Boutique Beach Diving Hotel, Dhigurah Maldives
Ari
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
.webp)
Our Opinion of Boutique Beach
The most recent Angelfish visitors to Boutique Beach were Dan & Jo.
We had the pleasure of meeting Boutique Beach owner Romney Drury and snapped up her invitation to visit, and we were warmly welcomed and looked after by manager Afzal and his team.
The hotel is 10 minutes’ walk from the island’s harbour, or a couple of minutes in an ageing pick-up or on the back of a moped, depending on how adventurous you’re feeling. As you might expect, there are no airs and graces at Boutique Beach, just genuine hospitality and honest food to refuel you between activities, served either in the sand-floored restaurant or on the large roof terrace. Rooms are comfortable and spacious, with plenty of room for dive gear, and the two larger rooms at the front would easily accommodate four sharing if really travelling on a budget. The rooms have simple, pleasant décor, good beds, very nice partially open shower rooms, and all the charger sockets you need, as well as wifi for uploading all the awesome underwater photos you’ll be taking.
The location of Dhigurah in the South Ari Atoll is perfect for diving and snorkelling, and there are fully inclusive packages that include various excursions and up to 3 dives per day. With only six rooms in the hotel, there is plenty of scope for flexibility in excursions, and these tend to be arranged daily, based on the collective preferences of guests. There are numerous famous dive sites just minutes away, and the island lagoon itself is well known for spotting mantas and occasionally young whale sharks (we got to swim with two on our visit!). The newly opened Boutique Beach dive centre near the harbour is modern and well-equipped.
Staying on a local Maldivian island is a very different experience from visiting a resort. If you’ve been on a local island excursion, you’ll have a bit of an idea what you’re in for, but staying there and mixing with the friendly locals is a real eye-opener. Dhigurah is quite a large island at 3km in length, but is home to only around 600 people, all located towards the Northern end. The rest of the island is uninhabited jungle and deserted beaches, and if you fancy some alone-time Boutique Beach will pack your lunch up for you so you can wander off for a private picnic. As per local custom, there is no alcohol available on the island, but evening trips to a resort bar can be arranged if you feel the need (note that some resorts charge non-staying guests for the privilege).
We think a few nights at Boutique Beach, experiencing real Maldivian life and getting in some serious diving time, would offer the perfect complement to relaxing at one of the nearby resort islands (such as Drift Thelu Veliga Retreat), so why not consider a twin-stay, and we’ll arrange a speedboat to whisk you between the two!
The hotel is 10 minutes’ walk from the island’s harbour, or a couple of minutes in an ageing pick-up or on the back of a moped, depending on how adventurous you’re feeling. As you might expect, there are no airs and graces at Boutique Beach, just genuine hospitality and honest food to refuel you between activities, served either in the sand-floored restaurant or on the large roof terrace. Rooms are comfortable and spacious, with plenty of room for dive gear, and the two larger rooms at the front would easily accommodate four sharing if really travelling on a budget. The rooms have simple, pleasant décor, good beds, very nice partially open shower rooms, and all the charger sockets you need, as well as wifi for uploading all the awesome underwater photos you’ll be taking.
The location of Dhigurah in the South Ari Atoll is perfect for diving and snorkelling, and there are fully inclusive packages that include various excursions and up to 3 dives per day. With only six rooms in the hotel, there is plenty of scope for flexibility in excursions, and these tend to be arranged daily, based on the collective preferences of guests. There are numerous famous dive sites just minutes away, and the island lagoon itself is well known for spotting mantas and occasionally young whale sharks (we got to swim with two on our visit!). The newly opened Boutique Beach dive centre near the harbour is modern and well-equipped.
