Which island to choose in the Maldives – On which atoll to stay in the Maldives?

Which island to choose in the Maldives? On quel atoll choose your hotel in the Maldives? Where are the best beaches in the Maldives? Where to stay in the Maldives on a budget? These were the first questions I asked myself when I decided on the dates for my next relaxing stay in the sun planned for next October.

And yes, this year we decided to really treat ourselves by choosing to go and relax on this controversial archipelago. It's true that with everything I had read, I said NO, especially not the Maldives. Then afterwards I discovered that we could go there without necessarily spending all our time on an island hotel and that we could discover inhabited islands and enjoy tourism in a different way.

But on the other hand, I didn't expect so many possibilities and therefore so many difficulties when choosing an island in the Maldives.

How to choose an island in the Maldives?

Given the extent of the archipelago, to be able to choose an island in the Maldives, I had to look into the geography to:

• Understand the difference between local islands and private islands (hotel islands);
• Find out where the most beautiful places are for snorkeling, to discover the underwater fauna;
• Identify where the most beautiful beaches of the Maldives are located, the small paradise and deserted islets.

and all this not too far from Malé!

So, I had to divide my stay in 2 and I was able to select:

• one of the most beautiful atolls in the Maldives renowned for its population of turtles, Manta rays and whale sharks. There, I was able to find a cheap hotel for the first 5 days of my stay,
• a small postcard-decor island to end my stay in a hotel on stilts in the middle of a heavenly landscape. We will only spend 4 days there because unfortunately, I haven't won the lottery yet!

I might as well tell you that all this research took me quite a bit of time because I had to synthesize all the information I found on forums and travel blogs to have everything in hand and choose exactly the 2 islands of the Maldives which correspond exactly to my expectations. This is why, in turn, I am going to share them so that the next lucky people who go there can benefit from them!

Choose an island not too far away

The Maldives is made up of 26 atolls, 2000 islands in total (of which 200 are permanently inhabited), an area of ​​almost 90 km000 which stretches over 2 kilometers in length with Malé as the main island where the international airport.

When I assessed the distances between the islands and Malé, I quickly understood that the first constraint for a short stay in the Maldives is to choose an atoll not too far from the main island. Indeed, having only 10 days there, I do not want to waste time on transport and I want to be able to possibly take advantage of excursions departing from Male or to be able to transit there.

Which island in the Maldives for diving?

To find the most beautiful atoll but within a perimeter around Malé, I of course completely ignored all the very distant atolls and only searched in a distance of less than 100 km. The Routard forum was a good source of information. I learned that to see the famous whale sharks and Manta rays, it's on Ari, one of most beautiful atolls in the Maldives, which must be surrendered.

Whale Sharks and Manta Rays: Ari Atoll

I chose to spend the first 5 days of my stay in the Maldives on the Ari Atoll (also called Aliff) which is considered one of the best spots in the world to see whale sharks and manta rays.

This immense atoll located 80 kilometers southeast of Malé has around a hundred magnificent islets and a few islands, some of which are inhabited. Indeed, it is these local islands that particularly attract me. Not only in terms of budget to stay cheap for a few days, but also to see something other than the lagoon, white sand and coconut trees!

Which island to choose on the Ari Atoll?

Before choosing thedhigurah island, I hesitated for a long time with the island of Dhangethi on which there is a superb beach facing the lagoon where the sunsets are spectacular! But to enjoy manta rays and whale sharks, plus a long lagoon with turquoise waters and a beautiful white sand beach, you have to go to Dhigurah.

Dhigurah is an island 3 km long, with 600 inhabitants and located in the southern part of the Ari Atoll. For snorkeling, its reef is accessible and rich in colorful fish and turtles. Its large and magnificent beach accepts bikinis (and yes, it should be noted because it is a Muslim country and bikinis are not allowed on all beaches…).

But I also chose Dhigurah for its range of cheap hotels, which is rare in the Maldives!  

For those who have a larger budget than mine, discover where to choose your dream hotel in the Maldives to swim with whale sharks

How to get to Dhigurah Island from Male?

This is the question I asked the manager of the guest house before booking my stay. So it was him who told me that there are daily speedboat rotations to Dhigurah from Malé:

• Departures from Male Airport every day at 16:00 p.m. (Friday at 15:00 p.m.)
• Departure from Dhigurah every day at 6am

The trip costs 38 USD and takes between 1 and 30 hours depending on weather conditions.

Cheap hotel in Dhigurah

It's very complicated to find a cheap hotel in the Maldives that is decent, well placed with a beautiful beach and ideally located close to diving spots and observation spots for Manta rays, whale sharks and turtles.

On the island of Dhigurah, my choice fell on the guest house Athiri Beach. Facing the lagoon, this hotel has a diving center that offers daily trips. It organizes day trips to dive or snorkel with whale sharks and manta rays at least 2-3 times a week.

In addition, I read in the comments that the hotel assists you in all the steps and takes care of organizing inter-island transfers if necessary, but also to Malé airport.

For 717 Euros for 5 nights with breakfast included, I think I made a good choice because the cheap hotels in the Maldives are often less well located.

See the Athiri Beach hotel

Which island in the Maldives for a postcard stay?

For 2^rd part of my stay which consists of spending 4 days "honeymoon" style on a deserted islet, I was told theBaa atoll which is, it seems, simply idyllic (turquoise lagoon, crystal clear waters).

But compared to the geographical location of my first accommodation on the Ari Atoll south of Malé, the Baa Atoll (north of Malé) was too far away. Getting there involved coming back to Male and taking a seaplane. However, this was not possible in such a short time and with my small budget.

So, I looked for a small postcard islet really close to Malé and very easily accessible to spend our last 4 days there in lazy mode and if possible on a stilt on the lagoon.

So I searched on the South Male Atoll and I found my little paradise: Cocoa island

Why choose Cocoa Island?

To spend our 4 dream days not too far from Malé, I chose Cocoa Island on the South Malé Atoll. Indeed, Cocoa Island is very easy to access from Malé airport (40 minutes by speedboat) and above all it is known for its beaches which are among the most beautiful beaches in the Maldives.

Tongues of white sand melting in a turquoise blue lagoon, turtles and reef fish: this is exactly what I have dreamed of for so long (since Polynesia and Mauritius end of 2016).

And on Cocoa Island, I discovered a very small islet: Kauf where there is nothing on it except a small set of dream bungalows and a few coconut trees: THE DREAM!

Cocoa Island - Hotel in paradise

So this is the resort hotel Como Cocoa Island which I chose for 4 nights. Yes, it's expensive but when I saw the photos and the comments, I fell in love. I hope I won't regret it, I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

See the Hotel Como Cocoa Island

How to get to Cocoa Island?

Located 32 km from Malé, it can be reached by speedboat for 38 USD each way. This takes about 40 minutes.

For my part, it is from the Ari atoll that I will come and to put it simply I will take a Dhigurah-Malé return by speedboat then a Malé-Cocoa Island.

Here is the link to use for reservations of inter-island transfers in the Maldives: https://www.atolltransfer.com/

Which island to choose for a honeymoon in the Maldives?

If you are planning to organize a stay for your next honeymoon, here is an article that might interest you:

How to organize your honeymoon in the Maldives

And for other ideas for a change of scenery and exoticism, discover the Martinique, Seychelles, San Blas Islands ou mucura.