Sandbank Snorkeling And Sunset Cruise

Excellent day on the water. Snorkeling at the house reefs of Paradise island and the Sheraton was a joy with reef sharks, thousands of fish including a turtle, a clown fish and more. Sandbank was great to learn about the reefs and islands. We saw dolphins on the return jumping and twirling in the air. The crew was helpful and assisted with exit and entry in the boat. A great experience and must do in Maldives.

We had an absolutely fantastic time on this snorkelling trip. Archie met us promptly at the jetty. He was a delight and a pleasure to be with. The boat was spacious, water and fresh fruit a plenty. There was a cover and shade on the boat to escape the sun. The two boat crew were very sweet and like Archie, determined that we had the best time. The two snorkels were unbelievable. On the first we saw up close two eagle rays and a mobula manta ray. The second was at the “fish tank” and this is definitely not to be missed. Dozens of stingrays, hundreds of reef fish, a veritable fish soup. Then we spotted three black tip reef sharks cruising a little bit deeper on the reef edge. To finish the trip the local pod of at least 50 spinner dolphins put on a spectacular performance. What a fantastic way to spend an afternoon in Male.

What an amazing experience! The guide and the boat crew were absolutely amazing! So fun so courteous and attentive. They really made us feel special and went above and beyond making it a memorable experience. They even took some absolutely spectacular photos and videos of my wife and I. Couldn’t have had a better time! Thank you!

We took the snorkeling, sandbanks and dolphin watching tour and it was incredible and unforgettable. Ruth was very patient and prompt with our questions in advance of booking. Our tour guide Ube was amazing, guided us with the awesome snorkeling and sandbanks. The dolphin watching was an adventure as well. We appreciated that the friendly tour guide and boat crew ensured our safety, and they and the transport are all local and environmental oriented. The tour is a great way to get the most out of limited time in beautiful Maldives. Very memorable experience, highly recommend.

What a fantastic day! We snorkeled two different areas seeing reef sharks, octopus, turtles, more fish than can name, and starfish. Our guide, Kamey, was very informative and made everyone, even the less experienced snorkelers, very comfortable in the water. We snorkeled about 1.25 hours at the first stop and enjoyed a leasurely walk with watermelon at the sand bar prior to snorkeling for about another hour. We ended the day watching dolphins play as the sun set.

Wonderful snorkeling experience!! Saw many different schools of fish and manta rays unbelievably close. Archie and his crew were beyond helpful, knowledgeable, and kind. Highly recommend!!

This is a MUST DO TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Everything from the wonderful tour guide and his deep knowledge of marine life and conservation, to the 5 star food and out of this world snorkelling experiences. If you have a choice between booking with this wonderful company or any other in the Maldives, please don't hesitate to choose Secret Paradise. They delivered the holiday of our dreams.

Very nice experience with a great, friendly and professional crew. We recommend highly to discover the reefs.

A private speed boat with Ub and his crew. Enjoyed 3 different diving sites. Saw several different types of fish, string rays, dolphins, & a shark in open waters. Stopped off on Himmafushi for photos ops and a quick bite to eat. Afterwards went to a sandbank for more photo opportunities! Ub handled all cameras and assisted with amazing shots! Cruising back to the port had fresh watermelon and a beautiful sunset.

I had a great snorkelling cruise with Ub & his crew, totally recommend ! saw lots of colorful fishes, some turtles, the water was amazing...the sandbank was pretty cool too. And at sunset, lots of dolphins were jumping around ! Just great. Do not miss when in the Maldives!

On April 20, 2024 I did this tour with Nafsha. The tour was amazing. We went snorkeling in two spots where I saw the beautiful reefs, a reef shark, and many stingrays. Knowing the tide was descent high, I wasn’t expecting much of the sandbank but was pleasantly surprised to find it quite enjoyable since the water was pretty shallow. Nafsha really took great care of me, showing me tips for snorkeling and helping me with the snorkeling tube. She was very knowledgeable about the religious practices, cultural traditions, and the marine life in Maldives. She also brought me a delicious coconut while I was staying on the sandbank. Even though I forgot to bring my dry clothing which I packed in my luggage, Nafsha went out of her way to help with my transport back to Malé to ensure that I could catch my flight and onward trip. The highlight of the trip was definitely the surprise spotting of Dolphins on our way back to Hulhumale. It was genuinely a beautiful scene to see! I would definitely recommend the tour if you are untested in doing some offshore activities around Malé.

