Beachfront Villa
57 sqm · King bed and sofa bed · 10 villas
Banyan Group · North Malé Atoll
Dhawa Ihuru
- 25 min by speedboat
- Any arrival time
- 4.9 on TripAdvisor · 3,632 reviews
- Travellers' Choice 2026
- All taxes in the price
The villas
On the beach
Beachfront Sunset Villa
57 sqm · King bed and sofa bed · 10 villas
Beachfront Jet Pool Villa
68 sqm · King bed and sofa bed · 19 villas
Beachfront Rainmist Villa
68 sqm · King bed and sofa bed · 6 villas
We price these villas on request. Ask about any of them and we send back the whole stay for your dates, with the speedboat and every tax inside the number, within 24 hours.
House reef
Our rating
5/5
Exceptional
The reef circles the island about fifteen metres off the beach, and it takes an hour and a half to snorkel round an island you can walk in ten minutes. Gentle current, clear water, safe entry. This is the one we would send a nervous swimmer to. Turtles, blacktips and rays daily, and the Rannamaari wreck sits off the reef edge at around twenty-six metres for divers. There is no pool on the island at all, which is deliberate: you swim in the sea or you do not swim.
How we score house reefs, and every island ranked →Getting there
Route
Speedboat
- Journey
- 25 min, airport to island
- Last arrival that works
- Any hour
Transfers run around the clock, so any arrival time connects and you never need a night in Malé on the way in.
Shared speedboat, running day and night, so any arrival time connects. Boats are scheduled rather than private, so allow a wait at Velana.
Transfer details last checked 18 August 2026. We re-check yours against your actual ticket before we quote. See what your flight can reach →
What guests say
4.9out of 5 on TripAdvisor · 3,632 reviews
Amazing Trip
Our experience was excellent — the children thoroughly enjoyed their stay. The staff was friendly, and the food was exceptionally tasty. The beach was delightful, and we had the opportunity to see...
Be pleasantly surprised MORE than you think!
Dhawa Ihuru ticks all the boxes — privacy in cosy beachfront villas, a friendly island community, great snorkelling on the house reef or a 5-minute boat ride to Banyan Tree, and varied,...
Travellers' Choice 2026. Rating checked 21 September 2026. Read all the reviews on TripAdvisor →
About the resort
Dhawa Ihuru has no swimming pool, and that is deliberate. The house reef circles the whole island about fifteen metres off the beach, with a gentle current and an easy walk-in entry. It takes about an hour and a half to snorkel round an island you can walk round in ten minutes.
Dhawa Ihuru is 25 minutes from Velana by shared speedboat, and the boats run day and night, so a late flight still reaches the island the same evening. It is a small, quiet reef island for people who would rather be in the sea than beside a pool.
What you pay
Dhawa Ihuru is priced on request. Pick one of the four villas above and ask us. We send back the whole stay for your dates: the villa, breakfast and dinner, the return speedboat and every tax.
All four villas are on the beach. The Beachfront Villa and the Beachfront Sunset Villa are 57 m². The Beachfront Jet Pool Villa and the Beachfront Rainmist Villa are 68 m². There are nineteen Jet Pool villas but only six Rainmist villas, so ask early if you want one.
The short boat makes a short stay work. Three nights is genuinely enough here, and an early flight home does not lose you a night on the island.
What's included, and what isn't
In the price: your villa for two, breakfast and dinner, the return shared speedboat, every Maldivian tax including green tax, and the free island programme: house reef snorkelling, coral planting, Save the Reef sessions, catamaran sailing, kayaking, table tennis and the Bodu Beru evenings.
Not in the price: your international flights, travel insurance, lunch and drinks, snorkelling safaris, scuba dives including the Rannamaari wreck, dolphin cruises and fishing trips, the 8lements spa, dinner at Madi Hiyaa at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, Indian TCS, and anything not named above.
Who this isn't for
Anyone who wants a pool. There is none on the island. You swim in the sea or you do not swim.
Anyone who wants a big island and a long list of restaurants. Dhawa Ihuru has Riveli for meals, Velaavani for sunset drinks and in-villa dining. The Japanese restaurant, Madi Hiyaa, is at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru next door, so dinner there means a boat ride.
Anyone set on an overwater villa. Every villa at Dhawa Ihuru is on the beach.
Before you book
Allow a wait at Velana. The speedboats are shared and run to a schedule, not on demand.
