A day trip to one of these small deserted island of Maldives can certainly be a unique and fascinating experience. One that you can have at Thulusdhoo and one you should definitely take advantage of.
The experience
You start of the day waking up early morning in your guesthouse. You get dressed and step outside to the chirping birds, palm trees and warm morning wind from the horizon caressing you gently. After having the much needed morning coffee you head to the place where the boat is docked. There awaits your Dhoni to take you to your sandbank getaway from Thulusdhoo.
The Dhoni is a traditional style Maldives boat with an engine attached to it. The dhoni is not as fast as a speedboat, but the experience you will have on the dhoni is also part of the sandbank trip. After 20 minutes or so, you arrive to the deserted island. No trees, no foliage. Just a body of sand, as white as powder. The dhoni doesn’t dock to the sandbank, it stops a few meters away from the sand bank as the water is too shallow for the Dhoni. You jump in to the crystal clear water beneath and walk your way through it to the sandbank, thus the beginning of your day trip.
Here you could enjoy a relaxing day, enjoying food, swimming in the azure waters of the lagoon, playing in the sand, and catching octopi with your own hands. The sandbank provides a fun experience for families with kids and an intimate private experience for couples where you feel like you are the only people in the world.
Sandbanks near Thulusdhoo
- Asdu sandbank – 30 minutes from the island of Thulusdhoo. A beautiful reef surrounds the Sand Bank.
- ChikAna – 20 minutes away from Thulusdhoo. The interesting thing about ChikAna is this sand bank only emerges at the lowest tide.
- Infinity sand bank – This particular sand bank got its name from the strectch of sand that comes with the low tide and the narrow shape.
- Gasfinolhu Sand Bank – Closest sand bank to Thulusdhoo and a great place to
Booking a sand bank trip
The best and the easiest way to book a sandbank trip in Thulusdhoo is by asking your guesthouse. They will gladly arrange transfer and usually a guide as well.
The closer sand banks like Gasfinolhu costs about $20 per pax while the far away ones which takes about 30 minutes to go costs about $30 per adult. Kids are usually free of charge.
Don’t forget to bring your camera as the sceneries are amazing. The horizon stretching infinitely and the turquoise color of the lagoon blending in with the dark blues of the ocean. It truly is a surreal experience that you must experience at least once in your lifetime.