I really had a good time. Snorkeling experience was great, I also loved Sandbank, Ub explains and tells you everything you need to know, he is also a good photographer, he took lots of good pictures for me.

I arranged a sunset cruise with Secret Paradise a few days before my arrival in the Maldives. The customer service was really helpful in answering all my questions and they offered an unforgettable experience during my stay. The two local guides made me feel very safe, as I was traveling alone, and I experienced everything that was listed in the tour. I would definitely recommend Secret Paradise if you are looking for a quick exploration around the Atoll.

If I could give this 10 stars I would—I ended up with the same guide I had on my first tour with Secret Paradise Maldives, Shark, and once again he did not disappoint. The weather was choppy on the original tour date that I'd booked, so I coordinated directly with Ruth at the main office to switch my tour to the following day. The weather in the Maldives can shift pretty rapidly, so for anyone considering this tour I'd recommend booking it on a day where if rebooking to a later date would work out if the weather makes going out on the boat impossible. The sandbar was beautiful, and I got some great pictures there, as well as seeing some fish and birds. We were there for an hour, so it was also a nice moment to relax under the sun, especially as it had been quite cloudy on Hulhumale (where I was staying) earlier in the week and I hadn't had a whole lot of beach time. The real highlight, though, was the snorkeling. I've had difficulty on previous travels with snorkeling, because something about the snorkel mask always made me claustrophobic and panicky, and I couldn't do it, so I'd just duck dive instead and look at the water life for a few seconds at a time before coming up for air again. On this trip, though, Shark led me through some breathing exercises beforehand; then we practiced snorkeling in the shallow water at the sand bar before then heading to the snorkeling site, and it worked! It was like nothing I've had the chance to experience—so many varieties of fish, "the whole gang from Finding Nemo was there," I joked with some friends later; we even saw some sharks. It felt like swimming in an aquarium, and Shark would point out things of note as we swam past them. There were too many clouds at the horizon for a proper sunset, so we didn't get to see much more than the sun rays peeking out from behind the clouds as the sun went down. But this was the best day of my trip to Hulhumale; Shark was the best guide, and Secret Paradise Maldives in particular were professional, quick to respond to messages and very pleasant to work with. Thank you all for such a great trip!

I can tell that its value for money. the color of water and fine white sand took our breath away. Me and my family enjoyed it a lot.

This snorkeling expedition was a surreal experience where I was taken to the best snorkeling sites in the Maldives and with the gentle current carrying me along the edge of the reef I was able to view an incredible assortment of marine life!

Ruth is the manager of SPM and she works so hard for her customers, her staff only have good things to say about her, what a wonderful close knit team! I did the Sandbank Tour with Rumey and it's clear to me she's been well trained with what she does. It was her first time escorting a client solo but the whole time, she went above and beyond to make my experience a pleasure from beginning to end. The snorkelling guide and boat operator were equally as hospitable. 5 stars for SPM, highly recommended by me!

I took two tours with Secret Paradise in June 2022 - 3 Points Snorkeling and Sandbank Snorkeling and Sunset Cruise. Both were definitely worth it, and the Secret Paradise team was excellent - Ruth was very responsive during the booking process, and the boat teams were very professional and helpful. I had a really great time on both trips, and I highly recommend this company.

We had a great tour, sandbank and snorkeling Ruth was very responsive, all directions very clear. Our guide Mash has been amazing, very helpful and accomodating. He also knows a lot about Maldives coral/sightseeing spots but also about its history (he is a local who lived 11 years in Manchester and knows some French too:). On top of that, he can play with kids easily and in a very caring way. Great thanks to the captain too, very friendly, navigating a pretty new speedboat

This was an amazing experience with a seasoned guide, and best of all locals were benefitting from my tourism dollars. The sandbank is beautiful, and snorkelling with the guide and our group was fun. Choosing this travel experience over something associated with a resort gave me the best flavour of Maldivian life.