Settle the meal plan before you fly. On a small island with no reason to leave, lunch and drinks are where the bill grows. Ask us to price the other plans against your dates.
Divers should stay longer. The Rannamaari wreck lies off the reef edge at around twenty-six metres and deserves more than one attempt.
Every villa has a king bed and a sofa bed. Tell us who is travelling and we will confirm which villa takes your group. Check-in is 14:00 and check-out 12:00. There is a Kids Club, and Maldivian cooking classes for children.
Send us your dates and who is travelling, and we will price all four villas side by side with the speedboat included. Message our Maldives specialists on WhatsApp or send us an enquiry. We reply within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Dhawa Ihuru?
Dhawa Ihuru is in North Malé Atoll, 25 minutes by shared speedboat from Velana International Airport. The house reef circles the whole island about fifteen metres off the beach, with a gentle current and an easy walk-in entry. It takes about an hour and a half to snorkel round an island you can walk round in ten minutes.
What villa categories are available at Dhawa Ihuru?
Four villa types, all on the beach: the Beachfront Villa and the Beachfront Sunset Villa (57 sqm, ten of each), the Beachfront Jet Pool Villa (68 sqm, nineteen) and the Beachfront Rainmist Villa (68 sqm, only six). Every villa has a king bed and a sofa bed. There are no overwater villas. Tell us who is travelling and we will confirm which villa takes your group.
What are the check-in and check-out times?
Check-in is at 14:00 and check-out at 12:00. Early check-in and late check-out may be available on request, subject to availability.
What activities are free at Dhawa Ihuru?
The free island programme at Dhawa Ihuru covers house reef snorkelling, coral planting, Save the Reef conservation sessions, catamaran sailing (after a short check sail), regular kayaking, table tennis and the Bodu Beru cultural evenings. Snorkelling safaris, scuba diving, dolphin cruises and fishing trips are charged on top.
Is there a spa at Dhawa Ihuru?
Yes. The 8lements Spa at Dhawa Ihuru offers holistic treatments and signature massages, including the Rainmist experience, and is set among tropical gardens. Spa treatments are not in the price we quote, so allow for them on top of your stay, along with lunch, drinks and diving.
Where do you eat at Dhawa Ihuru?
Dhawa Ihuru has Riveli for meals, Velaavani for sunset drinks, and in-villa dining. The Japanese restaurant, Madi Hiyaa, is over the water at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru next door, so dinner there means a short boat ride and is charged on top. Breakfast and dinner are in the price we quote; lunch and drinks are not.
Is Dhawa Ihuru good for children?
Yes. Dhawa Ihuru has a Kids Club with supervised activities, including treasure hunts, beach games, arts and crafts, and Maldivian cooking classes. The house reef is an easy walk-in from the beach with a gentle current, which suits nervous swimmers. There is no swimming pool on the island. Tell us the ages of any children and we will confirm which villa takes your family.
How do I get to Dhawa Ihuru?
By shared speedboat from Velana International Airport, about 25 minutes. The return boat is in the price we quote. Boats run day and night, so a late flight still reaches the island the same evening. They run to a schedule rather than on demand, so allow a wait at Velana.
How do I get a price for Dhawa Ihuru?
Dhawa Ihuru is priced on request. Pick one of the four villas above and tap Ask about this villa, or send us your dates and who is travelling. We send back the whole stay for your dates: the villa, breakfast and dinner, the return speedboat and every tax. We reply within 24 hours.
What water sports and excursions are there at Dhawa Ihuru?
Water sports include catamaran sailing, windsurfing, regular and clear kayaking, wakeboarding and PADI scuba diving, with single boat dives and the Rannamaari wreck at around 26 metres. Excursions include dolphin cruises, sunset dhoni cruises and snorkelling safaris. Catamaran sailing and regular kayaking are free. Diving, snorkelling safaris and dolphin cruises are charged on top.
The resort
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Tell us your dates and who is travelling
We will price two or three villas with the speedboat and every tax included, and we can quote any dates outside the ones above. We reply within 24 hours.
A day here
There is no pool on this island at all, and that is deliberate rather than an omission. You swim in the sea or you do not swim. It works because the reef circles the whole island about fifteen metres off the beach, with a gentle current and an easy entry, which makes this the island we send people to when they are nervous in open water.
- Speedboat, 25 min
- Arrivals any hour
- Half board
- House reef 5/5
Tell us which dates you are looking at and we will check this against the week you will actually be here.