Adventure Cruises in Vaavu Atoll
Also known as Felidhu/Felidhoo Atoll, Vaavu Atoll certainly deserves to be included in your Maldives small ship cruise itinerary. This southern Maldivian Atoll is located between South Malé Atoll and Meemu Atoll and has the lowest population density of all Maldivian atolls. Being a local island, Vaavu Atoll focuses mostly on budget travelers who can opt to stay in guesthouses.
With only 3 tourist holiday resorts in Vaavu Atoll, it is relatively undeveloped and has become a hotspot for diving, snorkeling, and fishing. Chances are you will be diving and/or snorkeling with a plethora of colorful fish and with nurse sharks, turtles, rays, and more.
Top Things to Do in Vaavu Atoll
Vaavu Atoll is known as the best fishing spot in the Maldives. During your adventure cruise, you can hook on some impressively sized fish, including blue marlin, sailfish, dogtooth tuna, and giant trevally.
Diving and snorkeling
If you prefer diving and snorkeling, there are many world-class dive sites, unique marine reserves, and stunning house reefs in Vaavu Atoll. A must-visit is Fottheyo Falhu, one of the most colorful and vibrant house reefs and the longest continuous reef in the Maldives. The jetty by one of the resorts, Alimatha Resort, is famous for the congregations of nurse sharks that gather there every day around dusk. It is spectacular to dive or snorkel alongside hundreds of these gentle sharks. There are also lots of marbled rays and several different moray eel species.
Best time to cruise Vaavu Atoll
The Maldives are generally a year-round destination for small ship cruises. The peak season is from January to March and provides the best visibility and calmest sea conditions as it is in the middle of the northeastern monsoon. You can dive all year round at Vaavu Atoll, with an increased chance of spotting manta rays in June and July. These coincide with the more rainy months with limited underwater visibility.
Where do Vaavu Atoll cruises depart from?
The capital of Vaavu Atoll is Felidhoo, where you can step ashore for a bit of shopping or have a meal in one of the restaurants. Maldivian specialties include fish and various curries served with rice and rotis.
