Experience South Ari.
Whale sharks, manta rays and a warm island home.
Holiday planning, marine experiences and local knowledge — with our own six-room home in Maamigili when you need somewhere to stay.
Daily breakfast and round-trip speedboat transfers included on every package. Pick the length that fits your trip, then add half or full board if you'd like.
Four days of whale shark and manta ray snorkeling, right in the reef just off shore.
Snorkel with whale sharks by day, then watch the sky turn gold on a sunset cruise over the same reef.
Six easy days of reef snorkeling, ocean sunsets, and a private picnic on your own stretch of sandbank.
A full week built around whale sharks, manta rays, and a sandbank trip, finishing with a dolphin cruise at dusk.
Eight days to slow all the way down. Reef snorkeling, a private sandbank picnic, and sunset cruises, with nowhere else to be.
Nine days that fit in everything. Dolphins at dawn, mantas by day, and a private picnic on your own sandbank.
Ten full days with every signature experience Vilu Residence offers, from whale sharks to a private sandbank picnic, at our best per-night rate.
Eleven nights with everything included. Spend a full day exploring a neighboring resort, cast a line under lantern light on a night fishing trip, and share a private dinner on the beach, on top of every signature experience we offer.
Ten nights designed for two. Watch the sun go down over a private beach dinner, head out on a lantern-lit night fishing trip, and enjoy every signature experience in between, all on your own stretch of ocean.
South Ari Atoll: a slow, sun-warmed shoreline in the heart of the Maldives — and Vilu's home base for exploring everything around it.
South Ari is known for whale sharks, manta rays, turtles and rich marine life. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.
Every excursion below is included in one or more of our holiday packages above — here's what each one actually involves.
Questions about transfers or timing? Getting Here · read our FAQ · contact us directly
Everything we know about South Ari Atoll, Maamigili, and planning a Maldives trip — researched to help you plan, not just to fill a page.
South Ari Atoll (locally Alif Dhaalu Atoll) sits in the central Maldives, a ring of reefs and sandbanks built around a string of inhabited local islands and resorts. It's one of 26 atolls that make up the country, and it's best known for one thing above all: whale sharks.
Maamigili is the island Vilu Residence calls home — a local island on the southern rim of South Ari Atoll, and the largest and most populous island in the atoll, with 2,798 residents as of the 2022 census. Locally it's sometimes called "Whale Shark Island," for reasons that will be obvious a few paragraphs down.
A living island, five hours ahead of most of the world.
Weather data by WeatherAPI.com
Weather information is for general guidance only. Conditions and forecasts are probabilistic and may not be accurate. Do not use this as the sole basis for decisions involving personal safety, aviation, marine navigation, emergency planning, or other safety-critical activities — always consult official meteorological services and relevant authorities where accuracy is critical.
Hear directly from guests who've stayed with us at Vilu Residence.
Read Our Reviews on GoogleSearch or browse by category — these answers are pulled straight from our live package and travel information.
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Vilu Residence — Book Your Stay
6 rooms available in South Ari Atoll, Maamigili · Direct booking, better rates
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