Utheemu Island, Haa Alif Atoll

Utheemu Ganduvaru is popular as the birthplace of Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu. It is located on the Utheemu Island, one of the inhabited islands of the Haa Alif Atoll Thakurfaanu. His brothers are remembered for having fought a war to evict the Portuguese from Maldives for fifteen years. The Utheemu Ganduvaru is essentially the wooden palace in which Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu grew up and cherished his life over the years. The palace portrays the lives of the affluent beautifully.

This region has a long history. The kings of the Utheemu Dynasty were all descended from this island. Regents from Utheem also ruled the Maldives from 1573 to 1632 AD, but the legal (though unrecognized) kings of the islands during this period were the exiled Christian Kings of the Maldives residing in Goa, India .Haa Alif Atoll, officially Thiladhunmathi Uthuruburi (North Thiladhunmathi) is the northernmost of the 19 administrative atolls of the Maldives.

 

Geographically, this atoll consists of Ihavandhippolhu, the northernmost geographical atoll of the Maldive archipelago, and the northern section of Thiladhunmathi atoll. This was administratively divided into northern and southern divisions in 1958. The atoll's official name, 'North Thiladhunmathi' is in reference to this division. Today, Haa Alif Atoll contains 43 islands, 14 of which are inhabited and classified as 'island-class' constituencies. The third-largest atoll in the Maldives in terms of population and land area is Haa Alif Atoll.

Haa Alif Atoll, also known as Northern Thiladhunmathi Atoll, is the northernmost island group in the Maldives. While other parts of the Maldives have grown and developed with resorts over the past two decades, however Haa Alif Atoll opened to international tourism only in 2005. But this is a paradise in disguise because the elusive island resorts are modern and particularly luxurious - even by the generally high standards of resorts throughout the Maldives. The region's lush and green tropical scenery is raw and close to nature, with dozens of uninhabited islands and literally hundreds of secluded white coral-sand beaches that can be reached in a short boat ride and provide a escape from reality.

The largest of the four Haa Alif resorts is the Island Hideaway on Dhonakulhi island, a luxury boutique resort that features the only purpose-built marina in the Maldives. It service berths for visiting yachts gives those on board access to the resort facilities. No less than nine different classes of accommodation are available, from private beachside and garden bungalows, to the resort's two "hideway palaces" with each having five individual villas and swimming pools, set in a private forest garden. The Waldorf Astoria Maldives island resort is smaller, but offers an equally luxurious experience. It includes its Grand Water Pavilion, a two-bedroom water villa built out over the coral lagoon. It features comforts such as spa baths, a state-of-the-art entertainment system, and large wooden sun decks built around a private infinity swimming pool, with an uninterrupted view of the open ocean horizon beyond.

Not to be outdone, the boutique J Resort on Alidhoo island offers its Ganduvaru Suite, inspired by the historic palace of Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu on nearby Utheem Island. It is furnished extravagantly to befit any modern sovereign. The Zitahli Resort and Spa on Funafaru Island is the newest of the four resorts in Haa Alif Atoll, and perhaps the most elegant and secluded. Many of its five-star beach side and water villas also feature private plunge pools. All of the resorts offer extensive facilities for guests, such as health spas, fitness centers, and tennis courts, special dive schools are also present that offer scuba training and guided tours of the best local dive sites.

Only about a dozen islands in Haa Alif Atoll are inhabited, and most of those have just a few sleepy villages - yet this region is one of the more populated parts of the Maldives. As the northernmost atoll in the Maldives, Haa Alif is the closest to India and Sri Lanka. Traditionally fishermen from these islands would sail to the nearby atoll of Minicoy, to trade and make alliances marriages. Now Minicoy is part of India, and such communication between the islands is severely restricted.

Although Maldivian government policy aims to encourage tourists on the resort islands, it may be possible for the resorts to arrange sightseeing trips to some of the local towns and villages. A key sight is the historic 18th Century mosque at Utheem Island.