Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives: a paradise for scuba divers

Usually, I focus on scuba diving destinations and this often goes together with a lower budget. I´m not a luxury traveler myself and most of my readers might be flashpackers or even backpackers. However, I like to make an exception for Veligandu Island Resort & Spa in the Maldives. It’s a luxury scuba dive destination for a diving holiday in the Maldives. It´s a dream destination you can only imagine, with world-class scuba diving at a stone´s throw away! This hotel review is also written for non-divers.

 

A complete hotel review of Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives?

In 2010, I worked as a scuba diving instructor at Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives. A few years ago, when I just started Splashpacker, I was invited to go scuba diving at Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives. And so I decided to write a complete hotel review about this island resort, just because Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives is the best island to enjoy the most relaxed scuba diving holiday ever!

 

Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives
Welcome to paradise!

Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives is a luxury hotel and a great scuba diving destination

Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives is such a peaceful island and hotel, it really is a true paradise! And guess what? The amazing scuba dive spots, like Madivaru Corner and the Sharks, are to be found at less than a 15-minute boat ride away from the island hotel! Other scuba diving sites within this distance include the early morning dive with the hammerhead sharks, scuba diving with manta rays at Manta Point (in the right season), and more!

 

Veligandu Island Resort & Spa is located in Rasdhoo Atoll on the Maldives

Veligandu Island Resort is located in Rasdhoo Atoll, in the Maldives. And so is the famous dive site Madivaru Corner! I’ve included a little video about Madivaru Corner above. If you like it, you can also subscribe to the Splashpacker YouTube channel. I’ll include another dive video later on in this post, and you can read more about the scuba diving in Rasdhoo Atoll in other blog posts, but let’s first get back to Veligandu Island Resort & Spa. because it’s also a great island resort on the Maldives for non-divers.

 

Mamock on Veligandu Island Resort on the Maldives
Grateful for this opportunity to return to Veligandu Island, 7 years later!

What is the exact location of Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives?

Veligandu Island Resort is located in the Rasdhoo Atoll in the Maldives. Rasdhoo is sometimes also called Rasdu and is also known as Alif Alif, or Alifu Alifu, Atoll. This small atoll in the Maldives consists only of one local island (Rasdhoo Island), two uninhabited islands called Madivaru and Madivaru Finolhude, and two hotel resort islands.

Two resort islands in Rasdhoo Atoll on the Maldives

The two island resorts in Rasdhoo Atoll consist of the hotels on Kuramathi Island and Veligandu Island Resort. I receive a small commission if you book through these links on Agoda, or click here for Booking. There are also hotels and guesthouses on Rasdhoo Island.

How do you get to Veligandu Island Resort from the international airport in Malé on the Maldives?

From the Maldives International Airport, in Malé, you can reach Veligandu Island Resort within 20 minutes by seaplane or approximately 1.5 hours by speedboat. You may be dropped off on Rasdhoo Island by speedboat and you will have to arrange a boat to Veligandu yourself.

 

Veligandu Island Resort is a true paradise in the Maldives
Veligandu Island Resort is a dream!

 

Veligandu Island Resort is located in the Rasdhoo Atoll on the Maldives
Veligandu Island is located in Rasdhoo Atoll in the Maldives

Veligandu Island is a sandbox in the Maldives!

Veligandu means sandbox in Divehi (the local language) and this name fits well with the white and quiet beaches you can find all over the island. Actually, the whole island is like a sandbox and you can walk barefoot over the sand everywhere, even in the bar and restaurants! Add some lush green nature and tropical flowers to it and you find yourself on the most dreamy destination ever. 

How big is Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives?

Veligandu is a long and narrow island. It is about 600 meters long and 150 meters wide. In feet, it’s about 2000 feet in length and 500 feet wide. All in all, the total area is 0.1 km². That equals about 10 hectares roughly.

However, you can easily enjoy your own private part of the beach where you won´t get disturbed by other people. The beachside of the island is decorated in a way that nature is in balance and provides a hammock or a swing here and there.

 

Veligandu is a very tranquil island full of tropical flowers
You can walk barefoot over the sand everywhere. No need to bring shoes to this island 🙂
Veligandu means sandbox in the local languages of the Maldives (Divehi)
Veligandu Island Resort is a sandbox dive destination in the Maldives

Does Veligandu Island Resort have a house reef?

