Dreamland Maldives Snorkeling Tips & Resort Information

Are you thinking about booking a Dreamland Maldives snorkeling vacation? In this article, I will show you what the island’s house reef looks like and what creatures can be seen on it, and I will supply you with helpful information about the resort.

Fringed by a coral reef providing a home to various marine life, the small resort island of Dreamland Unique Sea & Lake Resort Spa is an excellent choice for snorkeling in Baa Atoll. On the house reef, you can observe the most common Maldivian reef fish species, swim with reef sharks, encounter different types of rays, including manta rays, and meet the resident sea turtle.

Key Takeaway

The Dreamland The Unique Sea & Lake Resort / Spa is a 4-star resort island in the Maldives, in Baa Atoll. This resort stands out because it has a large natural freshwater lake and a Biotope pool where people can swim, surrounded by water lilies and aquatic plants.

It adds to the island’s popularity that it has good snorkeling; a wide variety of marine life can be observed directly on the house reef, from colorful reef fish to reef sharks, turtles, and ray species.

Plus, in the manta season, the on-site dive center offers Hanifaru Bay snorkeling trips too, where you can witness the unique mass feeding phenomenon and experience swimming among hundreds of manta rays!

With many facilities, such as a spa, library, and gym, this resort is a good choice for travelers seeking an excellent price-value ratio. Baa Atoll Resort has decent snorkeling and good food. However, it is not recommended for families traveling with small kids as it does not have amenities for kids, and it is also not recommended for party lovers as there is no animation/entertainment.

The beach bungalows and water villas are spacious and well-equipped, providing total comfort for guests. With flexible catering options from breakfast to all-inclusive, you can customize your stay to fit your needs and budget.

Note that this is not a sponsored post; we have booked and paid for the trip ourselves and this article reflects our experience. If you want to book this resort, we would appreciate it if you do it through our link Dreamland Maldives Resort, so that we can make a small commission at no extra cost to you.

How Is Snorkeling At Dreamland Maldives House Reef?

We’ve been lucky to stay at several snorkeling resorts in the Maldives and think that Dreamland’s house reef ranks among the best ones and provides an enjoyable experience for snorkelers at all levels.

To be honest, the house reef is not too vibrant coral-wise; only a few areas have healthy corals, and most are dead coral and rocks. Still, the variety of species and abundance of fish were exceptional.

We found the best snorkeling area coral on the island’s northwest and west sides (marked with blue on our Dreamland snorkeling map). The reef is relatively shallow (3-6 m / 9.8-19.6 ft) on the left side of the dive center. In front of the beach bar area, around the island’s west corner, there is a drop-off with a depth of 20+ meters / 65+ ft.

This is where we found the best corals and where you can see the most fish. However, since the water is deeper here and the current can get strong, we recommend snorkeling here only for experienced snorkelers.

Reef sharks and eagle rays can also be seen here, and occasionally, lemon sharks! This was the first place we spotted this type of shark! Blacktip reef sharks are all around the island, both in the shallow lagoons and on the reef.

You can also see nurse sharks, mainly around the dive center. Two of them come to rest/sleep almost every afternoon under the building of the dive center.

Snorkeling is also good in front of the water villas on the right side of the dive center along the breakwater (marked with yellow).

On the inner side of the breakwaters, next to the water villas, there is a shallow coral reef (marked with purple). It is not too lively; mostly, there is just damaged coral here, but the protected waters shelter various species. We encountered the resort’s resident sea turtle here several times and a tail-less eagle ray looking for food on the sandy sea bottom. You can also find octopus and moray eels among the breakwater’s rocks.

Surprisingly, we encountered manta rays at the house reef two times! First, two appeared next to us while snorkeling in front of the water villas, the next day, we saw one at the reef in front of the beach bar! They were passing by and not staying around like in Hanifaru, but it was still an incredible experience seeing manta rays at the house reef without going on any tour!

One day, we even went night snorkeling, which was a pretty cool experience and allowed us to see creatures that usually hide in caves, crevices, or deeper waters during the day.

What Marine Species Can You See?

Water Entrance For Snorkeling Dreamland Maldives

To get into the water, use the entry/exit points mentioned below (marked with green lines on our Dreamland Maldives snorkeling map). At these points, the rocks and corals were removed to allow safe access to the reef.

Swimming over the reef is only possible at high tide, but I recommend always using the marked points for your safety and avoiding kicking the reef.

Dreamland Maldives Snorkeling Photos

Here is a selection of our snorkeling photos taken at the house reef:

Dreamland Maldives Travel & Resort Information

To make your travel safe and smooth, here is some useful information about Dreamland The Unique Sea & Lake Resort / Spa.

Where is Dreamland Maldives?

The Dreamland Unique Sea & Lake Resort Spa is situated on Hirundhoo Island, in the Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. It is about 120 km/75 miles from Velana International Airport, the main international airport of the Maldives.

