Kamadhoo island guide: Baa Atoll, Hanifaru Bay's mantas and where to stay
In this article
Kamadhoo is a small village island in Baa Atoll, about 129 kilometres north of Malé and a short speedboat ride from Hanifaru Bay, where hundreds of manta rays can gather to feed in the southwest monsoon. The quickest way in is a domestic flight to Dharavandhoo and a speedboat of about a quarter of an hour; the shared speedboat from Malé takes two hours or more.
It is a compact island of about 550 people with a bikini beach on its southern side and a house reef a short swim out. Several of its guest houses are larger, hotel-style properties, so it suits travellers who want a Baa base for the mantas with a little more polish than a small family guest house.
Kamadhoo at a glance
Population and island life
The 2022 census counted 552 people on Kamadhoo, up from 354 in 2014 and 231 in 2006, so the village has more than doubled in sixteen years. It is small enough to cross on foot in a few minutes, and bicycles are the usual way to get around. There is a health centre for minor problems; serious cases go to the regional hospital at Eydhafushi or to Malé. A Bank of Maldives ATM opened in 2025, but small cafés take cash only.
The whole of Baa Atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, recognised for its reefs and for the manta and whale shark feeding grounds at Hanifaru Bay.
The Ministry of Tourism register lists thirteen guest houses on Kamadhoo with 189 rooms between them, plus two home stays. Nest by Hawks, with 48 rooms, is the largest, followed by Cher Maldives with 27 and Swarn by Hawks with 19; several of the island's properties belong to the same Hawks group.
How to get to Kamadhoo from Malé airport
Domestic flight and speedboat
The quickest route is a domestic flight from Velana to Dharavandhoo, Baa's airport, about 35 to 40 minutes, followed by a speedboat of about 15 to 20 minutes to Kamadhoo. Flights run several times a day, so this is also the answer to an afternoon landing. Guest houses arrange the boat from Dharavandhoo.
Shared speedboat
Shared speedboats from Malé and the airport take about two to two and a half hours in open water, usually leaving around midday, with extra departures on some days and generally none on Fridays. Boats back usually leave Kamadhoo early, around 07:00 to 08:00. Times change, so confirm them with the guest house for your dates.
For the shared boat, land at Velana by late morning. After that, take the domestic flight or spend the first night near the airport; the Hulhumalé guide covers where to stay.
The short version. Fly to Dharavandhoo and take the short boat across, or catch the midday shared speedboat. Give it four nights or more, and time a manta trip for the May to November season.
Island rules worth knowing
Alcohol. None is sold or served on Kamadhoo, and it may not be brought onto the island.
Dress and the beach. Swimwear is allowed only on the bikini beach and on excursion boats. In the village, cover shoulders and knees, men as well as women.
Hanifaru Bay. The bay is snorkel only, in guided slots, and only a limited number of boats and people are allowed in at once.
Fridays. Shops and cafés close around midday prayers, and the shared speedboat usually does not run.
Things to do on Kamadhoo
Mantas at Hanifaru Bay
Hanifaru Bay is about 15 to 20 minutes from Kamadhoo by speedboat. From roughly May to November, when the southwest monsoon pushes plankton into the bay, reef mantas gather to feed, sometimes in their hundreds, and whale sharks occasionally join them. The size of the gathering depends on the tide, the moon and the plankton, so a stay of several nights gives the best chance of a good day.
The bikini beach and the house reef
The bikini beach is on the southern side of the island, a wide stretch of white sand with palm shade, showers and changing rooms, and loungers set out by some guest houses. The house reef is a short swim from the beach to a drop-off, with reef fish, turtles, eagle rays and young reef sharks. Currents can run along the drop-off, so snorkel with someone and ask locally where to get in. The clearest water is from about December to April.
Diving
A dive centre on the island runs fun dives, night dives, courses and Discover Scuba sessions for first-timers. Baa's thilas and channels bring grey reef sharks, rays and Napoleon wrasse, and the mantas visit cleaning stations around the atoll through the year.
Excursions from Kamadhoo
Sandbanks and picnic islands. Half-day and full-day trips to uninhabited islands and sandbanks, often with a barbecue lunch.
Dolphins and fishing. Sunset dolphin cruises, and sunset hand-line fishing.
