North Male Atoll is the principal atoll of the Maldives
and includes Male, the island capital. The administrative
capital is the island of Thulusdhoo. North Male Atoll,
which includes Gaafaru, is 69 km long and 39 km at its
widest point. There are 50 islands in North Male Atoll
and several small islets. There are eight inhabited
islands (counting the airport) and out of the 42 uninhabited
islands, 27 are resorts and most of the remaining 15
are privately leased with some buildings on them. Many
resort islands are close enough to the airport for transfers
to be made by traditional Dhoni's, but those more distant
ones usually use speedboats and seaplanes to save time.
Transfers to the more distant islands by engine Dhoni
can take just over four hours.
South Male Atoll is 36 km long and 19 km wide. There
are 30 islands of which three are inhabited, 10 are
uninhabited and 17 are resorts. The capital of the atoll
is Maafushi. The atoll is separated from North Male
Atoll by the 4.5 km wide Vaadhoo Kandu. Transfers from
the airport to the resorts are mostly by speedboat but
some of the closer ones still use engine Dhoni's. Rough
seas can sometimes be experienced in the Vaadhoo Kandu.
For administrative purposes, Ari Atoll is divided into
North Ari Atoll, which includes Rasdhoo Atoll and the
tiny atoll of Thoddoo, and South Ari Atoll. The capital
of North Ari Atoll is Rasdhoo and South Ari Atoll is Mahibadhoo.
There are a total of 70 islands in Ari Atoll and many
sand banks, some of which are becoming islands while others
are being washed away. Rasdhoo Atoll is nine km in diameter
while Ari is 96 km long by 33 km wide. There are a total
of 18 inhabited islands in Ari Atoll with a total population
of over 7500. There are a further 52 uninhabited islands
of which 26 are resorts. The principal occupation of Ari
Atoll islanders used to be catching turtles, weaving sails,
coral collecting and coral carving but they are good fishermen
and are traditionally renowned for their shark catching
to produce oil for the timbers of dhoanis. Their shark
catching traditions are still strong and often at odds
with divers who wish to keep the sharks in the water.
Coconut production of the atoll is also high. Many islanders
now turn to the resorts for employment. Resort development
escalated in the early 1990s and has now peaked. No more
resorts are expected to be constructed in the atoll.
There
are currently about 30 resorts scattered around the
50 or so islands within the administrative district
of Alifu, which is commonly referred to as Ari. The
atoll has some of the country's finest resorts
A
brand new Atoll when it comes to resorts, this atoll occupies
only one resort at the moment, this is the most northern
atoll of Maldives and has a lot to offer for the visitor.
easiest way to get to this atoll by flying to the neighboring
haa dhaal atoll, which has a domestic airport & caters
regular domestic flights through out the week.
South
Maalhosmadulu Atoll and Goidhoo Atoll, or Horsburgh Atoll,
as it is called on some European charts, belong to the
administrative atoll of Baa. Weaving and fishing are the
principal occupations of the islanders. South Maalhosmadulu
Atoll is 42 km long and 32 km wide. There are 10 inhabited
islands and 41 uninhabited islands. Eydhafushi is the
atoll capital. The atoll is separated from North Maalhosmadulu
Atoll by a 3.2 km wide channel, Hani Kandu, otherwise
known as the Moresby Channel. A 1.8 km wide channel, Kuda
Kanduolhi, cuts through South Maalhosmadulu Atoll from
east to west. Sonevafushi (Kunfunadhoo) is currently the
only resort in the atoll but another four uninhabited
islands have been earmarked for resort development. They
are Fonimagoodhoo, Kihaadhuffaru, Horubadhoo and Dhunikolhu.
Olhugiri is the most southern island of South Maalhosmadulu
Atoll and lies 13 km north of Goidhoo Atoll. Goidhoo Atoll,
or Horsburgh Atoll, is 8.5 km long and 17.5 km wide. It
has three inhabited islands: Goidhoo, Fulhadhoo and Fehendhoo,
known collectively as Goi'fulha'fehendhoo. There are three
small uninhabited islands and only one channel, Doru Kandu,
in the south of the atoll. The atoll offers a secure anchorage
near the islands in the north-east monsoon.
A small atoll in comparison to other atolls, Lhaviyani
Atoll is also known as Faadhippolhu. It is 35 kilometres
long and 37 kilometres wide and lies 120 kilometres north
of Male’. The atoll is comprised of about 50 islands out
of which five are inhabited. Most of the islands in the
atoll are large and densely vegetated and unusually they
are all situated on the outer rim of the atoll. The first
resort in the atoll opened in 1988 and remained the only
one in the atoll until the end of 1998. The atoll is well
known for its diving. The ‘boatyard’, for instance offers
divers the unique opportunity of enjoying two wrecks in
one dive. Lhaviyani Atoll is home to about 8,000 people.
Almost half of the population lives on the island of Naifaru,
the atoll capital. Except for Hinnavaru and Naifaru the
other villages are sparsely populated. The main occupation
of the people of the atoll is fishing and even today they
are renowned fishermen. It is no wonder that the Felivaru
Tuna Canning Factory, the only canning factory in the
country is located in the atoll. The factory now produces
about 90,000 tonnes of canned tuna per year and employs
about 2000 staff. All fish used for canning, is caught
using the pole and line method, thus encouraging a sustainable,
environment friendly fishing industry. The island of Maafilaafushi,
on the northern rim of the atoll, is being resettled with
encouragement from the government. Although it is only
a small population that is resident on the island so far,
the government has already provided them with important
infrastructure such as a school, health centre and mosque.
Seenu Atoll also known as Addoo Atoll is the southernmost
atoll of the Maldives.
It is one of two atolls of the Maldives that lie on the
south of the equator. The heart-shaped atoll is 18 kilometres
long and 15 kilometres wide. Addoo Atoll is different
from any other Maldivian atoll in many respects. The islands
are only on the rim of the atoll and the islands on the
western side have been joined together to form the longest
stretch of land in the country, measuring about 18 kilometres.
The holiday experience at Addoo is also different from
the rest of the Maldives. This is the only atoll where
you can ride a bicycle through the towns and meet the
locals. The only resort in the atoll is at Gan. Buildings
of the former RAF base here have been converted to provide
facilities for the resort. Most visitors get to Addoo
by scheduled Air Maldives flights from Male’ International
Airport - an exciting one hour flight which takes you
over the whole length of the Maldives chain of atolls
to the south of Male’ the capital. The best diving
and snorkelling in the atoll is on the long outer fringing
reefs of the atoll. Caves and overhangs provide the perfect
habitat for turtles and nurse sharks. Although divers
may not find an abundance of reef fish, one would see
mantas, sharks, turtles and generally other big fish all
year round. The large wreck of the ‘British Royalty’
torpedoed by the Japanese while in Addoo harbour, and
later sunk by the British, also enhances diving in this
atoll. The population of 17,000 lives on four islands,
with 10,000 living on Hithadhoo the capital. Hithadhoo
is a bustling town, only second to Male’, with its
own hospital, secondary school and streets lined with
shops. The history of the atoll is quite unique too. With
the outbreak of World War II, the atoll became a key hub
for British troop movements in the Indian Ocean region.
A British RAF base was built in Gan and before long 1200
Addoo locals were employed by the British. After the end
of the War, Gan was developed as a modern airbase with
the latest navigational and landing aids, and was able
to handle the most sophisticated RAF aircraft. Between
1960-61 it handled some 630 aircraft and 12,500 passengers.
The British stayed in Gan until 1976.
