If your dream Maldives getaway involves stepping off a scenic seaplane, eating world-class food, and swimming with whale sharks without paying luxury-resort prices, you need to put this boutique hotel on your radar.
Bliss Dhigurah is a total hidden gem tucked away in the spectacular, wildlife-rich South Ari Atoll. More than just a gorgeous place to stay, the team here completely redefines island hospitality, even saving our entire itinerary when our initial arrival transit threw us a massive curveball! From their unbelievably digital-nomad-friendly rooftop terrace to serving the absolute best gluten-free food on the island, here is why this charming hotel is the perfect base for your next Maldivian adventure.
Location and How To Get There
The island of Dhigurah is located in the South Ari Atoll, about 60 miles south of Malé. On arrival at Malé International Airport, you have a few options for getting to the island. The majority of guests book a spot on one of the public speedboats that leave from both the city of Malé and the airport twice a day. The ride takes about 2 to 2.5 hours and costs around $65 per person, but it can be incredibly bumpy, especially in bad weather. Definitely take motion sickness medication beforehand if you are prone to it!
The second option is to take one of the iconic seaplanes to the nearby luxury resort, LUX*, followed by a short 10 minute boat ride to Dhigurah. Whichever option you choose, the staff at Bliss will handle all the logistics and book everything for you. They really do make the whole process so easy!
Check in Process
On my arrival day to Bliss, I was actually coming from a different island in a entirely different atoll. The plan was to take one speedboat from that atoll to Malé, and then join the Dhigurah speedboat for the final leg of the journey. Unfortunately, things did not go to plan.
My initial speedboat ended up running incredibly late and took an entire hour longer than scheduled, meaning we completely missed our connection to Dhigurah. To make matters worse, the gentleman sitting right next to me was violently vomiting for two hours straight during the journey—an experience I never want to relive. The water wasn’t even particularly choppy, but the boat was packed, there was no air conditioning, and ventilation was very limited. It’s honestly no surprise that multiple people get sick on these transfers.
After stepping off what I will now fondly refer to as the “vomit comet,” you can imagine how thrilled I was at the prospect of boarding yet another speedboat.
During this ordeal en route to Malé, I messaged the staff at Bliss and explained our situation. Without wavering, they completely dropped everything to assist us and managed to book us on a seaplane that very afternoon so we could still reach Dhigurah that day. It was a logistical feat I didn’t think was possible, and it saved us from another chapter aboard the vomit comet.
Since we had some time to wait before our flight, we called a hotel five minutes from the airport to see if they had any day-pass availability. Luckily they did, and they came to scoop us up from outside the terminal within five minutes. When we returned to the airport later, we were met by a Bliss representative who escorted us to the seaplane terminal and checked us in.
Before long, we were boarding the most beautiful and scenic flight of my entire life. Honestly, if you have never taken a seaplane, add it to your bucket list! When else do you get to take off and land on the water in a tiny propeller plane? Not to mention, the views of the atolls, private islands, and azure blue waters from above are stunning. The flight took about 25 minutes, and I was absolutely glued to the window the entire time.
We landed on the water just outside the LUX* resort and waited on the dock for the Bliss crew, who sped over in a boat to pick us up. After a short, peaceful 10 minute ride (blessedly free of any violent bodily secretions), we arrived at Dhigurah. We were met by another staff member with a buggy who drove us directly to the hotel.
The team gave us a wonderfully warm welcome. While we filled out the check-in paperwork, they gave us a quick rundown of the property, the on-site restaurant (Hermits), and the rest of the island. Due to international travel disruptions at the time, occupancy was down a considerable amount during our stay. Unfortunately, this meant the hotel wasn’t running its own signature activities, but they were incredibly eager to book us onto excursions with local partner companies instead.
Since the South Ari Atoll is world-famous for its whale sharks, we decided to book a group excursion right then and there for the very next day. Our theory was that if we didn’t spot them on day one (it’s never guaranteed, after all!), we would still have another backup day to try again. With our itinerary set, we were handed our keys and left to settle into our room.
Rooms
Bliss Dhigurah has just 19 rooms, allowing it to maintain a cosy, boutique feel with all the personalised service you would expect from an intimate hotel. The rooms range from compact budget options to family rooms and suites.
We were fortunate enough to stay in one of their suites, which was twice the size of the standard rooms. It boasted a massive, separate living area complete with a TV, desk, mini-fridge, sofa, coffee-making facilities, and a large balcony. The adjoining bedroom featured a spacious closet and an en-suite bathroom with dual vanities, a shower, and a bathtub.
Having that extra space was incredibly useful. Since my friend and I definitely do not travel light, it was amazing to actually be able to fully open our suitcases without tripping over them! It even gave me enough floor space to squeeze in a few workouts.
My absolute favourite spot, however, was the balcony. It overlooked the restaurant below and made for excellent people-watching. It came equipped with two chairs and some handy hooks for drying out our wet clothes after a day of snorkelling.
Food and Drink
The hotel’s on-site restaurant, Hermits, is absolutely fantastic. We ended up eating most of our meals here, not just because it was convenient, but because the variety and quality of the dishes were incredible.
