Lonuhiri Dhigurah

Lonuhiri is a 44-room hotel on Dhigurah, a long, narrow island in South Ari Atoll on the edge of the marine protected area where whale sharks are seen all year. It is newer and larger than most places to stay on the island, with a lift, an ocean-facing rooftop pool and a rooftop restaurant in the evenings. The speedboat from the airport takes about an hour and 45 minutes.

It suits couples, friends and families who come for the whale sharks and the bikini beach and want a little more comfort than a small guest house. Every price includes the room, your meal plan, the return speedboat and every Maldivian tax, green tax included.

What you pay

There are two room types. The Deluxe Room is 22 m² with a private balcony and sleeps two adults and a child. The view and the bed (king, twin or queen) are assigned when you arrive: all 36 Deluxe rooms share the same layout, and only the outlook differs. The Family Room with Sea View is 37 m², with a queen bed, a single bed, a bathtub and a sea-view balcony. It takes up to three adults at the same room price and comes to about a quarter to a third more than the Deluxe Room. Prices shown cover two people sharing.

Half board adds dinner and full board adds lunch as well. On a three-night stay in the Deluxe Room between November and April, half board is about a fifth more than bed and breakfast and full board about two fifths more. At lunch and dinner each guest has a main course, a dessert and a soft drink.

The season moves the price more than anything else. From May to October the same stay costs about a third less than from November to April, and the festive weeks from 20 December to 10 January cost about a third more. The speedboat is a large part of a short stay, so each extra night adds far less than the first three.

What's included, and what isn't

In the price: your room for the nights you pick, breakfast, dinner or all three meals as chosen, the return speedboat from Velana airport with a meet and greet at arrivals, transfers between the harbour and the hotel, the shuttle to the bikini beach, the rooftop pool, Wi-Fi, drinking water, tea and coffee, and every Maldivian tax including the green tax.

Not in the price: whale shark, manta and snorkelling trips, diving, dishes marked premium and extra drinks, the minibar, laundry, bicycle, scooter and snorkel hire, a private speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight if you want one, your international flights, travel insurance, Indian TCS, and anything not named above.

Who this isn't for

Anyone on a short trip. With close to two hours each way on the boat, three nights is the least that makes sense, and four gives two chances at the whale sharks.

Anyone who wants a drink with dinner. Dhigurah is an inhabited island, no alcohol is served on it, and all the food at the hotel is halal. Dress modestly in the village; swimwear is for the bikini beach.

Anyone set on a particular view from a Deluxe Room. It is not guaranteed. If the sea matters, book the Family Room.

Anyone who suffers badly from seasickness. The crossing is open water and can be rough in the wetter months.

Before you book

The speedboat runs to a timetable, not to your flight. Boats leave the airport at 11:00 and 16:30 (10:00 and 16:30 on Fridays) and return from Dhigurah at 07:00 and 13:00 (07:00 and 13:30 on Fridays). Land by mid-afternoon to make the last boat; if you land later, we will plan a night near the airport. A seaplane or a domestic flight with a short boat ride can be arranged with five days' notice.

Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out by 11:00. Free cancellation up to seven days before arrival; after that, and for a no-show, one night is charged.

Children of every age are welcome. Under-12s stay free in the existing beds, and cots are free on request. Every room has air conditioning, a balcony, a safe, a kettle, a mini fridge and Wi-Fi. Rooms are serviced every two days, or daily if you ask. The rooftop pool is open from 08:00 to 17:00 and has no lifeguard. Vegetarian, vegan and other diets are looked after with notice, and Hindi is spoken at reception.

Send us your dates, who is travelling and when you land. Message us on WhatsApp or send us an enquiry, and we will come back within 24 hours with the right room, the boat that fits your flight and one price for the stay.