The tour guide was very helpful and flexible. The itinerary was excellent and well balanced with a variety of activities and as we were the only two on this tour we were able to be flexible. The guesthouse was clean, nice and close to the beach. The staff friendly and helpful.
Rich Cultural Experience
One of Our Bestsellers
Group or Private Options
Visit 4 of the Maldives Most Beautiful Islands
The best way to experience the natural beauty of the Maldives and gain an insight into the culture and tradition of Maldivian life is to travel to an inhabited island. Our 7-night tour provides the opportunity to combine local life with popular excursions, watersports, and a little relaxation. Accompanied by your Secret Paradise guide, travel to four local islands in South Malé Atoll; Hulhumale, Guraidhoo, Maafushi, and Gulhi. Appreciate the culture, scenery, and people with the opportunity to get involved in local environmental projects.
Trip Details
Trip Details
Price
- Scheduled tour: USD 999 per person based on double/twin share
- Private tour: USD 1199 per person based on double/twin share
- No single supplement
- Child (2 -11 years): USD 499
Availability
Departs every Sunday (day one)
Start
- Check-in available on day one from midday
- Early check-in available subject to availability
Meeting point
Velana International Airport (MLE)
Duration
8 days & 7 nights
Group size
- Scheduled tours 1-6 people
- Private tours available upon request
Participation requirements
At present all guests staying on local islands are required to take a PCR prior to departure.
Included
- Standard room guesthouse accommodation
- 7 breakfasts, 4 dinners, and 1 picnic lunch
- Airport assistance
- Return transfer by public ferry
- Island tours & hedhika experience
- Snorkeling, sandbank, and dolphin cruise
- Snorkeling tour and guided house reef snorkeling inclusive of equipment
- Malé tour
- Secret Paradise guide
- Local tax ($3 green tax per person per night, 10% service charge, and 12% GST)
Not included
Meals not listed in itinerary
What to bring
Full details will be provided in our welcome information pack
Important note
- The Maldives is a Muslim country and therefore alcohol is not available on local islands.
- Subject to availability, day/evening visits to resorts can be arranged.
- Bikinis are also not allowed to be worn on local island beaches; however, all of our guesthouses offer either private gardens or balconies and tourist beach areas for guests where bikini swimwear can be worn.
- Some activities may be subject to change due to Maldives safe tourism guidelines.
Highlights
Visit 4 local islands Hulhumale, Guraidhoo, Maafushi, and Gulhi.
Learn how to protect the biodiversity of the Maldives and contribute to local projects.
Appreciate the beaches and lagoons by snorkeling, sandbanks, and breathtaking sunsets.
Discover how the local dhoni boat is built and perhaps learn the art of the Boduberu dance.
Stay in guest houses and visit local homes to share meals and stories with the family.
Spot sea life like turtles, colorful fish, sharks, and dolphins.
Get a tour of the Maldives’ capital city, Malé.
What to Expect
Arrive at Malé International Airport for the start of your South Malé Island Hopping Tour. Here you will be greeted by your guide and transferred to your guesthouse on Hulhumale. Settle in after your flight before taking your first steps on the sands of this tropical urban paradise.
For guests arriving before 5.00 pm, there is an option to join your guide beachside for coffee, a very popular daily activity for Maldivians, and a chance to gain your first insight into the local side of this island paradise.
On the morning of day 2, your guide will accompany you on a tour of the capital city before transferring by local ferry to the local island of Guraidhoo, South Malé. Visit the fish market and local market, President’s Palace, Sultan Park, and Friday Mosque. Stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants overlooking the waterfront before boarding the afternoon ferry. Upon arrival, you will have time to settle in before either relaxing on the rooftop at the guesthouse or on the local beach to watch the sun go down. Dinner this evening is spent with a local family just don’t expect silver service as traditionally meals are eaten without the aid of a knife and fork!
Around the table, feast on traditional Maldives dishes, share your thoughts about the cooking process, learn more about the Maldives, or you could learn some useful words that you can use during the remainder of your holiday.
Following breakfast, accompanied by your guide, take a few steps from the beach into the ocean to explore the house reef of Guraidhoo for your first underwater encounter! There is always the opportunity to encounter sharks, turtles, groupers, mantas, and a myriad of colorful fish. Your guide will provide a safety briefing and highlight how to protect the reefs by being a responsible snorkeler, they will also act as your ‘spotter’ pointing out marine life that may not have caught your eye. They will assist less confident or inexperienced snorkelers, ensuring your equipment is comfortable and you feel safe in the water.
As the afternoon cools down, join your guide to explore Guraidhoo with the opportunity to learn about the local way of life including a visit to the Mosque. Pick jasmine flowers to prepare jasmine tea and moringa leaves for tomorrow’s breakfast omelet! Learn how to open a coconut and remove the husk. Stop and chat with children playing in the street, and watch the ladies of the community begin their evening meal preparations. Finally, stop by a local cafe to sample tasty traditional hedhika – Maldivian savory and sweet treats served with black tea.