Staying on a local Maldivian island is a very different experience from visiting a resort. If you’ve been on a local island excursion, you’ll have a bit of an idea what you’re in for, but staying there and mixing with the friendly locals is a real eye-opener. Dhigurah is quite a large island at 3km in length, but is home to only around 600 people, all located towards the Northern end. The rest of the island is uninhabited jungle and deserted beaches, and if you fancy some alone-time Boutique Beach will pack your lunch up for you so you can wander off for a private picnic. As per local custom, there is no alcohol available on the island, but evening trips to a resort bar can be arranged if you feel the need (note that some resorts charge non-staying guests for the privilege).
We think a few nights at Boutique Beach, experiencing real Maldivian life and getting in some serious diving time, would offer the perfect complement to relaxing at one of the nearby resort islands (such as Drift Thelu Veliga Retreat), so why not consider a twin-stay, and we’ll arrange a speedboat to whisk you between the two!
Boutique Beach Summary
Boutique Beach is a small all-inclusive dive hotel on Dhigurah in South Ari Atoll, designed, built and run by Romney Drury, a British diver who gave up her job in the UK to offer divers a well-priced, genuinely personal alternative to resort diving. The hotel sits two minutes from the beach, within a marine protected area where whale sharks and manta rays are seen year round. The hotel's aim is for guests to experience the "Real Maldives" among local people, alongside the marine life.
Dhigurah itself is a long, inhabited island, with a population of about 600 concentrated in the north. It has a school, medical centre and harbour, and the rest of the island is given over to gardens and natural vegetation. The island is reached by either a domestic flight to Maamigili or a seaplane flight to the South Ari Atoll platform, followed by a speedboat transfer.
Typically up to three dives a day are offered, with night dives available on request and subject to weather. Full-day trips head out in search of whale sharks or to seasonal manta cleaning stations, with lunch and refreshments served on board the hotel's own boat, Manta Mobula.
The Deluxe Rooms are boutique in style, each with an open-air bathroom and either a balcony or private garden, offered as a double or twin and sleeping two. The Standard Rooms, in a former local home next to the main hotel, each have a private garden with seating, a private bathroom, a spacious wardrobe and Wi-Fi in both room and garden, sleeping two in a double bed.
All rooms have air conditioning and a fan, handmade beds with deep back-support mattresses and cotton bedding, and a work desk with UK plugs, adaptors, USB and USB-C charging ports and extra lighting for camera work. Bathrobes, beach bags, water bottles, and yoga mats are provided for guests to use during their stay.
Dhigurah itself is a long, inhabited island, with a population of about 600 concentrated in the north. It has a school, medical centre and harbour, and the rest of the island is given over to gardens and natural vegetation. The island is reached by either a domestic flight to Maamigili or a seaplane flight to the South Ari Atoll platform, followed by a speedboat transfer.
Diving
Diving is the focus of the hotel and the reason most guests come. PADI-certified instructors specialise in small-group experiences, taking no more than four or five divers at a time, so they can guide guests personally. The dive centre also offers NITROX, PADI courses, a camera workshop and its own compressor, and a marine biologist gives a presentation and daily dive video.Typically up to three dives a day are offered, with night dives available on request and subject to weather. Full-day trips head out in search of whale sharks or to seasonal manta cleaning stations, with lunch and refreshments served on board the hotel's own boat, Manta Mobula.
Accommodation
The Suite Mezzanine Rooms are on the first floor, with a mezzanine bedroom behind floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the tropical garden and a lounge below whose convertible sofa bed sleeps two more, comfortably accommodating up to four guests — suited to families or four divers travelling together.The Deluxe Rooms are boutique in style, each with an open-air bathroom and either a balcony or private garden, offered as a double or twin and sleeping two. The Standard Rooms, in a former local home next to the main hotel, each have a private garden with seating, a private bathroom, a spacious wardrobe and Wi-Fi in both room and garden, sleeping two in a double bed.
All rooms have air conditioning and a fan, handmade beds with deep back-support mattresses and cotton bedding, and a work desk with UK plugs, adaptors, USB and USB-C charging ports and extra lighting for camera work. Bathrobes, beach bags, water bottles, and yoga mats are provided for guests to use during their stay.