Very Friendly and Professional staff for this great tour, I highly recommended it if you stay in Male :)

We had an absolute pleasure experience with Secret Paradise tour. We went to few snorkeling points and a sandbank tour. Our guides were so professional, engaging and enthusiastic. Not only we had fun exploring the charm of marine world in Maldives, we got to know more about the history and culture about Maldives. How I wish we had a full day tour instead of a half-day tour! I thank Secret Paradise for the best-in-class experience. I can't wait to be back to Maldives and join another Secret Paradise tour. Thanks for giving us a lifetime memory.... :')

Thanks to the entire Secret Paradise team for giving us the opportunity to enjoy the Maldives and the ocean in a very sustainable manner. Ruth was very kind and helpful in organizing this excursion. The guide Mash and the team are really experienced, dedicated and shared all the information about marine life. We had the opportunity to snorkel in two beautiful places (with amazing fish, turtles, sharks, rays), then we rested on the sandbank, which was also amazing. And on the way back we couldn't miss a beautiful sunset while looking for dolphin sightings! You can't leave the Maldives without experiencing this amazing tour.

Ruth was excellent to deal with in setting this tour up. Clear concise instructions. Our guides Zaff and Shark were excellent….and excellent snorkellers. The sandbank was not a highlight for us as we wanted to get in the water ASAP. This tour was in advance of a 10 day diving safari. The snorkelling at the Fish Factory site was amazing!!! Later we went in search of dolphins which we found, but the highlight for all of us was the pod of Pilot Whales. Our crew’s unbridled joy and enthusiasm was delightful!! Zaff and Shark made sure we got into a cab safely to take us back to our hotel one we returned to port. I highly recommend this tour.

Very satisfied with the tour. We had the chance to snorkel in two different spots and see a variety of marine life including sharks and stingrays. The sandbank was just amazing, we spent there 40 mins and refreshments and watermelon were provided. Our tour guide, UB Waseem, was the best. Very knowledgeable and sustainability conscious about Maldives and funny and nice at the same time. Something I would indeed recommend to experience once in Maldives!

They accept booking even it is just for sole traveller. Come with a guide and captain, manage to do a two hours solid snorkelling at two points and ended with a sunset on a sand bank. The guide (Sha) and his colleague the captain were both very friendly and always check with me if I am feeling ok.

This was something I was really looking forward to, but I never really intended to go snorkeling because was a non swimmer. Ruth was extremely kind and patient to make sure I got what I was looking for ( the dolphin sighting) .. Sha was my guide for the evening. He explained the plan for the day. When he told me I was going to snorkel I was not sure how, because I was not only a non swimmer but it was also my first time in deep waters. Despite all of it, he patiently explained the steps and was boosting my confidence by telling me it is possible to do.. Within 1 hour I learnt swimming and snorkeling which is something I never expected to do.. The day ended with a beautiful sunset and lovely dolphins playing around.. Sha is an amazing teacher and very confident. The kind of guide you know has your back. He is also an extremely good photographer and a singer ☺ Secret travellers are indeed THE BEST in town. I did try out other agencies but the service, the care and the expertise they provide is definitely above the rest...

This was one of the best experiences I have ever had. My guide was UB for the third time. I highly recommend personally requesting UB. He is an amazing guide. The San bank wasn’t too far of a speedboat ride. The water warm and the scenery was beautiful. We did manage to see some dolphins. I was told that they being a little shy that day but we did see a nice amount.

Though it is a late review, it is the one I just had to write as the experience was awesome. I visited sand bank and dolphin cruise with Mash from Secret Paradise. Maldives in itself is a beauty, sand banks are the most amazing thing one should definitely see while in Maldives. I was travelling alone with my daughter and Mash made it a wonderful memorable trip for the little one. Ruth from Secret paradise arranges all the activities and is very punctual and apt in replying to all your queries. During these pandemic times they are taking utmost care with very less group size for everyone/s safety which I loved.

This tour exceeded my expectations . after a 45 minutes boat ride we reached the sandbank . We were given full information on the boat about the marine life in that area . It was my first experience in snorkeling they took a good care of me . First they let me practice in the lagoon then they showed me how to put on the fens then they took me to the open sea around the sandbank . We were two and each had a tour guide close to him ( that was very great ) then we took the boat to another snorkeling site where we saw the stingray fish for 45 minutes . Then we went to see the dolphins and we stayed there until the sunset . The two tour guides and the bout captain were great and informative and the the trip was full of fun . It is the best tour and sure this is because of secret paradise

Hat super viel Spaß gemacht. Gerne wieder!!! It was amazing! I saw a lot of beautiful places. With sharks, turtles and Dori. 😅

Most excellent plenty of fish. Saw a pod of dolphins and the there were the stingrays Yes there were more than one Best snorkelling ever. Hint remember under water Camera.

