Lhaviyani Atoll★★
The Lhaviyani Atoll (Faadhippolhu) is located 120 km north of Malé and is accessible by seaplane in 35–40 minutes. With only 5 inhabited islands and a handful of resorts, it offers the perfect mix of accessibility and seclusion.
Resorts in the Lhaviyani Atoll
| Resort | Category | Price from | Special Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurawalhi Island | 5★ Adults-Only | $700/night | 5.8 Undersea Restaurant (largest underwater restaurant in the world) |
| Kuredu Island | 4★ | $180/night | 380+ rooms, budget options, diver's paradise |
| Kanuhura | 5★ | $600/night | 2 private islands, Robinson Crusoe picnics |
| Komandoo Island | 4★ Adults-Only | $350/night | Small, intimate island, only 45 villas, excellent reef |
| Innahura Maldives | 3★ | $150/night | Budget resort, simple but clean, good house reef |
Hurawalhi hosts the spectacular 5.8 Undersea Restaurant — the largest underwater restaurant in the world, 5.8 meters below the water surface. A 10-course menu surrounded by a 180-degree panorama of the coral reef. Sharks, rays, and turtles swim past guests as the sommelier announces the next course. Dinner from $280 per person (evenings only, reservation required). Coordinates: [5.3917, 73.4958].
Kuredu Island is the price-performance champion of the Maldives: Beach bungalow with all-inclusive from $180/night, dive package for 5 dives from $300. The island is large enough for extended walks and offers 6 restaurants and bars. Particularly popular with divers because of the "Kuredu Express" — a legendary drift dive. Coordinates: [5.5356, 73.4800].
💡 Tipp
Kuredu offers one of the best value-for-money deals in the Maldives. For divers who don't need the highest luxury, it's the first choice. Innahura next door is even cheaper and shares the dive sites.
Diving in the Lhaviyani Atoll
The atoll is a diver's paradise with over 50 charted dive sites:
Top Dive Sites
| Dive Site | Depth | Level | Highlights | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipyard | 15–30 m | Open Water+ | 2 sunken ships, coral growth, fish schools | ★★★ |
| Kuredu Express | 10–30 m | Advanced | Drift dive, grey reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse | ★★★ |
| Fushivaru Thila | 10–30 m | Advanced | Overhang corals, eagle rays, guitar sharks | ★★ |
| Madivaru Kandu | 5–35 m | Advanced | Channel entrance, hammerhead sharks (early morning), barracudas | ★★★ |
| Fushifaru Thila | 5–25 m | Open Water | Colorful soft corals, nudibranchs, macro paradise | ★★ |
The Shipyard is one of the most unique dive sites in the Maldives — an underwater ship graveyard with two sunken ships overgrown with corals and inhabited by schools of fish. The ships lie at a depth of 15–30 meters on a sandy bottom, patrolled by guitar sharks and nurse sharks. Visibility of 20–30 meters makes the spot photogenic and partially accessible to snorkelers (the upper masts reach up to 8 meters below the surface).
