HomeIsland staysSouth Malé Atollh78 Guraidhoo
h78 Guraidhoo
A four-star guesthouse on Guraidhoo, an inhabited island in South Malé Atoll, with a pool, restaurant and diving listed and a speedboat or public ferry transfer from Velana. The main trade-off is local-island life: no alcohol on the island and village dress norms, in exchange for a quieter base close to Guraidhoo Kandu.
- Local island
- South Malé Atoll
- Guraidhoo
- 4-star
- Speedboat
Decide
Who h78 Guraidhoo suits
- Stay typeLocal island
- AtollSouth Malé Atoll
- IslandGuraidhoo (named in the record)
- Star class4 stars
- Guest scoreNo score yet
- TransferSpeedboat or public ferry
- From Velanaabout 33 km
- Live sampleBookable on 4 of 5 sampled stays
- Relative price bandMid-range
Suits
- Divers who want a base near Guraidhoo Kandu, the protected channel dive in South Malé Atoll
- Travellers who prefer a small, quiet inhabited island to a busy local-island hub
- Guests who value listed facilities such as a pool, restaurant, spa and fitness centre
- Families, with a playground, cots and family facilities listed
- Arrivals landing after dark, since the usual transfer is by speedboat, which can run at night
May not suit
- Travellers who want alcohol with dinner, since alcohol is not served on inhabited islands
- Guests expecting a private resort island with one property to itself
- Anyone wanting a seaplane arrival, as the boat is the standard route to this atoll
- Sunbathers who want to swim in swimwear anywhere on the island, as swimwear is for the designated bikini beach
Live availability
Seen bookable on 4 of 5 sampled dates
- Mon, 30 Nov 2026, 1 night: returned
- Mon, 30 Nov 2026, 2 nights: returned
- Mon, 28 Dec 2026, 1 night: returned
- Mon, 25 Jan 2027, 1 night: returned
- Mon, 22 Feb 2027, 1 night: not returned
h78 Guraidhoo came back from the booking search on 4 of the 5 sampled stays searched near it, for check-ins on 30 November 2026, 28 December 2026 and 25 January 2027; on the others it was not returned, which usually means no room was on sale for those nights. Against the other stays the sample returned, its lowest rates sit in the mid-range band; the site shows no figures, so the booking page gives the rate for your dates.
In the sweep the search returned this stay 29 times across the searches near it. Rates are not shown on this site; the booking card opens them for your dates.
Getting there
Getting to h78 Guraidhoo
- Usual transferSpeedboat or public ferry
- From Velana airportabout 33 km, straight line
- Nearest domestic airportMaamigili, about 85 km
The usual transfer is by speedboat or public ferry. Guraidhoo is 33 km from Velana International Airport in a straight line, and in South Malé Atoll speedboats can run day and night, which suits arrivals that land after dark. There is no need for a seaplane or a domestic flight to reach this atoll. The nearest domestic airport named is Maamigili, 85 km away, which is not the route used here.
In South Malé Atoll, guesthouses on the inhabited islands arrange transfers for their guests, and the bridge links Malé with the airport island, which helps if a night in the capital comes first. Seaplanes fly in daylight only and are used for islands further away. A shuttle service is listed for this property.
More on transfers: getting from Velana to your island.
The island
Guraidhoo: an inhabited local island
H78 Guraidhoo is a four-star guesthouse on Guraidhoo, an inhabited local island in South Malé Atoll with 35 guesthouses listed. The village has a harbour and a village centre, and it sits close to Guraidhoo Kandu, the protected channel dive, which makes it a diver's base. Because it is an inhabited island, alcohol is not served here, swimwear belongs on the designated bikini beach, and shoulders and knees are covered in the village. Friday midday prayers close many businesses for a time, and during Ramadan eating and drinking in public in daylight is avoided.
The nearest inhabited island with guesthouses is Maafushi, 5 km away in a straight line, the busiest local-island destination in South Malé with 85 guesthouses listed. Gulhi is 11 km away with 24 guesthouses, Fulidhoo 25 km with 25, and Hulhumale 35 km with 25. Nine resorts lie within 10 km. In South Malé Atoll, guesthouse islands and resort islands sit side by side, and some guesthouses arrange day visits to a resort island where the resort allows it, usually for a fee.
Nearest inhabited islands with guesthouses, measured from coordinates: Maafushi about 5.0 km (85 guesthouses listed); Gulhi about 11 km (24 guesthouses listed); Fulidhoo about 25 km (25 guesthouses listed); Hulhumale about 35 km (25 guesthouses listed); Hulhumale about 37 km (7 guesthouses listed). Resort islands within 10 km: 9.
House rules by island type: alcohol, local-island etiquette, resort or local island.