For breakfast, they put on a different “special” each day, or you can order à la carte eggs if you prefer. What really blew me away was their ability to accommodate my dietary restrictions. I have coeliac disease and must follow a strict gluten-free diet, and the kitchen was able to adapt all of the breakfast dishes for me. Their gluten-free French toast was honestly the best I’ve ever had! I truly didn’t expect a hotel on an island as remote as Dhigurah to stock gluten-free bread.
Their coffee and drinks menu is also quite extensive. I tried so many different items and was never disappointed. (I’ve since tried to recreate some of their smoothies and mocktails at home, abysmally I might add, so I guess I’ll just have to go back!)
Because Dhigurah is a local island, they are not permitted to serve alcohol. However, that hasn’t stopped the staff from crafting an impressive juice and mocktail list that would please even the fussiest traveller. With breakfast, they always served a fresh fruit bowl and a daily fresh juice. My absolute favorite was the watermelon juice—I watched them press it right there, and it just doesn’t get any fresher than that!
Over the course of our stay, I tried a number of their main dishes at lunch and dinner, including tuna steak and chicken biryani.
As for the vibe, Hermits offers both indoor and outdoor dining. The indoor area features plenty of fans and cosy seating, while the outside boasts more private, covered cabanas that are especially popular at dinner. If you choose to dine outside at or after dusk, just be sure to turn on the outdoor fans and apply plenty of insect repellent!
Facilities
One of my absolute favourite aspects of Bliss was the rooftop terrace, which is scattered with colourful loungers, umbrellas, beanbags, and jacuzzis. The Wi-Fi was impressively strong up on the roof, making it my preferred spot to get some work done. The hotel is incredibly digital-nomad-friendly and they even offer packages tailored specifically for remote workers.
On the ground floor, opposite reception, there is a small gym equipped with a treadmill, elliptical, bench press, and some free weights. They also have a small library where guests have left books for others to enjoy, which was a really nice touch.
Another useful feature the hotel offers is their buggy service. Dhigurah as an island is incredibly long and thin. The sandbank on the tip of the island is a stunning place to watch the sunset, but it is a fair distance from the hotel, and in the peak of the Maldivian sun, you get incredibly hot just walking down the street. The hotel will drive you nearly all the way down to the sandbank for $10 a trip. At drop-off, you can coordinate a time to be picked back up after sunset, or if you have a local data plan, you can simply WhatsApp the front desk whenever you’re ready to head back.
We also used the buggy service when we wanted to go halfway down the island to a famous spot known for its ultra-photogenic palm tree and turtle sightings. Using the buggy saved us from trekking through the brutal heat, giving us more time to enjoy the island and snorkel in search of turtles. While we unfortunately didn’t spot any turtles on this occasion (I think we went too late in the day), we still saw a ton of beautiful tropical fish!
Back on-site, the hotel also features the calming Zen Spa and a boutique gift shop called the Bazaar, which is stocked with souvenirs and local trinkets like rashguards and manta ray necklaces.
Activities
Due to recent international events, occupancy was down quite a bit at Bliss when we visited in April 2026. However, I actually really enjoyed the lack of crowds, it almost felt like I had the entire hotel to myself!
Because of the lower guest count, the hotel couldn’t run their usual in-house excursions during our stay, but they were incredibly proactive about organising whatever we wanted to do and booking us with local partner companies instead. Under normal conditions, Bliss offers an amazing lineup of in-house activities, including whale shark snorkelling, manta ray snorkelling, sandbank picnics, diving, night fishing, and rentals for stand-up paddleboards and kayaks.
The front desk arranged a whale shark and manta ray snorkelling excursion for our very first morning, and it was a total bucket-list experience! Seeing a whale shark was one of my top goals for visiting the Maldives, and I still can’t believe I actually got to swim next to one.
Word of warning, though: there were quite a few boats crowding around the single whale shark, which made the water feel a bit chaotic at times. But chaos aside, it was still a wonderful experience. The manta snorkelling portion of the day was much more relaxed; it was just the eight of us from our boat peacefully drifting and snorkelling alongside the gorgeous mantas.
Service
I truly feel like the staff at Bliss went above and beyond to ensure we had the absolute best guest experience. The way they seamlessly handled the logistics on our chaotic arrival day was such a welcome relief, and that level of care didn’t stop once we checked in.
Upon arrival, we were given their WhatsApp number so we could easily message the front desk with any questions or requests throughout our stay. For example, one evening I inquired about laundry services on the island, and they offered to take care of it for me right at the hotel for just $8 for an entire bag—and it was ready the very same day!
No request ever seemed too big or too small for this team, and every single interaction was met with a genuine smile.
Closing Remarks
I absolutely fell in love with Dhigurah and everything it has to offer, a trip made truly special by the wonderful staff at Bliss who went out of their way for us. Having such a fantastic on-site restaurant was a massive bonus, and it is definitely home to the best food on the island.
I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again in a heartbeat. I highly recommend Bliss Dhigurah whether you are traveling solo, with friends, or with family, they cater beautifully to everyone, and there really is something here for every type of traveller!
Ready to book Bliss Dhigurah? Click here!
You can find out more about my stay on my “Maldives” Highlights on Instagram @chase.the.rainbows.
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