Haa Alif Atoll

Five nights in Haa Alif with a lagoon base and a morning on Utheemu

Five nights suit Haa Alif. Fly from Malé to Hanimaadhoo and take a speedboat to your island on day one, visit Utheemu and its restored Ganduvaru palace on day two, snorkel or dive the Ihavandhippolhu reefs on day three, see Dhidhdhoo, the atoll capital, on day four, and keep day five free for weather.

Day two. Book a morning boat to Utheemu. Walk through the restored Utheemu Ganduvaru, the wooden palace of the Utheemu dynasty where Mohamed Thakurufaanu was raised, then visit the old cemetery and the harbour before the midday heat. Spend the afternoon back at the resort.

Day three. Snorkel or dive the reefs of the Ihavandhippolhu ring with the resort dive centre, and finish with a sandbank picnic if the sea is calm.

Day four. Visit Dhidhdhoo, the atoll capital, to see a working Maldivian island with its mosque, school and fish landing. Return for a sunset dhoni cruise.

On the way home, add a night or two in Malé or a different reef in Baa Atoll if time allows.

Mas huni breakfasts and garudhiya suppers on local islands

Haa Alif's food is built on tuna, coconut and starch. Breakfast on a local island is often mas huni, smoked tuna with grated coconut, onion and chilli, eaten with roshi and sweet tea, supper is garudhiya, a clear fish broth, and hedhikaa such as gulha fill the afternoon. On resorts, ask about a Maldivian night.

The classic evening meal is garudhiya, a clear fish broth served with rice, lime, chilli and onion.

Afternoon snacks are hedhikaa: fried short eats such as gulha (dough balls stuffed with tuna and coconut) and bajiya, sold in teashops on the inhabited islands. Fish curries made with coconut milk, breadfruit and taro round out home cooking.

On resorts, ask whether the chef runs a Maldivian night or curry lunch; it is the easiest way to try local dishes at a resort. On guesthouse islands, eat in the teashops around the harbour, especially in Dhidhdhoo, and remember that no alcohol is served anywhere outside resorts. Reef fish and tuna caught that day are the standard, so ask what came in on the boats.

National Day on Utheemu and the northern monsoon calendar

Maldives National Day falls on the first day of Rabi al-Awwal, so its date follows the Islamic lunar calendar, moves about 11 days earlier each year and depends on the moon sighting. Utheemu, home island of Mohamed Thakurufaanu, is the natural place to mark it. For calm seas, come in the north-east monsoon, roughly January to April.

The Maldives celebrates National Day (Qaumee Dhuvas) on the first day of Rabi al-Awwal, marking Mohamed Thakurufaanu's victory over the Portuguese. Utheemu, his home island, is the natural place to be, with official ceremonies and visitors from across the country.

For weather, think in monsoons. The north-east monsoon (roughly January to April) brings the driest skies and the calmest seas, which matters here because every trip involves a boat. The south-west monsoon, from about June to November, brings rain squalls and rougher water, although sea temperatures stay warm all year. December and May are transitional months.

The far north also has a different rhythm from the resort belt around Kaafu Atoll. Fewer boats mean fewer people on the reefs, but also fewer flights and ferries, so build your plans around the domestic flight schedule. If you want more atoll variety, Noonu Atoll and Lhaviyani Atoll lie further south.