Maldives Tour – North Ari Island Hopping Tour
Maldives Tour - North Ari Island Hopping Tour
Our North Ari Atoll Island Hopping Tour is designed for ocean lovers, snorkelling enthusiasts, and curious travellers eager to experience authentic island life in the Maldives.
This unforgettable journey takes you beyond luxury resorts and into the heart of local island culture. Explore the crystal clear waters and vibrant coral reefs of the North Ari Atoll, home to an extraordinary variety of marine life, including manta rays, turtles, reef sharks, and tropical fish.
Stay on three unique local islands, Mathiveri, Ukulhas, and Rasdhoo, each offering a different perspective of Maldivian life. From eco-conscious communities and traditional fishing heritage to world-class snorkelling reefs, this tour blends adventure, relaxation, and meaningful cultural experiences.
You will stay in comfortable, locally owned guesthouses across three islands. Rooms are air-conditioned with private bathrooms and modern amenities.
With guided snorkelling trips, conservation insights, and opportunities to connect with local communities, this is more than just a holiday. It is an immersive Maldives island experience.
Day 1 – Arrival in Hulhumalé
Arrive at Malé International Airport where you’ll be greeted by your tour leader and transferred to your guesthouse in Hulhumalé (approx. 15 minutes). Settle in and enjoy your first taste of island life. The beach is just steps away, with cafés, restaurants, and a relaxed local vibe.
If you arrive before 5pm, join your guide for a traditional Maldivian coffee experience at a local café.
Overnight Hulhumalé at Planktons Beach or similar
Day 2 – Transfer to Mathiveri & First Snorkelling Experience
Travel by speedboat to the island of Mathiveri in North Ari Atoll. After lunch, enjoy your first guided snorkelling session on the house reef. Your guide will provide a safety briefing and help you spot hidden marine life.
In the afternoon, explore the island and sample local snacks known as hedika with black tea. Learn about manta rays and conservation work from the Manta Trust.
Overnight Mathiveri at Eco Palm or similar
Day 3 – Snorkelling Adventure & Island Exploration
Head out by boat to explore nearby reefs teeming with marine life. Keep an eye out for:
- Turtles
- Reef sharks
- Tropical fish
- Possible manta ray sightings (seasonal)
In the afternoon, relax or visit a nearby uninhabited sandbank island with crystal-clear waters. Evening discussions focus on marine conservation and the protection of the fragile reef ecosystem.
Overnight Mathiveri at Eco Palm or similar
Day 4 – Ukulhas Island & Turtle Conservation
Transfer to Ukulhas, a beautiful island known for its environmental initiatives. Enjoy a guided island tour and learn about sustainable practices and traditional fishing. In the afternoon, take a guided snorkel on the house reef, where turtles are frequently spotted.
You’ll also be introduced to the work of the Olive Ridley Project and how your photos can contribute to conservation research.
Overnight Ukulhas at Ostrov Hotel or similar
Day 5 – Free Day or Optional Activities
Today is yours to explore at your own pace. Optional activities include:
- Diving or additional snorkelling trips
- Sandbank picnic excursions
- Water sports
Or simply relax on Ukulhas’ stunning white sand beach. Join your tour leader for optional house reef snorkelling.
Overnight Ukulhas at Ostrov Hotel or similar
Day 6 – Rasdhoo & Dolphin Cruise
Travel to Rasdhoo, famous for its incredible dive and snorkelling sites. Enjoy a guided snorkelling trip where you may encounter large schools of reef fish, tuna and parrotfish as well as blacktip and whitetip reef sharks
Spend the afternoon exploring the island before heading out on a sunset dolphin cruise, where playful dolphins are often seen jumping and swimming alongside the boat.
Overnight Rasdhoo at Fins Dive & Adventure or similar
Day 7 – Snorkelling & Sunset Kayaking
Enjoy your final snorkelling experience, visiting two spectacular reef sites that showcase the best of the Maldives’ marine biodiversity. In the afternoon, relax on the beach or take part in a community beach clean, helping to give back to the island.
Later, experience sunset kayaking, paddling through calm lagoons as the sky changes colour – keep an eye out for rays and reef sharks beneath you.
Overnight Rasdhoo at Fins Dive & Adventure or similar
Day 8 – Return to Malé
After breakfast, transfer by speedboat back to Malé International Airport for your departure.
Get in touch with Our Local Tour to book the Maldives Tour - North Ari Island Hopping Tour
Departure Dates - Departs every Sunday throughout the year
MAXIMUM 8 PEOPLE
Price
£1355 per person based on two people in a twin/double room
Single supplement - £349
Contact us for private versions of this Maldives tour.
