Hulhumale

Hulhumale’ or Hulhumale is a reclaimed island located in the south of North Male Atoll. Hulhumale’s reclamation began on October 16, 1997. The artificial island was reclaimed to establish a new land mass required to meet the existing and future housing, industrial and commercial development demands of the Malé region. The official settlement was inaugurated by President Gayoom on May 12, 2004.

Swimming in Hulhumale’

 

You can enjoy various activities in Hulhumale. The island have a long artificial public beach which is perfect for swimming. Maldives is a 100% Islamic country so the regulations of the government of Maldives officially bans wearing bikini, swimsuits etc. 

However there are many places around Hulhumale where these rules do not apply, such as resort islands, Picnic Island and sandbanks. Maldives wants its visitors to enjoy to their fullest and also public access is very low in such areas. Trips to such places are arranged on daily basis on request.

BBQ AREA

Hulhumale has a BBQ area where many locals go during Friday and Saturday to do BBQ or barbecue and get together. BBQ events are also arranged upon requests.

SHOPS in Hulhumale

Hulhumale has local shops where you can do local shopping, buy local fruits and other necessary needed item if required.

Bicycle Riding

Hulhumale is a 144 hector, big island where bicycling has its own merit especially when it’s pretty windy in the evening hours. Bicycles are easily available on rents at cheap prices. Also for more adventurous people the motor bike is always there.

Restaurants and Cafés in Hulhumale

If you choose to take a ride or a walk in Hulhumale, you will meet up lots of Cafes and Restaurants offering different taste of foods. Most of the restaurant will be providing all types of foods and share almost same menu. The café are more famous for drinking coffee and eating snacks.

Water Sports

In Hulhumale’ there are couple of companies which provides water-sports activities. These water sports are really enjoyable to beat the heat and feel energetic.

Diving

 

There are three diving stations in Hulhumale different choice with different prices.

Hiring Boat

Boat is available on full day or half day basis at different prices which are really reasonable. You can either go to a local island visit, snorkeling, picnic island, visiting a resort.

Transportation

There are two mode of transportation in Hulhumale. Public bus transportation which will coast MRF 3.00 and Taxi Transportation which coast MRF 20.00. For your information MRF stands for Maldivian Rufiyaa which is around 3.95 Indian rupees.

Visiting Male’ City

Male’ City is the Capital City of Maldives. To go to the city from Hulhumale you will have to take a ferry which will cost MRF 5.30. The ferry transportation is there from Hulhumale to Male every 15 minutes. It is a 20 minutes ferry journey. Also you can enjoy sight seeing at this period.

In Male’ you can do site visits, because there are lots of historical places, where you will get lots of information about history of Maldives. Places like Islamic Center, Muliaage’, and Museum are present where you will find lots of information and history.

You can contact AntilogVacations for further tour and Travel Information and cheap travel packages. they specialize in providing cheap travel packages.

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. 

Veligandu Island Beach

Velingandu is a charming island fringed with white beaches and features a huge 80m sandbank. It is one of the most economic destination in maldives. It contains rooms that are attractive and stylish, and nearly all of them are over water. The Jacuzzi Beach Villas are nestled among the trees on the beach. The very smart Jacuzzi Water Villas feature outdoor Jacuzzis and semi-open-air bathrooms. They have steps down into the lagoon for easy swimming directly from the sun deck. Guests are generally on full board, although all-inclusive packages are also possible. The main Dhonveli restaurant in velingandu serves up buffets three times a day, while the à la carte Madivaru restaurant is open in the evenings for a quieter and more romantic dinner.

The island is rightly famous for its great beaches and is located on a beautiful lagoon within Rasdhoo. There are a couple of excellent diving sites nearby, with hammerhead shark sightings very common. The Swiss-run Ocean-Pro dive base charges are pretty economic. The edge of the house reef is not very accessible and is not great for snorkeling, so most diving and snorkeling is done by boat at a wide range of nearby sites. All in all this is among the popular and smart midrange resort with superb beaches and comfortable over-water accommodation.

