Explore Gili Lankanfushi : A Haven for Aquatic Enthusiasts
Monday 1st of July 2024
Gili Lankanfushi, the pioneer of sustainable, barefoot luxury in the Maldives, has unveiled its most awe-inspiring underwater adventures, available year-round at the castaway-chic eco-resort. Located in the North Malé Atoll, just a 20-minute speedboat ride from Malé Airport, Gili Lankanfushi is renowned for its pristine reef teeming with rare aquatic species, including rays, reef sharks, and turtles. This makes it a premier destination for diving, snorkelling, and a variety of other water sports.
Scuba Diving
Gili Lankanfushi offers an unrivalled opportunity to explore the underwater world. The resort’s PADI-certified Ocean Paradise Dive Centre provides multilingual instructors and state-of-the-art equipment for divers of all abilities. Guests can dive into North Malé’s top five most famous dive sites – HP Reef, Okobe Thila, Nassimo Thila, Banana Reef, and Lankan Finolhu Manta Point – encountering vibrant corals, schools of shimmering fish, and majestic manta rays.
Certified Open Water and Advanced Open Water divers can enjoy Gili’s thrice-daily diving boat trips, reaching depths of up to 30 meters. For younger enthusiasts, the PADI Bubblemaker experience offers children aged eight and up a safe introduction to scuba diving under the guidance of a PADI professional.
Snorkelling
For those who prefer a more gentle approach to sea life-spotting, snorkelling around Gili’s house reef is unbeatable. Guests can simply slip on a snorkelling mask and fins to explore the 15-meter drop-off zone at the edge of the reef, where they will find vivid coral walls inhabited by small sharks, colorful fish, turtles, and rays. The island’s resident marine biologist offers guided trips, day and night, to help guests identify the array of aquatic life.
Further afield, boat rides to world-renowned snorkelling sites within striking distance of the island can be arranged, offering the chance to spot larger species, including manta rays and sharks.
Watersports and Excursions
Beyond diving and snorkelling, Gili Lankanfushi offers a wide range of watersports and aquatic excursions. Guests can partake in paddle boarding, windsurfing, wakeboarding, catamaran sailing, and water-skiing lessons, or hire equipment for solo adventures. The resort also arranges unforgettable group and private boating excursions, from dolphin cruises and sunset fishing trips to romantic champagne voyages and local island visits.
For surfing enthusiasts, Gili Lankanfushi’s world-class Tropicsurf instructors are available around the clock. Whether guests want to simply stand on a board or master advanced maneuvers, instructors tailor programs to individual skill levels and goals.
Coral Lines Project
Sustainability is at the heart of Gili Lankanfushi’s vision. The Coral Lines project provides a nursery environment for new corals to grow, bolstering the house reef and monitoring health and survival across coral genotypes. Guests can participate in this conservation project, learning about coral reef restoration, visiting the nursery, and even adopting a coral.
The island’s marine biology team regularly monitors the health and biodiversity of the surrounding coral reef ecosystems, identifying and tracking manta ray and turtle populations, removing invasive Crown of Thorns starfish, and educating guests about the underwater world through lectures and guided snorkelling trips.
Unspoilt Luxury
Gili Lankanfushi’s unspoilt island location, combined with its rustic eco-design, unparalleled service, and stunning natural scenery, makes it perfect for couples, families, solo travelers, and groups alike. The resort embraces a laid-back luxury, ‘no news, no shoes’ philosophy, providing an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Nightly rates at Gili Lankanfushi start from £1,070/$1,440, based on two adults sharing a Villa with breakfast included. For more information or to book, please visit www.gili-lankanfushi.com.