General Information about Ari Atoll
This natural atoll in the Maldives is also known by other names: Alif Atoll and Alifu Atoll. It is located in the west of the archipelago, approximately 100 km from Male.
Ari is the largest atoll in the archipelago. With an almost rectangular shape, it stretches 33 km from east to west and 96 km from south to north.
Ari Atoll is divided into administrative parts: North Ari Atoll (Alif Alif) and South Ari Atoll (Alif Dhaalu).
Ari Atoll includes about 70 islands and sandbanks, with 18 of them permanently inhabited and 28 turned into resorts.
The local population is engaged in growing coconuts and making coral souvenirs, hunting sharks and turtles, and working in the tourism business.
Main Tourist Resort Islands
Ari is part of the Maldives’ tourist development zone. Each resort in the archipelago has its “highlight.”
Alaveli, Batala, Viligilivaru, Machchafushi, Ellaidhoo – “divers’ islands.” They offer good access to famous Maldivian reefs, and there are well-known marine reserves nearby.
Rangali-Finolhu is known as a modern diving center.
Kudafoludu is the oldest resort in the Maldives. Its main pride now is a remarkably large banyan tree.
Angaga is called the beach island, with over 25% of its area occupied by a luxurious sandy beach.
Kuramathi is known not so much for its luxurious hotels as for the fact that the famous archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl conducted excavations there.
Maximum seclusion is what the Nika resort offers. Each bungalow has its own beach.
The Nalaguraidhoo resort is popular among party-goers. Of course, the Maldives is intended for a calm vacation, but by local standards, Nalaguraidhoo is practically Las Vegas. It has golf and other sports fields, billiards, a huge pool, several restaurants, and gaming machines.
Small islands like Athuruga, Velidhu, Vakarufalhi, Diddu-Finolhu, Kudara, Maayafushi, Mirihi, Madugali, and Fesdu, as well as larger islands like Veligandu, Vilamendhoo, Dhiffushi, and Thundufushi – are classic Maldivian resorts. Quiet, measured, and rich.
At Dhoni Mighili, all guests can use a dhoni boat as personal transport with a driver around the clock.
Some islands are connected by bridges, allowing you to move around Ari on foot and by bicycle.
How to Get to Ari Atoll
First, you need to fly to Male airport. From there, there are three main ways to get to any island in North Ari Atoll or South Ari Atoll in the Maldives:
- Seaplane: This is the fastest and most comfortable, but also the most expensive way. The fee for a 30-minute flight is $400-500, and for children aged 2-12, the price is half. Keep in mind that sometimes you have to wait a couple of hours for the flight.
- Speedboat: The journey takes about 2 hours, and the transfer cost is $70-100.
- Public ferry.
Transfer details can be discussed with the hotel administrator when booking a room. Sometimes guests are provided with free transportation.
Best Hotels
Ari Atoll in the Maldives offers a wide selection of luxury hotels. The most sought-after, with the best value for money, include the following 5-star hotels.
Constance Moofushi Maldives
Guest rating – 9.7 out of 10. This complex is located on South Ari Atoll. The villas are right by the beaches and lagoons, with panoramic views of the Indian Ocean from their terraces.
Guests can visit the gym, large panoramic pool, and an overwater SPA center for a relaxing massage or yoga pavilion.
The Manta restaurant offers a buffet. The Alizee beach restaurant specializes in grilled food. The Totem and Manta bars offer a wide variety of refreshing cocktails.
Prices for double rooms start at $660 per night. Check prices for specific dates and book the hotel here.
Villa Park Sun Island Resort
Guests rated the resort 9 out of 10. This hotel is located in Maamigili, just 3 km from the airport.
The complex includes a garden and a private beach. There is a fitness center, billiards, and table tennis facilities, and a tennis court. There are all conditions for cycling around the area. For children, there is a spacious safe playground.
American and continental breakfasts, as well as a buffet, are served in the mornings. There is a restaurant on-site that prepares Japanese and Italian food. At the guest’s request, chefs cook vegetarian, kosher, and halal dishes.
The price for a double room starts at $300 per night. Book here here.
Constance Halaveli
Guests of this resort are welcomed in spacious, open-plan villas with windows overlooking the lagoon or surrounding garden.
Each villa has its own mini-pool. There is a full-service SPA salon on the territory.
Active leisure lovers can work out in the fitness center or on the tennis court. There are excellent conditions for diving and fishing.
The MEERU restaurant serves fresh seafood delicacies. International cuisine dishes are prepared for breakfast and dinner by the chefs at the JAHAZ restaurant. The JING restaurant specializes in Asian cuisine.
Booking.com rating – 9.6/10. The cost for a double room per night is from $750.
LUX* South Ari Atoll Resort & Villas
Luxurious cottages with open relaxation areas are surrounded by tropical vegetation and have direct access to the beach. This is the hotel from the first photo of our article.
There is an outdoor pool, as well as a SPA salon offering various cosmetic procedures and massages. Active leisure lovers can visit the fitness center, and game room with darts and billiards. This hotel also offers the widest selection of non-motorized and motorized water sports in the Maldives.
The resort has 8 restaurants and 5 bars. International and Asian cuisine dishes are served buffet-style, along with Japanese and Mediterranean food.
Prices for double rooms start at $385 per night. Residents rated the resort 9.4 out of 10. Book here here.
Underwater World, Diving, and Snorkeling
Ari Atoll is one of the most popular places in the Maldives for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts. The underwater world is diverse, and the diving opportunities depend on the location within the atoll, whether it is its southern or northern part.