 The traditionally styled Veligandu Island Resort is surrounded by a lagoon with long stretches of white, sandy beach. Here you can enjoy a choice of dining from the buffet style Dhonveli Restaurant to the Madivaru Restaurant offering a menu of fresh grilled seafood and prime beef. The beautiful Jacuzzi Water Villas and spacious Beach Villas uphold a peaceful and exclusive feel, ideal for couples.

From the moment the seaplane takeoff to Veligandu you know that you are in for a treat. And finally the asatonishing moment arrives when you fly over the breathtaking island that is Maldives. The picturesque soft white beach surrounded by a turquoise lagoon defines the tranquility of Veligandu. The house reef is perfect for snorkeling with the most exquisite marine lives that in­habits the centuries old coral formations.

      You can explore the local island life on excursions or watch the playful dolphins on adventurous cruises. Soothe your senses at our unique over-water spa after an exhilarating day. Veligandu is a holiday experience that is memorable and equally magical in every sense.

The island of Veligandu may be pocket-sized, but it packs in everything you need to have the time of your life. There’s a white-sand beach that wraps around the whole island, a big infinity-edge pool, and a soothing over-water spa.

Rooms sit either beside the sand or on stand over the water through a set of posts, and all the luxurious needs are taken care off like espresso machines, iPod docks and rain showers. Private sundecks come as standard, too.

Huge spreads of around-the-world dishes are laid out at the sand-floored buffet restaurant. Not only this, once a week there’s a Maldivian theme evening with local cuisine and waiters in traditional dress. There’s also an à la carte place with a menu that includes freshly netted seafood.

Lastly, there’s a long list of activities that includes things like kayaking, volleyball and sailing. There’s even a dive centre that’ll take you to some of the atoll’s top sites.

Manta Point

Undoubtedly the most famous place for scuba diving in North Male Atoll, Maldives is Manta Point on the southeast of the atoll.

It is a sort of Spa for the manta rays, a cleaning station where fishes like wrasses, remoras and other cleaner fishes “pamper” them.

The “cleaning station” is a coral rise starting at 12 meters of depth and has a diameter of a few meters at the top. After this height the coral walls gently slope down till around 30 meters deep. The mantas swim around this region ignoring the cleaner fishes, while the cleaner fishes do their jobs. A “cleaning session” can last over 30 minutes while the mantas are swimming in circles.

The manta ray is one of the biggest attractions for scuba divers visiting the Maldives. The Manta point is considered as one of the “Maldives Big Five”. Scuba diving or snorkeling with manta ray Maldives is truly an exhilarating experience. The Maldives manta ray is the same species of manta as all other manta rays in the world, despite the fact that people used to believe there were various species. Manta rays can reach weights of up to 5,000 pounds and can grow to have a wingspan of 25 feet. The Maldives is one of the best places in the world for manta ray diving. Thousands of scuba divers come to the islands every year as manta ray sittings are assured and guaranteed.

 The mantas gather to have the plankton removed from their grills by smaller fish at one of the many manta ray cleaning station in Maldives. These are the best places to dive with manta rays in Maldives.

The Dhigu Thila cleaning station in the South Male Atoll is one of the best known cleaning stations. At this cleaning station, divers can generally find a good place to rest like the seabed as long as there’s no coral. These places offer a great view for watching the manta rays go through their cleaning ritual while you  relax comfortably.

Divers can enjoy the opportunity of diving with a manta ray in Maldives throughout the year, but the areas frequented by the manta rays vary with the seasons. While little is known about manta ray migration, we know that during the Northeast Monsoon season, manta ray diving Maldives is best on the western side of the atolls, whereas during the Southeast Monsoon season, Maldives manta ray season is better on the eastern side of the atolls.

Lancan Manta Point in the area of Male Atoll is the most famous Manta Point of the Maldives. Mostly all of the diving Centers will offer trips there provided the sea is calm. At Lancan Finolhu you can get lucky with Mantas nearly all year around, but you have to be close to Male. If you are spending your holiday in the Northern islands of North Male Atoll or on the other hand in some southern island of the South Male Atoll, the trips can be seasonal.

