Kamadhoo, Baa Atoll, is a small, pretty island, with approximately 500 inhabitants, although less than 300 actually live on the island. The village stretches for about two thirds of the island, with a banana plantation and small agricultural plots of land where locals grow fruit and vegetables, followed by a large tourist beach on the remaining third. The beautiful tourist beach curves around the southern end of the island with sun loungers provided by the guesthouses. These can be pulled into the shade of the shoreline vegetation in the heat of the day and there is the ocean swing for those insta images!
Another key aspect of the island is that the house reef can be accessed for snorkeling direct from the bikini beach and while weather didn't provide us the opportunity to snorkel ourselves at the time of our overnight visit, accounts by guests on the island and online, indicate it is full of marine life and worth spending time in the water.
Related Articles
Based in the northern part of Baa Atoll, Kamadhoo can be accessed by a two and half hour daily speedboat ride, domestic flight to Dharavandhoo or seaplane to a nearby resort. There are currently 6 guesthouses/hotels on the island, with at least another three currently under construction at the bikini beach end of the island. We stayed at Akamidhoo, which is located a short walk from the harbour, with a lovely sunset outlook. The property offers 10 rooms, including a large family room. 2 rooms open into a small private garden while the remaining 8 open internally, which means that there are no views from the windows and limited natural light. However, the standard of the rooms and size of bathrooms certainly make up for this. Amenities include free WIFI, toiletries, safety deposit box, mini fridge with chocolate and soft drinks, glass bottled water, premium tea and a Nespresso machine. There is even an iron and ironing board!
Another plus factor is the quality of food. The restaurant looks out onto a garden area and the ocean and offers a menu inclusive of traditional Maldivian dishes. The presentation and standard of food was exceptionally high. The island offers a further two local cafes and two or three tourist focussed eateries, as we visited during Ramadan it was not easy to know which were closed for Ramadan or the long term!
Kamadhoo is the perfect location to enjoy the local side of life or enjoy a split stay combining it with one of the nearby resorts which includes Reethi Beach Resort.
