Maldives holidays, Dhoni cruise
| country: | Maldives |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 21 Mar, 4 Apr, 22 Aug, 3 Oct, 17 Oct, 14 Nov, 26 Dec 2011: 2 Jan, 30 Jan, 6 Feb, 6 Mar, 20 Mar, 17 Apr |
| price: | From £1373 - £1483 (9 days) including flights from the UK, from £713 - £797 excluding flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Maldives holidays, Dhoni cruise
Life on the Dhoni
Arriving on Hulule 'airport island', we transfer directly to our Maldivian 'dhoni' and set sail. The traditional dhoni is thought to have derived from the Arab dhow and our vessels have been converted into live-aboard cruise boats with couchette accommodation and a saloon area inside, plus plenty of room on deck both in the sun and shade for relaxing and watching the world go by. Meals on board tend to be planned around the catch of the day - a treat for those that enjoy seafood!
Cruising the Atolls
Leaving the main North Male Atoll behind, we aim to head through South Male and Felidhoo Atolls, stopping in small harbours or at uninhabited islands along the way. Although our route is ultimately governed by the weather, we plan to reach Meemu (Mulaku) Atoll in the south, a group of islands with very few resorts, where we visit small fishing villages. There will be daily opportunities for swimming and snorkelling in the clear blue waters to see the varied and vibrant marine life. At the end of our journey we plan to stop off at Male the capital; crammed onto an island 1.8 sq km in area, it houses a fifth of the total population. We walk around the main sights including the Grand Friday Mosque, Islamic centre and the local markets which are busy with the barter of islanders haggling for goods.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Male. |
| Day 2: | Arrive Male; transfer directly to dhoni and sail to nearby island in South Male Atoll. |
| Day 3: | Cruise to Ambaraa Island in Felidhoo Atoll. |
| Day 4: | Cruise to Meemu Atoll. |
| Day 5: | Visit Dhiggaru village, Meemu Atoll. |
| Day 6: | Cruise to Felidhoo; visit traditional village. |
| Day 7: | Cruise to Emboodhoo Finolhu Lagoon. |
| Day 8: | Cruise back through South Male Atoll to Male; afternoon walking tour and free time. |
| Day 9: | Fly back to London. |
traveller reviews for Maldives holidays, Dhoni cruise
Swimming with Manta Rays on the final day of the holiday topped the whole wonderful experience! (more)
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This trip avoids the large International resorts altogether, stopping at small local fishing villages on lesser known atolls to gain a genuine insight into the traditional Maldavian lifestyles away from the tourist industry.
We sleep aboard a locally owned and operated converted traditional fishing vessel known as a “Dhoni” with all our food supplies being bought or caught locally, thus ensuring a direct contribution to the local economy of the islands. Limiting our group size to just 16 minimizes the impact of out visit – “smaller groups leave fewer footprints”Our boat crew and leaders have been trained to operate the Dhoni cruise in a manner to minimise our impact on the amazing coral atolls that form the focus of our snorkelling excursions from our boat. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
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