Welcome to my hotel review 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 throw away!
This hotel review for Veligandu Island in the Maldives (ad) is written by a former scuba diving instructor who has worked on Veligandu Island Resort and returned many years later as a guest. I will also share travel information for non-divers in this Veligandu post!
Update: Veligandu Island Resort is renovating but reopening in november 2024
Veligandu Island Resort & Spa is currently undergoing a complete hotel renovation. But they are re-opening in november of 2024, and you can now already pre-book your stay in the renewed Veligandu Island Resort & Spa!
Click here to check out and book the renovated Veligandu hotel in the Maldives (ad)
I earn commission on your booking with any links or search boxes or maps provided in this post.
Little video to give you an impression of Veligandu Island Resort in the Maldives
This is just a video of a quick impression. But there are many other videos on the Splashpacker YouTube channel about the scuba diving around Veligandu Island in Rasdhoo Atoll. Please feel free to subscribe to the Splashpacker YouTube channel.
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, click here for my travel blog post about returning to 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 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!
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Other scuba diving sites within this distance include the early morning dive with the hammerhead sharks (link to YouTube), scuba diving with manta rays at Manta Point in the right season (link to YouTube), and more!
Veligandu Island Resort & Spa is located in Rasdhoo Atoll in 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. I’ll include another dive video later on in this post, and you can read more about the scuba diving with the sharks by Madivaru Corner in Rasdhoo Atoll in this 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.
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.
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NEW! You can now also book your flight with Booking.com (ad)
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 in the Maldives.
How do you get to Veligandu Island Resort from the international airport in Malé on the Maldives?
From the Maldives International Airport in Malé (ad), 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.
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Most holiday packages to the Maldives come with the transfer included. Just check the conditions of your reservation with Booking (ad) or Agoda (ad). Or click here to book your flight with Booking (ad).
What does Veligandu mean in Divehi (the local language of 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 Veligandu island (ad) is decorated in a way that nature is in balance and provides a hammock or a swing here and there.
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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 (ad) in the Maldives.
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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!
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.
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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!
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.
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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!
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. And even more after the Veligandu Island renovation (ad)! 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.
After this hotel review, you might like to book your (diving) holiday to the renovated Veligandu Island!
The rooms at Veligandu Island Resort & Spa have been renovated in the meantime. After reading this review, you might like to book a (scuba diving) holiday to Veligandu in the Maldives yourself. Use the link below to book and check out the renovated Veligandu Island Resort on Agoda (ad):
Book your flight to Malé international airport in the Maldives
It is now possible to book your flight with Booking too. Use this link to book your flight to Malé international airport in the Maldives with booking.com (ad). Or use the link below to book your flight to Malé in the Maldives, with 12.go, they also scan all available flights for you to find your best flight deal. Book your flight to the Maldives here on 12.go.com (ad)
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.
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. Click here to book Veligandu island on Agoda (ad).
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. Click here to book Veligandu on Booking (ad)
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.
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.
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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!
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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More dive travel in the Maldives on Splashpacker
In the meantime, I have already written a blog post about scuba diving with the sharks at Madivaru Corner dive site in Rasdhoo Atol. And you can click here for travel information about the local island of Rasdhoo. You can also click here for an overview of all posts about the Maldives on Splashpacker.
More about Splashpacker: scuba dive travel, female solo travel & sustainable tourism
I’m a former scuba diving instructor and have been female solo traveling and working abroad since 2006. I always like to focus on sustainable tourism, destinations off the beaten track and eco-friendly dive travel.
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You can read more about me, and my motivation for a dive travel blog with sustainable tourism and female solo travel here. Click here to subscribe to the Splashpacker YouTube channel, or scroll down to follow me on social media.
The video of Manta Point, which is also located close to Veligandu Island Resort
Book your diving holiday with stay 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 for booking your stay on Velgandu Island. After that, I share the links to book your international flight to Malé in the Maldives.
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
Click here to book your flight with booking.com
Happy splashpacking!
*As an associate from Booking, Agoda, 12go.com and Get Your Guide, I earn from qualifying purchases
Yes, Veligandu is such a peaceful little paradise. Thank you for your comment 🙂
Veligandu Island Resort is a paradise for those who are looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city life.