastime can go wakeboarding, ride jet skis and water skiing.

Snorkeling

The island's home reef is a cleaning station for manta rays, so even if you don't have diving skills, be sure to snorkel under the ocean waters. The guests of the island have an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the underwater inhabitants of Baa Atoll, its flora and fauna.

After exploring the coastal waters, don't miss the chance and be sure to take an excursion to Hanifaru Bay, which is just a short boat ride from Dharavandhoo. Most of the hotels on the island provide their guests with such an opportunity.

This unique location is the central area of ​​the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and one of the most attractive destinations on the planet for diving enthusiasts, underwater photographers and videographers.

The secret is that a huge concentration of plankton appears in local waters from May to November, attracting hundreds of manta rays. There can be up to two hundred stingrays on coral reefs at the same time, as well as many whale sharks.

Since diving is prohibited in Hanifaru Bay, snorkeling is the best and only way to appreciate the beauty of this bay.

In addition to Hanifaru Bay, the owners of the guest houses organize snorkeling safaris to places such as:

• Dhonfan Thila
• Dharavandhoo Corner
• Angafaru Beyru
• Aadhoo Beyru
• Huraafaru Beyru
• Hulhudhoo Beyru

During such trips, you can explore different types of corals, meet many species of fish and turtles.

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Diving

There are currently 3 PADI Certified Dive Centers operating on the island:

• Dharavandhoo Divers (the first dive center opened on the island)      
• Liquid Salt Divers (located a stone's throw from Aveyla Manta Village)      
• Blue World Dharavandhoo (adjacent to the guest house of the same name)      

Professional instructors will guide you through PADI courses and specialties and help you expand your diving knowledge. You can visit dozens of amazing dive sites suitable for both beginners and more experienced divers. Among them:

• Aidhoo Corner
• Christmas Tree
• Dharavandhoo Thila
• Dhigu Thila
• Kakani Thila
• Nelivaru Thila
• Hanifaru Corner
• Maadhoo Giri and many others

The approximate price of 1 dive is about $ 60, and the PADI Scuba Diver course will cost $ 280.

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Resort day tours

The Maldives are famous for high-end tourism. There are several luxury island resorts near Dharavandhoo, and many guest houses can arrange trips for their guests upon prior request.

Among the resorts that can be visited from Dharavandhoo:

• Amila Fushi
• Dusit Thani
• Kihaa Maldives
• Coco Palm Dhuni Colhu
• Royal Island Resort
• Finolhu

The cost and conditions of such a trip should be checked with your hotelier.

At the same time, excursions to Dharavandhoo are organized from some resorts to get acquainted with the life of the local islands.

Royal Island Resort & Spa

Visiting local islands

Local island hopping is a great way to discover traditional lifestyles, enjoy the authentic simplicity of the Maldives and meet the locals.

While vacationing in Dharavandhoo, you can visit such nearby islands as Goidhoo, Fehendhoo, Fulhadhoo, Dhonfan, Kihaadhoo, Maalhos, Kudarikilu and the capital of the atoll Eydhafushi. Walk the streets of the islands and notice the subtle differences between them.

Most of the named islands are connected to Dharavandhoo by ferry service. However, it will be faster and more comfortable to visit these locations on a speedboat with an excursion organized by your guest house. Some of these excursions may include snorkeling and beach barbecues.

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