Maldives holidays, Dhoni cruise
| country: | Maldives |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 24 Aug, 5 Oct, 19 Oct, 16 Nov, 28 Dec 2009: 4 Jan, 1 Feb, 8 Feb, 8 Mar, 22 Mar, 5 Apr, 23 Aug |
| price: | From £1099 - £1499 (9 days) including flights from UK, from £599 - £625 excluding flights |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Unspoilt palm-fringed tropical islands with white beaches, turquoise lagoons and fantastic coral reefs and marine life are only part of the appeal of the Maldives. It is a remote and historically fascinating country made up of 1190 islands spread across the Indian Ocean. A Muslim country, it has just under a third of a million inhabitants scattered throughout the islands, its own language and unique culture, as we shall find out as we journey through the myriad of islands on our traditional vessel.
Life on the Dhoni
Arriving on Hulule 'airport island', we transfer directly to our Maldivian sailing 'dhoni' and set sail for a nearby island for our first night on board.
The dhoni is the traditional means of transport of the Maldives and is thought to have derived from the Arab Dhow. Our vessels have been converted into live-aboard cruise boats with couchette accommodation and a saloon area inside plus plenty of room on deck both in the sun and shade for relaxing and watching the world go by. Meals on board tend to be planned around the catch of the day - a treat for those that enjoy seafood!
Cruising the Atolls
The coral and sand islands that make up the Maldives are clustered into 26 different Atolls, formed originally by volcanic activity. Leaving the main North Male Atoll behind, we aim to head through South Male and Felidhoo Atolls, stopping in small harbours or at uninhabited islands along the way. Continuing south we reach Meemu (Mulaku) Atoll, a group of islands with very few resorts, where we visit small fishing villages and possibly see boat builders at work. There will be plenty of opportunities for swimming and snorkelling in the clear blue waters to see the varied and vibrant marine life that abounds. At one of the villages - possibly Dhiggaru - we hope to enjoy a traditional 'Bodu Beru' (Big Drum) performance.
Male
Crammed onto an island 1.8 sq km in area, Male houses a fifth of the total population. We walk around the main sights of this important capital including the Grand Friday Mosque, the Islamic centre and the local markets which are busy with the barter of islanders haggling for goods.
Life on the Dhoni
Arriving on Hulule 'airport island', we transfer directly to our Maldivian sailing 'dhoni' and set sail for a nearby island for our first night on board.
The dhoni is the traditional means of transport of the Maldives and is thought to have derived from the Arab Dhow. Our vessels have been converted into live-aboard cruise boats with couchette accommodation and a saloon area inside plus plenty of room on deck both in the sun and shade for relaxing and watching the world go by. Meals on board tend to be planned around the catch of the day - a treat for those that enjoy seafood!
Cruising the Atolls
The coral and sand islands that make up the Maldives are clustered into 26 different Atolls, formed originally by volcanic activity. Leaving the main North Male Atoll behind, we aim to head through South Male and Felidhoo Atolls, stopping in small harbours or at uninhabited islands along the way. Continuing south we reach Meemu (Mulaku) Atoll, a group of islands with very few resorts, where we visit small fishing villages and possibly see boat builders at work. There will be plenty of opportunities for swimming and snorkelling in the clear blue waters to see the varied and vibrant marine life that abounds. At one of the villages - possibly Dhiggaru - we hope to enjoy a traditional 'Bodu Beru' (Big Drum) performance.
Male
Crammed onto an island 1.8 sq km in area, Male houses a fifth of the total population. We walk around the main sights of this important capital including the Grand Friday Mosque, the Islamic centre and the local markets which are busy with the barter of islanders haggling for goods.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Male. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Male; transfer directly to dhoni and sail to nearby island in South Male Atoll. |
| Day 3: | Cruise to Ambaraa Island in Felidhoo Atoll. |
| Day 4: | Cruise to Meemu Atoll. |
| Day 5: | Visit Dhiggaru village, Meemu Atoll. |
| Day 6: | Cruise to Felidhoo; visit traditional village. |
| Day 7: | Cruise to Emboodhoo Finolhu Lagoon. |
| Day 8: | Cruise back through South Male Atoll to Male; afternoon walking tour and free time. |
| Day 9: | Fly back to London. |
travellers' tales
Guided by the all local crew and tour guide we snorkelled silently among countless marine life by day and anchored by deserted islands or among small communities by night. (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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This trip avoids the large International resorts altogether, stopping at small local fishing villages on lesser known atolls to gain a genuine insight into the traditional Maldavian lifestyles away from the tourist industry.
We sleep aboard a locally owned and operated converted traditional fishing vessel known as a “Dhoni” with all our food supplies being bought or caught locally, thus ensuring a direct contribution to the local economy of the islands. Limiting our group size to just 16 minimizes the impact of out visit – “smaller groups leave fewer footprints”Our boat crew and leaders have been trained to operate the Dhoni cruise in a manner to minimise our impact on the amazing coral atolls that form the focus of our snorkelling excursions from our boat. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |