Vaavu Atoll


Vaavu – snorkeling and interacting with a green turtle.
Photo by: Christian Steen, Creative Commons

Vaavu Atoll, Maldives is also known as the Felidhoo Atoll. It has 19 lovely isles and is the smallest atoll of the archipelago. From the heart of the capital Male, Vaavu Atoll is 40 miles away. If you are riding a speedboat, the travel time from the capital is about 90 minutes. However, should you decide to ride the dhoni (Maldives’s multi-purpose sail boat), it will take about five hours. The latter ride might sound long, but if you have the luxury of time, it could definitely be an enriching experience too– being able to cruise the big ocean for several hours and seeing the bigger picture of what Maldives truly is.

Vaavu Atoll is divided into two parts: the main is Vaavu Atoll while the virtually untouched isle is the Vattaru. Vaavu is boot-shaped while Vattaru is large and circular. Fotteyo Muli, the easternmost point of the archipelago is at the foot of this Atoll.

Vaavu has been a long-time favorite by safari and cruise operators despite it being isolated and less commercialized compared with other atolls open for tourists. It was in 1975 when tourism in this atoll started and it continues to enchant countless of visitors every day till date.

Maldives is sunny all year-round so there is no specific time for you to visit the archipelago. Now, if you want to see some sharks and mantas, Vaavu is definitely your spot to go. It has world-class sites for diving. One of these sites is Fotteyo Kandu, which is also considered as one of the top five sites for divers in the world. If you want to snorkel more than dive, you can also do so at the eastern part of the atoll.

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