The best islands for diving are Alaveli, Batala, Viligilivaru, Machchafushi, and Ellaidhoo, as they have the most convenient access to Maldivian reefs.
The most famous and sought-after dive sites include:
- Broken Rock: A reef on the southern side of Ari. It has an almost circular shape, 50 m in diameter, with a deep crack in the middle, flanked by gorgonians and sponges on either side of the trench.
- Fish Head Marine Reserve: A 100-meter reef with a heavily indented surface. Large coral blocks surround it on the west and north sides. The current is weak.
- Maaya Thila: The most beautiful, with a rugged and extraordinarily scenic relief. It measures about 50 x 30 meters, separated from the water surface by 8 meters. The base is washed by strong ocean currents. There are various species of underwater inhabitants, including large moray eels and reef sharks.
- Ukulas Thila: A peculiar plateau rising in the northern section of the channel extending west-east from Ari Atoll. It reaches 250 meters in length, with a depth of 16 to 30 meters. From December to April, manta rays regularly visit, and striped snappers and eagle rays are always present.
- Halaveli Wreck: Located on the southern and western sides of Ari Atoll. Near the edge of the reef surrounding the island, a 35-meter liner was sunk in 1991. It lies at a depth of 30 meters, with its superstructure 17 meters from the surface. Large spotted stingrays, remoras, glassfish, and large reef sharks can be found there.
- Panetone: The northern tip of the reef near Kalhahandhi Hura Island. It measures 250 meters in length, with depths ranging from 3 to 30 meters. This site has many ledges and caves, with strong currents.
- Shark Thila Reef: With a diameter of about 70 meters, and its highest point 10 meters from the water surface, it is located in the northern part of Ari. The reef has strong currents, while the water under the base is calmer. Many gray sharks, giant snappers, and eagle rays swim nearby.
- Manta Reef or Madivaru: It has a depth of 5-30 meters and strong currents. When the east-northeast monsoons blow, rays feed on plankton there. Roosterfish and Napoleon wrasses are often encountered.
- Orimas Thila Reserve Zone: Notable for its numerous caves, ravines, depressions, and ledges. The top is at a depth of 3 meters, making it ideal for snorkeling.
- Fesdu Wreck: A 3-meter ship at a depth of 18 meters. The outside is covered with corals, and inside, where divers swim, live groupers and eels.
- Kuda Thila: Located on the southern edge of the atoll. The reef is 70 meters long, with its surface at a depth of 13 meters. From northwest to southeast, through the very center of the reef, at a depth of 22 meters, runs a canyon. There is a small plateau and picturesque rocks on the eastern side.
Rasdhu Atoll, located north of Ari Atoll, has a diameter of up to 9 km. There are no strong currents, making it popular among beginners. Diving is possible directly in Rasdhu and on the northern side of Ari Atoll. There are no soft corals, but hammerhead sharks swim at depths of 20-30 meters.
In dive centers, diving equipment is rented for $15, and a dive with boat rental and all equipment costs $60-65. An open-water course costs $450-500. Snorkeling to nearby corals costs around $25.
Other Activities and Attractions
During a vacation in the southern and northern parts of Ari Atoll, you can engage in windsurfing and parasailing, catamaran sailing, water scooters, and skiing.
There are ideal conditions for fishing, which costs $30-50 depending on the time of day. Every year, many anglers come to the Maldives to pursue their favorite hobby.
North of Veligandu, just 15 km away, is the small Toddu Atoll. There you can visit a school of traditional Maldivian dances, whose participants regularly perform in restaurants in Ari.
You can also go on an excursion to the cultural center of South Ari – the small island of Dhangethi.
Submarine tours are available, costing approximately $100.
Weather: When to Visit Ari Atoll
The best time to visit the Maldives is determined by each traveler based on their preferences and weather conditions.
The Maldives has a tropical climate, with warm weather almost all year round. But there are two main seasons:
- Dry and windless period from December to the end of April.
- Monsoon season from May to November, marked by rains and strong winds.
The dry season is the main tourist season in the Maldives and Ari Atoll when the weather is sunny, and the air temperature is +30°C. This time is ideal for beach vacations, diving, and other water activities. But there are quite a lot of tourists, and prices are higher.
The monsoon season is when the Maldives often experience short rains and strong storms, although the air temperature remains high. But in different parts of the Maldives, this season can manifest itself differently. For example, the southern islands receive less rainfall than the northern ones. During the monsoon season, prices are lower, and there are more available hotel rooms.
In conclusion, if you want to enjoy sunny weather and avoid heavy rains, the best time to visit the Maldives is the dry season from December to April. But if you value low prices and are willing to tolerate a higher chance of rain, the monsoon season from May to November may be attractive to you.
Useful Tips and Interesting Facts
- The construction of resorts on Ari Atoll began in the 1990s and has now reached its peak. The Maldivian authorities plan that there will be no more new resorts on this atoll.
- Coconuts are widely grown in the Maldives, making them very affordable. A popular product to bring back from a vacation is coconut oil. It can be used for skin and hair care, as well as for aromatherapy.
- Souvenirs typically brought back from the Maldives include items made from palm wood and leaves, as well as handmade shell jewelry. Another option is traditional clothing, dhoti for men and sarongs (mundu) for women.
- Who can be recommended to vacation on North and South Ari Atoll? Those who love exoticism, nature in general, and paradise landscapes in particular. Fans of beach vacations, diving, and various water sports.
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