Multi-Day Maldives Island Hopping Tour
Overview
Inclusions
- 7 nights accommodation
- Experienced & Certified Tour Guide
- Round-trip shared transfer
- All activities mentioned in itinerary
- Local Tax
- 7x Breakfast
- 6x Dinner
- Accommodation included: 7 nights
- 1x Lunch
What to expect
Day 1: ARRIVAL AND SETTLING IN AT HULHUMALE
Stop At: Hulhumale, Hulhumale
Upon arrival at Male International Airport you will be greeted and transferred to your guesthouse on Hulhumale.
After settling in, the rest of the day is yours to explore Hulhumale where the public beach is only a few steps away and plenty of local cafes and water excursion providers are close by.
Duration: 12 hours
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Point Inn
Day 2: MALE TOUR AND SETLLING IN AT GURAIDHOO
Stop At: Guraidhoo, Guraidhoo
This morning your guide will accompany you on a tour of the capital city before transferring by afternoon local ferry to the local island of Guraidhoo, South Male Atoll.
Upon arrival, settle in at your guesthouse and relax at the local beach while watching the sun go down.
Dinner this evening is served at the guesthouse following which your guide will discuss the harmful practices that are pushing the balance of the ecosystem and what we can do to limit the impact.
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Ocean Retreat & Spa
Day 3: SNORKELLING, ISLAND TOUR AND HEDHIKA EXPERIENCE
Stop At: Guraidhoo, Guraidhoo
Following breakfast you will be taken by speedboat to nearby coral reefs for your first underwater encounter! The coral reefs of the Maldives are inhabited by diverse marine life and are teaming with colourful fish and corals. Keep your eyes open for turtles, sharks and rays you never know what may be in the blue!
The afternoon is spent exploring the island with your guide, learning about the local way of life, finishing up at a local cafe to taste Maldivian sweet and savory snacks - "hedhika".
This evening enjoy a relaxed beach BBQ dinner.
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Ocean Retreat & Spa
Day 4: DISCOVERING MAAFUSHI AND SNORKELLING
Stop At: Maafushi Island, Maafushi Island
Starting off the day early, transfer to Maafushi where after checking in to your guesthouse you have your breakfast.
Your guide will then accompany you on an island tour, explaining the history of local island tourism including the positive and negative impacts on the islands and local communities.
In the afternoon, join your guide on a snorkelling tour to discover Renee's Coral Garden and learn about the importance of seagrass ecosystems.
After dinner at a local cafe, your guide will introduce you to the works of Olive Ridley Project and their studies of turtles to prepare you for a possible turtle encounter during tomorrow's snorkelling.
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stingray Beach Inn
Day 5: SANDBANK, SNORKELLING AND SUNSET CRUISE
Stop At: Maafushi Island, Maafushi Island
Following breakfast, it's time to head off to the ocean once again.
You will be taken by speedboat to an idyllic sandbank just a
short distance from Maafushi. Here you have the opportunity to swim, snorkel or just lie back and relax. A picnic lunch will be served before we head off to snorkel in search of turtles.
On the return journey to Maafushi cruise the Indian Ocean and hopefully spot dolphins.
Dinner is served at your guesthouse.
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Stingray Beach Inn
Day 6: DISCOVER GULHI AND DINNER WITH LOCAL FAMILY
Stop At: Gulhi Island, Gulhi Island
Following an early breakfast we take a short speedboat journey to the quiet local island of Gulhi. Once checked in to
your guesthouse, your guide will accompany you on a tour of the island. Visit the boat yard to stand in awe at the size
of the boats under renovation, chat with the locals and finally refresh yourself with a cool Kurumba (coconut).
Over your refreshment, your tour leader will inspire and educate on how plastic is being dealt with in the Maldives and the work being done by Parley of the Oceans.
Ready for relaxation you can choose to head to the bikini beach or for the more energetic join your tour leader for a
snorkeling opportunity on the house reef of Gulhi.
