Rasdhoo

Rasdhoo is a diving island first and everything else second. It sits on its own small atoll just north of Ari, and the drop-off within reach of the island is the reason people come: hammerhead sharks are seen on early-morning dives at the outer edge, deep and blue and entirely dependent on timing and luck.

The island is compact enough to walk end to end in a few minutes, with several dive centres for a population of not much over a thousand. That ratio tells you what the economy runs on. Non-divers find good snorkelling and a bikini beach on the western side, but the island makes no particular effort to be a beach destination.

If your trip is built around what is under the water rather than what is on the sand, Rasdhoo is one of the few local islands where that ambition is properly supported.