Not too long ago scientists decided that there are actually two different types of Manta Bisostris (that’s how our desired animal is known technically). There is the one who lives close to the reefs (maximum width up to 5 meters) and there is the oceanic one (up to 7 meters in width). People do say that there is a chance of seeing both types in the Maldives, but not in Lancan.

There are plenty of options to choose from for diving holiday in Maldives manta ray. Experienced scuba divers can enjoy a live aboard diving holiday with plenty of Maldives manta ray dives, whereas amateurs or beginners are recommended to go manta ray snorkeling Maldives. 

Whatever you choice may be, the Maldives is one of the best places in the world to see these amazing giant manta ray Maldives. This is a experience that you will cherish for your entire life. It gives you the opportunity to learn about the manta ray’s social behaviors and lifestyle. You can refer to AntilogVacations for further information regarding holidays in Maldives.

Sun Island Resort and Spa

Sun Island is located in the magnificent island of Nalaguraidhoo. It is bound to capture your heart with its exotic tropical flowers and beautiful greenery in the gardens that will mesmerize you and transports you to the purest of stunning blue sapphire lagoons. Located 62 miles from the male’ airport, Nalaguraidhoo is the most breathtaking and picturesque island in South Ari Atoll. Sun Island has always been renowned for its beautiful setting.

Sun Island Resort is a huge resort/island hotel in Maldives. It offers you all the modern comforts, conveniences and facilities that you could never imagine. It is a mature island with dense tropical vegetation and tall coconut palms, that you could lose yourself amongst them. With wide beaches of fine white sands all around the island, there would be no difficulty in finding your own private little secluded cove for the day.

         

The Resort features 5 restaurants including Italian, Thai, 24hour A La Carte Coffee shop / Southern Star Grill. The Main Restaurant features good views of the ocean and surroundings, romantic setting, healthy dishes and good wine lists.

Wide range of sports and recreational facilities are availbale with modern equipment and experienced instructors at the resort. These include floodlight tennis, basketball, volleyball, electronic games, squash, indoor badminton, table tennis etc. Amongst the exciting water-sports activities available are scuba diving, wind surfing, catamaran sailing, and canoeing and the list goes on. A large swimming pool measuring 1800 square meters and children’s pool is set amidst exotic landscaping. It extends right to the edge of the lagoon to satisfy all your swimming needs. Towards the end of the pool is a swim-up bar.

The resort is far from the small island ‘settle back and relax’ concept. It’s big and it’s busy. If you are in a mood for party this is the perfect place for you. Yet, because it is a big island, there are different areas with different feels. The small zone around the water sports centre and beach bar is entirely quiet and laid back and perfect for reading a book (if you are that kind).

This resort comprises of 354 rooms and is among the largest resort in the country by some way. Even after so many rooms, it is a very green island with a full circuit of beach and a long list of activities, so you don't see a lot of your fellow guests except at mealtimes and in the evenings.

                          

Water bungalows account for 72 of the rooms (of which 4 are Presidential Suites). These, as usual, are the premium priced rooms and the interiors are designed to experience ultimate royalty. 

Wood floors and wall panels, a recessed ceiling with cornicing, copper, gold and peach striped textiles, work together to give an aristocratic look. A sizeable sun deck is half stone tiles and half weathered wooden boards, with sun loungers and sun chairs. 

Sun Island is unquestionably a friendly place. The relations between staff and guests are warm and easygoing. The staff is extreme hospital and extremely sensitive to the needs of customers, as they definitely have their reputation to take care. The vibe around the swimming pool and main bar is very good, especially in the evening, as it spills out on to beach side decking.

Alimatha Island

   Alimatha is located on the northern end of the Felidhu Atol, just 2 hours away from the capital island airport in Male by boat. The island itself is significant representative of the Maldives comprising of rich green vegetation surrounded by white sandy beaches extending out into crystal clear warm water.

     The bravo club village offers high standard comfortable accommodation with air conditioning and all the facilities that you expect from a modern hotel including excellent service fantastic local and international cuisine, bar, boutique and medical facility. It is a tropical paradise to relax in with all the modern comforts.

The Maldives is one of the most famous diving locations in the world. Alimatha island offers many stunning sites for dive excursions. Alimatha has national park area of Dewana kandu around it which can be reached in 10 minutes via boat.

