Maldives Island Hopper

DAY ONE: Welcome to paradise!

Welcome to the Maldives! One of the most beautiful places in the world. Fly into Velana International Airport, Male & we’ll meet you there!. Beach life is calling! So we grab a speedboat to our guesthouse on the local island of Ukulhas North Ari Atoll. It’s around a 2-hour journey, so enjoy every minute as we speed James Bond-style along the crystal clear waters taking in the stunning surrounding islands. Keep your eyes on the prize! Dolphins are about! See if you can spot these fun-loving marine life along the journey. We’re here! Settle in before feeling the gentle white sand between your toes and gawp at our hotel in tropical urban paradise. Surrounded by luscious greenery, white sandy beaches and known to be one of the best diving spots in the world, Ukulhas is bucket list bliss, so it’s only right it’s where we spend our first night, ya feel? We have a delicious first dinner together; get to know the TruCrew and your Travel Ninja (that’s your awesome tour guide btw) before running through our plans for the week! Trust us, it’s life-changing!
IMPORTANT INFO - Please note the last boat departs at 15.30pm so make sure your flight gets yo into Male well before that.

DAY TWO: Learning Tropical Island Life!

Are we dreaming? Have we really just woken up surrounded by the calming sound of the Indian Ocean? Hell yeah, we did! We’re in the Maldives, baby! We kick start today with a presentation on Maldives Coral Reefs and Marine life before cruising via speedboat to nearby reefs. The home to turtles, reef sharks and an array of tropical marine life. If we’re lucky enough, we may even encounter the oceans majestic giants - manta rays! Snorkeling in the Maldives is out of this world, and it’s a story you’ll be telling for years to come! We have a safety briefing on responsible snorkeling before grabbing our gear and jumping into the warm azure waters. We’re swimming alongside these vibrant, colourful underwater ecosystems. Keep your eyes out for sea turtles, reef sharks and all the Nemos and Dorys the Maldives has to offer. It’s a beauty down there! Late afternoon we explore Ukulhas. Time to experience the local way of life. Immerse ourselves in community agriculture before visiting a Mosque to understand how Islam plays a large part in Maldivians’ daily lives. Fishing plays a vital role in this island's history, so we listen to local fishermen’s tales. What an experience! We’ve worked up an appetite, so we end our island tour with traditional afternoon tea - Hedikaa, of course. Delicious bite-sized balls of tuna, onions and grated coconut wrapped in flatbread type dough followed by black tea. Now that sounds gooooood; our stomachs are rumbling at the very thought. Later in the evening, we grab dinner together with our TruFam, followed by stopping for coffee in a local cafe to discuss the importance of seagrass in the Maldives.

It’s a beautiful morning, so slap on that biodegradable ocean-friendly suncream, grab your favourite sunnies, and we’re up and out to meet the locals responsible for developing a coral nursery. We’re here to learn about their exciting projects and give a helping hand where we can! A tru-ly unique, educational experience. We also have the opportunity for house reef snorkeling. The area is known to be home to our favourite green-shelled, humble, long-living pals - Sea turtles, so keep an eye out. How do you round off a perfect day? We board a fishing dhoni late afternoon, and as the golden orange sun goes down, we spend our evening with the locals learning the art of line fishing before devouring a delicious dinner onboard.

Day 4. Beach Days for the win
Feel the white sand between your toes, listen to the tropical sway of the tall palm trees surrounding you. Today is your day. It’s been an epic few days exploring local islands, so it calls for a beach day! If energy is bursting out of you outrageously or you get wriggly just laying on a sunlounger for too long, try out the hotel's water sports activities or diving expeditions! Late afternoon, rent a kayak or stand up paddleboard; we’ll show you the moves and how to perfect your balance skills before gliding across the aqua blue lagoon where we can enjoy the world-famous Maldives sunset. In the evening we head to the beach with a couple of our local friends to share Maldivian folk tales and even learn a Maldivian song or two. Warm those vocal cords up.. Oooooohhh, ahhhhh.

Day 5: Island Hopping To Pure Postcard Paradise

After a delicious breakfast, we take a private speedboat south through Ari Atoll to the island of Dhigurah. Fun fact Dhigurah actually means long island, and at 3km, it’s the longest island in the atoll! Postcard worthy, stunningly picturesque, Dhigurah has a long white beach, a protected turquoise lagoon and a white sandbar. When you think of the Maldives, this is it. A tropical paradise. Lay out on the glistening white beaches knowing there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. Dhigurah is a haven for divers and snorkelers as the surrounding areas are home to whale sharks, mantas and the world-renowned reefs making this location one of the best for diving in the Maldives. Take a stroll and explore, feel the sun on your shoulders as you walk this tropical bliss. Grab those snaps for the gram before checking into our idyllic guesthouse located a short walk away from the island’s hub. With a population of about 600, Dhugurah is an authentic local experience not to be missed. When in paradise, explore paradise, right? We’re heading out on a forest exploration walk. Time to get hot and sweaty! After exploring the luscious green vegetation, learning about local agriculture, we head back to the beach to watch the beautiful sunset and have a refreshing dip in the ocean. Relaxation vibes 10/10. After indulging in some tasty Maldivian cuisine, we have a presentation on the Maldives Whale shark research program to prepare us for our Whale shark safari tomorrow! Let’s do this!

Day 6: Swimming with Whale Sharks & Beach clean
Wake up feeling refreshed, sunkissed and ready for a big day ahead, you’re in the Maldives of course! It’s going to be a whale of a time! This morning we head out on the boat in search of the ocean’s largest fish. Whale sharks! An unbelievably magical experience. Feel the excitement as we attempt to spot these humongous natural giants surfacing through the water. If we do spot them, we put on our masks, dive in and snorkel carefully alongside them. Although whale sharks are enormous in size, they are gentle animals that only eat small shrimp, fish and plankton. So live in the very moment because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Tru-ly spectacular. As the afternoon cools, we spend some time on the beach, giving back to the wonderful community that has welcomed us by supporting them with a beach clean. Protecting our oceans, sipping Kurumba (coconut water) and swimming in the crystal clear waters, now that sounds like a perfect day. This evening, as the sun begins to set, we have the option to join a night snorkelling trip on the house reef. Torches at the ready as we snorkel in the dark, watching the colourful corals and marine life come alive.

Day 7. Lagoons, dancing moves & delicious cuisine

Wake up and seas the day! It’s a beach kinda morning, so do your thang. We have the morning to spend as we please, so take a snooze under a palm tree, snorkel the sparkling clear lagoon or master the art of kayaking and stand up paddleboarding as you perfect your balance out onto the lagoon. Whatever you do, you’re in paradise, so enjoy it. This afternoon we will be joined by local ladies from the village for a demonstration on making mashuni and roshi, a typical Maldivian dish. After cooking up a storm, the end result will be added to tonight’s cultural dinner! Subject to Safe Tourism, we will also welcome the local Bodu Beru Culture dance group and loosen our hips to learn some traditional Maldivan moves! Learn the dance and show everyone when you’re back home. Will it make you a world-famous TikTok star? Most probably..

Day 8. It’s Not Goodbye It’s See You Later!


After 8 life-changing days of learning, exploring and experiencing all the Maldives has to offer, it’s time to say goodbye. We’re not crying; you are. We say Dhanee! (That’s goodbye in Maldivian btw) and transfer via speedboat back to the airport. Your TruNinja is on hand for any onward plans you may have. Your memories will last a lifetime, your stories told for years to come. You’ve become TruFamily now, and that means it’s not goodbye forever; it’s just see you later! Bring it in; it’s been real.