Culture · 8D | 7N
Malé, Local Islands & Atolls
Guesthouses on inhabited islands instead of a resort: the old coral-stone mosque in Malé, ferries between atolls, and reefs reached on a local dhoni.
- Best time
- November to April
- Route
- Malé · Maafushi · Dhigurah · Thulusdhoo
Day by day
8 days, planned in full
Guesthouses on inhabited islands instead of a resort: the old coral-stone mosque in Malé, ferries between atolls, and reefs reached on a local dhoni.
Day 1
Arrive in Malé
Into the capital rather than straight out of it — a boutique hotel in a city of a quarter of a million people on two square kilometres.
- Night
- Malé
- Meals
- Dinner
Day 2
The old capital
The Hukuru Miskiy Friday Mosque, cut from coral stone in 1658, the fish market at the morning landing, and the national museum's Buddhist finds.
- Night
- Malé
- Meals
- Breakfast
Day 3
Ferry to Maafushi
The public ferry south — slow, cheap and full of people going home — to a guesthouse island with a bikini beach and a working harbour.
- Night
- Maafushi
- Meals
- Breakfast, dinner
Day 4
Reefs on a local dhoni
Out with a village crew to a shipwreck, a turtle reef and a sandbank, and back for a fish curry cooked by the guesthouse.
- Night
- Maafushi
- Meals
- Breakfast, dinner
Day 5
Across to Dhigurah
A speedboat into South Ari to a three-kilometre-long island of about six hundred people, with a jungle path down its spine.
- Night
- Dhigurah
- Meals
- Breakfast, dinner
Day 6
Whale sharks
A local dhoni out to the Maamigili reef for the resident whale sharks, and an afternoon walk to the empty end of the island.
- Night
- Dhigurah
- Meals
- Breakfast, dinner
Day 7
North to Thulusdhoo
Back up to North Malé atoll and the island where the Coke is bottled and the Cokes surf break is off the beach.
- Night
- Thulusdhoo
- Meals
- Breakfast, dinner
Day 8
Fly home
The morning speedboat to Velana, twenty-five minutes across the atoll.
- Meals
- Breakfast
What's included
- 7 nights — 1 in a Malé boutique hotel, 6 in family-run island guesthouses
- Return economy airfare and all inter-island ferries and speedboats
- Half board on the island stays, breakfast in Malé
- Guided walking tour of old Malé with museum and mosque entries
- Two local-dhoni reef days with snorkelling equipment
- Whale shark excursion off Dhigurah
- A briefing on local island etiquette, which is worth reading
Not included
- Lunches
- Alcohol, which is not sold on inhabited islands
- Travel insurance
- Surfboard hire at Thulusdhoo
Other ways to go
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*Per person on twin sharing. Prices move with season and availability — we confirm yours in writing before anything is booked.
Plan this trip
Make Malé, Local Islands & Atolls yours.
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