Why Laamu Atoll?

Map of Laamu Atoll

When we speak to our guests and partners in the travel industry we are not just ‘selling’ the uniqueness of The Maverick, but also the beauty and tranquility of Laamu Atoll.

Before pointing out the ‘usp’s’ of Laamu, we have to discuss the contrast between the more crowded Atolls of the Maldives and Laamu.

North and South Male Atolls are home to 60% of the Maldivian population, have more than 50 resorts and over 350 guesthouses and about half of all the 2000000 yearly visitors to The Maldives stay there.

These numbers put pressure on the fragile eco system of these 2 Atolls and mean that the privacy, exclusivity and crystal clear waters that the Maldives is famous for are now much harder to find. Tall buildings, construction and reclamation can be seen nearly everywhere.

Laamu in comparison has less than 5% of the Maldivian population, 3 resorts and 5 guesthouses, and 49 uninhabited islands.

A simple comparison is that we offer desert island experiences and sand bank picnic trips to our guests, you would be hard pushed to find a deserted island in South Male!

We’ve already had a blog about sea life in Laamu so we won’t talk too much about, but it is part of what makes the Atoll special. Less people and less tourism is bound to lead to more sea life and a clearer sea than more busy areas. Diving, snorkeling, and sea life spotting is as good as it gets.

When you wake up early at the Maverick, there is almost total silence, no boats or people to spoil the tranquility, no commuting, no traffic. You can hear the waves from your tent, and as the island slowly wakes up most of the boats you see are small dinghies with locals looking for their daily catch.

The people of Laamu are also special, and so are the population of Mundoo. One of the only issues with under tourism in Laamu is that there aren’t too many jobs. There is a lot of migration to Male, the capital to find jobs, so the residents that are still in Laamu are there because they want to be there, and are very proud of the Atoll. You can still find traditional Maldivian jobs such as fishing and farming, and ancestral crafts such as palm thatch making, jewelry making, and foods like dried and smoked fish (volhumas) and fish paste (Rihaakuru) are still produced on most islands. Unfortunately (like many countries) these traditions have largely died out in busier atolls or are ‘artificially’ recreated for the tourist. In Laamu (and on Mundoo) we can show you how to make palm thatch and jewelry with residents who still make a living from producing these crafts, you can fish with locals, and learn how to cook Maldivian dishes.

So, for the sake of an extra one hour’s flight and perhaps $150 additional transfer costs, you can visit Laamu, which really is ‘the real Maldives’ or ‘the old Maldives’. We think it’s worth that little bit of extra money and time!