Hanifaru Transit Inn

Our stay at the Hanifaru Transit Inn was amazing. The staff are wonderful and extremely helpful. The manager (owner) Ahmed met us at the airport and even arranged a car to take our luggage to the Inn. The town is tiny and very safe. From the Inn you can walk just about anywhere in 5 minutes and we felt comfortable walking any of the streets well into the evening. Hanifaru Transit Inn is a bit off the main streets but it was not an issue since we don’t mind walking the 3-5 minutes to get to a restaurant or the harbour. I would recommend having them arrange your plane fare in and out of Dharavandhoo as they can save you some money even if you are transferring to a resort afterwards. We made the mistake of letting the resort arrange the water taxi from Dharavandhoo and Ahmed explained he could have arranged a boat for much less. Plus we wouldn’t be at the whim of the resorts time table. I would also recommend booking Hanifaru Transit Inn’s snorkelling trips. They are very reasonably priced and go to all the popular reefs. They have a small boat that allows them to take 2-4 people out at a time. It is much nicer to have a small group in the water then one of the bigger boats were your have people everywhere. Ahmed was even able to take us to a spot to see 15-20 Manta’s when there was none at the Hanifaru Bay Bio Reserve. It was truly an amazing experience to be 1 of only 3 people in the water with that many Manta’s. Later in our trip we went to Hanifaru Bay and it was a bit crazy with so many different resorts showing up and what seemed like hundreds of people in the water. Almost all my pictures and videos from that trip has fins and arms from tourists. I cannot thank Ahmed for taking us to that secluded reef to see the Manta’s by ourselves. The food was tasty even though we only had breakfast included we did dine there on 2 evenings. The grilled fish was great and the curry’s were very nice and spiced well for our western palates. If I ever come back to the Maldives I will probably spend my whole time in Dharavandhoo staying at the Hanifaru Transit Inn.

This was a once in a life time trip. We spent 10 days in Hanifaru Transit Inn, and wish we would have stayed longer. We were really impressed by the excellent service and the friendliness of the staff. The entire team at Hanifaru Transit Inn was outstanding and the accommodations were excellent. They paid attention to the details. Ahmed and his family made us feel right at home. We were helped in every aspect. They took us to an amazing boat trips. From swimming with dolphins to discovering mesmerizing reefs and diving in breathtaking locations, every moment was filled with wonder and happiness. However, the pinnacle of our journey was the unforgettable experience of swimming with graceful manta rays at Hanifaru Bay. Little did we know that an even more extraordinary encounter awaited us when we unexpectedly came face to face with a magnificent whale shark. It was a moment that took our breath away and will forever be etched in our hearts. We will definitely go back again and I highly recommend Hanifaru Transit Inn. Thank you Ahmed, Bassam and Bashar! You made our stay unforgettable! Highly Recommended! Regards, Krasi & Tony from Bulgaria

Fabulous guesthouse 5 min walk from bikini beach. Very nice staff, clean rooms and delicious food. I was a solo female and felt very safe walking around the area night and day. Excellent wifi and good snorkelling trips arranged by the guest house. Hanifaru Bay is very close and Ahmed, the owner will let you know when is a good day to go and see the mantas as he speaks to the rangers at the bay. Free tea, coffee ( instant) and biscuits to help yourself to all day and night.

perfect location, beautiful garden, room with everything you need, very friendly staff, very good chef, it almost seemed to be in Italy, the pasta was so good and everything else too. The owner super nice, I felt like home, I wanted to go to see the mantas a second time and he went out of his way to accommodate me. I will definitely be back in a few years. Thanks for everything Ahmed. Alessandra

Amazing stay in a wonderful hotel. Lovely people who were incredibly kind and helpful. So clean and tidy and a big room. Food excellent. 100% recommended for all visitors, could not have asked for a better place to stay.

We stayed in this guest house for 10 days in August. Everything was perfect. The manager Ahmed and his son were very attentive to all our needs. Every day they organized some excursions for us and accompanied us in snorkeling. Food was very good and abundant and they always tried to satisfy our tastes. Breakfast and dinner were served in a patio with feet in the sand. The room was very clean, with WIFI and air conditioning. 3 minutes walking from the wonderful Bikini Beach. Certanly if we went back to Maldives we would choose this guest house again.