Excursions
On the 30th of April you can choose a fun excursion to go on.
Be adventurous and go for a dive or see some of the unique cultural and nature sites in Addu Atoll both over and underwater!
Choose from one of the excursions below
Addu Nature Park Tour and Snorkelling
With Aminath Afa from Addu Nature Park, and MCI’s Professor Callum Roberts and team, and Dr. Julie Hawkins
30th April from 09:00-12:00
Meet at Addu Nature Park Visitor Center at 08:45
Price per person: MVR 85
*Limited capacity, please sign up early!
**Payment to be made at the Addu Nature Park entrance
The northern end of Hithadhoo is home to the Eydhigali Kilhi and Koattey protected area. This is the first protected area in the Maldives, consisting of both land and marine ecosystems, with one of the largest wetlands in the Maldives and an area which consists of almost all of the ecosystems found in the Maldives. The rich history and the biodiversity of this area makes this one of the most unique areas in the Maldives.
Guided Tour
Visitors are able to enjoy the pristine nature of the entire protected area via guided tours on buggies. The guided tour of the nature park starts from the visitor center (the wooden infrastructure) at the entrance of the park. The hour long tour takes you through narrow pathways of unique flora and fauna and the rich history of Addu. The guided tours take visitors to the birdwatching platforms where rare sightings can be made at times, but most definitely always offer picturesque views without fail. En route, the friendly rangers at the park explain historical significance, folklores and stories of the various areas which the park embodies, including the infamous ranin hanaa fenganda (Queen’s pond) and the dhivvaa fenganda, which is a green pond in the middle of the park. After you have passed by the beautiful Queen´s Pond and some of the historic remains of the area, you are only a few hundred metres from Koattey, the northern part of the Protected Area. Once you have arrived at Koattey, you can get ready for snorkelling and explore the underwater paradise.
Guided Snorkeling with Professor Callum Roberts
The northern end of the protected area; kottey is the picnic and the snorkelling area of the park. There are three snorkelling/diving locations at Koattey. The most famous one is the house reef of Koattey locally known as Koattey gondo, which is about a kilometre of shallow water reef with an average depth of 2-7 metres. As this is the inner reef of the lagoon it has mostly clear water and almost no current at all throughout the year. The raw, colourful beauty of the underwater world is breathtakingly diverse as you are likely to come across schools of fish, sharks, turtles, lobsters and sponges. With the abundance of fish, turtles, sharks, rays and the amount of hard corals in this reef; it is said to be the best snorkelling reef in Addu.
Join a dive to meet Addu Atoll’s manta rays
With Aquaventure Maldives & Manta Trust
30th April from 08:00-12:00
Arrive at Aquaventure Maldives by 07:30
Price per person: USD 85
You can fill the divers registration form at the site or you can download it here: divers registration form If you fill it out early, please print a copy to bring with you.
*Limited capacity, please sign up early!
**Payment can be made by bank transfer or at the site, details will be sent on sign up
Interested in meeting some of Addu Atoll’s famous flappy friends – Why not sign up for a manta dive with Aquaventure Maldives dive centre and have the opportunity to encounter some of the friendly manta rays known to Addu Atoll. There’s Ewok, Tinkerbell, Tarzan and Gulliver to name a few, and all of them really know how to put on a good show for the divers! For this dive excursion, the Manta Trust researcher will join Aquaventure Maldives dive centre to a famous manta ray cleaning station. During the boat trip, the Manta Trust researcher will brief the guests on the workings of the Manta Trust, and how to interact with manta rays in a safe and considerate manner; following the Manta Trust’s Best Practice Code of Conduct. Divers will be educated about the research being carried out by the Manta Trust team and the significance of such work. This briefing will be in addition to the dive centres’ mandatory pre-dive safety briefing. Interested divers, especially those with their own cameras, will be shown how to take identification pictures of manta rays, and how to capture shots of important features; such as injuries, mating scars, pregnancies, etc.
Meedhoo Tour
With Addu Travel & Tours
30th April from 09:00 to 14:00
Meet at Hithadhoo Harbour at 09:00
Price per person: USD 45
*Limited capacity, please sign up early!
Meedhoo is an island with a unique ecosystem, and is connected to Hulhudhoo. The two islands together are called Hulhumeedhoo, and are separate from the rest of the Addu Atoll islands. This excursion will take you to cultural sites, to see innovative farming, as well as immerse you in the beautiful and peaceful natural environments of Meedhoo.
Mathi Kihli (Eco Garden)
Around 50 hectares of the area surrounding Mathikilhi is covered in lake sedge, an area seemingly covered in green carpet. Remarkably, there are almost no trees there, leaving a large area filled with green lush vegetation. Spending time in a garden situated in the middle of such a location can bring peace to the mind.
Koagannu Gaburusthaan (Koagannu Cemetery)
The oldest and largest burial ground in Maldives, Koaggannu cemetery is considered a heritage site preserving the coral building tradition. The local coral stone mosques of the Maldives are architecturally unique, combining local and regional influences. The important Islamic site has its earliest beginnings in the 12th century CE with the construction of the first mosque in the Maldives.
Zuvaan Dhandu’veriya (Young Farmer -Agriculture Farm)
The young farmer who introduced the modern and innovative style of farming to the island, with an entrepreneurial mind-set, at 37 years, Abdulla Ramzy is famous under the name of “Zuvaan Dhandu’veriyaa’. Increasing varieties of items such as dragon fruit, passion fruit, guava, and cucumber are grown here. They have also started growing grapes which are a rare fruit to be cultivated in Maldivian farms.
Saving Sea Turtles: Rescue Scenario & Code of Conduct
With Olive Ridley Project
30th April between 09:00-12:00
Meet at MNU Campus, Hithadhoo
Price per person: Free of charge
The Olive Ridley Project provides treatment and rehabilitation for injured or entangled sea turtles. However, we rely on citizens to rescue the turtles and get them to our rehabilitation centres!
Due to the location of the Maldives, sea turtles - most often olive ridleys - are often found entangled in ghost-nets, drifting through our oceans. Learning how to safely rescue them is very important, and will increase their chances of survival! Join us for a rescue scenario to learn what to do if you come across an entangled or injured sea turtle.