Omadhoo Island
Omadhoo, Maldives is on the east side of the South Ari Atoll. It’s a small populated island with a port and sand spit on the southwest side. We were blessed to have 5 nights there. This is very subjective, but I think Omadhoo Island might be the best island for budget travelers in the Maldives. Not so crowded like the more popular backpacker island.
How to Get to Omadhoo
There are two ways to get to Omadhoo from the capital city of Male… a 2.5 hour speedboat for $25 or a much longer slow ferry for a few bucks. Due to our flight timing, we could only get the speedboat. It was a good way to travel and many locals were doing the same.
Where to Stay in Omadhoo
We arrived just before sunset so we had time to shower before one of the amazing meals at the Kuri Inn. The Kuri Inn was fully booked so the put us in the nicer overflow guesthouse the Coral View Inn, just 2 blocks away. Here we had paid $65 per night per person for room and full board. Book your accommodation here.
The Omadhoo Beach
The first morning there, I realized we were in heaven. The little sand spit at sunrise was divine. I would spend many sunrises and sunsets here of the next few days.
Kuri Inn Meals
The meals at Kuri Inn were abundant and tasty. There were multiple choices for each meal.
Each breakfast we got to have some Lisa jam!
Whale Sharks on Ari Atoll
Perhaps the best thing about Kuri inn were their day trips. Each evening, Ismael the manager would tell us what tour was on for the next day, and I did a tour three of the days.
The most expensive tour was a long speedboat ride to the south end of the greater Ari Atoll with the hope to see whale sharks. It had been a longtime dream to see these creatures so I was so happy to make the trip. By the time we arrived, there were at least 20 boats cruising back and forth, with the captains looking for a sign of whale sharks. After cruising for nearly an hour, our captain said “put on your mask” We jumped in the water and he yelled “look down now”. I pulled out my camera and managed to take these 3 photos before I started swimming in chase.
A few seconds later a MOB of 100’s of people were all thrashing trying to follow the fast swimming fish. In the mob, someone managed to knock off one of my fins so I had to stay back and find it. By that time the fish was long gone. Well, at least I could say I saw one. On the way back to Omadhoo, we stopped at a small sand island that was owned by a resort. We were only allowed a short visit. I got the impression we weren’t supposed to be there. There was a cool purple jellyfish that had met his demise on the island.
Deserted Islands – Absolute Maldivan Paradise
The other day trips were A*M*A*Z*I*N*G. We had full day trips to various deserted islands in the area. Islands that had no trees, 1 tree, and the largest island that had 7 palm trees!
Each of these islands was totally surrounded by coral reef and the snorkeling was great.
But the coolest thing about these islands were the perfect white sand beaches and swimming pool-like water.
Even Omadhoo had some great snorkeling. There were a couple Russian girls on a tighter budget that were unable to do tours so they just snorkeled all day long on Omadhoo. They had some amazing footage of turtles, Manta rays, and other amazing stuff.
Do you have a bigger budget for Maldives or celebrating a special occasion like a honeymoon? Consider staying at the Conrad Maldives. If you’ve been stockpiling Hiltons Honors points, they can also be redeemed here.
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But if you want a more authentic experience and a chance to visit these deserted islands at a reasonable price, check the rates and availability of guesthouses on Omadhoo.
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