August, 2019

Crossing Vaadhoo Kandu, a volatile channel between the North and South Male atolls, you will quickly notice that South Male Atoll has a completely different atmosphere, unlike its busy northern neighbor. This is partly due to the lack of people - there are only three inhabited islands, all of which are on the eastern edge of the atoll and have small populations, and in part this is due to the fact that local and private islands are scattered all over the atoll, and therefore you really feel that you are away from Male and its neighboring islands.

The best dive resort is Anantara Veli. Near the island there are more than a dozen dive sites and a plenty of coral reefs for snorkeling. In South Male there is the popular Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Resort, located near the Guraidu marine reserve. If you like snorkeling - house reefs at Biyadhoo Island Resort and Cocoa Island by COMO - should not disappoint you.

The largest island in South Male Atoll is the charming and friendly Maafushi (population 1200 people) - the center of budget tourism in the Maldives. Over the past few on the island, it has more than 50 guest houses and economy hotels. Indeed, in high season on the island there are as many foreigners as local residents, which makes it the most cosmopolitan and progressive inhabited island in the Maldives. Here there is an extensive bikini beach for tourists, which means that you can swim in a bikini, and there is a very competitive diving and excursion market. Since you can get to Maafushi in just a couple of hours by public ferry from Male, it's quite possible to just peep here and find the hotel on the spot - the competition is tough, and the prices (by local standards) are low.

The neighboring Guraidhoo, more busy than the larger Maafushi with a population of about 1800 people, is the atoll's largest city. Its lagoon is a perfect for swimming and water sports, and it is a lively marine port used by both fishing dhoni and transit safari boats. The Sultans from Male sought refuge here during the uprisings as far back as the 17th century, while today it is popular with budget travelers who prefer to stay at cheap guest houses, and spend money on food and excursions, including tours to nearby luxury resorts (in fact, you can go through the lagoon to a nearby resort in the ebb!).

Gulhi Island, located north of Maafushi, is quite small, but there are about 750 people living here. The main activity is fishing, as well as a small shipyard and some guest houses, with good reviews and ratings from the guests.