How to choose a hotel with a live reef in the Maldives: 7 options from budget to luxury

Is there a live and colorful house reef everywhere in the Maldives?

Not every island can boast a live house reef. To understand the intricacies of vacationing on exotic islands help wiotto.com — an expert in Maldives vacations. We will understand why the reefs are discolored, how they are fighting it now and, most importantly, what hotels in Maldives you should visit to be surprised by the house reef.

Synopsis: What is a house reef?

It is a coral reef located at the edge of a lagoon. The island resorts of the Maldives are small, averaging 400 meters by 900 meters, and are surrounded by a lagoon that transitions into the deep. This is where the coral gardens grow, which in turn attract marine life ranging from parrot fish to giant manta rays. The water temperature in the lagoons stays between +28-32ºC all year round. This is the Equator. An ideal place for coral life.

Why corals are bleaching

Due to climate change and weather patterns, many islands in the Maldives have lost rich underwater life. One of the most tangible examples was the El Niño phenomenon in 1998 and some other subsequent years. During these periods, there was a 3-4ºC warming of surface waters, resulting in massive coral bleaching. About 73% of the corals in the Maldives were affected.

Today the situation has stabilized, but not every island resort can boast a luxurious coral garden. In many places, the house reef has lost its bright colors, although it still attracts fish, mantas and other marine life.

What bleached coral reefs look like

Bleached coral reefs are grayish-white, do not grow and are more easily destroyed by waves. A reef can be partially bleached and still have parrot fish and other marine life, for example. Although, a large variety of color you are unlikely to meet there. Often tourists get to the Maldives and are somewhat disappointed with snorkeling. As a rule, this happens after visiting islands with an inanimate reef.

Tip: if you find yourself in the Maldives, and the reef at the hotel does not please the colors, take a snorkeling safari to Hanifaru Bay. This is a UNESCO protected marine area. Amazing snorkeling awaits you here (diving is not allowed in the bay). The local authorities do everything possible to preserve the coral reefs of the bay. Some Maldivian hotels are located on the territory of the reserve and if you have an opportunity to rest on these resorts, be sure to take it. It is there that a real underwater fairy tale awaits you. About the most worthy of them for any budget we will tell further.

Does every hotel in the Maldives have a house reef?

Many islands in the Maldives actually do not have a house reef. This is often the case on the local islands.

Synopsis: local islands are inhabited by local people, while resort islands are inhabited only by hotels. Typically, one hotel occupies one island, which can literally be walked around in an hour.

The local islands are slightly larger than the resort islands. They are inhabited by an average of 1,500 people. Due to active human activity, coral reefs on the local islands are practically absent, or they are there, but not as colorful as on the private islands and in Hanifaru Bay. In addition, not every island resort has a house reef.

Similarly, resorts can be filtered by other criteria: spa, seaplane, kids club, underwater restaurant, etc.

Click here and go straight to the page of hotels with house reef.

Maldives hotels with the best house reefs

By filtering out the house reef hotels, you will see quite a large selection of resorts. From personal experience of wiotto.com managers, as well as reviews from tourists who have traveled with wiotto.com, we have compiled a list of hotels with house reef above all others.

Embudu Village, South Male' Atoll

Just 20 minutes by speedboat from Male — and you are on the island with a beautiful house reef Embudu Village. The hotel is 3*, budget, with restrained interiors, but the underwater world corresponds to all 5 stars.

Reethi Faru Resort, Raa Atoll

Reethi Faru Resort is located 45 minutes by seaplane from Male'. Raa Atoll neighbors the famous Baa Atoll, so the reef here is amazing and the prices are more comfortable than at the resorts in Baa. Consider this resort if you are looking for value for money.

Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon, North Ari Atoll

The small private island of Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon is 25 minutes by seaplane from Male'. In addition to a great house reef, this island is close to several cool dive sites. For both snorkeling and scuba diving, Ellaidhoo is perfect.

Lily Beach Resort & Spa, Ari Atoll

One of the top hotels among tourists in the Maldives is the Lily Beach Resort & Spa. In wiotto.com ratings, it is among the top five in terms of both the quality of the house reef and the comfort of the hotel itself. It's a 25-minute seaplane ride from Male'. Here, the house reef starts right at the water villa.

Hurawalhi Island Resort, Laviani Atoll

Located 40 minutes by seaplane from Male, Hurawalhi Island Resort is quite remote from Velana International Airport. But the beauty of the house reef and the abundance of manta rays attract snorkeling and diving connoisseurs here. By the way, this is a resort for adults only, over 15 years old.

Anantara Kihavah Villas, Baa Atoll

Anantara Kihavah Villas is a snorkeling paradise. In terms of reef quality and service, this resort is the best in wiotto.com's decade-long experience. The luxurious reef of Baa Atoll and the incredibly beautiful reef of Hanifaru Bay are all at the disposal of vacationers. In addition, the hotel has one of the 6 underwater restaurants in the Maldives. Seaplane transfers take 30 minutes.

Vakkaru Maldives, Baa Atoll

Another Baa Atoll resort is Vakkaru Maldives. Just 30 minutes by seaplane and you're on an island surrounded by a perfect house reef. The resort has one of the best diving centers in the Maldives — Splash. The choice is yours: enjoy the colorful house reef at your villa or go with experienced marine guides to meet mantas and whale sharks.

What resorts are doing to revitalize the house reef

Coral planting by tourists and marine biologists

Which resorts are growing coral gardens:

• Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi. This is one of the top resorts for coral reef restoration. There's even a semi-submerged gallery — the Coralarium.
• The previously mentioned Anantara Kihavah Villas. The resort's marine biologists are working to restore bleached coral.
• Shangri-La's Villingili Resort & Spa. Coral planting started here in 2010 and today more than 300 corals are already growing in the resort's garden.

Corals grow from 1cm to 100cm per year, depending on the coral itself and the habitat. The process is quite slow and of course, all efforts to restore and grow corals are aimed at a legacy that we will leave to our children. You have a great opportunity to get involved.

You can talk about the coral reef of the Maldives for hours, but still, nothing compares to actually diving into the colorful underwater world. See for yourself, and the experienced experts at wiotto.com will help you choose a hotel in the Maldives so that all your expectations are met.