Island guide · Alif Dhaalu Atoll · South Ari
A small South Ari village with a western bikini beach and the whale sharks within reach.
A small village island in South Ari, about an hour and a half from Malé by speedboat, with a bikini beach on its western side, a house reef, and boat trips to the whale sharks and mantas of South Ari.
Best for
A quiet island base for South Ari’s whale sharks, mantas and reefs
An island guideavé doesn’t arrange stays on Omadhoo — this page is here to help you choose. The nearest island we do arrange is Dhigurah.
Getting there
| Way in | Time | Fare, each way | When it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared speedboat from Malé or the airport | About 1½ h | On request | Most days; book through the guesthouse |
| Public ferry from Malé, via Mahibadhoo | About 4½ h + a short hop | A few dollars | A few days a week; not Fridays |
| Private speedboat | About 1½ h | On request | At any hour, booked ahead |
Times and fares as researched in October 2026, from operators’ and travellers’ reports. Boats move with the season and the weather — confirm the day’s with your guesthouse before you travel. Getting around the Maldives
What you’d come for.
Boats run to the South Ari Marine Protected Area for whale sharks, and to the manta cleaning stations from about May to November.
Snorkelling from the shore along the island’s reef.
Stingrays and reef sharks are often seen by the fishing jetty as the day’s catch comes in.
Full-day trips to a sandbank, with a picnic lunch.
Questions
A shared speedboat takes about an hour and a half from Malé or the airport, usually booked through the guesthouse. The public ferry runs a few days a week to Mahibadhoo, the atoll capital, with a short hop on to Omadhoo — around half a day for a few dollars.
Yes, on the western side of the island. In the village, cover shoulders and knees.
Yes — boats run to the South Ari Marine Protected Area, where whale sharks are seen all year; they are found often, never on every trip.
No. Like every inhabited island in the Maldives, Omadhoo is dry; alcohol is served at resorts and on licensed boats.
No — this page is a guide to Omadhoo, an island avé doesn’t arrange stays on. The nearest island we do arrange, end to end, is Dhigurah.
Stay close by, with avé.
avé doesn’t arrange stays on Omadhoo. These are the nearest islands we do — rooms, boats and days arranged as one journey.