Exploding with colour and culture, Thulusdhoo is a stunning local island in the Maldives you must visit. Surrounded by the blue hues of the Indian Ocean, this paradise is not so far away from the Male airport and will take you in a matter of 40 minutes in a speedboat. Visiting Thulusdhoo was one of the best decisions I have taken so far as I had this perception that holidaying in the Maldives was going to be one costly affair but it is not so. The island is quite famous for its Coca-Cola factory, which was built in the 80's and it is the only Coca-Cola factory in the world, where desalted seawater is used. This island is often called the Coke Island and has a surfing spot named cokes break.

There's plenty of surf spots around Thulusdhoo for both experienced and amateur surfers. Cokes was the best break which is also the most famous in the island. It was a matter of a short walk over the iconic bridge and the waves were pretty powerful with a shallow reef. Therefore we recommend cokes for the intermediate and for the experienced surfer. Chickens is idea for the amateur surfers on a smaller swell and the Ninjas is ideal for the beginners with friendly waves perfect for learning.

The Bikini beach is one of highlights as I got to get in to my best beachwear and cruised along the shores and got myself some tan. We swam across the sheltered harbor and saw some fish and lobsters hidden in rock crevices. Some of the pretty swell snorkeling points were Thulusdhoo home reef and Thingiri Point where we saw some rare underwater flora and fauna and the sharks, manta rays were amongst the many underwater species.

On our little diving excursion, we got to see larger fish, turtles, reef sharks, skates and colourful coral formations and the PADI certified guides assisted and guided us throughout. Feena Thulusdhoo was one of the best diving centres offering diving excursions for both beginners and advance divers. For those who would like to explore more local islands, you can opt-in to hop on to a jet-ski or a speedboat to visit the neighboring guesthouse island Dhiffushi for a day full of adventure in the sun.

For those who would like to surf in the island March to October would be the ideal time of the year whereas June to August would be the peak surfing season and the best weather to enjoy excursions plus the land and water based activities would be from January to March.

Where to eat in Thulusdhoo? The very famous Contagious Pizza offer some mouth smacking homemade pizzas and a range of vegan options. At Fusion by Canopus we were able to enjoy both local and international dishes overlooking the ocean and their Grab&Go juice bar serve up some freshly made tropical juices that's perfect to beat the weather. We were able to enjoy a drink and unwind over a wooden deck at the Dhoni Bar which is settled afloat in the middle of the ocean serving up hard liquor as well cocktails and mocktails.

The most asked question would be where to stay in the island and trust me, you get an array of affordable guesthouses and hotels to stay in. Coke Surf Camp is a boutique hotel where we got to explore and engage in many adventurous excursions and their accommodation is pretty decent. Canopus Retreats has some class yet affordable options including their Ocean View Deluxe rooms, Family Deluxe rooms and Standard Deluxe rooms which is an ideal place to stay while you're holidaying with your family in the Maldives. Season Paradise has some solid accommodation options with their very infinity swimming pool, Spa, Gym, Conference hall, Restaurant and Grill. In short, Thulusdhoo is a beautiful escapade to spend your vacation with adventure, relaxation and exploration all-in-one sort of destination for the avid traveler.

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