Christmas / New Year supplement (21st -10th Jan) - £235 per person
Included in the Maldives Tour - North Ari Island Hopping Tour
- 7 nights accommodation (deluxe local guesthouses)
- Daily breakfast + 6 dinners
- Return airport transfers
- Inter-island transport (speedboat & public ferry)
- Guided island tours and cultural experiences
- 1 guided house reef snorkel (with equipment)
- 4 guided snorkelling trips by boat (with equipment)
- Dolphin cruise
- 1-hour guided sunset kayaking
- Local tour leader throughout
- All local taxes and green tax
Not Included in the Maldives Tour - North Ari Island Hopping Tour
- International travel to the start and end point - contact us for information and flight options
- Any airport taxes
- Lunches to be paid for locally
- Travel Insurance
- Any visa requirements
- Alcoholic Drinks - The Maldives are a Muslim country and alcoholic drinks will not be available on this tour.
- Items of a personal nature
- Tips for drivers and guides
Government Travel Safety Advice
We strongly recommend that you check your government's travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination: safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs. For UK citizens, check the latest Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice. Please refer to the COVID-19 entry requirements page for any country-specific conditions of entry.
Visa and Passport Information
Passport validity
If entering Maldives as a UK tourist, you will be granted a 30-day visa upon arrival and your passport must be valid for a minimum of one month. However, if arriving by air, most airlines state that your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into the Maldives. Check with your transport provider before travelling. You should ensure your passport has no damage or you may be stopped by Immigration, who examine passports carefully.
Visas
The visa on arrival service continues as normal for all tourist arrivals.
Local Laws and Custom
Maldives has very strong anti-drugs laws. Importing or possessing drugs can carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment. Locals and police are likely to treat seriously the possession and consumption of alcohol, and being intoxicated, outside resorts.
Local laws reflect the fact that Maldives is an Islamic country. Violations of local laws may lead to a prison sentence. Public observance of any religion other than Islam is prohibited. You should respect local traditions, customs, laws and religions at all times, including dressing conservatively and be aware of your actions to ensure that they do not offend, especially during the holy month of Ramadan or if you intend to visit religious areas around Mosques.
You should be sensitive to local dress standards when on local islands or if staying on an island where the resort is not the exclusive property on the island – cover your shoulders and avoid short or tight-fitting shorts (men and women); when bathing, cover arms and upper legs. Nudism and topless sunbathing are not allowed anywhere, including on resort islands.
Same-sex relations are illegal and convicted offenders could face lengthy prison sentences and fines. It is an offence to import the following items into Maldives: explosives, weapons, firearms, ammunition, pornographic material, materials deemed contrary to Islam including ‘idols for worship’ and bibles, pork and pork products, and alcohol.
Alcoholic drinks are only available on resort islands. Do not take any alcohol away from a resort.
The export of tortoise shell and coral is forbidden.
What to bring on your Maldives North Ari Island Hopping Tour
Clothing
Lightweight, casual, non-synthetic clothing (cotton and natural fibers are best) which appropriately cover the body, when in the company of the local communities. (Please understand local customs and religious requirements relating to dress codes. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it needs to be respectful.
The Maldives is a Muslim country and care needs to be taken in relation to the dress code on local islands. Whilst it is acceptable for men to wear T-Shirts and shorts or swim shorts; females should avoid causing offense by maintaining a more conservative approach to clothes by wearing T-Shirts with sleeves that cover the shoulder, loose shorts that cover the thigh, or sundresses with a sarong around shoulders. Whilst the islands we visit are more tolerant of guests wearing traditional beachwear, females should NOT wear bikinis and swimwear unless on an uninhabited island, picnic island, sandbank, screened off tourist bikini beach, dive boat, or resort island.
More recently the level of acceptance can vary from island to island and between the central atolls and those in the deep north or deep south. The key point to remember is to consider you are a guest in another country and dress not to cause offense.
Whilst the law restricts the wearing of bikinis on local islands, all guesthouses provide a private tourist sunbathing area on the beach or on the terrace of the guesthouse and your guide will advise when and where this is possible. It is common practice by both locals and visitors for females to swim from local public beaches wearing a t-shirt or rash guard and shorts or leggings. When visiting the home of a local family or when having access to mosques, shoulders and legs should be covered fully by both men and women out of respect of local customs
Footwear
The ideal footwear would be sandals and flip-flops.
