Neighbourhoods in Baa Atoll
- 01
Dharavandhoo
Dharavandhoo is the largest island in Baa Atoll by land area and home to the atoll's domestic airport, so it is where many visitors first arrive. It sits close to the Hanifaru Bay area.
- Time needed
- One to two hours on the island unless you stay
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Daytime; flights and boats run in daylight
- Tickets
- No ticket for the island. Flights to Malé are operated by Maldivian and Manta Air according to Wikipedia; check current schedules and baggage limits on a domestic aircraft.
- 02
Eydhafushi
Eydhafushi is the capital of Baa Atoll and its everyday centre: shops, the atoll hospital, the school and the ferry links to nearby islands.
- Time needed
- Two to three hours for a walk and tea stop
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning or late afternoon, outside the midday heat
- Tickets
- Nothing to book for a walk. If you need the Baa Atoll Hospital, bring your insurance details and passport and ask your resort or guesthouse whether they can arrange the visit.
Day trips in Baa Atoll
- 03
Fulhadhoo
A long, narrow local island on the same small outlying atoll as Goidhoo, with fewer than 350 residents. It is for travellers who want one of the quietest islands in the atoll.
- Time needed
- Half a day with the boat; longer if staying
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Calm weather months
- Tickets
- No tickets or fixed schedule. Access is by boat, so arrange it through a licensed operator or your accommodation, and confirm whether visitors may stay.
- 04
Goidhoo
A larger local island on a small separate atoll in the north-west of Baa Atoll, with a lagoon that Wikipedia describes as unusually free of coral heads. It is for travellers who want somewhere quiet.
- Time needed
- Most of a day with the boat; longer if staying
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Calm-weather months; confirm sea conditions before you go
- Tickets
- No tickets. Visitor access is arranged by boat, so ask your agent for a licensed operator and confirm whether you may stay overnight and where food is available.
Experiences in Baa Atoll
- 05
Hanifaru Bay
A small reef bay in Baa Atoll that, in the right season, draws some of the largest manta ray gatherings in the world. Entry is controlled, so you go with a permit and a licensed operator.
- Time needed
- Half a day including the boat ride; time in the water is limited by the rules
- Walking
- Demanding
- Best time
- The south-west monsoon months, roughly May or June to November according to operators; confirm the current season
- Tickets
- A permit is required and is normally arranged by your resort or a licensed tour operator. Operators describe visit-time and boat-number limits, but the details have changed over the years, so confirm fees and rules at the time of booking.
Culture in Baa Atoll
- 06
Kendhoo
Kendhoo is a small local island in northern Baa Atoll, known across the Maldives for traditional herbal medicine, where people travel for treatment.
- Time needed
- Half a day with the boat
- Walking
- Easy
- Best time
- Morning, outside the midday heat
- Tickets
- No standard ticket. Treatments and visits are private arrangements; ask your host about costs, who the practitioner is and what is in any remedy.
