Meemu Atoll, also called Mulaku Atoll, is a group of 33 islands about 150 miles south of the Maldivian capital Malé. The region has only recently been opened to tourism, and just two islands have been developed into exclusive luxury resorts. Most of the islands in the local group are uninhabited, and make the perfect day-trip destination for a romantic picnic on an isolated beach. Meemu Atoll is also a popular destination for scuba divers, and several live-aboard dive boats include Meemu Atoll on their tours of the best dive sites in the Maldives.
Both resort islands are located on the eastern side of of the atoll, about a 45-minute seaplane ride from the capital and the international airport. Medhufushu Island is a crescent of tropical forest and sugar white sand, surrounded by a crystal clear lagoon. The accommodations here range from secluded beach villas scattered among the coconut palms across the island, to free-standing lagoon suites built out over the water, accessed only by a private boat - or by swimming. The resort is popular with scuba divers, and with surfers who want to escape the more famous - and more crowded - surfing spots of North Male Atoll.
The stylish Chaaya Lagoon Hakura-Huraa resort, on Hakuraa Island, is laid out to give its guests the maximum peace and privacy. The water villas of the resort are built out over the fringing reef of the island, and feature glass-bottomed floors that allow guests watch the reef-life below. The facilities at the resort include swimming pools, tennis courts and a world-class health spa, as well as a disco and a program of live musical entertainment. Equipment is available for windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, and snorkelling.
Both resorts host dive schools that offer instruction and equipment to guests, as well as daily boat dives at the best sites in the area. Because Meemu Atoll only recently opened for tourism, its reefs are in excellent condition and filled with colourful sea life Whale sharks can be seen in these waters between May and December, and mantas are often seen throughout the year. There are also severable notable wreck dives within range of Meemu Atoll, including the wreck of the Ravestein - a Dutch East Indiaman that sank in 1726 with a cargo of gold and silver, bound from Jakarta to the Netherlands. Not all the gold and silver was recovered. Today it is a treasure house of colourful fish and other sea creatures that have taken up residence in the remains of its hull.
The main town of Meemu Atoll is Muli, with a population of roughly 850 people. The settlement was badly damaged in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but it has since been rebuilt. The town now attracts a few visitors from the two resort islands who want to shop for souvenirs and experience traditional Maldivian island life. Most Maldivians who live in the nine inhabited islands of the Meemu group make their living by fishing, although an increasing number of people work in the resorts.