Known as one of the best atolls for recreational scuba diving in the Maldives, Rasdhoo will leave no one indifferent.
All previous divers who went diving with Family Divers Maldives have felt the same way: “ we leave Rasdhoo being part of this Family and we will be back soon!”
Let’s now talk now about how to get to Rasdhoo:
Rasdhoo is located on the north east point of Alif Alif atoll, about 60km away from Huluhmale (Male Atoll) where the International Airport is located.
Far enough from the capital not to notice the intense marine traffic that is in the Male Atoll but close enough for you not to be in the need of getting an internal flight, which would increase your expenses unnecessarily.
Without a doubt, the best way to get to Rasdhoo island from the airport or from the capital is through speedboats, which operate daily.
At Family Divers Maldives we will help you book all the necessary internal transport.
In fact, all our scuba diving and accommodation’s packages include the internal transportation by speedboat.
TRAVELLING TO RASDHOO BY SPEEDBOAT:
The speedboat option is the most popular among divers who come to practice scuba diving in the Maldives with Family Divers Maldives, since it is, without a doubt, the cheapest and most comfortable option.
The only thing that you will have to take into consideration when booking your plane tickets to Velana international airport is that every day there are only two speedboats leaving from the airport to Rasdhoo and back.
Since you will have to go through the immigration queue to have your passport stamped with the free 30-day visa before you can leave the airport, we always recommend our divers to land in Male airport at least an hour and a half before the last speedboat departure to avoid any inconveniences.
In case of missing the last speedboat you will be forced to spend your first night on the airport island, or in one of the hotels in Male, and wait for the first speedboat the next day.
In the Maldives, Fridays are public holidays, so the schedules change since between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. there can be no operation (both diving and transport).
The speedboat that will bring you to Rasdhoo (with Family divers Maldives) just takes about an hour; it is a fiber boat with two outboard powerful engines, which can accommodate approximately 30 people seated, with space in the lower compartment for all your luggage.
The speedboats schedules are as follows:
Airport – Rasdhoo
-Everyday (except Friday): 10.30 & 16.00h
-Fridays: 09.30 & 16.00h
Rasdhoo- Airport (one hour trip)
-Everyday (except Friday): 07.30 & 13.30h
-Fridays: 07.30 & 14.30h
DIFFERENT OPTIONS:
There are a couple of different options to get to Rasdhoo.
TRAVELLING TO RASDHOO BY SEAPLANE:
One of them is the famous seaplane.
This option is undoubtedly the fastest but also the most expensive.
So we do not recommend it for our clients as the price per trip is about € 300 per person.
Due to internal restrictions in the Maldives, seaplanes can only operate between 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM.
The boarding gate closes one hour before the departure of the airplane, which makes logistics even more difficult with regards to the arrival schedules of your flights at Velana International Airport (Male).
Apart from that, there is no seaplane platform in Rasdhoo, so you will be dropped on the seaplane platforms of one of the closest resorts and from there you will need to arrange a transportation to Rasdhoo by speedboat, which will increase the cost and the duration of the trip.
If you want to enjoy the view of the atolls from the air, we highly recommend to look through the window when your international plane is getting close to the International airport!
HOW TO GET TO RASDHOO BY PUBLIC FERRY:
Another option is to get the public ferry, which this the slowest but also the cheapest option among all.
The public ferry operates every day except Friday and departs from Male at 9.00 AM.
The price is about € 8 each way and the trip takes about 3 hours.
One of the drawbacks of the public ferry is that the seats are not very comfortable. But mostly it could be full and, as there is no option to book in advance, you might find yourself not having space to travel that day to Rasdhoo.
That’s why at Family divers Maldives we highly recommend choosing the speedboat option.
All our diving packages include the price for the transfer only by speedboat.
Once you arrive at Rasdhoo harbour, one of our instructors will be waiting to welcome you.
In the event that we are all scuba diving that day along Rasdhoo atoll therefore not being able to meet you at your arrival, one staff member from the guesthouse will be there to assist you and help with your luggage.
TIME TO ENJOY IN RASDHOO:
With all this information you should be able to get to Rasdhoo and book your plane ticket to spend an unforgettable vacation scuba diving in Rasdhoo with Family Divers Maldives.
When you book one of our scuba diving and accommodation packages, you will already have all the necessary internal transportation included.
In addition to this, before your arrival to the Maldives, you will receive an email from us with the name of the speedboat that you will have to take to get to Rasdhoo, a map of where to wait for the speedboat and we will even guide you to download a free app in your mobile phone where you can track it. Our goal is to make your trip as easy and smooth as possible.
In addition to this, the speedboat crew will have your names listed and you will only have to present yourselves and say that you are coming with Family Divers Maldives. They will help you to load your luggage on the speedboat and they will assign you a seat. You will not have to pay anything on board, since the price of the transfer is included in your scuba diving and accommodation package.
Now you just have to enjoy the trip through the atolls and get to Rasdhoo to get your mind blown away with breathtaking dives !
Let the adventure begin!