South Malé Atoll

Ithaafushi opened in 2019 as three linked islands under a single Waldorf Astoria, one of them let whole to one party at a time, and the atoll has traded on that arrangement ever since. Speedboats reach these islands from Velana in under an hour, which is why the southern atoll fills with guests unwilling to hand a day of the holiday to a seaplane timetable.