Mashir and the whole team were simply terrific. This is a small group outing where you can get lots of attention, regardless of whether your an amateur snorkeler (like me) or you want to improve your skills. The fish you will see are amazing! I look forward to doing another tour with Secret Paradise. Thank you, Ruth and Co!

My Wife and I, yes we are on our honeymoon and wanted something special to do, (not that the Maldives isn't special enough) and we have just got back to our room and the second thing I've done is write this review ;-) It was amazing (I'm on about the trip!) The guys that took us out for the day were Shaa and 2 additional guys (so sorry guys, in all the excitement I have missed your names), were the best hosts you could have, Shaa was simply the best. Nothing too much trouble, polite, courteous and such a genuine nice guy. I will always remember him as the guy that taught me to swim and snorkel. Both my Wife and I had such an amazing day, when Shaa takes you over the edge...and you'll have to go for the trip to find out what I mean, you feel safe, in good hands but totally exhilarated, I cannot rave about this trip enough. This is an experience we will never forget, don't think you will step off the boat onto a pontoon, or get carried to the shore...this is a deserted island and the boat gets as close as it can, but to get on a deserted island you need to get wet and this is everything you could wish for if this is what you want. To sit on a desert island and be totally alone when you want to be, but with the knowledge that you had 3 guys looking after you was great. We had Tuna and coconut, traditional lunch and drink supplied and it has really made our already great trip to the Maldives even better. Thanks Shaa and the team. Simply Amazing

Maldives was a dream destination for my husband and me after 20 years of tying the knot !! We had planned and emailed Secret Paradise in advance for our trip so we only had to call them upon reaching. To be frank, I wasn't expecting much out of this Sandbank & snorkeling tour. We were the only two people on this tour along with our boatman Momo and snorkeling guide Marsh. Right from the beginning though it was fun. The boat ride was great and they took us to the sandbank which was a pleasant surprise in the middle of nowhere. They helped us with our snorkeling gear and then Marsh led us around the shallow areas. My husband was a little uncomfortable though so he returned to the boat and then Marsh and I went towards the deep blue. What I saw took my breath away. Marsh is a superb guide and took time to guide me along the slope where one can see the maximum marine life. Then we swam a bit and Momo literally did a photo shoot for us !! Then we went to another spot for more snorkeling and knowing what my husband was missing, we kind of convinced him to come with us. Marsh held him by his hand and guided him along the reef while I swam on my own. Almost absorbing the shapes and colors, trying not to miss anything. I was like a child in candyland. It was the most beautiful and amazing sight I have ever seen..... so serene.... We are very thankful to both Momo and Marsh for giving us a memorable time. They excel. And thank you Secret Paradise for a wonderful tour. I would certainly recommend SP....👌

The Secret Paradise was the best trip in boat in my life! A dream fulfilled! We saw a sand island, fishes with amaizing colours and the reef most beautiful!!!!! Only 1 word: Espectacular. Please, take care the sea because has an beatiful life inside.

Highly recommend Ruth and her team. The guys were fantastic the whole day and were very helpful with certain group members who couldnt swim. We had a wonderful experience and would love to do more activities with secret paradise when we come back to the maldives. The price is very good for all activities compared to the private island resorts and would definitely recommend anyone who are looking for an adventure! Thank you Ruth and team.

After getting recommended by our hotel staff we called Ruth who was very efficient and a quick problem solver. The staffs really took care of us all and had good banter throughout the day. We were able to see sharks, turtle and variety of fishes and corals. We booked more trips like island hopping and water sports with them on our stay. Affordable and cheap compared to anywhere else in Maldives.

Booked a trip to go snorkeling near Male and sunset dolphin cruise. The most amazing trip. I didn't expect to see such variety of marine life near the capital city, we even saw a few black tip sharks - a real treat. Kamey was our tour guide and has so much knowledge about it all. His passion and enthusiasm shone through. Watching the dolphins was magic. We saw 3 different types of dolphin including spinners. What I loved about this trip was no one was in a hurry to get back, they let us relax watch the dolphins and enjoy a magical sunset.

From crystal clear waters to amazing fish and sting ray experience, the time with our guides was fantastic. Would highly recommend this company.

I love the snorkeling, sunset cruise and dolphin watching very much since this is a valuable experience !!! The snorkeling spots are beautiful with different kinds of fishes and we saw sea turtle too! The staffs are nice and funny, good that we've chosen Secret Paradise.