As the afternoon cools down there is the option to support a beach clean, giving back to the community that has welcomed us.
Dinner this evening is prepared by a local family, just don’t expect silver service as traditionally meals are eaten without the aid of a knife and fork!
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Tropic Tree
Day 7: FREE DAY
Stop At: Gulhi Island, Gulhi Island
Today is a rest day! Relax on the bikini beach, or for those feeling energetic participate in the various optional watersport activities on offer.
This evening enjoy a farewell dinner in the peaceful courtyard of your guesthouse.
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Tropic Tree
Day 8: DEPARTURE
Stop At: Male, Male
After breakfast transfer back to Male by public ferry, across town, and on to Male airport where the tour ends.
Duration: 6 hours
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- The Maldives is a Muslim country and therefore alcohol is not available on local islands. Subject to availability day/evening, visits to resorts can be arranged.
- Bikinis are also not allowed to be worn on local island beaches; however our guesthouses offer private gardens or private beach areas for guests.
- The Maldives is a Muslim country and care needs to be taken in relation to the dress code on local islands. Whilst it is acceptable for men to wear T Shirts and shorts or swim shorts; females should avoid causing offence by maintaining a more conservative approach to clothes by wearing T Shirts, loose shorts or sarongs. Whilst the islands we visit are more tolerant of guests wearing traditional beachwear, females should avoid wearing bikinis and swimwear unless on an uninhabited island, picnic island, sandbank, screened off tourist beach, dive boat or resort island.
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Itinerary subject to change due to weather conditions
- No prior visa arrangements are required. Tourists are issued a 30-day visa on arrival. A passport valid for 1 month and travel documents (flight tickets) are necessary
- Safety has always been important to our business, this is why our guides are Emergency First Responders & Life Guard Certified. We are pleased to offer safe travel and hygiene standards as required by the World Travel & Tourism Council and Maldives Safe Tourism Guidelines. Private tours available upon request.
- The online travelerh declaration form IMUGA must also be completed within the 96 hour period prior to arrival in the Maldives
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
- All our guide team are: * Have been trained on HPA (Maldives Health Protection Agency) How to Identify & Manage Suspected cases of COVID19 for Tourist Operations. * Emergency First Responder Certified * Level Three International Life Guard Certified
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 7 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
Ticket delivery
Cancellation
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
We visited for 10 days in December 2022. Our guide was Shark and he is a knowledgeable and very good guide. We got along famously. We arrived at the airport in Male on 24 Dec and our first night we booked at the Sun Siyam Olhuveli resort. This was good because after travelling for about 20 ho...
We visited for 10 days in December 2022. Our guide was Shark and he is a knowledgeable and very good guide. We got along famously. We arrived at the airport in Male on 24 Dec and our first night we booked at the Sun Siyam Olhuveli resort. This was good because after travelling for about 20 hours we were tired. Shark met us at the airport and although our tour with Secret Paradise only started on the 25th we were met by Shark at the airport on arrival. He assisted with meeting the boat to the resort, getting a sim card for connecting and communication via whatsup as well as changing USD to Maldivian Rufiyaa. We took about USD50 per day that we were there and it was sufficient for our needs. Most places it is possible to pay with creditcards, but we always prefer to have local currency also available. Day 1: On arrival back from the Resort the next afternoon at about 17:00 Shark met us again at the airport and took us to Planktons Beach Hotel in Hlumale. After briefing us we were free to go and have dinner and we made arrangements to meet the next morning. Day 2: We went for a walking tour in Male and Shark showed us some of the local places to do shopping. After lunch we took a 2 hour ferry trip to Guraidhoo were we stayed for 3 nights. We stayed at the Guraidhoo Palm Inn. It is a very basic accomodation. The room had a fridge and aircon. There was no toiletries (soap, shampoo, bodywash). The rooms is not serviced or cleaned daily. Breakfast was served at another guesthouse. In Guraidoo we met Allie. He and Shark showed us around the island and we had dinner with a local family. It was very nice and the food were great. That evening we saw the Plankton on the beach. If you walk on it, it turns metallic blue. Day 3 started with breakfast and then we went snorkeling for the first time at the house reef. This is a way for the guide to check how comfortable you are in the water. Marius and I are used to snorkeling. Shark, I think did not really belief me when I told him I am used to swimming long distances because I am big and just came out of hospital after a major operation. I surprised him when we went snorkeling. We saw a lot of lovely fishes. The rest of the day went to swim at the bikini beach and late afternoon it was time for hedika. What a lovely tradition. Dinner was at a local restaurant. Day 4 was basically snorkeling and the evening was a bbq dinner on the beach. We saw a big school of dolphins on our way back after snorkeling. We also planted 4 trees as part of the saving the environment project that Secret Paradis is involved in. Day 5 we transferred to Mafuusi. On arrival we were advised that our accomodation was upgraded. We were supposed to sleep 2 nights in a Guesthouse and then 2 nights in a Delux Ocean View room at the Triton Prestige Hotel. The guesthouse is part of the Triton group. We were however upgraded to a room with a jacuzzi on the 6th floor of the Triton Prestige Hotel for the full 4 days of our stay there. Thank you so much for this. It was really great. After checking in at the hotel we went snorkeling at 2 different site and had lunch on a sandbank. Day six (Friday which is equivalent to our sunday, we spent swimming at the bikini beach and at the swimming pool on the 8th floor of the hotel just relaxing. Day seven we visited the island of Guhli. We saw some beautifal birds and tasted some tried fish. It tasted like biltong and is different than the dried bokkoms that we get here on the West Coast of South Africa. It is just as salty but hard. Lunch was at a guesthouse. We had red snapper fish to share and they also gave us a white snapper to taste. We did some snorkeling and Marius also tried out the jetski. The water was very shallow but we did manage to snorkel and saw a lobster under a corral. The evening there was a New Years Eve dinner and entertainment on the beach that the hotel arranged. There was also some fireworks. We could see the fireworks also on the nearby islands and resorts. Day eight we had a day off to do as we wish. The evening we had a dinner on the beach to celebrate my birthday. I even got a cake. Day nine we transferred back the afternoon to Male airport to return home. What really impressed us was the following: 1. Every island we have has a school and hospital. I had to get some eyedrops and the facilities at the hospital in Guraidhoo was top class. 2. The streets, although it is dirt road, are clean and there is no beggards. 3. It is peaceful and people seem to mind their own business. 4. We saw nobody misbehave and I think this is due to the strict policies of not allowing any alcohol on the islands. In Guiradhoo and Mafuusi there is plenty of shops to buy souvenirs as well as cooldrinks and other snacks. They take USD and local currency. Change is mainly given in local currency at the shops. The restaurants do give change in USD. Maafuusi is more focused on tourism. I did not like the beach there because it was full of coral in the shallow water. In Guraidhoo and Guhli there was sand on the bottom of water on the beaches. Weather was perfect. The last 2 days there was a bit of wind blowing. There was not much humidity. It was definitely less than the humidity on the North Coast of Kwazulu Natal here in SA. Our favorite drink was the fresh fruit juices that is available at all the restaurants. Marius loved the watermelon juice and my favorite was the pineapple juice. I would really like to thank firstly Ruth for her organising the trip. There was many emails going between us during the planning stages. Secondly for Shark being such a great guide. If possible we would like to return and see more of the Maldive. Especially the more northern islands where Shark comes form and what we heard a lot about. We really enjoyed our trip.This tour was an awesome mix of adventure, cultural insights and loads of fun. Big thanks to Ruth who didn’t tire of our emails back and forth, always super quick to respond to every query and made sure all our requirements were met. The itinerary was nice and varied and incorporated activities...