Dharavandhoo. The neighbouring island with Baa's airport is right beside Hanifaru Bay. The Dharavandhoo island guide covers it.
Maalhos. Another small Baa village near Hanifaru Bay, with a bikini beach and a house reef from it. The Maalhos island guide covers it.
Resort days. Day passes to Baa Atoll resorts can be arranged through the guest houses.
How long to stay. Four or five nights in the manta season gives two or three chances at Hanifaru, plus a reef day and a sandbank. Outside the season, three or four nights covers the beach, reef and diving.
When to go
For the mantas at Hanifaru Bay, roughly May to November, during the southwest monsoon. That is also the season of more wind, rain and rougher crossings. For calm seas, clear water and the best snorkelling on the house reef, the dry northeast monsoon, roughly December to April, is better.
Guest houses on Kamadhoo
Kamadhoo has thirteen registered guest houses and two registered home stays. None is on this site yet, but any of them can be priced on request.
Every registered guest house on Kamadhoo
The Ministry of Tourism register lists these guest houses and home stays on Kamadhoo, with the number of rooms each is licensed for. Names link to the hotel's page on this site as they join, and the rest can still be priced on request.
- Akomadoo10 rooms
- Biosphere by Hawks7 rooms
- Cher Maldives27 rooms
- Go Kamadhoo4 rooms
- Hanifaru Beach Inn9 rooms
- Ithaa Inn Kamadhoo11 rooms
- Kamadhoo Inn16 rooms
- La Plage Maldives11 rooms
- Nest by Hawks48 rooms
- Silver Bay Kamadhoo8 rooms
- Swarn by Hawks19 rooms
- TME Retreats Kamadhoo4 rooms · home stay
- View Kamadhoo3 rooms
- White Tulip Inn3 rooms · home stay
- Wings by Hawks16 rooms
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Maldives, register of tourist guest houses and home stays, October 2026. Room counts are the licensed totals and change as properties expand.
Every guest house on this site, on Kamadhoo and the other local islands, with live prices for your dates, is on the guest houses and city hotels page.
Who Kamadhoo isn't for
Anyone coming for the mantas outside the season. From about December to April Hanifaru Bay is usually empty of feeding mantas, though the reef and the calm seas are at their best.
Anyone who wants plenty of cafés and things going on. Kamadhoo is small and quiet; Maafushi, near the airport, has far more choice.
Anyone who wants nightlife, a drink with dinner or an over-water villa. The trade-off is set out in local island or resort island.
Comparing islands? The Maldives local islands guide sets every island guide on this site side by side, by transfer time from the airport and what each island does best.
Common questions
How do I get to Kamadhoo from Malé airport?
The quickest way is a domestic flight to Dharavandhoo, about 35 to 40 minutes, then a speedboat of about 15 to 20 minutes. The shared speedboat from Malé takes two to two and a half hours, usually around midday, and generally does not run on Fridays.
How far is Kamadhoo from Hanifaru Bay?
About 15 to 20 minutes by speedboat. Mantas gather to feed in the bay from roughly May to November, sometimes in their hundreds, and whale sharks occasionally join them. Visits are snorkel only, in guided slots, with a limit on the number of boats and people in the bay.
Does Kamadhoo have a bikini beach?
Yes, on the southern side of the island, with white sand, palm shade, showers and changing rooms. The house reef is a short swim out. Swimwear is allowed only there and on boats; in the village, cover shoulders and knees, men as well as women.
Is there an ATM on Kamadhoo?
Yes. A Bank of Maldives ATM opened on the island in 2025. Most guest houses take cards, but small cafés are cash only, so carry some US dollars or rufiyaa as well.
How many guest houses are there on Kamadhoo?
The Ministry of Tourism register lists thirteen guest houses on Kamadhoo, with 189 rooms between them, plus two home stays. Nest by Hawks is the largest with 48 rooms. The full list is on this page, and any of them can be priced on request.
Kamadhoo is a small Baa village with Hanifaru Bay on its doorstep: a bikini beach to the south, a reef a short swim out and the manta gatherings of the southwest monsoon a quarter of an hour away. Fly to Dharavandhoo or take the midday boat, give it four nights, and every guest house on Kamadhoo can be priced for your dates through the guest houses and city hotels page.