Following a local-style breakfast (complete with the muranga leaves picked on your island tour), we travel by speedboat to two of the best nearby reefs. The coral reefs are teeming with colorful fish and corals. Keep your eyes open for turtles, sharks, and rays you never know what may be in the blue!
On return to Guraidhoo, the afternoon is free for you to participate in optional watersports, diving, or surfing. As the afternoon cools down there is the option to spend time on the beach, giving back to the community that has welcomed us by supporting a beach clean. Our reward will be a refreshing fresh Kurumba (coconut water) followed by an ocean swim!
This evening, enjoy a relaxed beach BBQ under the stars.
Start early today for breakfast and then take a transfer by local ferry to the island of Maafushi. After checking into the guesthouse, we head out snorkeling where you will have the chance to enjoy the underwater beauty of the Maldives at the diverse coral reefs. We stop at a sandbank for a picnic lunch with time to swim and snorkel in the lagoon or just lie back and relax. Heading back to Maafushi, we will cruise the Indian Ocean in search of dolphins. Following dinner, join your guide for a stroll through the island and learn how Maafushi led the development of local tourism. Complete your day in the traditional way with coffee at a local cafe.
With so many activities and excursions available from Maafushi, we leave the morning free for you to enjoy as you please. Relax on the bikini beach, or embark on an aquatic adventure in the form of SUP, kayaking, and much more. Optional diving trips can be organized for certified divers.
This afternoon, there is the option to join Maafushi Eco Dive and discover the story of Renee’s Coral Garden and why coral rehabilitation projects are important in the Maldives. On route to the coral nursery, snorkel the seagrass beds with your guide and discover their importance to the Maldives ecosystem.
Following an early breakfast, we take a short 20-minute ferry journey to the quiet island of Gulhi. Once checked in to your guesthouse, your guide will accompany you on a tour of the island. Learn how to repair a fishing net and weave a traditional joali seat. Visit the boatyard to stand in awe at the size of the boats under renovation and learn how the common wooden boat known locally as a ‘dhoni’ is built. Chat with the ladies sweeping the streets, and cool yourself off with a Kurumba (coconut) watching the comings and goings at the harbor. Ready for relaxation? Unwind on the beach or get active with one of the numerous watersport activities available.
This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner in the peaceful courtyard of your guesthouse.
On day 8, following breakfast you are transferred back to Malé by ferry, arriving at Velana airport (MLE) by 10:00.
Your Trip Accommodations
Planktons Beach
Located on the beach road this property has 10 modern, well-appointed, deluxe rooms. All rooms offer an en-suite bathroom, AC and fan, flat-screen satellite TV, an in-room safety deposit box, and Wi-Fi.
Guraidhoo Palm Inn
This family-run, three-star property has fifteen rooms. All the rooms are modern, clean, and comfortable and just a few minutes walk from the shallow lagoon that divides Guraidhoo from a small private island where you can sunbathe. All rooms offer an en-suite bathroom, AC and fan, flat-screen satellite TV, an in-room safety deposit box, and Wi-Fi.
Stingray Beach Inn
A local-style guesthouse built around a coconut palm-shaded outdoor living area with 8 comfortably furnished rooms. Located on the quieter side of the island. All rooms offer an en-suite bathroom, AC and fan, flat-screen satellite TV, an in-room safety deposit box, and Wi-Fi.
Tropic Tree
10 tastefully decorated rooms have an authentic style by using coconut timber. It’s just a few minute’s walk from the sandy shores of Gulhi Island. Rooms are designed with cross ventilation and double glazing to achieve energy efficiency. There is a lovely garden courtyard lush with palms and a 360-degree roof terrace. All rooms offer an en-suite bathroom, AC and fan, flat-screen satellite TV, an in-room safety deposit box, and Wi-Fi.
We have handpicked the best guesthouses throughout the Maldives to provide you the greatest experience while enjoying your Maldives South Malé Island Hopping tour. Personally selected to provide a balance of comfort, good service, local atmosphere, and value for money. In each, you can be assured of a warm welcome and know that your holiday money is contributing directly to the local economy and increasing local employment
Hear From Our Previous Guests
I really enjoyed this tour. We both had a great time and it was nice to see the local side of the Maldives rather than the more frequently known tourist spots. We enjoyed the included activities and their variation. We felt we had the perfect balance of activities and free time.
We are back with lots of nice memories and good experiences. The staying on Maafushi and Guraidhoo was beautiful. The staff was excellent. We had a good time and beautiful snorkeling. We spend quite a lot of time with Kamey who arranged everything and found out a lot of interesting things about life in the Maldives.
Great! 4 islands all by boat. Got lots of snorkeling and beach time. Accommodation clean and everyone friendly. I didn’t want much downtime and felt like I had lots of things to do and choose from. Would definitely travel with Secret Paradise again.