This tour was an awesome mix of adventure, cultural insights and loads of fun. Big thanks to Ruth who didn’t tire of our emails back and forth, always super quick to respond to every query and made sure all our requirements were met. The itinerary was nice and varied and incorporated activities like exploring the stunning islands of Hulhumale, Guraidhoo, Maafushi and Gulhi, informative walking tours and generous time for water activities. The beaches and marine life really are a sight to behold, simply breathtaking. Staying in local properties in some of the less-touristy islands and contributing positively to the community and local economy was a highlight for me. Kudos to our guide, Shark who was not only an experienced tour leader but also an amazing human being. Shark is passionate about his country and culture and his enthusiasm for promoting local tourism is inspiring. Through his lens as a local, a traveller and an artist we were able to get some cultural, social and political context of the Maldives, and a sense of appreciation for island life beyond the usual perspective from pretty pictures of fancy resorts. It was also a treat to be in the company of someone who loves being in the water as much as we do. His expertise in navigating the islands and keen sense of safety in the water meant that we found ourselves in some of the nicest locations for our snorkelling adventures. Thank you Shark for the positive vibes, great times and belly laughs, we are truly grateful. As an avid wanderer of our beautiful planet, it is important for me to support local companies who promote Sustainable and Responsible tourism, so it is encouraging to see that Secret Paradise implements community-minded business practices, including providing guests environmental awareness in the protection of the coral reefs and marine ecosystems. I was naturally delighted to have had the opportunity to participate in community-focussed conservation programs such as tree planting and observing the responsible collection and disposal of our plastic wastes throughout the duration of the tour. I am aware that Secret Paradise has other conservation programs and collaboration with NGOs and I just want to say thank you for the great work you guys! It was an absolute joy to deal with the Secret Paradise team and I would not hesitate to use them again for more beautiful island hopping hopefully in the near future.It's rare for me to rave that much about organized travel as a convinced solo traveler for the last 10 years, but I can honestly say that booking this particular tour with Secret Paradise was one of the best ideas I had in a long time, and it's very hard for me at the moment to keep my comment an...
It's rare for me to rave that much about organized travel as a convinced solo traveler for the last 10 years, but I can honestly say that booking this particular tour with Secret Paradise was one of the best ideas I had in a long time, and it's very hard for me at the moment to keep my comment and experience short :p 12/10!! the reviews don't do justice to the service and welcome you will get, it starts way before your arrival, just a few hours after my first email reaching out to SP, I've got a contact back taking in consideration all my requirements and giving me advice on the best options, itinerary, dates, locations, things to do/not to do, and it continued on several days until my final confirmation. Even when I had an issue with my transfer and couldn't make it until 24h after my initial date, the team made it possible for me and could adjust when other agencies would have politely indicated that it's not their responsibility (wich is true), but that is just to let you know the level of involvement shown by Ruth and all the team. Once at Malé, I had the pleasure of meeting Kamey that was waiting for me and was my guide during the tour, and what a guide!! Thanks to him, I had such a wonderful stay, with the support of a funny, knowledgeable and most important respectful person, not only did he make sure that I get the best of times discovering the different islands, spotting me during snorkeling sessions, making sure I get to see the different aspects of the local life and the rich marine variety of the islands, he also made sure that I get to test the best food options! I couldn't ask for more. During the tour, we visited Guraidhoo, Maafushi and Guli in addition to the discovery of the Capital Malé, and each have its particularities with enough balance between discovering the real local habits and free time. My highlights will always be the participation to the Olive Ridley Project Seminary, meeting up with Rith and the full SP team, the magnificent Ray Manta Snorkling and the absolutely delicious diner with locals (best food ever hands down). Going back to Malé, Kamey made sure that I get my connection to the next part of my travel as well, before continuing on my own to discover other parts of the Maldives, and we meet back again 2 weeks later before my return to help me out with a last shopping trip in the local market before my return flight. I had also the pleasure to have a coffe with Ruth during the last hours of my stay, exchanging about the challenges facing the Maldives and hopes and projects for the next years. I have so much more to say but I will stop here, adding that the flexibility and understating I've got were so valuable in making this last minute trip possible, specially in a destination well known for honeymoons and as a couple destination, but thanks to SP, I can say that Maldives are much much more than what social media make it, by booking with them, not only you get the best value for money/time/experience, but you get to know wonderful people, engage in a very responsible travel approach and discover the real Maldives. So if you get to this point on my feedback, the only thing I have to add is book directly with Secret Paradise, don't hesitate, and I encourage even more solo travelers to visit the Maldives, all the reviews you see are true and even don't do the team justice. Again, Thank you Kamey and Ruth, I'm looking forward to my next stay with you!!!5/5 This turned out to be an amazing trip. The trip didn’t start out good the first island resort would not let us come after arriving at the airport in MLE due to covid this was not part of the tour we did not booked with Secret Paradise. Everything was closed but Ruth from Secret Paradise call...
