“Pesca, forza, tira, pescatore
Pesca, non ti fermare
Poco pesce nella rete
Lunghi giorni in mezzo al mare
Mare che non ti ha mai dato tanto
Mare che fa bestemmiare
E si placa e tace senza resa
E ti aspetta per ricominciare.”
P. Bertoli, Pescatore
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Itinerary in pills
- Day 1: Transfer Omahdoo-Malè-Kamahdoo and house reef
- Day 2: Excursion to remote sandbank
- Day 3: Excursion to Lhaviyani atoll
- Day 4: Relax at the bikini beach
- Day 5: Excursion at the deserted island and phishing
- Conclusions
Introduction
Let’s start from the end. Maldives, third and last fishermen’s island. We are in Kamahdoo, in the Baa Atoll, where we arrived with some difficulty, but we expect it will be rewarded without too much discomfort. Baa Atoll was the first one I had set my sights on when I started planning my trip to the Maldives, having heard of it as one of the most enchanting of the 26 atolls the Maldives consist of.
In addition to this, there are essentially two reasons why we included Baa Atoll in our itinerary:
- The possibility of reaching the islands by speedboat, despite the distance from Malé. With a view to visiting an atoll sufficiently far from the capital, Baa is one of the most distant that can be reached without taking a seaplane, a means of transport we wanted to avoid due to its high cost. Considering that we had a pretty good view of the coral reef from above during our international flight, we did not regret our choice in the slightest on the way back.
- The hope of visiting Hanifaru Bay, one of the most important marine parks in the Maldives, even though we knew we were borderline with the right time to spot aquatic fauna (mainly whale sharks and manta rays). Our trip to the Baa Atoll took place in early May, while the sighting season begins at the end of the same month and lasts until November. However, it was not a must, considering that we had planned excursions with whale sharks and manta rays in Dhigurah.
The decision to stay in Kamahdoo was linked to the fact that it is one of the northernmost islands of the atoll (and therefore furthest from Malé), with two direct consequences. The first was the splendid house reef, which I had read about in some reviews of the facilities on the island; the second was its proximity to the Raa and Lhaviyani atolls, in the hope of being able to organize an excursion to visit them. In the rest of the article, you will find out how it turned out.
Itinerary in pills
We stayed in Kamahdoo for five days and nights. I won’t go into the troubled history of the accommodations we booked and canceled, suffice it to say that in the end we chose the Ithaa Inn, a brand new facility (opened just two months before our arrival), where we enjoyed ourselves so much that I proposed a partnership to the owner. So, if you are interested in visiting Kamahdoo, contact me and I will act as an intermediary between you and the guest house. I may be able to get you some excellent discounts. Bear in mind that, as it is new, prices are currently relatively lower than other hotels on the island, offering excellent value for money. What’s more, the excursions they organize are the cheapest I have found for the same destinations.
Ithaa Inn was also the only place we checked out that gave us the chance to visit nearby atolls. Since we’d seen enough marine life in Dhigurah and Omahdoo, we were more interested in sandbanks and deserted islands, and we visited a bunch of them. Below is a breakdown of our days, which I will detail in the following paragraphs. Spoiler: Hanifaru Bay was open to visitors, but still poor in aquatic fauna, so, following the advice of our trusted diving center, we avoided the special excursion.
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1 | Transfer Omahdoo-Malè-Kamahdoo + house reef |
| 2 | Excursion to remote sandbank |
| 3 | Excursion to Lhaviyani atoll |
| 4 | Relax at the bikini beach |
| 5 | Excursion on a deserted island + phishing |
| 6 | Transfer Kamahdoo-Malè and flight back |
Day 1: Transfer Omahdoo-Malè-Kamahdoo and house reef
The first day of our adventure in the Baa Atoll is mainly dedicated to the transfer to Kamahdoo, which took longer than expected. We leave Omahdoo at 7 a.m. and arrive in Malé around 8:30 a.m. However, our speedboat to Kamahdoo is scheduled for 12:45 p.m., so we wait at the airport. It is worth noting that, for a transfer like this, it is important to specify that you want to depart from the airport. In fact, simply asking to arrange a speedboat from Malé means asking to depart from the capital’s port, which is not the same as the one located outside the airport. The cost of the speedboat from Malé to Kamahdoo is $65 per person.
