Discover Alimatha Island: Your Ultimate Guide to a Beachside Paradise

On the Eastern edges of Maldives lies an island that captivates and awes all who lay there eyes on this beautiful masterpiece. Introducing Alimatha Island, a hidden gem within Vaavu Atoll that has gained quite a bit of popularity amongst travellers. 

About Alimatha Island

The island can simply be described as every paradise hunter’s dream. The cerulean water laps gently on the finely-grained sand, creating a melodic symphony that soothes and invigorates. The coconut palms and various other trees block out the heat of the sun, allowing the cool ocean breeze to cast its magic while you relax on a deckchair as you deeply breathe in the sea salted air. Truly a sight to behold and a must experience for all who visit Maldives. 

If you’re an avid water enjoyer, an excellent dive site by the name of Myaru Kandu awaits. We’ll dive into that a bit further into the article so strap in and let’s get right into it.

How to Reach Alimatha Island

As mentioned before, Alimatha is located in Vaavu Atoll. The atoll itself is located on the Eastern end of Maldives to the south of the capital. With a distance of 42 km from Velana International Airport, it takes around two hours by ferry and 20 minutes by seaplane. 

If you’re looking for a more authentic island experience and want to see how Maldivians truly travel, the two hour ferry ride is for you. You’ll travel across the ocean from one atoll to the other, seeing islands close by as you skate the water. You might see some fish close to the top of the water or even some dolphins as they follow the boat and hop out the water! If time isn’t on your side, the seaplane ride might do you good as you’ll get to see Maldives from the air, an excellent sight to behold. Just make sure your budget would allow for a seaplane flight as it can be a bit pricey.

Things to Do on Alimatha Island

Alimatha Island has an array of activities for you to enjoy. Let’s go through them one by one:

Ayurvedic Massage Centres

When it comes to Ayurvedic massage centres in Alimatha, they sure do deliver. The island has a massage parlour by the name of Maadhiga Spa, where tranquillity is the name of the game. They have a variety of massage options that use different scents and oils for the best experience, each with their own redeeming qualities such as being good for anxiety, skin, relieving stress and more. Here are their oil and massage options:

• Oil choices
  • Natural citrus oil
  • Natural frangipani oil, ‘Boalhakikirimaa’
  • Natural jasmine oil, ‘Huvandumaa’
  • Natural lemongrass oil, ‘Kaasingee’
  • Cold-pressed organic extra virgin coconut oil
    
• Massage options
  • Couples Massage
  • Thai Shiatsu Massage
  • Traditional Balinese Massage
  • Stone Massage
  • Kizhi Massage

Watersports

The island has a couple watersports options you can indulge in, such as windsurfing and canoeing, both of which take you out to sea close to the island. Both these activities are under the supervision of the NAKAI Alimatha Diving Centre, a PADI Certified establishment that has the latest in equipment for rental and well-trained staff. These activities are usually at the mercy of Mother Nature so if the winds are too overbearing or if the seas are too rough, the dive centre personnel will have to hold the activity until it’s safe to venture out.

If you’re not as adventurous as your fellow travellers,  the island is also home to beach volleyball, tennis, football, table tennis and foosball. They even have bowling lanes for those that want to knock some pins down!

Diving

Diving in Maldives is a big deal as the waters are some of the clearest and colourful in the world. House reefs that shimmer like rainbows and marine life of all kinds call these waters their home. The NAKAI Alimatha Diving Centre has an amazing selection of nearby dive sites to choose from, such as Devana Kandu, Dekunu Kandu and the famous Myaru Kandu, along with some further sites such as Fotteyo Kandu, Golden Wall and Kunawashi Kandu. 

Diving in Myaru Kandu is the highlight as this 30 metre dive covers the outer coral of the atoll, along with the adjacent channel, gutters and caves. You’ll get to see a variety of fish such as grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, butterflyfish, angelfish, sweetlips, surgeonfish, gropers, parrotfish and Moorish idols.

Places to Stay on Alimatha Island

When it comes to resorts on Alimatha Island, NAKAI Alimatha Resort Maldives is the place to be. Being the sole resort on the island, NAKAI Alimatha Resort Maldives is a 4 star establishment that has been serving guests since 1972. If you have an itch to stay at a high end resort, you should know what kind of accommodation options are available to you:

• Over Water
  • King size bed
  • Ocean view
  • Outside deck
  • Can occupy 3 guests
  • 40 sqm
    
• Beach Bungalow
  • King size bed
  • Beach and ocean view
  • Can occupy 2 to 4 guests
  • 35 sqm to 45 sqm
    
• Garden Villa
  • King size bed
  • Surrounded by nature within the island
  • Can occupy 2 to 3 guests
  • 37 sqm to 44 sqm
    
• Garden Room
  • King size bed
  • Surrounded by nature within the island
  • Can occupy 3 guests
  • 40 sqm

The resort also has restaurants and bars for you to take your taste buds on a culinary adventure:

• Main Restaurant
  • All-Inclusive and a la càrte
  • Maldivian and Italian cuisine
    
• Beach Restaurant – Barabaru
  • Indoor and outdoor dining
  • Maldivian and Italian cuisine
    
• Main Bar
• Beach Bar
• Sunset Bar

Nearby Islands and Day Trips

The resort is close enough to some nearby islands for you to go and visit such as Dhiggaru, Fulidhoo, Keyodhoo and Felidhoo, to name a few. NAKAI Alimatha Resort Maldives has excursion plans that you can take part in as well. If you want to venture outside the boundaries of the island itself, here are some options you can consider:

• Local island visit
• Uninhabited island visit
• Astronomy and stargazing at night with an in-house researcher
• A night under the stars (Dinner and spending the night)
• Fishing excursion
• Renting a traditional Maldivian dhoni to take out to sea

Tips for Planning Your Visit

One of the first considerations would be the ideal time of year guests to visit Maldives. The rainy season is ideal for you if you don’t mind a little bit of rain here and there. The Northeast Monsoon, which runs from January to March, and the Southwest Monsoon, which runs from mid-May to November, are the names of the rainy and sunny seasons, respectively. There is a decline in visitors visiting the Maldives during the wet season, and with good cause. When people picture themselves tanning in the sun, they don’t want to really encounter any downpour.

Moreover, we advise you to invest in quality sunscreen rather than the generic varieties you may get at the drugstore. Corals are known to be harmed by regular sunscreen use. So it’s best to bring biodegradable sunscreen if you want to dive and wind up swimming at any of the beaches. You would feel more at ease and the corals would benefit greatly from this. Although not very strict, it’s generally a good idea to respect other people’s religions and cultures when you travel, especially the Maldives, which is an Islamic country. One thing you would have to know is that, with the exception of resorts, alcohol is not allowed in the Maldives. It is illegal to carry alcohol on you and not available on any of the other islands. You should also pay attention to what you’re wearing. If you enter a mosque, be sure to cover your knees and shoulders as that is the very minimum of clothing required. Additionally, keep in mind that it is not appropriate to wear a bikini or other very exposing apparel on the inner islands, so avoid doing so at the nearby beaches.

While there are clinics and the like within the inner islands, there are only a few full-fledged hospitals in the country and getting to them can become an issue as well, as you’d have to be airlifted out to the hospital if you’re on a smaller island. So it might be a good idea to vacation on an island close by to Male’, Hulhumale, Addu City or Fuvahmulah. It’s always a good idea to get yourself some travel insurance before you fly as well.

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading up on our article on Alimatha Island! MadlyMaldives is here to help you craft your perfect holiday in Maldives so waste no time and book your dream trip with us today!