Scuba diving at Veligandu Island Resort can be done from the shore, but the house reef is usually used for diving courses. The boat dives are just so much more beautiful than shore diving, and you don’t want to miss them during a diving holiday to Veligandu in the Maldives. But you can easily go snorkeling on your own on the house reef of Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives.

Other water sports on Veligandu Island Resort & Spa

The amazing scuba diving will be the main attraction of a diving holiday to Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives. But the non-divers won´t easily get bored. Some motorized water sports, like jetski, is available, and non-motorized water sports like windsurfing, catamaran sailing, kayaking and stand-up paddle, are all available too. Obviously, snorkeling is also amazing here!

 

Sunset with catamaran in the Maldives
Catamaran on the Maldives

Welcome to this paradise island in the Indian Ocean

Day trips, excursions, and other activities at Veligandu Island Resort

On Veligandu Island, you can also book other tours or day trips. Next to scuba diving, you can book activities or excursions like sailing, fishing, dolphin watching, sunset sailing, visiting another island or a trip to the sandbank. There is evening entertainment at night and the island also has a fully equipped gym and a games room with things like billiards and darts.

The swimming pool & Duniye Spa at Veligandu Island Resort

Additionally, the island has a relaxing infinity swimming pool, and last but not least the highly regarded Duniye Spa is amazing for a relaxing massage and a treatment of body, mind, and soul!

 

Duniye spa and massage on Veligandu Island Resort
Go for a massage during your diving holiday in the Maldives!
You can walk barefoot on this resort island in the Maldives
No need to bring shoes to Veligandu island

Food & drinks in the bars and restaurants on Veligandu Island Resort 

The food in the main restaurant is absolutely delicious. I never ever have seen such an all-inclusive buffet-style restaurant in my life! There is anything you can imagine from each continent in the world and some local dishes are available too. When I worked on Veligandu Island, I ate there three times a day, for six months, and never have I been bored with the food.

On Veligandu island are two bars and an a la carte restaurant, next to the main restaurant

The main bar offers any drink you can imagine and provides snacks like pizza as well. There is also a small bar on the other side of the island for a more quiet moment and a second ´a la carte´-restaurant. Also, you can arrange romantic beach dining, dine in room service and even cooking classes!

 

Infinity pool at Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives
The main bar & infinity pool: chill out during your diving holiday on Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives

 

Athiri bar on the other side of the island
There is a second bar at the other side of the island for a more quiet drink!

Accommodation options on Veligandu Island Resort: Water villa, bungalow, or beach villa, with and without jacuzzi

The well-known luxury accommodation images as typical in the Maldives, the water villa, is also to be found on Veligandu Island Resort. Depending on your budget, you can choose between beach villas, jacuzzi beach villas, water villas or jacuzzi water villas. Also, you have the option to choose for a sunset or sunset jacuzzi water villa! When I got invited back to the island a few years ago, I took the opportunity to take some photos of the different rooms.

 

Room reviews at Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives
One of the rooms at Veligandu Island Resort & Spa
Outdoor bathroom of the beach villa with jacuzzi at Veligandu sland Resort & Spa
The outdoor bathroom of the room type: beach villa with jacuzzi
Veligandu water bungalow on the Maldives
view of the room type: water villa
Entrance of beach hut villa on Veligandu in Rasdhoo Atoll
The entrance of the beach villa or beach hut on Veligandu Island

After this hotel review, you might like to book your (diving) holiday to Veligandu Island!

The rooms at Veligandu Island Resort & Spa might have been renovated in the meantime, I am not sure about this. After reading this review, you might like to book a (diving) holiday to Veligandu in the Maldives yourself. Use the link below to find Veligandu Island Resort on Agoda ( I receive a small commission on your purchase through this link):

Use the link below to book your flight to Malé, the international airport of the Maldives (ad):

Book your flight to the Maldives here on 12.go.com

A room - hotel review of Veligandu island
You´ll sleep well after a day of scuba diving at Veligandu Island Resort
View of the Indian Ocean from a water villa in the Maldives
You can go snorkelling right from your water villa and sometimes here are blacktip sharks and rays!

