
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
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.




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.
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.
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.
Aquafanatics runs PADI-certified freediving and a full watersports programme, with seasonal manta and whale shark snorkelling and year-round surf lessons through Tropicsurf.
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
Anantara Dhigu Maldives · South Malé Atoll · 10 photographs
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.

Thirty minutes on dates, occasion and which island actually suits you. No obligation, no scripted pitch.
A few ways into the resorts, by the kind of trip you have in mind.