Me and my husband visited Maldives for 4 nights stay. Before commencing the tour we were in doubt whether to postpone the whole trip as the Maldives governmrnt declared state of emergency for 15days. But after finding out from friends living in Maldives we came to know its all a political issue no harm for tourists. First 2 days we stayed at Hulhumale. While we were there we went on the above excersion with Secret Paradise. I communicated with Ruth on their FB page before hand and arranged everything. Secret paradise tour guide Ahamed Shaffaf came to pick us from the hotel at 14.00. Tour was only for the two of us. Both me and my husband are not swimmers. So we were given bouyancy aid. Shaffaf took a great care of us during the tour. He is Highly recommended if you are not a good swimmer. Guy who sailed the boat (can't recall his name) was very supportive too. He did a good job in spotting dolphines.They both tried their best to make the excursion worthwhile. Overall its was excellent. Highly recommend Secret Paradise for anyone looking for exceursions in Maldives.

I arrived in Male at short notice on a business trip and was looking for some excursions to fill some time during the weekend. My hotel had advised me that it was a public holiday and that I wouldn't be able to book anything, however within minutes of emailing Ruth she had replied to advise me on some excursions for the following day. Firstly the level of communication from Ruth throughout was outstanding, not just in booking tours, but also advice on where to eat out and a follow up to see how each trip went, the out of hours communication was really above and beyond what I would expect. As for the tours, both days the guides came to collect me and instantly engaged in conversation, making me feel at ease. I've been a solo traveler for business for most of my working life and have taken lots of these types of tours and the interaction was superb throughout both trips, it really felt like trip with friends rather than the usual tagging along. On the first day we visited the sandbanks and a few snorkeling spots, the guides made sure that I got to see as much as possible even though we were with an inexperienced group of swimmers, they took the time to send make sure I was looked after as well. The spots that we snorkeled especially the last were teaming with marine life and the Rays we saw were incredible. I had an issue with my camera the first day so Ruth ensured I got to go back to the spot I had enjoyed the most on the second day so I could get some snaps of the Rays before an evening of Fishing, again these little details would make me use their services time and time again, I can't recommend the company highly enough and I sincerely hope I get to visit again soon to meet them all again.

Snorkeling, sand bank tour, sunset cruise and dolphin watching was the highlight of our honeymoon in Maldives. And Secret Paradise made it extremely special and joyous as Kokko were there to show the beauty of the underwater world, he ensured that we are safe no matter what!! He even captures so many memories to keep during our tour esp. while we were swimming along with stingrays, guitar shark and so many marine life 🙂!! Thanks also to the boat captain for his kind support and Ruth for her prompt response 🙏🏻🙏🏻 !! Hands up to you guys!!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

Dear Ruth, million thanks to you You and Your Team for organizing us an unforgettable holiday program in Maldives! All four pre-booked activities were amazing and well organized. We could see the sharks, turtle, dolphins and millions of beautiful colourful fishes. All family was very pleased. And our special thanks go to UB! He is so nice, entertaining and made us familiar with local life and lifestyle in a very personalized way. I especially appreciate that we could get very private service for our family - both at the sandbank trip and North Male local island trip! Also our first ever diving experience was marvelous! We would definitely recommend Secret Paradice for everyone travelling in Maldives. And we hope to come back to your beautiful islands soon. We wish you and your team (and especially UB!) all the best for New Year 2018! Sari, Pekka, Arttu, Ville and Hanna from Helsinki, Finland

Very nice trip with very nice and helpful guides! There were only two of us, although more people would have been possible. This was very pleasant, compared to the other "overcrowded" boats with tourists, whose tour groups consisted of at least 10 people.

I enjoyed traveling to 4 islands. The transport was well organized between the islands. I ate well and found useful the presence of the guide who was very competent and efficient.. 7 days well dosed. No problem with credit or debit cards. The pre-trip guidelines were very helpful. The hotels are old but I didn't have any problems with them. I didn't want to be overly busy and I had the leisure time I wanted.Snorkeling and parasailing are to be done again.

Our couple was alone on the boat with the pilot and guide, both very nice. Full schedules and activities. Very complete information before the appointment. Superb snorkeling and end of day with spectacular dolphins and a wonderful sunset. Received and treated like VIPs. To recommend absolutely.

Beautiful day in a superb paradisiacal setting. Our instructor Farish was attentive and efficient.