IMJ Travels
All resorts, South Malé Atoll

Anantara Dhigu Maldives

A family-first Anantara on South Malé Atoll, 30 minutes by speedboat from Malé, paired with its adults-only sister resort Anantara Veli next door.

Aerial view of a two-bedroom family pool villa and its surrounding lagoon at Anantara Dhigu
A Sunrise Beach Pool Villa's 5.8-metre pool sunk into the white sand, with a daybed at the water's edge
The private deck of a Sunset Over Water Suite at dusk, loungers set above the lagoon
Baan Huraa, the resort's Thai restaurant built as a teak house on stilts over the lagoon, lit at evening
Getting there
Speedboat, 30 minutes
Atoll
South Malé Atoll
Island
Dhigufinolhu
Villas
9 categories

Anantara Dhigu sits 30 minutes by speedboat from Malé on Dhigufinolhu Island in South Malé Atoll — 110 suites and villas across nine categories, from beach villas to two-bedroom family pool villas. Six restaurants cover International, grill, Italian, South Asian, Japanese and Thai ground, and an overwater spa handles treatments. A dedicated picnic island, Gulhifushi, and a weekly kids' club schedule make the family case; Anantara Veli next door, adults-only, makes the opposite one.

The villas

Exterior of a Sunrise Beach Villa at Anantara Dhigu, set among palm trees on the beachfront

Sunrise Beach Villa

Marine décor and a generous 70 sqm interior, with an outdoor bathroom set under a thatched roof around a terrazzo tub.

2 adults + 2 children, or 3 adults · No private pool · Beachfront, sunrise side

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Bedroom interior of a Sunset Beach Villa at Anantara Dhigu

Sunset Beach Villa

Set back for privacy, with garden or private-deck dining and a quieter position on the island's sunset side.

2 adults + 2 children, or 3 adults · No private pool · Beachfront, sunset side

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The private deck of a Sunrise Over Water Suite, with loungers set above the lagoon

Sunrise Over Water Suite

Floor-to-ceiling glass over the lagoon and a private sundeck facing the sunrise side of the atoll.

2 adults + 2 children, or 3 adults · No private pool · Overwater, sunrise side

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Bedroom interior of a Sunset Over Water Suite at Anantara Dhigu

Sunset Over Water Suite

Glass viewing panels set into the bathroom floor for a glimpse of the water below, and a private deck you can step straight into the ocean from.

2 adults + 2 children, or 3 adults · No private pool · Overwater, sunset side

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Bedroom interior of a Sunrise Beach Pool Villa at Anantara Dhigu

Sunrise Beach Pool Villa

A 5.8-metre pool sunk into the white sand, with a daybed at the water's edge and the beach a few steps beyond.

2 adults + 2 children, or 3 adults · Private pool (5.8m) · Beachfront, sunrise side

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Exterior of a Sunset Beach Pool Villa at Anantara Dhigu, close to the beachfront

Sunset Beach Pool Villa

Extra outdoor space close to the beach, with a private pool and an expansive outdoor bathtub.

2 adults + 2 children, or 3 adults · Private pool · Beachfront, sunset side

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The infinity pool and deck of a Sunset Over Water Pool Suite, perched above the sea

Sunset Over Water Pool Suite

An infinity pool perched directly above the sea, with private moonlit dinners arranged on request.

2 adults + 2 children, or 3 adults · Private infinity pool · Overwater, sunset side

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Master bedroom of a Two Bedroom Family Pool Villa at Anantara Dhigu

Two Bedroom Family Pool Villa

Two bedrooms around a private garden and pool, with a hammock and a children's play area built in.

4 adults + 2 children · Private pool · Beachfront, two-bedroom

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Bathroom interior of a Two Bedroom Anantara Pool Villa at Anantara Dhigu

Two Bedroom Anantara Pool Villa

The largest villa on the island's sunset side — two king bedrooms around a private pool, built for families or groups travelling together.

4 adults + 2 children, or 6 adults · Private pool · Beachfront, two-bedroom, sunset side

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All villas at Anantara Dhigu Maldives

Wine & Dine

Interior of Fushi Café, Anantara Dhigu's buffet restaurant, with a circular fish-motif chandelier over the spread

Fushi Café

Cuisine
International
Setting
154 seats
Hours
Hours vary — confirm at resort
Reserve
At the resort, or via IMJ

The all-day anchor — a breakfast buffet with live cooking stations, and a dinner buffet that changes its theme through the week.

Interior seating area of Sea.Fire.Salt., Anantara Dhigu's grill restaurant

Sea.Fire.Salt.

Cuisine
Grill — steaks and seafood
Setting
80 seats
Hours
Hours vary — confirm at resort
Reserve
At the resort, or via IMJ

A grill built around reef fish, tuna, lobster and prime-aged Australian cuts, with a proper vegetarian menu alongside.

Experiences & activities

Cooking Class & Culinary Workshop

Afternoon · for two, all ages

A hands-on cooking class or mixology session led by one of the resort's own chefs.