Snorkeling is also a great way to catch a glimpse of the underwater world. TGI arranges night snorkeling trips for those who want to see the different colors and habits of the “night life” on the reef.

As its name suggests, Alimatha Aquatic is a resort devoted to the pleasures of diving, snorkeling and water sports. Like its sister resort Dhiggiri, Alimatha was completely renovated in the late 1990s. It’s also an Italian-dominated, club-style resort. The lagoon is quite wide and more suited to sailing and windsurfing (included in the package price) than snorkeling.

The Maldives has over 1,190 islands and only a few hundred have been utilized. It is easy to find an uninhabited island anywhere in the Maldives. This provides a romantic heaven where couples can escape from the all the worries of the world and lose themselves in each other.

There are options on spending the night on a romantic Robinson Crusoe-style deserted island or having a picnic on your own sand bar.

Alimatha Island has always been highly ranked on review sites and is one of the most beautiful remote beaches in all the Maldives. 

             

Paradise snorkeling

Maldives: Paradise snorkeling

Filitheyo Island Resort

There are a few places in the world that enthrall the visitor upon arrival as the Maldives do. Maldives is surrounded by natural beauty which is simply breathtaking. Maldives has the ability to totally mesmerize the visitor by its beauty and perfection.

It is the same for divers or snorkeling lovers. Infact it is a paradise for water lovers, with such a wide variety of life to explore.


                                                                                          Coral reef close to the beach: essential!

The Maldives is the heaven for divers. The underwater scenery is just as spectacular as those above the surface and the richness of the fauna is simply unbelievable. The best way to explore the underwater world of the Maldives is to choose the island. It is very important to make sure to have a "house reef" (house reef) a few flipper strokes from the beach. You will indeed spend a lot of time in the water so it is advisable to take a boat along.

If you have no idea about diving or snorkeling, this is the best time to start. For snorkeling, you do not even need to know how to swim. You will automatically float (clothing a life jacket) above the reef once on site like some of our Asian friends, who do not have the culture of swimming as European, and be floating above the reef. 

Watch out for sunburn!

To begin you do not need complicated equipment. Maldives hotels will lend or lease a mask, snorkel and flippers. Consider wearing a t-shirt special watersports certified UV protection (rather take in a light color, you will have less hot). They dry very quickly and are still more comfortable than a t-shirt in cotton. It costs less than 10 euros in a store like "Decathlon" and believe me you will thank me for having recommended this investment because the sun of Maldives is rather "beefy in tough." Also do be a little extra cautious with the buttocks and thighs, as this is often where the sun attack ... wearing shorts is certainly less sexy, but is highly recommended. If you decide to apply sun cream to protect the skin, please use a lotion that will not damage corals (without chemical filter). It is a bit more expensive than conventional lotions but it is in my opinion a sign of respect towards the corals. We stayed at a hotel, I recently visited under the guidance of a German friend. I had the chance to dive in some of the sights and practice my favorite sport, namely snorkeling.

                                                                                            The wall is clearly visible on this photo

Filitheyo is located in the north Nilandhe atoll. This magical island is surrounded by a fall - a kind of wall - which falls between 35 and 90 meters below the surface. Swimming above the falls is pretty amazing wildlife. It is amazing for us regulars Atlantic and the Mediterranean to see so many colorful fish. The waters in this area are full of turtles, eagle rays, surgeons fish, lionfish, moray eels, parrotfish, triggerfish. With a little luck you will also see a big beast like a shark! 

I already saw some sharks "there are SHARKS"? Uh, yes, the Maldives, there are a lot of sharks around the islands but they are rare, small and harmless. Witnessing a Shark is not a regular scene, it is very rare occurrence and you would probably need a lot of luck on your side. The vast majority are black tip sharks from 80 cm to 1 meter 20 long. It’s a brain mechanism that people have developed after watching Spielberg’s movies, but in reality you’ll take a liking to this kind of meetings.

Lulu the turtle ...

