Maalhos island in the Maldives: everything about the hotels, prices, locations

This small, palm-lined local island is located on the territory of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and offers its guests to fully enjoy this advantage. So, in the immediate vicinity of the island is Hanifaru Bay - a marine protected area that attracts tourists from all over the world with a high concentration of manta rays and whale sharks, which can be visited during a holiday on the island of Maalhos.

The modest size of the island allows you to get around it in about 45 minutes. During the walk you will be able to communicate with the locals and get acquainted with their way of life.

Of the infrastructure facilities on the island, there are small shops and cafes, a school, a medical center, two mosques and a port.

Characteristics of Maalhos Island

• Population - about 500 people
• Length - about 1 km
• Atoll - Baa
• Other names: Malos, Maalos, Malhos
• Distance from Male - 116 km

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How to get from Male to Maalhos

From Velana International Airport to Maalhos Island can be reached in the following ways:

• half-hour domestic flight to Dharavandhoo, combined with a short trip (10-15 minutes) on a speedboat;
• by speedboat (via Eydhafushi or Dharavandhoo islands), then by public ferry MTCC #205.

For assistance in arranging a transfer, we recommend that you contact the administration of your guest house. Local hoteliers will recommend and book the best option for your international flight schedule.

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Accommodation

There are several guest houses on the island, including:

• Dhonfulhafi beach view and Spa is a two-story hotel consisting of 14 rooms of different categories (standard, family and VIP). There is a restaurant. Guests are provided with a meeting at the airport and subsequent transfer, as well as excursions and entertainment.
• Madi Finolhu is a small guest house near the beach. Offers vacationers food and a fairly wide selection of excursions.
• Thundi Village and Spa is a nice guest house with friendly staff. Consists of 18 rooms, some of which have ocean views. Located next to the beach and offers guests snorkeling equipment. There is a possibility of food.
• Dhooni Finolhu Guesthouse - a clean and well-maintained guest house with a homely atmosphere, good Maldivian cuisine and an attentive, caring attitude towards vacationers.
• Moonshell Residence is a guest house with 5 rooms equipped with everything you need. Located within walking distance of bikini beach. There is a restaurant on site.
  
  

Nutrition

The island has several cafes and restaurants serving mainly local cuisine and seafood. Of the most popular establishments among tourists, it is worth highlighting those located in Madi guest houses Finolhu, Moonshell Residence, Thundi and Dhonfulhafi.

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Things to do in Maalhos

Living on local islands always gives tourists the opportunity to immerse themselves in the daily life of the island, get to know the culture and life of the local population and feel like a real islander for a while.

In addition to a beach holiday, guests of Maalhos Island can indulge in a variety of activities ranging from scuba diving, whale shark watching, fishing to nightly barbecues on the beach.

So, while relaxing on Maalhos, you can:

• go in search of dolphins on a traditional Maldivian dhoni boat;
• spend a few hours or a whole day on a sandbank just 10 minutes drive from the island, where a magnificent beach holiday awaits you;
• visit the uninhabited island of Mendhoo for snorkeling and recreation in the style of Robinson Crusoe;
• meet manta rays and whale sharks during a trip to Hanifaru Bay;
• learn the basics of Maldivian fishing and catch large fish with its subsequent preparation;
• watch the sun sink below the horizon, coloring the waters in warm colors, during an evening cruise on the Indian Ocean;
• have a romantic candlelight dinner on the pristine white beach opposite Dhonfulhafi beach view and Spa;
• make friends with marine life while snorkeling at Coral Reef garden;
• go on tours to local islands, which will be organized for you by the staff of your guest house;
• visit a bodu beru show.

In addition, guests of the island can learn the secrets of coconut oil production by local women and buy bottles with this traditional Maldivian product as a souvenir. Also, tourists will be happy to hold a master class on weaving products from coconut palm leaves.

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Beaches

In the western part of the island there is a small and not crowded bikini beach where vacationers can swim and sunbathe in their usual beach clothes. At the other end of the island there is also a well-groomed beach area, but tourists are advised to be here in more restrained outfits.

Given the small size of the island, if you wish, you can easily visit both beaches in one day: one in the morning, and the second in the afternoon.

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Snorkeling and diving

Maalhos has a healthy house reef where, in addition to colorful schooling fish, you can meet stingrays and octopuses, moray eels and turtles, small sharks and other inhabitants of the ocean depths.

For tourists who want to expand their geography and continue their acquaintance with the ocean, there are SSI Maldivers and PADI dive centers on the island. Maalhos Divers. The centers offer training for both beginners and advanced diving, trips to Hanifaru Bay and dives at popular dive sites in Baa Atoll, including Anga Faru and Nelivaru Thila, located just a short boat ride from Maalhos.

Important! Due to the large number of people who want to visit Hanifaru Bay, such a trip should be booked as early as possible with your guest house or dive center specialists.

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Island trips

Near the island of Maalhos, there are inhabited islands such as Dharavandhoo and Eydhafushi, which can be visited by taking a short trip on the MTCC ferry or by arranging such a trip with the owner of your guesthouse.

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Also not far from the island there are such elite island resorts as Kihaa Maldives, Royal Island Resort & Spa, Finolhu and Dusit Thani, which are open for one-day visits by tourists living on local islands. Check the conditions of such a visit in your guest house.