South Ari Atoll · 03°31.5′N 72°55.4′E
Dhigurah
The long island, where whale sharks stay all year.
Three kilometres of beach and barely three hundred metres wide, with a village at the northern end and a sandbank trailing off the south. The reef outside is part of the South Ari Marine Protected Area, one of very few places on earth where whale sharks are seen in every month of the year.
Seaplane countryThe flight is the obvious way in
Book Dhigurah directly
Dhigurah has its own dedicated booking site, with a fixed, all-inclusive fare.
$283 per adult and $185 per child under 12, one way, with all taxes and the speedboat included. Guides there cover the terminal, baggage, families and landing late.
Your route
About 35 minutes, airport to harbour.
- Take off
- Velana International (MLE)Noovilu Seaplane Terminal
- Likely landing
- LUX* South Ari Atollresort lagoon, South Ari Atoll
- Flight
- ~30 min104.3 km · 56 NM, estimated
- Boat
- ~5 min4.3 km from the platform
- Bearing
- 222° SW54 NM from Malé as the crow flies
- Other ways
- Public or private speedboat from Malé, around 1.5–2 hours.
The operator decides which lagoon each rotation uses, so yours may differ; it is confirmed with your slot the day before. Times are our estimates from real positions: flight at a Twin Otter's cruise plus taxi, boat at about 40 km/h.
Other lagoons within reach
- LUX* South Ari Atoll4.3 km away · ~30 min flight
- NH Maldives Kuda Rah5.6 km away · ~30 min flight
- Machchafushi Island Resort & Spa Maldives, The Centara Collection8.8 km away · ~30 min flight
- Outrigger Maafushivaru Maldives9.5 km away · ~30 min flight
- Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa12.7 km away · ~25 min flight
Gate 03 · Plan your flight
Build your boarding pass.
Choose an island and tell us when you land. We work out the likely lagoon, the flight and the boat, check it against the daylight cut-off, and send it to a real person who books it for you.
Island-hop from here