15th October 2020 marked the opening of the largest guesthouse in the Maldives known as “Kaani Palm Beach.” It also marked the reopening of guesthouses in the Maldives, having suspended operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during the month of March. It was the first guesthouse in the country to reopen, with two Slovakian tourists and two Egyptian tourists

Kaani Palm Beach was inaugurated by the Minister of Tourism, Honorable Dr. Abdulla Mausoom, alongside industry pioneer and owner/CEO of Kaani Hotels & Tours, Abdulla Nasheed, at a special ceremony held in Maafushi Island, Kaafu Atoll.

According to Kaani Hotels, Kaani Palm Beach is an investment of US$ 4 million, comprising 253 rooms across 12 stories. It is situated on the magnificent beachfront, directly on the “Bikini Beach” in Maafushi. The hotel combines spending service with quality accommodation, stylish facilities, and cuisines, perfect for all types of tourists.

It offers homely comfort in a variety of rooms; standard rooms, deluxe rooms (both city and sea view) on double, triple, and quadruple basis. The guesthouse also boasts the tallest infinity rooftop pool in Maldives, a comfortable spa, a sports avenue, and an event hall with a capacity of 130 people.

Kaani Hotels has been a valuable contributor to the tourism industry of Maldives for the past 8 years, managing a portfolio of 5 guesthouses including Kaani Grand Seaview, Kaani Beach Hotel, Kaani Village & Spa, Kaani Grand Seaview, and Kaani Palm Beach.

Maafushi is a beautiful island in Kaafu Atoll, the main hub for tourist guesthouses, with over 50 guest houses situated in this region. It is one of the most popular local tourism islands among locals and foreigners alike, with sandy white beaches and pristine blue waters, brimming with colorful marine life. Ever since the introduction of guest houses in Maldives, Maafushi has risen from a small fishing island to a major contributor to the tourism industry of Maldives, within a span of 10 years.

All guest houses and diving companies in Maafushi offer exciting diving and snorkeling trips to breathtaking reefs that are full of beautiful corals and are teeming with marine life. Some of the best snorkeling sites are Maavelaathu, Banana Reef, Vilivaru Corner, and Maafushi Corner. 

Most guest houses also organize fishing trips not just during day time, but at night too. The trip can be concluded by barbecuing the fish that you caught or making a savory local meal out of it. These fishing trips can also coincide with a dolphin watching trip at sundown, where you get to see these magnificent creatures up close.

Additionally, it is a must to sign up for a sandbank trip where you will get to enjoy the beautiful scenery and ocean all by yourself and loved ones. Diving in the lagoon and snorkeling in the outer reef are also things you can do when you sign up for this trip.

For the water sports lovers, there are a variety of things to do including jet skiing, kite surfing, windsurfing, parasailing, flyboarding and more. 

Of course, there are a number of other activities you can do to experience the local life, including stepping out for an evening stroll or taking part in a football game or enjoying a cup of tea and hedhikaa (short eats) in a local cafe or bistro.

Maldives reopened its borders to international tourists on 15th July with the reopening of several resorts and liveaboards. Guest houses also resumed operations on 15th October. For the coming year, Visit Maldives plans to emphasize on promoting guest houses and local tourism aggressively, and anticipates a revival in tourist arrivals to these establishments.

Featured Photo by Kaani Palm Beach