White Tern Maldives

Haleem and his family made our stay extremely enjoyable, they are such lovely people.They put on a dinner for New Year's Eve on the beach, which was special. We got to see a Whale Shark as well as Mantarays, Dolphins, Turtles and numerous fish. The accommodation is eco and not luxurious, but clean and comfortable. There are only 60 people on the island and we had the beach to ourselves. If you are not wanting to pay thousands for luxury, I thoroughly recommend White Tern

The hosts (Halim & Shifa) are amazing! If you are looking for a place to stay in the Maldives with a warm, informal vibe, this is it! Make sure to bring your mosquito repellent, especially for the night time. The room AC helps, but it is surely not enough to minimize the bites. From the local reef to the island's beaches (practically private), the whole experience is very much worth it for a very reasonable price. We enjoyed the meals homemade daily by Shifa (only 5$/meal!), whether it was fish or chicken... the curry is amazing! For underwater exploration, one can use the snorkel gear available (for free) and check the rift around the island or ask Halim for the Whale Shark and Manta dives/snorkelling - he is very well connected around the atoll and always does his best to make sure the guests get the chance to swim with these great ocean giants. We really appreciate all your support and direction, Halim!

The bed is not the most comfortable.

I can truly say that this was one of the best stays of my life. This has to be one of my favourite Islands in the world. Shifa and Haleem are simply the best hosts around; it was like staying with family. They fed us so well! The food is natural and not processed. My favourite thing about this island was the Reef. It's a bit of a swim to get out to the drop and is scary for some people, but I absolutely loved it and spend everyday swimming up and down it with the sharks and rays. I miss it! I love the simplicity of White Tern Maldives, nothing fancy, but everything perfect.

Having to leave

The hosts are beautiful souls, I felt I was part of their family, It IS better than any 4 or 5 star hotel I have ever been at, if you decide to stay, please respect the people, the locals, this is not a place to get a good tan, It IS a place to get e feel of real Maldivian culture, sea life, local flora and fauna, so lets keep It like this out of respect to These amazing hosts and their country

Very hospital and friendly hosts, a lot of marine activities, and the local vibes only found in this small inhabited island. The local family hosts are very friendly to us. Even though we only had 4 days stay there, they helped arranging all the marine activities into the limited schedule, so that we succeeded in watching Dolphins, Turtles and swimming with Mantas and Whalesharks! Located in the South Ari Atoll where those sea animals are always around, this hotel is definitely a hidden gem for the marine life lovers. Although the facility is not so fancy as upscale resort hotels, the guest house and our room was full of hospitality with their hand made decorations. White Tern is an only hotel in Dhidhdhoo island which has probably only 100-200 population and is tiny island that 30 mins walk is enough to browse all the islands. The island itself has very local atmosphere and we enjoyed having coffee, local snacks and the local chewing tobacco with local residents at one of the only two tea shops in Dhidhdhoo (In fact, as there are only two small tea shops in the island, if you want something more proper dinner, eating at White Tern is the best option). Communication is very easy and very responsive on WhatsApp. Before the stay and even during the stay, you can always talk to them on WhatsApp.

Shower water didn't get warm very well but it was fine for us. The fresh coconut water of the day has to be reserved in advance. This time we did not have opportunity to taste it so definitely try it again at next trip :)

One more thing to add: Although the Dhidhdhoo island is not well known, the hosts help booking the transport to/from Male or other ports. You will pay the speedboat transfer fees at the end of the stay. Kindly be advised in advance which jetty port and what time you should be at when you ask them for speedboat transfers. By the way the way to Dhidhdhoo island is also very adventurous and enjoyable :)