AFRICA
Dhigurah island is probably the most beautiful island you’ve never heard of in the Maldives. It’s a local island without the fancy overwater resorts that are famous in the Maldives, but instead it has a long and wonderful white sand beach.
If you’re wanting to see the Maldives on a budget, this is one of the best places to do it. Dhigurah has all of the amazing tropical scenery you’d expect from the Maldives, plus family-owned hotels that are as low as $70 USD per night!
We recently visited two local islands in the Maldives — Dhigurah and Fulidhoo — and couldn’t be happier with our choice. They were both nice and different.
This travel guide will explain how to get to Dhigurah island, what to do there, where to stay, and everything else you need to know before you go!
There’s no airport in Dhigurah, so you first have to fly into the capital of the Maldives at Male International Airport (MLE), which is about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Dhigurah.
From Male, you can take a speedboat or ferry directly to Dhigurah, or you can take a seaplane or domestic flight to one of the nearby islands and then get a boat the rest of the way.
The main way to get to Dhigurah is by public speedboat, and that’s how we went. There are daily departures in the morning and afternoon from Male airport and the city.
The speedboat journey to Dhigurah takes 2 hours and costs about $50 USD per person one way. Kids above 3 years old pay full price.
The boat ride usually isn’t too bumpy (depending on weather), and they have a toilet and plenty of room for storing luggage. The boats are new and the seats are comfortable. They also give you free bottled water.
The boats from Male to Dhigurah depart at 11 AM and 4:30 PM (Fridays 10 AM). The return boats from Dhigurah to Male depart at 6:30 AM and 1:30 PM (Fridays 1:45 PM). There’s a brief stop in Dhangethi island on the way to Dhigurah.
However, keep in mind there are multiple speedboat companies operating this route and the timetable seems to change occasionally, so I’d double check the timetable with your hotel in Dhigurah before you go.
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