Rasdhoo Atoll:

Welcome to Rasdhoo Atoll – The heart of Maldives! Rasdhoo Atoll is the capital of the Alif Alif Atoll administrative division. The local island is majorly known for its local Maldivian culture and recreational watersports like scuba diving and snorkeling.

Top Things To Do In Rasdhoo:

  1. Go scuba diving.
  2. Go snorkeling.
  3. Taste the Maldivian staple food.
  4. Go night fishing.
  5. Visit the sandbank.
  6. Take drone shots/Underwater pictures.
  7. Visit the Bikini beach.
  8. Go shopping!!

Where To Stay and How to Reach Rasdhoo?

  1. Choose a local island to stay on.
  2. Choose the window seat on your plane.
  3. Enquire about transport from Male to your island.

I couldn’t ask for more during my first ever international trip – I saw a world that I never knew existed, became a PADI certified Open water diver, ate the traditional Maldivian cuisine, flew a drone, went fishing, and did so much more. Quickly jumping back to the list:

1.Choose A window seat on your plane:

Ensure you select a window seat at least once, either while traveling to the Maldives or traveling from the Maldives.

Why?

You don’t want to miss this!!

Where To Stay In Rasdhoo And How To Reach?

2.Choose a local island to stay on:

Two types of islands in the Maldives:

  • Resort Islands
  • Local Islands

Resort Islands:

These islands are exclusively dedicated to resorts. They have everything from alcohol to private swimming pools. I didn’t opt for these resorts as they are very costly. The per-night cost for these resorts, on average, starts from Rupees 1 lakh and above. I felt I could do a hell of a lot of things during traveling with the cash I can save just on my stay by opting out to stay in these resorts.

Local Islands:

On local islands, you could stay in excellent hotels and experience the local Maldivian life. I choose to remain in the beautiful island, Rasdhoo- The heart of Maldives!

3.Enquire about transport from Male to your island:

Generally, the resort you book would book your transport from Velana International Airport to your resort. In my case, I stayed at Palm Residency, which my scuba diving center itself arranged, and they took care of my transport.

Time:

The time taken to reach Rasdhoo Island: 1.5 hours.

In-Boat Availability:

Water bottles, Sea-sickness bags

To know more about how to travel from Velena International airport, check out our blog here.

4.Go Scuba Diving!

Scuba diving is an underwater sport. With self-contained underwater breathing apparatus and some training, you can become one of the beautiful fishes and swim with them underwater.

I took my scuba diving session from Jerry through his PADI-certified scuba diving center called Jerry’s Dive Club. I am so grateful for them, as they took care of everything- from planning my dives to my accommodation. They also gave me a handsome discount on all my scuba dives. From sharks to Manta rays, I swam with them all!!!

Well, you must be thinking I am a swimming champion of some sort to pull off this kind of sport. But the truth is, I don’t even know how to swim correctly. Yes, you don’t need to know how to swim to become a scuba diver!

Today I am a super happy PADI Open water scuba diver.

5. Go Snorkelling!

Snorkeling is a water sport generally done in shallow lagoons. You will be on the surface but can see the beautiful underwater world staying right on the surface.

What all did I see snorkeling at Rasdhoo:

Thanks to Jerry and his team, they selected the right spot for snorkeling, where I could see tons and tons of different fishes, stingrays, and I even saw a grey reef shark.

6.Taste the Maldivian staple food:

If you are in the Maldives or planning to go to the Maldives, you must try their staple Mas huni. They serve a thin bread (Chapati) with their famous tuna salad mixed with coconut dash. I am sure you will be amazed by how well they go with each other. Thank me later, when the juicy explosion blends in your mouth.

7.Go fishing!

You can go day fishing or night fishing based on your travel plan. With Jerry’s dive club- I opted for the night fishing activity. It was an unforgettable experience.

Here’s me with a big Tuna that my dive buddy caught!

If you get the chance to choose day or night- go for night fishing!

Why?

My experience while night fishing:

I am sitting amidst the blue bioluminescent water filled with glowing planktons and the sky filled with twinkling stars, just thinking how lucky and grateful I am to be here.

8.Visit The Sandbank

Walk, jump and dance on the water and nothing will happen to you here!

9.Take drone shots/Underwater pictures:

Make memories for a lifetime by taking photos at the world’s most picturesque location. What’s visiting the Maldives without actually taking a beautiful drone or an underwater picture!!

10.Visit the bikini beach

The bikini beach is serene isolated, and I want to go back there…

11.Go Shopping!

Maldivian authentic shopping is something you can do only if you choose to stay on a local island. A few shops in Rasdhoo offer beautiful handmade wooden carving, traditional Maldivian clothes, and home decor items.