Filitheyo offers a base of highly professional diving instructors supervised by the Werner Lau. Two new French instructors were on the island (Thomas and Bertrand) and they seemed to be pretty happy to advise me. Lovers of scuba diving will discover several of the 30 proposed sites. There is also a recent wreck (2009) located up to 32 meters underwater. Nurse sharks (no it does not bite, they usually sleep at the bottom) and the lines are already benefiting from this refuge.

                                                                                              Class - an advanced diver diving!

I really had great times at Filitheyo water and I do not regret this trip at all. It was a fun experience. I feel more relaxed and chill now. I had to spend some money, but I guess it was worth it. It is advisable to refer to antilogvacations for cheap touring packages and guidance

Where to go in the Maldives

Planning for a holidays to Maldives? Well it just got a whole lot easier with Antilogvacations. Here is a list of the top picks for every type of traveller.

Reethi Rah

This all-villa resort is an exclusive and spacious private escape. It is extremely close to Malé which makes it convenient for families with babies or younger children. The resort’s facilities for kids are pretty impressive. The KidsOnly Club has its own pool and restaurant with activities that include tennis and swimming lessons, sushi-making and even special day trips. There are also a range of activities and trips for the whole family including diving, dolphin tours, fishing charters and sunset sails on traditional Maldivian dhonis.

The resort is comprised of 130 thatched-roof beach and overwater villas. Spa treatments can be enjoyed in an overwater suite at the spa, and there are yoga, tai chi and pilates classes available. Dining options include a specialty Japanese restaurant over the sea, and a boho-chic, sand-between-the-toes restaurant set up on the beach featuring Arabian delights.

Best for: Those looking for reuniting and spending some time with the whole family, as well as kid-only activities so parents can indulge in some pampering and relaxation as well.

Reethi Rah’s KidsOnly Club

Maalifushi 

by COMO

Infinity plunge pools at Maalifushi

This is the newest addition to the Maldives, Maalifushi, by COMO. Located in the pristine Thaa Atoll, Maalifushi is situated near some impressive surf breaks, a string of uninhabited nearby islands, and is in an area where whale shark sightings are common.

Maalifushi consists of 66 overwater and garden villas and suites, all with equally spectacular views: either of lush wide open areas of land where children can play, or directly out to sea which is ideal for couples. For those looking forward to the resort group’s award-winning spa facilities, the COMO Shambhala Retreat at Maalifushi will not disappoint. There are eight overwater, ocean-facing treatment rooms, steam rooms, pool, and an open air yoga pavilion.

It is best for those interested in health and wellness, who like being ahead of the curve in terms of discovering new properties.

                                                       The famous COMO Shambhala Spa

Gili Lankanfushi

Relaxation is paramount

Gili Lankanfushi is the best example of barefoot luxury. Located just 20-minutes by speedboat from Malé, this resort is set in one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives. The 45 luxurious villas are seriously oversized, and some are on private islands only accessible by boat. The resort also features its own PADI diving school and a range of other watersports, activities, tennis courts and a freshwater swimming pool. The spa also has a glass floor so you can watch the fish swim by below as you indulge in your treatments.

Gili Lankanfushi follows a ‘no shoes, no news’ philosophy. Essentially, guests are encouraged to kick off their shoes, leave their computers at home, switch off their iPhones, and really embrace the laidback, stress-free nature of island life!

It is a must forhHoneymooners and couples who love rustic luxury and are looking to really switch off and enjoy their time away from the rest of the world.

Four Seasons Explorer

    The Explorer Suite

For those looking to really explore this island nation in style, the most elegant way is to cruise around aboard a super yacht. The Four Seasons Explorer is a floating resort with 10 spacious state rooms and the ultra-luxurious Explorer Suite, all decked out with contemporary teak furnishings and Indian fabrics with stunning views from their large port windows.

Dive enthusiasts will love the fully-equipped onboard PADI dive centre offering 3 dives per day. The Explorer is the fastest-cruising live aboard in the Maldives, giving guests access to some of the country’s most secluded dive spots – channel dives with sharks and rays, cleaning station, wrecks, and coral overhangs.  There is also a spa therapist onboard for some post-dive pampering.

It is a honest recommendation for sailors, divers, and restless sea-lovers who can’t bear to be tied down to one location.

                                                     Pull up alongside isolated sandbars