South Nilhande Atoll (Dhaalu,The Maldives
Southern Nilandhe or Dhaalu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It is 37 km long and 12 km wide. Out of a total of 43 islands, eight of the islands are inhabited of which two are resorts. Many of the islands are small and located in the northern part of the atoll.
The capital island is Kudahuvadhoo, located at the atoll's southern tip. Amongst the islands are: Ribudhoo island traditionally renowned for the skill of its gold craftsmen and Gemendhoo which is a very small but beautiful island where the people have developed a fishing technique that takes full advantage of its unique geographic location. Channels running into the reef are used to herd fish through until they are eventually trapped and hauled into a waiting dhoni. Another inhabited island is Meedhoo where the Mee gus tree grows to be very large.
Opened to tourism in 1998, the atoll has become a popular location for SCUBA diving. There are two resorts. One at Velavaru - see our trip reports. The other is at Vilu Reef (Meedhufushi) Website
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Velavaru by Stuart J Wall
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