Thoddoo Island is located 67 km west of the capital city of Male’ & 20 km north of the administrative center of North Ari Atoll; Rasdhoo Island. It is fairly big by Maldivian standards – about 2 x 1 km & unlike many other islands, it is located separately from the archipelago. Moreover, a third of Thoddoo is reserved for farming, another third for the local populace (home to approximately 1800 people) & the rest is overgrown with lush wilderness. It is also considered one of the largest producers of agricultural goods in the country and is prominent for its colossal, sweet watermelons, giving it the nicknames, ‘The Fruit Island’ & ‘Island of Watermelons’.
Due to Thoddoo’s substantial size, it is almost impossible to cover all the territory by foot. A good way to explore the island is by cycling around in morning or evening to see what it is like outside of the tourist beaches. Similar to the other local islands, wildlife on Thoddoo is not very diverse. However, the shores are thronging with numerous species & proportions of scuttling crustaceans and clever hermit crabs who use coconut shells, glass bottoms & bottle caps as their portable homes. Due to its innate placement, Thoddoo offers magnificent beaches for tourists, the two most eminent ones being on opposite ends of the island.
The first beach is located in the southern section & takes about 15 mins from the nearest hotel if the path through the fruit farms is taken. Our hotel provides guests with sturdy bikes to undertake this spirited journey. The boundaries of the beach are conventionally marked by a fence of dry palm leaves. The modest beach is very clean & well maintained but during the peak seasons can be extremely crowded. Therefore it lacks customary sun loungers & hammocks but is conveniently supplied with showers & toilet commodities. Equatorial evergreens map a path along the coastline, through which numerous tracks lead directly to the waters. The silvery sand seems to almost reflect the sunbeams & you can walk on it without the fear of cutting yourself on glass or dead coral. The adjacent ocean is pristine & has almost no floating debris.
Thoddoo is also renowned for its considerable house reef, about 6 km in length, located in close proximity to the bikini beach. It is truly invigorating, consisting of giant eagle rays, reef manta rays & a plethora of spell-binding species of fish that’ll simply leave you speechless.
However, it is not recommended for you to go alone & without proper equipment such as fins due to the risk of being swept up by a side stream or under-currents & the well-grounded fear of not noticing how quickly you drift away from the coast. Nonetheless, with the proper guidance & safety precautions you will be able to relish the sights of this incredibly sought after experience.
The second beach is located in the north-eastern section of the island, behind the stadium. From some hotels, it’s just a meagre 5 min walk. This beach is relatively small in comparison to the south beach, but is less occupied by tourists, hence providing a more tranquil environment. This beach is supplied with sunbeds & hammocks but its main advantage is its closeness to the house reef; just 200m away. The edge of the reef teems with turtles, eagle rays, reef manta rays & a few schools of flamboyant fish & sharks.