During the sea crossing, we discover that our speedboat is not going directly to Kamahdoo, but will change at Dharavandhoo, an island not far away. In addition, once we enter the Baa Atoll, there will be several stops. For these reasons, our journey from Malé to Kamahdoo takes a total of about 3 hours. Fortunately, this will not be the case on the return journey.
We arrive on the island in the middle of the afternoon and are welcomed by the staff of the Ithaa Inn. Another advantage of the hotel is that it is one of the closest to the bikini beach, which is only a 2-minute walk away. The beach is very beautiful, but given the time of day, the colors are not at their best, so I postpone the photo shoot until the following days and immediately jump into the water for a first taste of the house reef. The corals are beautiful and well preserved, and visibility is excellent, partly because they are quite close to the surface. Of all the house reefs I have experienced in the Maldives, Kamahdoo’s wins the gold medal.
After a bit of snorkeling, we return to our guest house and have dinner at a restaurant that was recommended to us. Finally, we book an excursion for the following day.
Day 2: Excursion to remote sandbank
The owner of our guest house accompanies us to the port at around 8 a.m. We set off in a small motorboat, just the two of us, plus the skipper and a guide. The cost of the excursion is $55 per person. As we head towards our destination, we come across a large pod of dolphins. Although the excursion did not include dolphin watching, I am allowed to dive in to see them in the water. Unlike what happened in Dhigurah, they are really close and it would be a shame to waste the opportunity. I mention this because normally a special excursion would be required to see dolphins, so in this case it is as if we had done two excursions for the price of one. Before diving in, we watch the dolphins swimming alongside our boat, which is truly sensational.
After this wonderful experience, we arrive at the sandbank, which is actually a deserted island with a long strip of sand attached to it. The sea here is fabulous, plus the corals are quite close to the surface and the visibility is incredible. This is where we undoubtedly had the best snorkeling experience of our entire trip to the Maldives.
The sandbank is also stunning, with a long stretch of white sand and incredible colors that gradually change from ocean blue to dazzling azure near the shore.
Unfortunately, it cannot be said that the island is generally well maintained; in fact, I would say that the opposite is true. The island is full of rubbish, with plastic scattered everywhere. The guides told us that this is because, as the island is uninhabited, no one bothers to clean it up, so the rubbish carried by the water remains on land. It’s a real shame.
After visiting the sandbank, we return to Kamahdoo, in time for some more snorkeling at Bikini Beach. In the evening, we stop by a diving center on the island, recommended to us by our guest house, to organize the next day’s excursion..
Day 3: Excursion to Lhaviyani atoll
One of the activities we had planned to do was visit one of the atolls furthest from Malé. From Kamahdoo, it is possible to reach both the Raa and Lhaviyani atolls. On the recommendation of the diving center, we opted to visit the latter. The Lhaviyani atoll is considered one of the most beautiful in the Maldives, so it’s no surprise that staying there costs an arm and a leg.
We left around 7 a.m., as the atoll is quite far away. The excursion included three spots, two of which were dedicated to snorkeling and the third to visiting a deserted island with an adjoining sandbank. The total cost agreed with the diving center was $150 per person. On the way to the first spot, we came across a large group of sperm whales. According to our guides, sighting them is a rare event, so we consider ourselves very lucky. The sperm whales swim very close to our boat, and I am tempted to jump into the water, but the guides strongly advise me not to do so because it could be risky.
Meanwhile, the sea is as flat as a board, creating wonderful reflections with the few clouds present.
