Northern Atolls
Makunudu Island
Locally-owned Makunudu is one of the oldest resorts in the Maldives and maintains the traditional style for a unique tropical hideaway experience. In the North Male Atoll, just 45-minutes by boat from Male International Airport, this natural paradise offers understated comfort and excellent hospitality.
There are no overwater bungalows: all the rooms are are on shore. The resort has an age limit of 10 years for children and doesn’t accept bookings for large groups during the main season, which is November to April.
Guests can enjoy meals at the Ara Iru (rising sun) restaurant, either a la carte or buffet depending on the day. You can also opt for private dining experiences by the beach or on a tiny island near the jetty. The main bar has beautiful decking overlooking the lagoon, from which you can often enjoy sightings of the local heron resident or ray species. In high season, the sand bar (perfect for sunsets) and Miyaru beach bar are also available, offering drinks with stunning vistas.
All villas are nestled amidst lush vegetation with exclusive stretches of beach, offering wonderful privacy and tranquillity. Despite being less luxuriously appointed than some modern resorts, the accommodation nonetheless offers total comfort and modern amenities.
The island benefits from an excellent house reef easily accessible from the beach. The PADI-certified dive centre is run by the extremely knowledgeable and welcoming Ricardo, and offers boat diving excursions to a variety of sites or you can choose to do a shore dive. From the shore, you can find turtles, nurse sharks and inquisitive resident batfish who will often follow divers as they explore the amazing undersea realm.
Facilities
Bar; restaurant; PADI dive centre; variety of non-motorised water sports; spa; badminton court; table tennis; volleyball and two optional private dining areas.
At the time of writing (Dec 2025) 16 rooms - the Deluxe Beach Bungalows - have been upgraded with private patios, new bathrooms, minibar, coffee machine, slippers, afternoon canapes in your room and one complimentary sundowner to the Sunset Bar.
The 20 Beach Bungalows are the original rooms, but have had a makeover and are due for upgrading in due course.
Local Wildlife
An excellent house reef offers a plethora of reef fish, with two resident turtles, shark species and rays often spotted. Many nurse sharks like to sleep in the harbour and can be seen at the nightly feedings. On land, there is an abundance of hermit crabs and other crab species as well as lizards, heron, many white-tailed tropic birds and mooorhen.
Optional Activities
Guests can partake in night fishing and snorkelling trips; local island visits; a variety of non-motorised water sports; diving; yoga; volleyball; badminton and table tennis.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
Keep an eye out from the bar deck – sting rays and sharks can be spotted in the shallow water nearby.
December to April is the usual manta ray season, with an alternative season running from June to September.
If you have any questions regarding our Maldives tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965