Hotel Rihiveli

The Rihiveli hotel is located in the south of Male Sud, 1 hour away by speed boat from Malé airport.

Children under a year old are not accepted. The Rihiveli island is the only island on the Malé Sud atoll to be surrounded by two islands on which tourists can come by swimming, on foot or by canoe: the Soleil Levant (Rising Sun) island and the Oiseaux (Birds) island. The Rihiveli's uniqueness is also due to its free water sport activities: snorkelling, catamaran, windsurfing, canoeing, water skiing. The rest cost extra: big game fishing, night snorkelling and bottle diving. The Rihiveli is one of the only islands of the Maldives to have drinking water: thus, you can drink tap water in your room! Very unusual in Maldives! You can see dolphins in front of the bar every day from November to the end of April.

Created in 1983, the Rihiveli is a simple, friendly hotel made up of white bungalows that are a true part of the plant life offered by the island. The island is 1,476 feet long and 393 feet wide. The hotel has 48 bungalows, including 42 doubles with an inside shower, 3 triples with inside and outside shower, 2 family (for 5 people) and one duplex home. A small reception welcomes you. There are a bar and a restaurant, one on the sunrise side and the other on the sunset side. The Rihiveli also has tennis, petanque, beach volley ball and badminton courts. Stretch and step classes are offered, as well as a pool hall and a library. One area has been set up for massages, delicately prepared. For night life, petanque tournaments, club nights and casino nights are organised.

"People come to Maldives to be outdoors"... That is what Tom, the hotel director, explains when I asked him to explain why there is no air conditioning in the rooms (except for 2), or television, mini-bar, safe or telephone. The fan, as well as a nice decoration, with palm tree leaves on the roof, will be enough to spend nice, pleasant vacations. Each bungalow faces the beach, and is equipped with a terrace, a table, benches and deckchairs. A coconut allows you, if you put it on the bed, to inform the personal chambermaid to please change your sheets.

The Rihiveli's restaurant is the only restaurant that we visited in Maldives that welcomes its guests in such a friendly manner. All the hosts eat together, at tables of eight or more, and waste no time introducing themselves. There is an international buffet every day at noon with a local course. Each weekday evening, there is table service, or a buffet service for theme evenings: French (with cheese), Thai, etc.

The Rihiveli beach is beautiful, its view magnificent, from the side of both islands, one as beautiful as the other. The wind makes it possible to engage in sailing pleasures. The sand is nice. The water is translucent. There are deckchairs in each villa.