Even before a resort was born, this island had already been chosen as an ideal spot by sea turtles, which to this day, every year, travel thousands of kilometers to come ashore undisturbed to lay their eggs. With these words of welcome, Swatheesh Udupa, the manager of the Maldives island resort, where I landed after a flight of about 35 minutes from Malé, the capital 120 km away, greets me at Kanifushi.
He also explains that the beach where the nests lie, at the far tip of the Lhaviyani Atoll, one of the few inhabited islands of this magnificent coral ring, is on the opposite side from where the seaplanes land, it is protected, and absolutely not accessible to guests, precisely to remain pristine and untouchable.
They don’t even organize activities during the egg-hatching period, which signals respect for an habitat that is slowly reclaiming its space. And I feel I have arrived in a paradise on earth.
Swatheesh tells me this is also the manta paradise, where mantas often put on a show in the waters facing the water villas, and guests can watch them safely from the jetty or the deck of their private pool.
The eco-friendly island
On this two-kilometer-long island and just under a hundred meters wide, which from above resembles the shape of a jockey’s whip, thirteen years ago a facility was opened that barely stands out amid the dense tropical vegetation, run by the Atmosphere group, which places sustainability at the forefront. The island is explored on foot, by bicycle (each guest is entitled to a Tiffany-colored two-wheeler, which happens to be the color of the water surrounding Kanifushi—my personal favorite…) or by electric caddies that shuttle back and forth along the main avenue, a long strip of white sand shaded by palm trees, banana plants, and frangipani trees whose fallen petals form a white carpet with an unmistakable fragrance (and it’s easy to tuck them into your hair).
Hidden among the greenery that covers the whole island lie the beach villas, with or without a private pool (throughout the island, between larger ones—adults-only—and smaller ones, there are as many as 102), which foreign guests particularly love, while we Italians, the moment we catch sight of the sea (and what a sea!), hardly think of anything else (here you simply need to remember to wear rubber-soled shoes because the tides bring hundreds of coral fragments), and the famed Maldivian bathroom, basically an outdoor shower experience accompanied by friendly and harmless geckos.
The Sea of Kanifishi
People come to the Maldives to enjoy the sea and the water-related activities. The Lhaviyani Atoll, known locally as “Faadhippolhu,” is famous for its diving. And at Kanifushi there is a diving center, Oceanix, highly professional, which organizes not only free snorkeling trips twice daily to nearby reefs but also spectacular dives for all those who choose this archipelago for its renowned underwater landscapes.
Snorkeling and Diving
Among the most incredible spots is Hanifaru Bay Manta and Whale Shark Point, where sightings of mantas—and especially sharks—are guaranteed (along with whale sharks and a myriad of other colorful fish). Moreover, the center runs several marine conservation programs, such as collecting plastics from the sea, the number-one cause of pollution in the Indian Ocean, and, of course, the protection of sea turtles.
The diving center collaborates directly with the Naifaru Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, located on the island that is largest and most densely populated in the atoll (about 8,000 inhabitants). Visitors can personally take part in the center’s activities as volunteers, provided they can swim, are at least 18 years old, and have a passion for the sea, helping marine biologists to save and care for turtles in need.
A Luxury Eco-Resort
Despite being a small island, on Kanifushi Beach you have the sensation of feeling alone in the world. Moreover, only one side of the island is swimmable because the other is exposed to very strong currents that have even carried rocks. On this wild beach, however, there is a bar, a swing, and several very romantic spots.
Only if you frequent the common areas (the six restaurants and three bars, the massive spa where, if you stay for at least four nights, you receive a complimentary treatment, the jetty where every evening after dinner sharks attracted by the light arrive) do you realize there are other people on the island. If you do not go out for breakfast—one of the Maldives experiences you can also enjoy here is the floating breakfast in the pool—you basically never meet anyone.
However, if you come for a family vacation, there are plenty of gathering places, from the Club House for the kids to the kids club with babysitting service, from the Sunset Bar—where you can admire spectacular sunsets—to the Pier Six where you stroll barefoot on the sand, from the water-sports area to tennis and paddle tennis courts to the cinema under the stars. A true paradise for those still seeking it.
