Local team.
Most of our staff live on Dharavandhoo. Our chef, our housekeeping team, our boat crews — all from the island or neighbouring ones. We train in-house, pay fairly, and keep career progression local rather than rotating in expats.
Community & sustainability
We live on the island
we host on.
Tourism on a local island only works when the locals are part of it. Here's what we do, practically, to keep that true.
The reef.
We participate in coral restoration programmes with local marine biologists and the Baa Atoll UNESCO conservation body. A portion of each Hanifaru trip funds this work directly.
Power and waste.
Solar on every roof we can put it on, battery storage for evening load, and a plastic-free kitchen. Drinking water is on-site filtered rather than bottled. Food waste is composted for the garden.
Buying local.
Our kitchen sources what it can from the island market and the Dharavandhoo boats. What we can't source here, we source from elsewhere in the atoll — Eydhafushi and Thulhaadhoo especially — before we import.
Cultural respect.
Dharavandhoo is a Muslim community. The bikini beach is where you can swim — everywhere else, we ask guests to dress modestly out of respect for neighbours. We'll brief you gently on arrival.
Join us
Curious to know more?
We're always happy to talk about how the house operates — and how the island works.