Addu Atoll
Addu Atoll is one of the largest in the Maldives. It stretches 14 kilometers from east to west and 11 kilometers from north to south and is the southernmost atoll in the Maldives archipelago. The total area of the atoll is 15.7 km². The atoll comprises seven main islands arranged in a semicircle around the lagoon. Another name for the atoll is Seenu.
Video: Addu Atoll
Highlights
In 1956, the British moved their naval base from Sri Lanka to Addu, and with it came good roads and other infrastructure. Although more than three decades have passed since the British left, the locals’ impeccable English and elusive colonial charm remain Addo’s calling card.
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Today, Addu Atoll vacations are very popular. A new and first luxury hotel, the Ocean reef resort, has opened here. On the islands of the atoll will be especially interesting for those who want to find tranquility and feel unity with the magnificent nature. On one of the islets of the atoll splashes marvelous beauty of a small freshwater lake..
The most important attractions of Addu Atoll – the only freshwater lake in the Maldives, where brown bustards rest and nesting red-orange parrots, as well as live corals almost at the surface of the ocean (in other atolls corals at shallow depths are almost all dead – due to the sharp warming of the water).
.Gan Island
The spacious and green island of Gan was once the site of a British naval base. Today, thanks to the system of dams and bridges left from those times, on Gan you can not sit in the confinement of the “golden cage” of a luxury hotel, and explore the neighborhood on your own. For example, go to the atoll islets Feydhoo (Feydhoo), Maradhoo (Maradhoo) and Hithadoo (Hithadoo) on mopeds (rental cost – $25 for 6 hours) or bicycles, stopping along the way in local villages to eat fish curry.
.Ghana has two three-star hotels (a truly unique case for this country). The first is one of the most democratic hotels in the Maldives Equator Village (every person who comes here on vacation is given a certificate of crossing the equator!), the second – J Resort Handhufushi. And although the prices for a double room in both hotels start from the mark of 120 dollars – by Maldivian standards it is practically free. The third local resort is the Shangri-La Maldives Resort & Spa, part of the international chain of luxury resort hotels.
.Gan Island can be reached by seaplane from Male’ in 1.5 hours.
.Hotel Specials
Diving on Addu
Addu Atoll is famous among divers for its interesting coral communities, which managed to survive the massive epidemic of 1998. Around the atoll grow amazing table, brain and branching corals, which can be several hundred years old.
.Near the entrance to the atoll’s bay, a British oil tanker was sunk in 1944. Today, this coral-covered vessel, lying at depths ranging from 16 to 33 meters, is a favorite dive site for visiting Addu divers. In the northern part of the atoll there is a diving spot called “Shark Hotel”, where you can always see reef sharks lounging in the sunlit water. On the island of Gan operates a small diving center Diverland, where you can rent the necessary equipment and get the support of an experienced instructor.
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