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Our objective has been to keep the resort as natural as possible. Only 5% of the entire land area has been built up and the balance 95% left to nature, despite the fact that many more rooms could have been built, giving the customer a very environmentally friendly experience in a typical Maldivian way.
The house reef that is just 25-30 metres have been maintained in pristine condition at all times to ensure that sea life in and around the island is not disturbed under any circumstances and gardeners have been clearly instructed to ensure that no damage is done to the flora and fauna around and the same has been preserved as much as possible.
Between November and March of every year, in the natural channel next to the island, Mantas and Dolphins flock in to eat the planktons that float in the channel. Since the undercurrents are very minimal there, the planktons get accumulated in the area. Intentionally, this is not cleared by us, so as to allow the mantas and dolphins to have a natural habitat as per their convenience.
Being the only resort in the entire atoll, the resort has given a new surge in developing the economy locally. The resort has provided more than 150 personnel, jobs in an industry which is upcoming and promising. These 150 personnel come from various local islands within a 1 hour range from Dhonakulhi.
The local fishermen have an opportunity to sell their fish to a resort at double or triple the price they would have got, if they were to sell to the locals in the various nearby islands. There are a number of other local purchases that are done, especially from a fruits and vegetables perspective. Given the fact that the resort is a Luxury resort, most of the items / supplies are imported, but there is certainly a need for local tropical fruits on a daily basis, as customers would love to taste and enjoy the local tropical fruits like bananas, papayas, pineapples, coconuts etc. This generates a big revenue for local islands.
Whenever personnel are required for labour / other back of the house works, a member of the local community is employed and the salaries paid are double or triple what they would get if they were to work on their own islands. Given our success, there are 3 new resorts coming up by 2008/2009 and work force / help is required in those resorts. Future tourism development looks very bright in the entire atoll.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
