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Local Island Day Tour from Hulhumale: Immerse in Maldives Culture and Traditional Boat Building
4.8
29 Ratings
Malé
Experience the vibrant culture and traditional boat building of the Maldives on this full-day island hopping tour. Immerse yourself in the local way of life, visit a boat building yard, and explore the underwater world through snorkeling.
Duration:
6 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Hulhumale - Your guide who will be wearing a Secret Paradise t Shirt and holding a Secret Paradise logo board will meet with you at the designated meeting point.
What's Included
- Snorkeling equipment and buoyancy aid provided
- Guided tour with a Secret Paradise expert
- Lunch at a local cafe included
- All local taxes covered
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses - snacks, souvenirs
- Pick Up from airport, hotels in Hulhumale, Malé or the cruise jetty at a charge of $25 two pax.
Additional Information
Enjoy this full-day island hopping trip to two local islands. Accompanied by a local guide take a tour of each island and gain first hand knowledge of Maldives culture and tradition. Gain insights into the simple life led by the villagers, visit a boat building yard and learn about this fragile eco-environment. Take lunch at a local restaurant and visit souvenir shops where you may purchase local handicrafts and mementos. In-between islands we offer the opportunity to snorkel and discover the vibrant underwater world of the Maldives.
NOTE: There is a minimum number of 2 travellers required for tour to operate.
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 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 offense 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
- We do provide snorkeling equipment on all our tours but please feel free to bring along your own mask and snorkel. Not only will you be assured your mask fits your face properly and is comfortable and less likely to have leakage, it will also lower any health associated risks. We find that peace of mind goes a long way.
- Tour is not suitable if you are staying on a private island resort.
- 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.
Location
Lakudi Jetty
Adjacent to the main Hulhumale ferry terminal. Note this tour is not suitable if you are staying on a private island resort.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(29 Ratings)
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Steve_a
Dec 4, 2023
The guides, Archive and... - The guides, Archive and Sha were excellent! Extremely knowledgeable and very good company. With their help and guidance I was able snorkel for the very first time (as a non swimmer this was something I d always avoided). They reassured me and helped have an amazing experience. I can't thank them enough. They were stars!
Review provided by Viator
Ww916
Dec 27, 2022
Good day trip seeing the locals and dolphins - Enjoyed visiting two local islands. It was interesting to see where the locals live and their livelihood. The pleasant surprise was seeing dolphins- so many! The crew was very nice. They circled around the dolphins to let me have a good view and take better photos and videos. The guides were very friendly and helpful. They tried very hard to get me the best lunch.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zachary
Nov 30, 2022
This is a MUST-DO - First and foremost, this is a MUST. Make sure you get UB as your guide, he is the man!!!
My wife and I were in the Maldives on honeymoon and before we went to the resort, we wanted to see what the real Maldives and how real Maldivians live. UB was very knowledgeable about every and all things Maldives, so it was great learning from him. He also took us to a reef where (and I am not lying) we had the best snorkel experience. My wife and I have snorkeled many times before, but without a doubt Maldives was the best. The trip started out a little rocky because of the rain, but UB adjusted on the fly and made sure we got to do everything that was on the itinerary. Again, this is a must if you are visiting the Maldives and want more than just resort life.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
378abdulelaha
Jun 7, 2020
great day visiting local life and snorkeling - I did Mafushi and Gulhi . First we went to Mafushi and we walked around the island and my guide was very informative about the local life the plants the houses then we had a drink in a cafe then had local lunch then we moved to Gulhi and we had an idea about old ships building . Gulhi beach was soooooooo clean I had a chance to swim .
in our way back we stopped at a nice spot fofr snorkeling this spot was the best the water colour and the marine life was great ( first time i see turtle ) .
My guide was informative and took good care of me in snorkeling ( i am new in snorkeling )
The tour was well organised by secret paradise and it was great .
Thank you everyone
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neriner1
Mar 3, 2020
Interesting local islands tour - We had a lovely walking day trip to two islands. I have hip problems and had to do the trip in a wheelchair with my husband pushing me. Unfortunately the weather was a bit rough and we could not snorkel or swim. But it was really enjoyable and our guide was very good.
Unfortunately we could not do the snorkeling trip because of the rough weather. The guides advised us against it. So it was a bit disappointing but a safer option. Thanks also for your very friendly service whilst we did the booking.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alghero81
Mar 2, 2020
Exceptional tour services, amazing locations - We encountered this agency almost by chance and we used their services for 2 separate tours. All tour guides are extremely enthusiastic, friendly, competent and knowledgeable.
The tours available are very varied and all extremely exciting including pick-up from main island. The use of local resources (local ferries, local taxis, local restaurants) is a nice touch and makes you feel the real Maldivian experience.
One of the guides, Archie, made us an origami local boat (dhoni) using local leaves, extremely nice gesture that we will cherish for ever.
Another guide, UB, qualified diver and international lifeguard, gave confidence to my partner to swim and snorkel in the ocean taking her by hand despite her fears of deep water.
Even their youngest member, Anoof, during training, is extremely enthusiastic and helpful, able to give us some local hints and recommendations.
Would use their services again next time we are back.
Only recommendation: they accept only cash.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Docniniray
Feb 11, 2020
Stunning landscapes, very warm hosts! - We were welcomed by a very warm Farish, who is jovial and charming. Enjoyed the boat ride to Gulhi which has a spectacular beach. Farish was very attentive and answered all our incessant questions about local culture, food, history, marine life of Maldives. He knows his home well. It was my first time snorkelling and I couldn’t have asked for a better instructor, Farish was patient and calmed me. The blue waters of Maldives hold a lot of colourful secrets-fishes and corals. Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a slice of Maldivian life, I learnt a lot.
Review provided by Viator
Docniniray
Feb 11, 2020
Great host, lovely experience! - It was a lovely experience touring Maldives with Farish. He’s very charming and playful and entertained all our questions about the islands, local culture, history, marine animals. Gulhi, our first stop was absolutely stunning. The beach is pristine with cute corners everywhere. I snorkelled for the first time and couldn’t have asked for a better instructor. Farish was extremely patient and the fishes were a colourful delight to the eyes. The blue water is suddenly filled with so many colours as we look down. Definitely recommend this tour, they make you feel very homely.
Review provided by Viator
Wanderingnotlost2018
Dec 11, 2019
Great day out - This tour to Huraa was great. I was picked up by the guide, Mashir, from Hulhumale where I was staying. The from Male we (me, Mashir, and one other guest) took a speedboat ferry to Huraa where we had a great traditional Maldivian breakfast. Then we walked around the island seeing the mangrove trees, fishing boats, fish paste making, and a resort. We had some time to swim and then after we saw some of the village as we walked through the streets. The speedboat took us back to Male and Mashir accompanied me back to my hotel. Mashir was a great guide and spoke excellent English
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mohamedr_k
Jul 26, 2022
Does not inspire confidence - Guide came late.
Failed to contact us that he was running late. Five minutes out of jetty boat ‘s engines gathered water and engine stalled; enough to wreck one’s day. Guide tried very hard to make up but clearly this service is appalling and must be improved.
Review provided by Viator
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