Maldives / Northern Resort Atolls (Baa, Raa, Lhaviyani) / Raa Atoll ResortsRaa Atoll Resorts
Newer Resorts in a Big, Quiet Atoll North of Baa
A large atoll north of Baa where many of the newer resorts have opened, 45 to 50 minutes by seaplane, or a 40-minute domestic flight to Ifuru (IFU) and a short speedboat (flights are few, and some resorts don't use them). Quiet reefs, manta points, and Baa's Hanifaru Bay within an excursion's reach in season. Seaplanes fly in daylight only. Alcohol is served on resorts. Resorts are the only places to eat on their islands and many sell rooms with a compulsory meal plan (half board, full board or all-inclusive); the food cost here is priced as one.
Highlights
- New resort villas
- Manta snorkel trips
- Seaplane over the atolls
- Day trip to Hanifaru Bay in season
- Sandbank dinners
Things to do
- Manta snorkel tripMorning · 3h 30m
- House reef snorkelAfternoon · 2h
- Sandbank sunset dinnerEvening · 2h 30m
- Spa treatmentAfternoon · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: December – April
Worth knowing
South-West Monsoon: Seaplanes Held in Storms
From May to October the south-west monsoon brings squalls and rough seas. Seaplanes are held on the ground in storms and low cloud, sometimes for hours, so the transfer back can miss an evening flight home: leave at least half a day between the seaplane and the international flight, or sleep in Hulhumalé. Resort rates are at their lowest.
Worth knowing
Seaplanes Fly in Daylight Only
Seaplanes fly only in daylight, with the last departures from Malé around 16:00. If your flight lands later, sleep in Hulhumalé or Malé and fly to the resort in the morning, or ask the resort for a domestic flight and speedboat instead, which run after dark. On the way home, the morning seaplane suits flights leaving after about 14:00.
Heads up
Festive Peak: Minimum Stays and Gala Dinners
Over Christmas and New Year resorts charge their highest rates, set minimum stays (often five to seven nights) and bill compulsory gala dinners on 24 and 31 December. Seaplane seats sell out: book by September.
- Manta season at Hanifaru Bay — From June to November, when the south-west monsoon pushes plankton into Hanifaru Bay, manta rays (sometimes over a hundred at once) and whale sharks gather to feed, most of all from July to October around the new and full moons. Snorkel only, in groups with a licensed guide and a token (US$30); resorts in Baa, and some in Raa, run the trips.
- Christmas and New Year peak — The resorts' dearest fortnight: minimum stays of five to seven nights, compulsory gala dinners on 24 and 31 December billed on top, and seaplane seats that sell out. Book by September, or come in early December or mid-January for the same dry weather at lower prices.