TRAVEL GUIDE TO DHIFFUSHI (MALDIVAS). ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED

Dhiffushi It is a local island of Maldives With excellent beaches and certainly a great option as a low-cost destination to this paradise. It is located about 35 km north of Malé, the capital, and there are direct ships between them, making it very easy to get there without wasting time and without spending a lot of money. It also has quite a few cheap accommodation options and good restaurants. From Dhiffushi you can make several excursions to complete a great holiday. If you have in mind to include this island in your trip through Maldives, here we leave you our Dhiffushi travel guide, with useful information on what to do, how are its beaches, where to stay, how to get there and more recommendations.

There are three options:

• Public ferry: 3 hours, 22 MVR (€ 1.2).
• Shared speed boat: 1h, $ 35 each way.
• Private boat: 1h, about $ 250.

For more information, stop by our article on how to get to Dhiffushi from Male.

The best thing about Dhiffushi is that there is not only one beach. The island has up to three beaches different, where to go to give you some good dip. Each one has its own characteristics, which we will detail:

NORTH BEACH

Its name should give you a clue ... correct: it is the beach that is located north of the island, and that goes from the Hotel Bibee to the Cafe 420 restaurant. While the prettiest part is the one on its east side, With a small stretch of sand. On that side (where the Bibee is) the water becomes deep very fast, so it is ideal for bathing and swimming. Also in this area there is a group of rocks and corals Very close to the beach, with a good snorkel (there are lots of fish!).

The north end of this beach is an extension of shallow and transparent waters, very similar to the idea you have of the perfect beach. Finally, in the western part (in front of Cafe 420) the beach is somewhat less beautiful, but the water is also transparent and you can go swimming with glasses, to see if you find anything ...

EYE, keep in mind that this area has a deeper strip (you can see it on the Google Maps Satellite map that we leave below), where all the boats on the way to the port pass, so caution.

North Dhiffushi Beach

SOUTH BEACH

Well, that, which is right at the other end of Dhiffushi. It is a somewhat quieter beach of influx and current, with very shallow waters and surrounded by vegetation, which gives it a wild touch. To get there you have to walk in parallel to the soccer field and cross a small forest, then you will reach an area with some Spartan sunbeds and umbrellas. The water is calm (especially in the southwestern part) and there are hammocks placed on sticks in the water very cool.

South Dhiffushi Beach

PLAYA DEL SUNRISE (AMEERA)

It is just after the port, and has sun loungers that belong to the Ameera hotel (we do not know if they can be used freely). The beach is cool, with its palmeritas, its swings hanging from them, its white sand and its transparent waters. Although once you are inside, you will find areas with stones. For us it is the worst of the three beaches, although if you stay several days in Dhiffushi we recommend exploring it too.

Sunrise Beach in Dhiffushi

It is one of the aspects that play in favor of Dhiffushi, being a local island and not a resort island, you can find several quality accommodation at good prices. They are usually found in the northern part of the island (to the south there is little built, although time to time), but there are several scattered throughout the rest of Dhiffushi.

Not being a large island, it is not essential to find a hotel on the beach, obviously it is a plus, but not the first selection criteria. Especially look at the facilities, which have a bathroom, if it includes breakfast, read the reviews of other travelers and check that they provide free snorkeling equipment, towel, etc.

With all this, we stay in the Bibee, one of the first accommodations that were built in Dhiffushi. It is in the northeast and has the beach right in front. In fact the breakfasts (which are included) are served on a few tables on the beach itself. The rooms (in total about 9) are pretty good, with bathroom and all amenities. We booked with Airbnb, but you can compare prices here.

Other options at good prices and quality in Dhiffushi are the Rashu Hiyaa, the Ohana, the Dhiffushi White Sand Beach, or the Crown Beach Hotel.

If you have a little over budget, on the island itself is the Araamu Holidays & Spa, the new Portia Hotel & Spa, or a villa of Kaafu Club. And if you want to give yourself a whim, you can go to the resort island to the north and stay one or two nights in the Meeru Island Resort & Spa.

→ Here you can see all the accommodations in Dhiffushi

Where to eat inDhiffushi?