Other accommodation options for a scuba diving vacation on Rasdhoo Atoll

I am usually a budget traveller, so Veligandu Island is definitely not within the usual ´Splashpacker budget style´. For more information about the more affordable resort of Kuramathi Island, you can click here for Agoda, or here for booking.com (I receive a small commission on your purchase through these links). Still, the most affordable is to stay in a local guesthouse on Rasdhoo Island, obviously.

 

Water Bungalows or water villas in the Maldives
Diving holiday dream!
Flowers everywhere on this Maldivian island resort
The whole island is decorated with flowers and a beautiful nature

Splashpacker likes to promote sustainable tourism

Splashpacker likes to promote sustainable tourism, which not only includes conserving the environment and the oceans but that also supports the local people. Veligandu Island Resort belongs to Crown and Champa Resorts, which is owned by various Maldivian and foreign partners. The resort provides a lot of good jobs for the local people of the Maldives.

Veligandu Island has a special place in my heart

The scuba diving is of a very high standard and the resort works with some eco-friendly ethics too. Veligandu Island has a special place in my heart and it´s an amazing scuba diving destination that´s why I decided to include it on Splashpacker.

 

beach on this dive destination in the Maldives
You easily find your private spot on the beach

Welcome to paradise in Rasdhoo Atoll

Every day is a gift on Veligandu Island

 I do believe Veligandu will exceed all your expectations as a dive holiday destination in the Maldives! The island is so peaceful that it feels like a small heaven on earth. Every day is a precious gift on Veligandu and it´s no wonder that so many guests go back there on a regular base. It might just be that unforgettable once in a lifetime experience for you. 

 

Every day is a gift on this island resort in the Maldives
Every day is a precious gift on Veligandu Island Resort

Tropical flower in Alif Alif Atoll

Scuba Diving the Maldives with Ocean Dive Centre on Veligandu Island Resort

The team of ´Ocean Dive Centre´ on Veligandu Island Resort is professional and very friendly, they do everything to make your scuba diving holiday in the Maldives an unforgettable experience. The diving takes place from a fast, comfortable boat bringing you to most dive spots within 15 minutes, to save your precious time on your diving holiday. The boat crew is also extremely helpful and friendly.

Tip for your scuba dive holiday and diving Veligandu Island Resort on the Maldives

My good friend, who is a local scuba diving instructor on Veligandu for more than a decade now, knows exactly where to find the smaller stuff like the leaf fish and mantis shrimp or creatures that are not always easy to spot, like stonefish for example. Keep an eye on what he is showing, especially whilst diving the dive site Madivaru Corner

 

Scuba diving Madivaru Corner offers more fish life than only shark
Scuba diving from Veligandu Island

Do you like more scuba diving information for Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives?

I´m working on a full blog post about scuba diving with Ocean Dive Centre on Veligandu in the Maldives. Keep an eye on Splashpacker if you don´t want to miss out, you can also subscribe to the mailing list below.

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In the meantime, I have already written a blog post about my favourite dive site which is to be found there. Also, I have shared some videos on Splashpacker YouTube channel. You can find little video´s about Manta Point, the dive site Big Blue and diving with the sharks on Madivaru Corner here so far. You can click on the links to view on YouTube or subscribe to my channel there. 

 

Shark at Madivaru Corner dive site in the Maldives
Sharks can be guaranteed at Madivaru Corner dive site in the Maldives
hotel review for your diving holiday to the Maldives
Those water villas are waiting for you!

water bungalows at Veligandu Island Resort & Spa

The video of Manta Point, which is also located near Veligandu Island

Book your diving holiday at Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives

If you like to book your diving holiday to Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives, I once again share the links here to Agoda and Booking. After that, I share a search box from 12go.co which you can use to find your international flight deal to the Maldives. Please note that I receive a small commission on your purchase through those links and the search box.

Click here to book Veligandu Island Resort on booking.com

Click here to book Veligandu Island Resort on Agoda 

Book your flight to the Maldives here on 12.go.com
Happy splashpacking!

*As an associate from Booking, Agoda, and 12go.co I earn from qualifying purchases

Beach of a resort island in the MaldivesFlowers at Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives

2 thoughts on “Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives: a paradise for scuba divers”

  1. Yes, Veligandu is such a peaceful little paradise. Thank you for your comment 🙂

  2. Veligandu Island Resort is a paradise for those who are looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

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