Maalhos island guide (Baa): Hanifaru Bay mantas, the house reef and where to stay
In this article
Maalhos is a small village island in Baa Atoll, about 115 kilometres north-west of Malé and a short boat ride from Hanifaru Bay, where reef mantas gather to feed in the southwest monsoon. The quickest way in is a domestic flight to Dharavandhoo, a few kilometres away, and a speedboat of about 20 minutes.
It has fewer than six hundred people, a bikini beach with a house reef off it, and a small but growing group of guest houses. For travellers who want a quiet Baa base for the mantas, close to Dharavandhoo's airport but away from its busier village, it is a good choice.
Maalhos at a glance
Population and island life
The 2022 census counted 572 people on Maalhos, up from 460 in 2014 and 392 in 2006. It is a quiet village with a small harbour, a health centre for minor problems, a few shops and cafés, and a Bank of Maldives ATM that opened in 2025. Serious medical cases go to a larger island or to Malé.
The island keeps old customs that set it apart. A fragment of a Buddha head has been found on the island, from the centuries before the Maldives converted to Islam, and island tradition includes a custom of bathing in seven different wells.
The Ministry of Tourism register lists seven guest houses on Maalhos with 49 rooms between them. Thundi by Biosphere, with 18 rooms, is the largest; most of the others have three to nine.
How to get to Maalhos from Malé airport
Domestic flight and speedboat
The quickest route is a domestic flight from Velana to Dharavandhoo, Baa's airport, then a speedboat of about 20 minutes to Maalhos. There are only a few flights a day, ending in the late afternoon, so a late international arrival usually means a first night near the airport. Guest houses arrange the boat from Dharavandhoo.
Shared speedboat
Shared speedboats from Malé run on a limited schedule, usually with a late-morning and an afternoon departure, and take two hours or more in open water. They are the cheaper way in, but less predictable in rough weather. Confirm the times with the guest house for your dates.
Seaplane
Seaplanes fly to the resorts of Baa Atoll in daylight hours, and a seaplane transfer can sometimes be arranged; it is the most expensive option.
The short version. Fly to Dharavandhoo and take the 20-minute boat across. In manta season, give it four nights or more so Hanifaru Bay can be tried on two or three days.
Island rules worth knowing
Alcohol. None is sold or served on Maalhos, 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 boat times can change.
Things to do on Maalhos
Mantas at Hanifaru Bay
Hanifaru Bay is a short boat ride from Maalhos. From roughly May to November, when the southwest monsoon pushes plankton into the bay, reef mantas gather to feed, sometimes in their hundreds, with whale sharks on some days. Each visit is a guided snorkel with a time limit, arranged through the guest house or dive centre. The Dharavandhoo guide sets out how a visit works.
The bikini beach and the house reef
The bikini beach has white sand and palm shade, and the house reef can be reached from it, with coral and reef fish for casual snorkelling. A house reef within reach of the beach is not a given on local islands, and it is one of Maalhos's strengths. Ask locally about the best entry point and the current.
Diving
A dive centre on the island runs guided dives and courses, and dozens of Baa's sites, from thilas to channels and manta cleaning stations, are within reach by boat.
Excursions from Maalhos
Sandbanks and picnic islands. Half-day and full-day trips to Baa's sandbanks and uninhabited islands.
Fishing and dolphins. Sunset fishing and dolphin cruises.
Resort days. Several Baa Atoll resorts are a short boat ride away, and a day pass is the usual way to spend a day off the island.
The other Baa islands. Dharavandhoo, with the airport, and Kamadhoo are nearby, and Fulhadhoo, with one of the finest beaches in the country, is across the channel on Goidhoo Atoll.
How long to stay. Four or five nights in 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, which also brings 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, but Hanifaru is then quiet.
Guest houses on Maalhos
Maalhos has seven registered guest houses. None is on this site yet, but any of them can be priced on request.
Every registered guest house on Maalhos
The Ministry of Tourism register lists these guest houses on Maalhos in Baa, 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.
- Fiya Inn5 rooms
- Island Luxury Retreat9 rooms
- Manta Reserve5 rooms
- Moonshell Residence5 rooms
- Thundi by Biosphere18 rooms
- Thundi Ocean View4 rooms
- Thundi Villa3 rooms
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Maldives, register of tourist guest houses (B. Maalhos), October 2026. Room counts are the licensed totals and change as properties expand.
Every guest house on this site, on Maalhos and the other local islands, with live prices for your dates, is on the guest houses and city hotels page.
Who Maalhos 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. Maalhos 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 Maalhos from Malé airport?
The quickest way is a domestic flight to Dharavandhoo, then a speedboat of about 20 minutes. Shared speedboats from Malé take two hours or more on a limited schedule. Flights end in the late afternoon, so a late landing usually means a night near the airport.
How close is Maalhos to Hanifaru Bay?
A short boat ride. Mantas gather to feed in the bay from roughly May to November, sometimes in their hundreds, with whale sharks on some days. Visits are snorkel only, in guided slots with a time limit, and the number of boats and people in the bay at once is capped.
Does Maalhos have a bikini beach and a house reef?
Yes. The bikini beach has white sand and palm shade, and the house reef can be reached from it for casual snorkelling. Swimwear is allowed only there and on boats; in the village, cover shoulders and knees, men as well as women.
Which Maalhos is this?
This guide is about Maalhos in Baa Atoll, near Dharavandhoo and Hanifaru Bay. There is another island called Maalhos in Alif Alif, the North Ari Atoll, beside Feridhoo, so check the atoll name when booking a guest house or a transfer.
How many guest houses are there on Maalhos?
The Ministry of Tourism register lists seven guest houses on Maalhos in Baa, with 49 rooms between them. Thundi by Biosphere is the largest with 18 rooms. The full list is on this page, and any of them can be priced on request.
Maalhos is a small Baa village with Hanifaru Bay a short boat ride away: a bikini beach with a reef off it, old island customs and the manta gatherings of the southwest monsoon close by. Fly to Dharavandhoo and take the boat across, give it four nights in season, and every guest house on Maalhos can be priced for your dates through the guest houses and city hotels page.