Although the island of Dhiffushi is quite popular, in our opinion there are not too many restaurant options. However, some can be found with affordable prices and very rich dishes. These are our favorite restaurants in Dhiffushi:

• Cafe '420. Without a doubt the one we liked the most! Its terrace overlooking the sea is amazing, but they also put tables with lights on the beach and it is an unbeatable place to go at sunset and have a mocktail or dinner. The fish of the day grilled (which is usually for dinner) is very tasty and cheap (only 95MVR, about € 5.5). They also have western dishes, such as the pizza that was the best we tried in all Maldives (margarita 100MVR, € 6). And to drink, ask for the ice lemon tea!
• Cozy Coffee. This is a local coffee in front of the port, with little variety of food (noodles, fried rice or kottu) but at very good prices (uns 35MVR per plate, € 2). You can also find the Maldivian snacks for between 3 and 10MVR (they will be in the showcase, just get a plate, serve and show it to the waiter to make the calculation of the total price). It is a good option to alternate with the other somewhat more expensive restaurants.
• Dream corner. On the east side of the island, there is this other local café, with good prices and where you can feel a little like the daily life of the inhabitants of Dhiffushi. It has more variety than the previous one (including western options) and prices are somewhat more expensive 50-60MVR per plate.
• Rashu Hiyaa and the one next door. The Rashu Hiyaa hotel puts some tables on the beach, with seedlings and others. The truth is beautiful, although we never ate here. Next, just before the Bibee, there is a new place with a letter that seems quite interesting, but whenever we passed there was no one to attend, so we were looking forward to it.
• Sand Grill Restaurant. We didn't try this one either, for one simple reason: it was very expensive! There is a terrace on the same beach that looks very cool, but it was asking for the menu and pouring out milk. Surely the food is good and can be a good option as a whim for the last day.

In general, 10% of the service and 6% of fees must be added to the prices on the menu (the Cafe '420 for example already included it).

Tours and excursions fromDhiffushi

As in all the local islands of Maldives that are prepared for tourism, a series of boat trips to the surroundings are offered in Dhiffushi. Obviously they will not be like the ones that can be done from Maafushi, for us the best excursions in Maldives, but there are good options to spend noon in a marine plan. These are the most popular excursions from Dhiffushi:

- Snorkeling in nearby reefs. There are several snorkeling points near Dhiffushi. Prices usually go depending on whether you want 1 or 2 stops (between $ 20 and $ 40).

- Snorkeling with turtles. Although turtles are not guaranteed, they go to a place where they are likely to see and swim with them. The price is about $ 20-25.

- Snorkeling + lunch in sandbank. It is a half-day (or full-day, more expensive) tour that includes several snorkeling and time stops at a sandbank. The longest includes food. The price is about $ 50-80.

- Sunset with dolphin watching. They take you at the end of the day to an area where there are usually dolphins and you can see them jumping and playing. The price is around $ 30.

- Diving. On the island you can find some diving centers. We did not, but we understand that prices are not exorbitant (calculates about $ 70 per dive).

All the prices we indicate are per person. Being an island with less tourism than Maafushi, these excursions are usually private, that is, you go with a single boatman that takes you to the points. But the ideal would be to find more people to haggle the final price. And something very important: do not stay with the first one that offers you a tour (usually in the accommodation itself), go to other hotels and question What excursions they have and what are the prices. Oh and haggle!

- In Dhiffushi there is no ATM No banks, but the most important accommodations and restaurants give you the option to pay by credit card.

- There is Wifi in hotels, and it usually worked quite well.

- Beware of mosquitoes! There are lots, especially you know at sunrise and sunset. Get well repellent!

- On the island there are small shops with basic products, food, beach items, etc. If you need to buy something like sunscreen, mosquito repellent, hygiene products, etc. You will not be lost.

- If you want visit Huraa before or after Dhiffushi, the best option is to take the local ferry (line 308), which travels from Male to Dhiffushi. Between the two islands there is a journey of approximately 1 hour and a half. If the day you want to go is Friday or falls at party (days when local ferries do not circulate), the only option to travel is to negotiate a private boat. We recommend talking to both Dhiffushi and Huraa accommodation and compare prices. You can also try to find other tourists who do that tour on the same day and can share expenses. The cheapest option we found was for $ 80 (they offered it to us from Dhiffushi accommodation: Bibee Maldives).

- Other things to do in Dhiffushi is to take a picture in one of the swings that there are in its beaches, or in the mural of the butterfly (super pretty!). In that same street there are several souvenir shops if you want to buy some souvenirs ... Although the best memory will be to see and photograph a sea ​​snake!Well, it is not really a snake, but a ring-eel-snake, but it completely hits it.

Map ofDhiffushi

Here you have a map with all the highlights of Dhiffushi Island:

These are all recommendations and tips for a trip to Dhiffushi, one of the local Maldives islands with the best beach and excellent option to spend a few days of your vacation.

Video: Indulge Maldives Dhiffushi Island Guide (May 2024).