Beach and lagoon
Beach and lagoon at h78 Guraidhoo
- Private beach listedyes
- Beachfront listedno
- Beach access listedno
- Water sports listedno
- Diving listedyes
- Reviews mentioning the beach0
- Reviews mentioning a house reef0
- Reviews mentioning overwater villas0
The listing records a private beach and a pool, and diving is listed among the facilities. Beachfront and beach access are not listed, and water sports, snorkelling, surfing and fishing are not listed either. No guest reviews mention the beach, lagoon, house reef, snorkelling or sandbank, and there is no house-reef evidence in the record, so what the beach and lagoon are actually like at this property is not established. The listing is silent on how far the beach is from the rooms.
Atoll levelIn South Malé Atoll, resort islands are private, with one property to an island, and many have a house reef close to the beach, with some running excursions to channels and sandbanks. The atoll's resort islands sit on their own reefs, some near the eastern channels and some inside the lagoon. Across the atoll, common excursion types include house-reef snorkelling, a sandbank afternoon, a dolphin cruise at dusk and kayaking or paddleboarding a lagoon, though none of these is confirmed for this property.
Sea and reef
The sea and reef around h78 Guraidhoo
- Alimatha night dive · about 30 kmA night dive off Alimatha in Vaavu Atoll for certified divers, run all year with conditions varying.
- The Maldive Victory wreck · about 32 kmA cargo ship that sank near the airport island in 1981; deep and current-prone, for experienced divers.
- Hulhumalé beach and the Malé ferry · about 35 kmHulhumalé has a public beach where local dress norms apply, a short taxi ride from the airport, with regular ferry crossings to Malé.
- Banana Reef · about 38 kmOne of the best-known dive sites of North Malé Atoll, dived in both monsoons.
- Lankan Manta Point · about 42 kmA manta cleaning station in North Malé Atoll, reached by boat from nearby islands.
- The Kuda Giri wreck · in South Malé AtollA small, shallower wreck in southern Kaafu, a more accessible introduction to wreck diving for certified divers.
The nearest listed site is the Kuda Giri wreck, in the same atoll with no exact position given: a small, shallower wreck in southern Kaafu that serves as a more accessible introduction to wreck diving for certified divers. The Maldive Victory wreck lies about 32 km away in a straight line, a cargo ship that sank near the airport island in 1981, deep and current-prone and suited to experienced divers. Alimatha night dive is about 30 km away, a night dive for certified divers that runs all year with conditions varying.
Further out, Banana Reef is about 38 km away in North Malé Atoll, dived in both monsoons, and Lankan Manta Point is about 42 km away, a manta cleaning station reached by boat and visited by divers and snorkellers. Recreational diving in the Maldives is capped at 30 metres. In South Malé Atoll, the eastern rim is where the atoll gets its diving reputation: channels cut through the reef edge and carry current, which brings fish and makes for drift diving.
Seasons
Seasons in South Malé Atoll
In South Malé Atoll, the year turns on two monsoons. The northeast monsoon runs roughly from December to April and is the drier, calmer half, which means easier crossings by speedboat and generally calmer sea. The southwest monsoon runs roughly from May to November, with more wind, passing showers and choppier crossings. Air and sea stay warm all year. For divers and snorkellers, calmer conditions in the northeast monsoon half usually mean clearer water, though visibility is not stated in the record.
Seasonal movement matters for marine life. During the northeast monsoon, mantas move to cleaning stations, often on the western sides of atolls; in the southwest monsoon, plankton and currents can draw larger animals into channels on the eastern side. The surf season runs roughly March to October, with the biggest swells around June to August. The Alimatha night dive runs all year with conditions varying, and Banana Reef is dived in both monsoons.
Month by month: the weather guide and the two monsoons.
Day trips
Day trips and island hopping from here
Maafushi, 5 km away in a straight line, is the busiest local island in South Malé, with a harbour, cafes, dive schools and a designated bikini beach. Gulhi is 11 km away, smaller again, with a beach and a short walk from one end to the other. Fulidhoo is 25 km away. In South Malé Atoll, public ferries link some inhabited islands on set days, and a ferry connects Malé with the local islands, with timetables that change, so current ones are best asked for locally.
Nine resorts lie within 10 km of Guraidhoo. In South Malé Atoll, guests on local islands can sometimes visit a resort for the day where the resort allows it, arranged through the guesthouse or the resort, usually for a fee, which is a way to spend an afternoon on a resort beach without moving base. Hulhumalé, 35 km away, has a public beach where local dress norms apply and regular ferry crossings to Malé.
Trips like these on this site: house-reef snorkelling, a sandbank afternoon, a dolphin cruise at dusk, visiting a local island, kayak and paddleboard a lagoon, sunset handline fishing, learning to freedive, resort day visits.
Guest reviews
What guests say about the sea and beach
No review text in this record discusses the beach, the reef, the water or the transfer.
