The Maldives-seeking port ideas

We will be on a cruise in early December that has one full day in port in Male on a Sunday (9 am til 7 am the next morning) and then a partial day anchored at Gan, Addu Atholl on Monday (8am-2pm). We are seeking suggestions on what might be some good sights or activities for those two stops.

In particular at Gan are there any good places to snorkel directly from a beach? I'm a beginner and need calm shallow water to feel comfortable.

Any good day trips out from Male which I gather has not much of interest?

Thanks for the assistance.

There is not much in Male, so what we did was a ship excursion to a beach resort (Bandos Island if I recall). It took about 45 minutes by boat to get there. It was fantastic and we spent all the time in the beautiful, warm water.

Cheers.

It sounds as if my husband and I will be on the same cruise. We, too, are snorkelers and are interested in finding some good sights. If you are putting a small group together for a trip to a snorkeling sight we would definitely be interested in being included.

Did anyone manage to find any excursions ?

We are on Azamara docking in Male on December 3rd,

From Ann & Richard from UK.

You are correct. There isn't much to see in Male. It's situated on a small atoll and certainly not large enough to keep you occupied for a whole day :D Bear in mind it will also be very hot so your best bet is to go on a tour to either a resort atoll or a deserted island.

I've been to the Maldives 3 times, the first two trips were not on cruises but the last time I was there was in April this year on Ocean Princess (the sister ship to the Azamara ships).

The ship ran a couple of excursions one of which went to a resort and the other to a deserted atoll. There were some who organised a private excursion and these went to the same resort island as the ship's tour (I'm pretty sure it was Bandos Island). I believe that the snorkelling was fine.

We chose the deserted island, and it was indeed deserted as advertised, although there were some shelters from the sun. To reach the atoll we travelled in super fast speed boats which was a thrill in itself but even so it took about 45 minutes so it was quite a way from Male. The snorkelling here wasn't fabulous but this particular island was a last minute substitute due to the original one undergoing 'renovation' - presumably the shelters were being repaired or something!

Nevertheless we loved this trip as it was just beautiful and very relaxing but you need to ensure you take lots of water and food if you feel you might feel peckish!

Obviously if you go to a resort island (which I would recommend if you are a novice snorkeler) you can buy food and drinks and even get free wi fi I believe.

I've neve been to Gan so can't help you with that but with the time you are in Male you will have time to do an excursion to an atoll as well as have a wander around Male.

Have a look at the excursions that the ship has on offer. They will most likely be on the expensive side but you will need to travel by boat for quite a distance to get to resorts/islands but the beauty of the ocean is well worth it and so is the speed boat trip :D. I'm not sure who the private tour booked with but they travelled in the much slower local dhonis. You obviously then need to ensure that they return to pick you up! Perhaps there is someone else who can recommend a reliable operator if you don't wish to take the ship's excursion.

Once back on board, get out on deck and enjoy the sunset and watch the sea planes that ferry tourists to the islands flying back to 'roost' for the night.

Have a lovely time in the Maldives and enjoy the excursions whichever you choose.

We are on the Azamara Journey two years ago when it dropped anchor near Male for a day. We chose to spend the day at the Club Faru Resort, half an hour to 45-minute boat ride from Male's harbor. This was one of the tours offered by local outfitters in a tent near where the tenders docked. The water was shallow, crystal clear. The sands white, pristine. I went snorkeling and it was enjoyable and safe. You did not even need to put on a mask to see the fish. I saw several baby sharks some fifty feet away.

The resort offered lunch and drinks, and had a beautiful swimming pool. Club Faru might only be a 3.5 star resort, but the setting was paradise. We enjoyed our day on Faru Island and treasure the memories.

We did not go into Male in the couple of hours we had left in the Maldives. After spending a day in paradise, Male's high density did not appeal to us. As we had approached Male that morning, it struck me how could there be so many building on Male Island. Out of the Indian Ocean rose this very densely packed city so close to the water.

One last note: according to a ship handout, the small beach on Male Island is a Muslim beach so no bathing suits. We were not going to bathe in regular clothes. So Club Faru was more to our liking that Male Island would have been.