Coral Adoption & Restoration

Morning · all ages, restorative

Hands-on reef and marine conservation guests can join directly — adopting or planting coral frames, mangrove planting, and turtle-rescue visits with a hatchling release.

Destination Private Dining

Evening · for two

A private meal on the beach, in a villa, a garden or an overwater deck, arranged by a private chef and butler outside the resort's own restaurants.

Dolphin Cruise

Evening · for two, all ages, restorative

A dhoni or speedboat trip, usually timed to sunset, built around spotting wild dolphins — the most widely offered named excursion in the Maldives.

The factsheet

Every fact we hold on Anantara Dhigu Maldives (villas, dining, transfers) in one document.

Download the factsheetPDF

Recommended For

Families

A weekly kids' club schedule, child-minding on request, two dedicated family villa categories, and Gulhifushi's picnic island next door make this one of the more straightforwardly family-built resorts on our list.

Divers and watersports guests

Aquafanatics runs PADI-certified freediving and a full watersports programme, with seasonal manta and whale shark snorkelling and year-round surf lessons through Tropicsurf.

Couples wanting adults-only quiet

Dhigu itself is built for families rather than seclusion — for the same overwater spa and restaurant brands without children on the beach, we'd point couples next door to Anantara Veli instead.

Malé · speedboat, 30 minutes · Dhigufinolhu Island

Nearest airport
Velana International Airport (MLE), about 21km north
Transfer
Speedboat, approximately 30 minutes, arranged by the resort

Anantara Dhigu Maldives · South Malé Atoll · 10 photographs

Aerial view of an over-water suite deck and the surrounding reef at Anantara Dhigu
Dhigufinolhu Island's over-water suites, set out along the lagoon
Aerial view of an over-water pool villa's outdoor deck and plunge pool above the lagoon
An over-water pool suite's deck, seen from above
Marine-themed interior of a Sunrise Beach Villa, with terrazzo detailing
Inside a Sunrise Beach Villa — marine décor throughout
The beachfront exterior of a Sunset Beach Villa, close to the shoreline
A Sunset Beach Villa, a few steps from the sand
The Spice Spoons cooking school setup at Anantara Dhigu, with ingredients laid out for a class
Spice Spoons, the resort's Maldivian and Thai cooking school
Close-up of ingredients and spices prepared for a Spice Spoons cooking class
Local Maldivian and Thai ingredients, ready for the class
A massage treatment underway at one of the Anantara Spa's overwater salas
A treatment underway at the overwater Anantara Spa
A twin treatment suite at the overwater Anantara Spa, with a freestanding tub and lagoon views
One of the overwater treatment suites at Anantara Spa
Children gathered on a dhoni-shaped play structure at the resort's children's activity centre
The children's club, with its own weekly activity schedule
A guest waterskiing off the resort's watersports centre
Waterskiing with the resort's Aquafanatics watersports team

Before you book

How do guests get from Malé to Anantara Dhigu?

A 30-minute speedboat transfer from Velana International Airport — the resort sits on Dhigufinolhu Island in South Malé Atoll, about 21km south of the airport. There's no seaplane leg to plan around.

Is Anantara Dhigu suited to families with children?

Yes — the resort runs a children's club with a weekly activity schedule and child-minding on request, and two of its nine villa categories, the Two Bedroom Family Pool Villa and Two Bedroom Anantara Pool Villa, are built specifically for families. Its adjoining sister resort, Anantara Veli, is adults-only for couples wanting the opposite.

What dining options does the resort have?

Six restaurants cover International, grill, Italian, South Asian, Japanese and Thai menus, plus Dhoni Bar for poolside drinks and the Tiki Bar on Gulhifushi, the resort's recreation island. Dining by Design arranges private candlelit beach dinners and banquets outside the restaurants.

What watersports and diving does Anantara Dhigu offer?

Aquafanatics runs diving and watersports from the resort, including PADI-certified freediving, dolphin and turtle snorkelling excursions, and seasonal manta and whale shark snorkelling from August to December. The resort also runs HARP, its own coral-adoption reef protection programme, and year-round surf lessons with Tropicsurf.

What is Gulhifushi?

A dedicated recreation island in the lagoon, reached from the main resort by kayak, stand-up paddleboard or pontoon. It has its own natural ocean pool, grilled food and drinks at its Tiki Bar, and works well as a half-day outing without leaving the resort's own lagoon.

What's the difference between the beach and overwater villa categories?

Beach villas and beach pool villas sit along the shoreline, with some categories adding a private pool. Overwater suites are built over the lagoon, and the Sunset Over Water Suite has glass panels set into the bathroom floor for a view of the water below. The two-bedroom categories are the family-sized option, sleeping up to six guests across both bedrooms.

Baan Huraa, the resort's Thai restaurant built as a teak house on stilts over the lagoon, lit at evening

Talk to a specialist about this resort.

Thirty minutes on dates, occasion and which island actually suits you. No obligation, no scripted pitch.

Inspiration for the next trip

A few ways into the resorts, by the kind of trip you have in mind.