Practical
Practical island life
Free Wi-Fi is listed for this property, along with a restaurant, room service and breakfast in room. In South Malé Atoll, resorts generally provide Wi-Fi, often in rooms and public areas, and many guesthouses also offer it, with speeds varying. On local islands, mobile data is often more reliable than guesthouse Wi-Fi; prepaid SIM cards are sold at Velana International Airport and in Malé and Hulhumalé, and mobile coverage is good on inhabited islands and patchy at sea.
Inhabited islands have cafes and shops, and life follows the island day; on a resort island the resort runs every restaurant and bar. The listing includes a 24-hour front desk, laundry, dry cleaning, luggage storage, a safe and a spa. In South Malé Atoll, importing alcohol and pork is not allowed, and Friday midday prayers close many businesses for a time.
Compare
Against the 3 nearest similar stays
| Stay | Class | Guest score | Transfer | Distance | Live sample | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| h78 Guraidhoo (this stay) | 4-star local island | none yet | Speedboat, 33 km | — | 4/5 | Check dates |
| Ithaa Beach Maldives | 3-star local island | 4.5 (97 reviews) | Speedboat, 33 km | 0.2 km away | 5/5 | Check dates |
| Summer Villa Guest House | 3-star local island | none yet | Speedboat, 29 km | 4.3 km away | 5/5 | Check dates |
| KUE Hotel Maafushi | 3-star local island | none yet | Speedboat, 28 km | 4.6 km away | 3/5 | Check dates |
Facilities listed
- 24-hour front desk
- Air conditioning
- Balcony
- Banquet
- Bars
- Bathrobe
- Beach nearby
- Bidet
- Breakfast
- Breakfast in room
- Coffee
- Concierge
- Cot
- Diving
- Dry cleaning service
- Express check in
- First aid
- Fitness Center
- Free Wi-Fi
- Hairdryer
- Housekeeping
- Internet access
- Iron and board
- Laundry Service
- Lifts
- Luggage storage
- Non smoking rooms
- Outdoor pool
- Playground
- Pool bar
- Private beach
- Restaurant
- Room Service
- Safe
- Security Features
- Shuttle service
- Slippers
- Smoke detector
- Smoking area
- Spa
- Swimming pool
- TV
- Telephone
- Toiletries
- Wake-up service
Questions about h78 Guraidhoo
How do you get to h78 Guraidhoo?
The usual transfer is by speedboat or public ferry. Guraidhoo is 33 km from Velana International Airport in a straight line, and speedboats in South Malé Atoll can run day and night. A shuttle service is listed for the property.
What are the alcohol, dress and swimwear rules here?
Guraidhoo is an inhabited island, so alcohol is not served. Swimwear is for the designated bikini beach, and shoulders and knees are covered in the village. Importing alcohol and pork is not allowed. During Ramadan, eating and drinking in public in daylight is avoided.
Is there a beach and a house reef at the property?
A private beach and a pool are listed, but beachfront, beach access and snorkelling are not, and no guest reviews mention the beach or a house reef. The record does not establish a house reef here. In South Malé Atoll, many resort islands have a house reef close to the beach.
What does the listing show about meals at h78 Guraidhoo?
The facility list for h78 Guraidhoo names a restaurant, a bar, breakfast and room service. Which meal plans are on sale, from room only to half board where offered, depends on your dates and shows on the booking page.
When is the best season for this atoll?
The northeast monsoon, roughly December to April, is the drier, calmer half, with easier crossings. The southwest monsoon, roughly May to November, brings more wind, passing showers and choppier crossings. Air and sea stay warm all year, and diving is capped at 30 metres.
Is it better for families or couples?
Family facilities are listed, including a playground, cots and a pool, so families are catered for. Couples get a small, quiet island base near Guraidhoo Kandu. Adults-only status is not stated, so both are possible; the lack of alcohol on the island shapes evenings either way.
What nearby sea or island experience is within reach?
Maafushi is 5 km away in a straight line, with cafes, dive schools and a designated bikini beach. The Kuda Giri wreck lies in the same atoll, a shallower wreck for certified divers. The Maldive Victory wreck is about 32 km away, deep and current-prone for experienced divers.
Was h78 Guraidhoo bookable in the live sample?
h78 Guraidhoo came back on 4 of the 5 sampled stays searched near it (check-ins on 30 November 2026, 28 December 2026 and 25 January 2027). On the other dates it was not returned, usually because nothing was on sale. Your own dates are checked live on the booking page.
How this page was made: bookability comes from a live sweep of the IMPT booking search on 5 sample stays; facilities, photos and reviews from the IMPT hotel database; distances from coordinates; sea, season and island context from this site's own pages. The written sections were drafted by an AI model from this record only and checked against it.
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