Nilandhoo Island, Maldives - Paradise For 2000 Peaceful Souls

Anchor Off The Bow, Stern To The Wharf At Nilandhoo                                             

Traveling south down the Maldives atoll chain, we decided to look for a town with a friendly harbour - being enough water for our keel and space at the wharf.

We found that and more in peaceful Nilandhoo.

There are two harbours here, though the eastern entrance and harbour is very shallow and less attractive.

The north-western entrance provides deeper water (5.0 to 7.0 meters all the way) and leads to a small concrete wharf that has a fueling station, ice works and fresh water supply.  There is room for four or five vessels moored stern to the wharf.

What more could we want ?  So in we went ....

I sounded the pass and the wharf area from the dinghy, before we brought Crystal Blues inside.  We did not check the fishing boat harbour to the west of the wharf - it looked a little shallow and fouled with mooring lines.

Good swinging room for us, and we backed down towards the wall to be greeted by two very sincere and intelligent young local boys, who kindly offered to be (as they said), "Your Guides On Our Island".

We learned that Nilandhoo was the last island in the Maldives to convert to Islam.

They still have sites on the island that they acknowledge relate to "the past culture".

The flat water at the wharf allowed me to visit the masthead for maintenance, and a view of the area.

In the local shops we found fruits and vegetables, even ice cream if you need it.  The atmosphere was rural, warm and very friendly.

We recommend a stop here, when you've had enough of life on those deserted atolls !

Google Earth KAP charts for this location can be downloaded via the tabs at the top of this page.