Best tour I have ever had! Very well organised. Great tour guide – fun, knowledgeable and informative. Accommodation comfortable and service impeccable. Loved the local food and culture experiences. Highly recommend traveling with Secret Paradise.
Giving Back opportunities
Engage with the local community
Environmental Awareness
A Chilled Out Experience Without Breaking the Bank
Staying on two islands that offer beautiful beaches, turquoise blue lagoons, and a chilled local vibe this tour is the ideal mix of exploration and activities. Enjoy the combination of local island life, water sport activities and relaxation on the popular local islands of Dhiffushi and Thulusdhoo.
Practice traditional Maldivian crafts. Put your cooking skills to the test in a family kitchen and enjoy local food. It doesn’t matter if you want to relax on the world-famous white sandy beaches, snorkel tropical water, or just explore, this tour has it all!
Trip Details
Trip Details
Price
- Scheduled group tour: From USD 999 per person
- Private tour: USD 1049 per person based on double/twin share
- Child (2 -11 years): USD 549
Availability
- Scheduled group tours depart every second Sunday in a month.
- Private tours available all year round and can depart on any day. Contact us to confirm availability.
Start
- Arrival on day one by midday
Meeting point
- Velana International Airport (MLE)
Duration
- 8 days & 7 nights
Group size
- Minimum per booking 1 person
- Maximum per booking 8 people
WHAT ARE THE MALDIVES ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
- Travelers must have a confirmed accommodation/tour booking.
- Travelers must have a passport or travel document valid for a minimum 30 days from date of entry to the Maldives.
- Travelers must have a return flight ticket.
- The online traveler declaration form IMUGA must be completed within the 96 hour period prior to arrival in country.
Included
- 7 night Standard Deluxe room guesthouse accommodation
- 7 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
- Airport and domestic transfer assistance
- Local island return transfer by public ferry
- 2 Point Snorkeling trip including equipment
- 1 Hour Sunset kayaking
- Male city walking tour
- The Original Villimalé Eco-tour
- Day tour to Huraa
- Island Tours and hedikaa experience
- Beach Clean
- Secret Paradise Tour Leader
- Local tax ($3 green tax per person per night, 10% service charge, and 16% GST)
Not included
- 7 lunches
- 7 dinners
- International Flight
- Travel Insurance
What to bring
- All this together with full details on everything you need to know about travel within the Maldives 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.
Carbon Footprint
Highlights
Learn about conservation and life on Villimalé.
See the main sights of Malé -- the Maldives’ capital.
Try activities such as snorkeling and surfing on this multifaceted island.
Prepare and eat dinner with a local family in their house.
Relax to the max on pristine beaches, deserted sandbanks, and swinging hammocks.
Watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean on an evening kayak tour.
What to Expect
Arrive at Malé International Airport for the start of your Original North Malé Island Hopping Tour. Here you will be greeted by your guide and transferred by an airport taxi to your guesthouse on Hulhumale, just 15 minutes away. Settle in after your flight before taking your first steps on the sands of this suburban tropical paradise.
This afternoon, join “Save the Beach” and discover the quieter side of city life by exploring the smaller island of Villimalé, located southwest of Malé. Your guide will meet you after lunch and travel with you by public ferry to Villimalé. Wander the quiet streets, learn the names of local trees, and learn more about the conservation work being carried out by “Save The Beach”. Before returning to Malé we take time to sample traditional hedhika at a local café on the beach. Hedhika are traditionally sweet and savory snacks served with black tea and taken between 3.00 pm and 5.00 pm.
Breakfast on day 2 is served at your guesthouse following which you will transfer by public ferry to Malé, a 20-minute journey, where a guide will accompany you on a tour of the capital city, providing an opportunity to learn about the history and traditions of this tropical destination and visit places of interest including The Friday Mosque, The National Museum, and Sultan Park.
Following free time for lunch, you board the ferry for a leisurely 3-hour journey across the Indian Ocean to Dhiffushi. You can choose to sit up top and view the beauty of the many Maldives islands that pass you by, keeping your eyes open for dolphins, or sit inside and chat with the locals. Upon arrival at your guesthouse, you will have time to settle in before enjoying the sunset from the beach and perhaps taking your first swim!
Breakfast on day 3 is served at your guesthouse before being taken out by boat to enjoy a 90-minute guided snorkeling trip to nearby reefs to discover the underwater world of the Maldives. 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’ making sure you do not miss out on marine life encounters. 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!
As the afternoon cools down, accompanied by your guide, spend time exploring Dhiffushi with the opportunity to learn about the local way of life including a visit to the Mosque, learn how the common wooden boat known locally as a ‘dhoni’ is built. 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, chat with children playing in the street and watch the ladies of the community begin their evening meal preparations. Stop by a local cafe for the second round of hedhika, we know this will become a favorite snack for you!
Day 4 is free for you to enjoy as you please, you can opt to join your guide on a complimentary house reef snorkeling tour where you will learn about the benefits of seagrass to the ecosystem. Relax on the bikini beach, choose to visit a resort for the day, or for those feeling energetic participate in the various optional water sport activities on offer. Optional diving trips can be organized for certified divers.
Late afternoon you will head out for sunset kayaking. Kayak through the beautiful lagoon as the sun sets in the ocean
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, you can 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. In the traditional way, we finish our evening with coffee under the stars!
Following an early breakfast, you travel by local ferry to Thulusdhoo. After checking in to your hotel, there will be the opportunity to explore Thulusdhoo accompanied by your guide. Thulusdhoo is home to the world’s only desalinated Coca-Cola production plant and an optional tour will take you behind the scenes of this facility. The afternoon is free for relaxation on the many hammocks and day beds that can be found along the shoreline of this island.
Day 6 is a completely free day to enjoy the white sandy beach on Thulusdhoo. There are optional excursions and watersport activities for those feeling more energetic. A day visit to a resort can also be arranged for those wishing to experience the luxury style of life in the Maldives.
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!
On day 7, following breakfast, join the public ferry for the return journey to Malé. We stop off at the local island of Huraa. After storing luggage, discover the mangrove swamps and freshwater lake and learn more about this fragile ecosystem. Discover how fish is dried and cured and taste fresh rihakaru paste, a love-it-or-hate-it delicacy! Take lunch at a local cafe and spend some time relaxing on the beach before returning to Thulusdhoo.
Day 8 brings our tour to an end. Arriving back in the capital at 09:30, you will be assisted with your transfer to Malé International Airport or onward destination.
Your Trip Accommodations
Bibee Maldives
This is a small, mid-range guest house with a local feel. All 7 rooms are ground floor, modern, clean, and comfortable, and just a few steps away from the beach. Perfect to enjoy the slow, local pace of the Maldives. All rooms offer an en-suite bathroom, AC and fan, flat-screen satellite TV, an in-room safety deposit box, and Wi-Fi.
Dream Inn
A small local-style guesthouse with a private sandy courtyard and 6 comfortably furnished rooms. Located a short walk from the beach and famous surf breaks. 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 Original North Malé Island Hopping tour package. 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
Magical! Experiencing local life in its true form from dining with a local family to use local transport to being able to explore nature and the depths of the Indian Ocean.
It really was a trip of a lifetime and the itinerary was absolutely perfect for anyone wanting to really understand the Maldives and the incredible sea life it offers. Absolutely 5⭐️ service and would so highly them.