We arrive at the first spot after about 45 minutes. The spot is located near a resort, which we cannot access. The reef is quite rich; we see about ten turtles and several reef sharks, the latter unfortunately always at a considerable distance. The second reef, which we reach shortly afterwards, is near the sandbank we visit. We don’t see any sharks or turtles, but there is a fair amount of marine life. However, we are less enthusiastic about both spots than those we saw in the Baa Atoll.
After snorkeling in the two reefs, it’s time to visit the deserted island with its sandbank. The sky begins to cloud over a little, but we still manage to appreciate the heavenly colors of the sea, which provide the backdrop to a landscape that is different from what we saw in the other atolls, but equally worthy of admiration.
Unfortunately, there is also a lot of rubbish on this island. Our perception of the lack of care for the environment, which we have also encountered elsewhere in the Maldives, is confirmed.
We stay on the island for an hour and a half. We would like to visit other places, but a sudden downpour prevents us from moving. We finally return to Kamahdoo around lunchtime and spend the second half of the afternoon once again at Bikini Beach.
Day 4: Relax at the bikini beach
Since the weather conditions are a bit uncertain, we decide to take a relaxing day at the bikini beach. The rain does indeed arrive, but it doesn’t last long (as is usually the case during the high season). With the sky clearing, we can see the colors of the sea clearly, which are once again beautiful. However, the gold medal for bikini beach remains with Omahdoo, among those we have visited.
Finally, we watch a beautiful sunset from the beach, which, although less exciting than those seen in Omahdoo, is still more than worth seeing.
Day 5: Excursion at the deserted island and phishing
It’s our last day in Kamahdoo, which also happens to be the last day of our trip. The day starts with some clouds and rain, so I decide to cancel the planned excursion to visit a nearby deserted island, which would have cost $75 per person. Around lunchtime, however, I start to regret it, as the sky clears and the sun begins to shine. I am about to leave the guest house to head to bikini beach when I receive a message from the owner of the guest house, who suggests that I go to the deserted island with him, as he needs to go there to go fishing. I reply affirmatively, so we arrive at the port together and board his small motorboat. Once on board, he tells me that he is offering me the excursion for free and that he will teach me how to fish Maldivian style. If I weren’t so insensitive, I think I would have been moved, especially because the island, which we reach in a few minutes, makes my eyes widen. The colors are beautiful, the beach has the usual white sand, and in the meantime, the clouds have completely disappeared.
The host accompanies me on a tour of the island, which takes only a few minutes, as it is very small. One noteworthy attraction is the pond in the middle of the island, surrounded by thick, lush vegetation. It is truly a sight to behold.
Before getting back on the boat, the host shows me his rudimentary but effective fishing technique, which allows him to catch something even without using bait. We then return to Kamahdoo, where there is time for a final farewell to the bikini beach and to watch the sunset once again. The next day, we arrive at the airport by speedboat, this time without any stops, in about two hours (again at a cost of $65 per person).
Conclusions
The Baa Atoll gave us some wonderful experiences, and it was definitely worth extending our stay to visit this corner of paradise. In my opinion, choosing Kamahdoo was a good decision. It is an island that seemed very untouristy, and it also allowed us to visit another nearby atoll on an excursion that we would have struggled to organize if we had stayed further south.
Another aspect that pleasantly struck us was the hospitality of the inhabitants, and in particular that of our guest house, which allowed us to experience a truly authentic journey in many ways. In hindsight, I wouldn’t change a thing.
If I had to choose the best moments, I would dare to say:
- The deserted island/remote sandbank in the Baa Atoll, one of the most beautiful places we visited during the entire trip, undisputed gold medal for snorkeling
- Swimming with dolphins, a wonderful experience thanks to the fact that we saw a large pod up close
- The deserted island/sandbank in the Lhaviyani Atoll, also one of the most enchanting places we saw during the entire trip
As for costs, apart from what has already been mentioned, we spent $470 for five nights at the Ithaa Inn, booking through Booking.com. Meals were in line with prices on other islands.
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