5/5 This turned out to be an amazing trip. The trip didn’t start out good the first island resort would not let us come after arriving at the airport in MLE due to covid this was not part of the tour we did not booked with Secret Paradise. Everything was closed but Ruth from Secret Paradise called me back and told me not to worry she was sending someone for us and she got us a room. We then went on our island hopping tour to Guraidhoo and Gulhi sadly we could not got to Maafushi due to covid. But we enjoyed our tour with the most amazing tour guide Mash that we canceled our second week at a all-inclusive and booked another week with Secret Paradise. We request that Mash continue with us. The second week we were also supposed to go to Dhigurah and Rasdhoo but we enjoyed Dhigurah so much we spent the entire week their. Mash took such great care of us we felt like celebrities. We had planned activities as well as time to our selves. I would definitely recommend Secret Paradise. Ruth always responded quickly to my emails and was so informative gave great suggestions. Mash was amazing made everything run smooth and took care of every little detail. He even surprised us with a romantic sunset dinner he made us feel like family. This was a last minute trip and I had a hard time booking what we wanted until I got a hold of Ruth at Secret Paradis. She took care of everything. You tell her what your looking to do and see and she gives you suggestions on what islands to go to. I would go thru them again for another trip to the Maladies.We had the most incredible time with secret paradise on our recent trip to the Maldives across new year and to celebrate my 30th. I would recommend going with secret paradise to anyone I meet - our guide Kamay made our trip incredible, giving us so much confidence in the water swimming with shark...
We had the most incredible time with secret paradise on our recent trip to the Maldives across new year and to celebrate my 30th. I would recommend going with secret paradise to anyone I meet - our guide Kamay made our trip incredible, giving us so much confidence in the water swimming with sharks, rays and all the incredible other marine life there is to find. We had a few days after the trip on our own and we wouldn’t have had anywhere near the same confidence had we not spent time with Kamay initially teaching us everything there is to know about the ocean and what is in it. It really was a trip of a lifetime and the itinerary was absolutely perfect for anyone wanting to really understand the Maldives and the incredible sea life it offers. Absolutely 5⭐️ service and would so highly recommend thisI was hesitant to go to Maldives as I am not a "island resort" type but then I came across "Secrete Paradise" and I decided to jump in, and this us exactly what happened. The service was amazing, I discuss openly with Ruth what I liked and what not, exchange on different options and itinerary. T...
I was hesitant to go to Maldives as I am not a "island resort" type but then I came across "Secrete Paradise" and I decided to jump in, and this us exactly what happened. The service was amazing, I discuss openly with Ruth what I liked and what not, exchange on different options and itinerary. They are so much concerned that you have the right experience in Maldives that Ruth was also checking with the competitors if something was eventually better for me. I obviously then arranged with the and with Ruth all my 2 and half weeks around the islands. Everything was super well arranged, someone was constantly in touch with me to check everything was fine (I have to say that every time I was in the water). Zaff also accompanied me shopping around Male the last day and I was lucky enough to be able to meet personally Ruth for a coffee. The company is amazing and they arranged for me an amazing trip. Will be back for more for sure.