Where the Manta Rays Are.
Hanifaru Bay. Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Dharavandhoo Island, Maldives.
Affordable luxury.
Untamed ocean.
No compromises.
Aveyla Manta Village sits on Dharavandhoo Island in the Baa Atoll — the Maldives' only UNESCO Marine Biosphere Reserve. Sixteen rooms. One hundred percent solar powered. A PADI dive centre with direct access to Hanifaru Bay, the single most significant manta ray aggregation site on earth. This is not a resort. This is a base camp for the ocean.
Hanifaru Bay. The single greatest congregation of manta rays on earth.
Every year between June and November, the currents of the Baa Atoll funnel plankton into Hanifaru Bay's shallow lagoon, drawing hundreds of manta rays and whale sharks into a feeding congregation found nowhere else on earth. UNESCO designated the Baa Atoll a World Biosphere Reserve in 2011. Aveyla is the closest accommodation to Hanifaru Bay — a fifteen-minute boat ride from your room to the encounter.
Discover Hanifaru BayGo Deeper.
Eight ways to meet the ocean.
Scuba Diving
PADI-certified encounters at 30+ dive sites
Snorkelling
Reef access directly from the shore
Night Snorkelling
Bioluminescent plankton under the stars
Freediving
Single-breath descents into the blue
Sandbank Trips
Private sandbars rising from the lagoon
Big Game Fishing
Open-water pursuits beyond the atoll
Local Island Visits
Dharavandhoo culture beyond the resort
Dining
Fresh catch, ocean views, no pretension
Choose Your Depth.
Manta Madness
The ultimate Hanifaru Bay experience
5 nights · Ocean Deluxe room · 6 guided dives · Hanifaru Bay excursion · Full board · Airport transfer
Explore PackageDive Dive Dive
For those who want nothing but reef time
7 nights · Beach Deluxe room · 10 guided dives · Equipment included · Half board · Airport transfer
Explore PackageDive Hanifaru
Hanifaru Bay, concentrated
4 nights · Any room type · 4 Hanifaru dives · Snorkelling excursion · Breakfast · Airport transfer
Explore Package210+ reviews on TripAdvisor
“The manta encounter was life-changing. Aveyla's dive team made it feel safe, personal, and utterly unforgettable.”
“We've dived all over Southeast Asia. Nothing compares to Hanifaru Bay, and nowhere gets you closer than Aveyla.”
“Solar-powered, small, and right on the reef. This is what responsible travel should look like.”
Built on the Reef. Powered by the Sun.
Aveyla Manta Village was established in 2014 on Dharavandhoo Island. Sixteen rooms. One hundred percent solar electricity. Licensed by the Maldives Ministry of Tourism, operated with the conviction that proximity to one of the world's great marine ecosystems demands responsibility, not luxury theatre.
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