Alafehi Retreat The modern three-bedroom holiday home is designed and built with attention to detail to provide a comfortable, restful experience within an idyllic island setting - as an intimate private space for small families and friends. The living room and bedrooms housed within grand, solid structures are decorated using elegant hand-carved wooden furniture and fittings, and comfortable upholstery. The space Fuvahmulah; a precious pearl in the Indian Ocean a dialect spoken nowhere else in the world an experience beyond the Maldives you know. Fuvahmulah stands in its bliss of solitude, just south of the equator, between Huvadu and Addu Atoll. In the past, due to its isolation, the island had to shelter ambitious royals and high officials, whom the swing of the political pendulum has condemned to peremptory banishment, until, with exceptions, released by death. In fact, many of the warm and friendly people in the island trace their ancestry from banished kings or royals. Being the nearest atoll to the equator, this unique island is justly considered by visitors and Maldivians themselves as the most beautiful and most favored by nature of all the islands in the extensive archipelago. It is an oasis of greenery which once fed its inhabitants with the produce of its fertile soil. Even now Fuvahmulah is famous for its mangoes, bananas, lush taro fields, and the two freshwater lakes that emanate peace and serenity. Wanderlust Travel magazine 2014 listed Fuvahmulah Island among the nineteen secret beaches in Asia. It’s beach, 'thoondu' in the local dialect, amazes both locals and visitors alike. A barefoot walk on this unique sand is said to be a heavenly experience for all. It is a place where you can lose yourself, or find yourself - as the waves of the Indian Ocean continuously lap to the rhythms of monsoon winds to soothe every mood. Relics of Buddhism and indigenous culture which preceded Islam in Maldives can still be seen in the 'hidden interior' of the island. Visiting archeologists and explorers have been fascinated by these relics such as Havi'tha, an old Buddhist stupa. Old mosques such as the Gen Miskiy and Kedeyre Miskiy will pique the interest of any history fan, while ancient public baths, known as veu, stand as monuments to the past glory of the island. Around this single island in the atoll, divers encounter a variety of pelagic species which are rare in other parts of the Maldives. Thresher, tiger, oceanic white-tip and hammerhead are some of the shark species that are often seen, while the oceanic manta ray is a delight to watch. Walls, unexplored caves and uncharted reefs with corals of different colours and shapes makes diving a truly amazing experience in Fuvahmulah. Cross the equator to visit Fuvahmulah and stay with us at Alafehi Retreat to experience our culture and distinctive customs, to unravel the full history of the island, and to explore the depths of this precious pearl of the Maldive seas, from the comfort of your private home in the island. Finding a home in the island atoll - Fuvahmulah. Fuvahmulah, the solitary atoll island, peaks out of the deep blue, a green speck surfacing from a vast ocean, south to the equator. The seas, known for its omnipresent ferocity, rises in waves of oceanic midnight blue, pulsating and crashing over the edge of the island’s reef. Frothing like a body of possessed water, it surrenders onto the reef flats, deep oceanic hues turning into a turquoise blue before disintegrating at the ragged edges of the eastern reef. On the western edge, the waters pass through shallow waters vibrantly alive with blotches of coral and sea life until it gradually merges with the thresholds of an endless sandy white beach. The island is said to have been settled by seafarers who must have braved the immense powers of these seas to be able to come ashore and find refuge. Two hundred years ago, Fuvahmulah had a natural harbour-like lagoon seeping into the atoll ring through a channel at its southern tip. Over the years the opening to the lagoon closed naturally, and its mort-like structure gave protection to the vegetation growing along its peripheries. The ecosystem that was formed around these plant species gradually made their way inwards through the lagoon, merging with pure rainwater, forming two freshwater lakes. Wet taro fields and various mangrove species nestle around the abundance of these sunlit lakes. This high ridged concave island of green protected from the pulsating tempest of the seas is known for all types of captivating flora and fauna, making it one of a kind in the Maldives. Winding walkways have been imprinted over time among thick forests by generations of settlers who sought refuge in this island home. The esoteric lives lived among this thriving ecosystem and the stories told by our ancestors, form the unique identity of this island and atoll named Fuvahmulah.