F l y & S a i l *

Fly&Sail are our new cruises where guests board the yacht in Dhaalu Atoll upon a seaplane scenic flight of 45 minutes and they cruise through the atolls between the 2nd and the 3nd degree North of the archipelago. Fly&Sail itineraries offer different advantages: cruises in remote atolls out of the usual routes with plenty of desert islands and sandstrips and just few resorts islands, reduced navigation time, and scenic flights by seaplane over the atolls. A stay at Villa Stella can be combined with one of the Fly&Sail itineraries.

D h a a l u - T h a a - M e e m u

Departure: Vilu Reef Resort. Arrival: Vilu Reef Resort. Duration: 7 nights. Atolls visited: 3 (Dhaalu-Thaa-Meemu). Best period: all the year long. Best for: beginners and experienced divers, snorkelers, fishermen, getaway lovers. Highlights: beautiful uninhabited islands, sand-strips and genuine local islands. The cruise: guests board the yacht upon a seaplane scenic flight from Malè to Vilu Reef Resort in Dhaalu Atoll. The cruise touches three of the most remote and uninhabited atolls of the Maldives: Dhaalu, Thaa and Meemu atolls. The narrow passes and the long, uninterrupted coral reefs of Mulaku Atoll provide an ideal habitat for large pelagic fishes. Diving and fishing thus provide plenty of satisfaction. Mulak Kandu and Gaahuraa Kandu certainly feature among the most spectacular current dives in the Maldives. The first offers an extraordinary variety of pelagic fishes around its entrance, with a series of caves and blocks of coral covered with soft corals and sea fans to colour its western corner. The pass’s sandy seabed provides a kind of light which is particularly appreciated by underwater photographers. The step of the Gaahuraa Kandu is crossed from side to side by a series of caves covered with marvellous, saffron-coloured soft corals and sea fans. This is one of the passes with the highest concentration of grey sharks in the archipelago when the current flows inside the channel. The return to Malè International Airport is by seaplane.

D h a a l u - F a a f u - A r i

Departure: Vilu Reef Resort. Arrival: Vilu Reef Resort. Duration: 7 nights. Atolls visited: 3 (Dhaalu, Faafu, Ari South). Best period: all the year long. Best for: diving beginners, snorkelers, getaway lovers. Highlights: beautiful uninhabited islands in Dhaalu and Faafu atolls, genuine local villages, the Cultural Center of Dangethi and the Fenfushi mosque, the whale sharks watching of Maamigili Beiyru. The cruise: guests board the yacht upon a seaplane scenic flight from Malè to Vilu Reef Resort in Dhaalu Atoll. The cruise touches two of the most remote and uninhabited atolls of the Maldives: Dhaalu and Faafu atolls. Both the atolls are seldom crossed by local cruising boats or international yachts, being of little interest to divers. All the same, the atolls can provide some real satisfaction to those in search of fantastic sites for snorkeling, some quiet spots and examples of local folklore. The cruise continues to the Southern part of Ari Atoll. There, Fenfushi is without doubt a must for those in search of the fundamental aspects of Maldivian tradition. The inhabitants were skilful sculptors and carvers of coral and their art is still to be seen on the finely decorated walls of the island’s mosque and the tombstones in the nearby cemetery. Another place of interest in Ari atoll is the Cultural Centre in the village of Dhangethi. The centre reproduces certain types of ancient Maldivian houses and exhibits numerous objects associated with daily life in the Maldives as it once was. The reef outside the island of Maamigili is plied in both directions by several local cruising boats in search of the giant of the seas, the whale shark, whose formidable shape is clearly visible even with just goggles and flippers. The return to Malè International Airport is by seaplane.