Luggage while on your tour
Please allow yourself one main piece of luggage and a day-sack. Remember, you are expected to carry your own baggage, so don't overload yourself, a soft wheely bag may be easier to manage than a suit case.
Equipment
We recommend a sunhat, sunscreen, a torch, insect repellent and a reusable waterbottle. A power adapter for phones, laptops, etc. The Maldives uses mostly UK 3 pin style sockets. Hair straighteners and electric razors for those who still like to keep up appearances during their holiday. Hairdryers are available at all properties either per room or available from reception upon request.
Camera/Underwater camera – The Maldives above & below sea level are worth a few photos. For guests wishing to use a guesthouse or dive center underwater camera ensure you bring along a USB or memory card in order to transfer your memories.
Earplugs, particularly if you are a light sleeper or are on board a boat and want to avoid the sound of fellow passengers at close quarters.
Currency
The Maldives has a non-convertible currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa – this cannot be purchased beforehand. One Rufiyaa is 100 Laari and is available in 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 Rufiyaa notes. One US Dollar is equivalent to 15.42 Rufiyaa. The following international currencies can be changed easily to local currency at the airport on arrival: USD/GBP/Canadian Dollar/Euro/Danish Krone/Hong Kong Dollar/Japanese Yen/Norwegian Krone/Singapore Dollar/Swiss Franc/Swedish Krone.
It is not possible to exchange currency to USD only to MVR.
MVR can only be exchanged back to the original currency prior to your departure if you have a receipt for an arrival exchange from the airport Bank of Maldives exchange counter.
It is advised not to exchange currency in Male where bank queues are common and waiting time lengthy. The US Dollar is accepted as legal tender. All major credit cards can be used (and are preferred) at resorts, hotels, shops, etc. On local islands, it is usually only hotels, guesthouses, shops, and larger restaurants that accept credit cards, and cash is generally preferred. Small restaurants, cafes, and activity providers will generally request payment in cash. Most restaurants and shops will accept USD$ in payment providing a change in local currency.
While on the local islands, approximate prices are as follows:
Snack lunch – $5 to $10 / Evening meal in guesthouse or local restaurant – $10 to $25 / Tea / Coffee – $1 for Nescafe to $5 for barrister style coffee / Soft drinks – $1.50 / Water 1.5l – $0.50 / General excursions – from $25 per person – $100 per person / Watersports – from $10 per person for a 60-minute non-motorized rental.
You should expect prices in tourist hotels and on resort islands to be considerably more expensive than this. Be sure to check that 10% service charge and 12% GST have been included in the rates offered.
Weather in Maldives
With a tropical climate, plenty of sunshine, and temperatures around 30°C throughout the year, there is never a bad time to visit the Maldives. The Maldives has two distinct seasons; dry season (northeast monsoon) from January to March and the wet season (southwest monsoon) from mid-May to November. Wet however doesn’t mean rain all the time, it just means during this period we see more rain than during the dry season. This may be a daily heavy shower but it’s very rare to have days and days of rain in succession or even a full 24 hours. There is usually more wind during this period but this helps keep the temperature at a nice level and you can still expect plenty of blue skies and sunshine.
The rare thunderstorm in the Maldives (especially around the southwest monsoon months) can be a welcome respite from the sun. Cloudy skies and slate grey seas, and crashing thunder makes for lovely reading weather. The warm temperatures will allow you to go for a walk in the rain, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For extra exhilaration, take a swim in the rain – the sea will be extra warm. There can be heavy rain showers pretty much any time of year, but they tend to be short and cannot be accurately predicted seasonally (in other words – don’t worry too much about them – you will quite possibly experience some rain showers, but the majority of the weather should be great, and you will be unlucky to get several consecutive days of heavy rain).
Like many places in the world today, the climate and weather pattern is changing and historical data is less reliable as an indication of what to expect in the here and now. Note as the Maldives is situated so close to the equator it is possible to burn even on a cloudy day and sunscreen should be applied as a matter of course.
Time Zone
Maldives Standard Time is GMT/UTC + 5 and during BST + 4. Note some resorts operate Island Time, which is 1 hour ahead of Maldives standard time. The Barefoot Eco Hotel is one of these properties.
Internet Availability
Wi-Fi is available at all our guesthouses and in most cases it is free. However, as an island nation where cabling is along the sea bed and there is only one antenna per island you should not expect the signal strength and speed of internet access to be at the level you are accustomed to back home. Weather can at times also impact the quality of connection.
