Maldives | Resorts and Local Islands

I was incredibly fortunate to live in the Maldives from November 2005 until November 2007. In that time I traveled the length and breadth of the country, visiting countless resorts for a regular magazine client as well as experiencing the more traditional way of life on the islands. In between I learnt to scuba dive and whenever I could, I went surfing.

While I learnt many things in the Maldives, one of the unexpected things I learnt was how valuable local knowledge is. I realised this the day I received an email request from another photographer - Richard Baker – asking for advice on how to get onto a commercial fishing dhoni. By the time I finished typing up my email, it dawned on me that I knew quite a bit more about the Maldives than I gave myself credit for.

A couple of months back, I received an email asking me for some information about the Maldives in relation to the resort scene and how one can go about getting onto a local island. This isn’t the first, nor I expect, the last time I will receive such an email. And because of that, I have decided to create this post, with some information specific to the Maldives that I hope people find useful.

The Big Picture

Made up of 1,120 islands, the Maldives is served by two main hubs – Dubai Airport and Singapore Airport. To get from either one to Male’ International Airport, is about a 4-hour flight. Upon arrival you can pick up a 30-day tourist visa, free of charge as you go through immigration.

Resorts in the Maldives are big business and they are the main drawcard to the country and the main income earner. The previous Government created a one-resort, one-island policy, which effectively keeps visiting tourists separate from local islanders. If that wasn’t enough, you actually need permission to go to a local island and this can only be granted by the Island Chief. Needless to say, getting onto a local island is not an easy proposition if you have never been to the country before and don’t have any contacts in country.

Resorts, Resorts, Resorts

There are pretty much three types of resorts in the Maldives – 3-star, 4-star and the 5-star.

The main difference between them is the design and layout of the resorts; the level of service and all the little things that you never really notice, until you actually go to a bona-fide 5-star resort.

I am often asked which resorts are the one’s worth visiting. My response is, ‘what is it you want to do?’

If you are a diver, then your decision should be based on the type of diving you want to do and the type of animals you want to see. Pick the atoll you want to visit based on this, then check out the resorts that are on that atoll. If you have the bucks, then go the 5-star option.

If you are a surfer, the choice is much easier. Either stay at a resort in North Male’ Atoll, where the majority of the surf breaks are, or stay on a live aboard vessel, which will travel to the breaks. Live aboard vessels are used for surfing in the southern atolls.

If you are a sun lover and are looking for the most idyllic tropical beach you can find, then you know what you are looking for. Make sure you check out the resorts’ photos on their web site before you book. Like most things in life, idyllic beaches are not all created the same, even in the Maldives.

Generally speaking, once you are on your resort, the only way to get off is to go and do some water based activity, take an organised trip into Male’ for the day, or visit a local island as arranged by the resort staff.

Getting Onto A Local Island

A number of resorts offer pre-arranged trips to local islands. While this is the easiest way to visit a local island, it can also be a bit disappointing, depending on what you are expecting.

A number of these islands have cottoned on to the commerce of having tourists visit their islands and as a result, have set up souvenir shops. The vast majority of these shops sell products that are imported from abroad and passed off as ‘Maldivian’ and to be honest, a lot of it is just cheap junk.

An alternative to the resort arranged local island visit, is to stay at Addu Atoll at Equator Village Resort.

Addu Atoll is the most southerly atoll in the country. During World War II, the British relocated locals off Gan Island, made an air strip, built a base and just so happened to connect four local islands together with causeways. Those causeways still exist today. This is the only series of islands that I know of in the Maldives where you can stay at a resort and either walk or ride a bike to a neighbouring island, without anyone’s permission.

The only problem is this: Equator Village is an old resort and it shows.

Personally, I love the place. It is retro, without even trying to be. It is also a favourite with divers, thanks to the incredible diving that surrounds Addu Atoll. The good news is that more resorts are being built on Addu Atoll and because it is so small, it shouldn’t be difficult to arrange a boat from your resort to Gan Island. From there you have four local islands to explore.

To get to Addu Atoll, you either take an internal regional flight with Island Aviation from Male’ or you fly direct to Addu Atoll. The airport was upgraded in 2008 to international status, and is now taking larger aircrafts from abroad.

I will talk more about Equator Village resort in my next post.

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