Addu Atoll: the green far south of the Maldives

Why go

Addu feels different from the rest of the country. Its islands are bigger and greener, with village lanes, lakes and wetlands, and several are joined by the **Link Road**, so you can explore by bicycle, scooter or taxi rather than boat. Its history is unusual too: from the Second World War until 1976, **Gan** was a British military base, and its runway is now Gan International Airport.

Gan and its history

The Royal Navy and later the Royal Air Force used Gan as a staging post across the Indian Ocean. Old base buildings, the **Gan War Memorial**, the former barracks and the long runway remain. **Equator Village**, a resort built from the old RAF accommodation, keeps some of that atmosphere. Addu also has a political past: in 1959 the southern atolls briefly declared the breakaway United Suvadive Republic, which was dissolved in 1963.

Islands and nature

The Link Road runs from Gan through **Feydhoo** and **Maradhoo** to **Hithadhoo**, the largest island and administrative centre. At the northern tip of Hithadhoo, the **Addu Nature Park** and the **Eedhigali Kilhi** wetlands have boardwalks, a viewing tower, mangroves and ponds full of herons and fish. **Hulhumeedhoo**, across the lagoon, has a large lake, beaches and the old **Koagannu** cemetery in Meedhoo, with carved coral headstones that are among the oldest in the country.

Diving and snorkelling

The **British Loyalty** is an oil tanker that was torpedoed in the lagoon during the Second World War and later scuttled. It now lies covered in coral and is the atoll's best known dive. Addu's reefs recovered well from coral bleaching, and divers come for mantas at cleaning stations, turtles and channel dives with sharks. Further north, the single island atoll of **Fuvahmulah** is famous for diving with tiger sharks.

Where to stay

Resorts include **Canareef Resort Maldives** on Herathera island and **Equator Village** on Gan. A large resort on Villingili island, long known as Shangri La Villingili, has changed hands, so check its current name and status. Guesthouses in Hithadhoo, Feydhoo and Hulhumeedhoo offer a local stay. As on other local islands, alcohol is only available on resorts.

Food

Addu has its own dialect and its own dishes. Try fresh tuna curries, **fihunu mas** grilled fish, short eats in Hithadhoo's cafés, and sweets made with coconut and palm syrup. Ask locally about Addu specialities, which differ from Malé's.

Getting there

Domestic flights from Malé take about an hour and a quarter. Gan also has limited international links, which change from season to season, so check with airlines. Once there, taxis and hired bicycles cover the linked islands, and ferries reach Hulhumeedhoo.

A suggested few days

Spend the first day around Gan: the memorial, the old base buildings and a swim at your resort. On the second, ride or drive the Link Road to Hithadhoo, stop for short eats and walk the boardwalks of the nature park in the late afternoon, when birds are most active. Give the third day to the water, with a dive on the British Loyalty or a snorkel trip to the outer reef, and if you have a fourth, take the ferry to Hulhumeedhoo for its lake, quiet beaches and the old cemetery at Meedhoo.

Tips

Addu is close to the equator, so the sun is strong all year. Rain is spread more evenly through the year than in the north. Dress modestly in the villages, and ask before photographing people.