How To Get to Dreamland Maldives?

There are two options to get to the island: domestic flight or seaplane transfer.

Domestic flight: the domestic transfer option consists of an approx. 25 minutes long flight to Dharavandhoo local airport, followed by a 10–15-minute speed boat ride to the island.

Seaplane transfer: Seaplane takes about 35 minutes to reach Dreamland Maldives. These flights depart from the seaplane terminal at Velana International International Airport. (We chose this option as it was faster than the domestic flight and cost “only” approx. 100 EUR more per person.)

What Types of Excursions Are Available?

You can see here what excursions Dreamland Maldives offers. Note that the trips happen on fixed days (which you can check on the excursion board at the reception) if the minimum number of participants is met and are weather-dependent.

Besides the excursions listed below, private tours can be arranged upon request.

Hanifaru Bay Snorkeling

The most popular excursion in Dreamland Maldives is the Hanifaru Bay Manta Snorkeling Trip. The dive center offers this excursion every other day in the manta season (however, trips can get canceled, postponed, or re-scheduled depending on weather conditions).

Although it is not a cheap excursion (the cost of such a tour was 105$ plus taxes in 2023), swimming with feeding manta rays is a lifetime experience, so I highly recommend this excursion! We went 3 times during our stay and saw mantas each time!

Turtle Adventure

I bet you love snorkeling with turtles as much as I do! Well, the Maldives is one of the best places to encounter these cute creatures, but unfortunately, Dreamland only has resident sea turtles, so if you want to see more, sign up for a turtle adventure!

Adventure Snorkeling

If snorkeling at the house reef wouldn’t satisfy you, then choose the adventure tour and discover some of the area’s finest snorkeling sites!

Lucky Dolphin Trip

Although sometimes you can spot dolphins near the island (we saw dolphins passing by the island’s southern side almost every day while having breakfast in the Sea View restaurant), the chance of sightings is higher if you go on a sunset cruise to search for these playful animals.

Robinson Tour

Are you looking for a romantic escape? The Robinson adventures help you escape the ordinary by allowing you to spend some time on an inhabited tropical island!

Sunset Cruise

Sunsets are beautiful worldwide but exceptional in the Maldives; join a sunset cruise and watch a magical one from the deck of a dhoni, a traditional local wooden boat.

Sunset Fishing

Is fishing your hobby? Why not try it at such an iconic location like the Indian Ocean? You can fish the traditional way, and the best part is that the chef prepares your catch upon request!

Kamadhoo Island Trip

To learn more about the traditional Maldivian lifestyle, join a Kamadhoo excursion and visit a typical local island just 30 minutes by boat from Dreamland.

Dharavandhoo Island Trip

The former capital of Baa Atoll is worth visiting; tour the island to taste the local lifestyle and shop for some souvenirs!

What Facilities Does The Island Have?

To make your stay comfortable and relaxing, the resort has the following facilities:

Dive Center: the in-house diving center caters to scuba divers at all levels. They offer house reef dives and half- and full-day boat trips to the nearby reefs in Baa Atoll. Moreover, they organize Hanifaru snorkeling excursions, so if you want to experience swimming with hundreds of feeding manta rays, sign up for a trip at the center!

Water Sports Center: The island’s water sports center offers courses and equipment rental for kayaking, windsurfing, jet skiing, stand-up paddleboarding, waterskiing, sofa rides, wakeboarding, etc…

Spa: If you don’t have time for a spa experience during your busy work weeks, relax your body and mind at the Duny Thai Spa! From traditional massages to facials, various treatments are available to help you restore your balance.

Fitness Center: You don’t need to skip your workouts; a fully equipped gym is available for all guests from early morning till late evening!

Library: Bookworms are welcome! A lovely island library has an extensive selection of books in various languages. We were so surprised to find books even in our native language, Hungarian!

Souvenir Shop: If you are missing some toiletries or want souvenirs, the island’s boutique shop will cover you.

How Many Restaurants Are In Dreamland Maldives?

The island has two restaurants: the Lake View and the Sea View. Breakfast and lunch are served only in the Sea View restaurant, while dinner is available at both. Moreover, light snacks (sandwiches and French fries) are available at the Lake View Bar every afternoon.

How Many Bars Are On The Island?

Dreamland Maldives has two bars. The main bar is the Lake View Bar, situated next to the lake (open from 7:30 a.m. to late at night), while the Beach Bar can be found on the island’s western (sunset) side (open from 8:30 a.m. until the last guests leave).

What Type of Catering Options Can Guest Choose?

We opted for the half-board plus package, which was a good decision. It is technically the same as the all-inclusive package except for the buffet lunch (which is, honestly, not so important for people like us who spend most of the day in the water or going on excursions; I wish all resorts had this option!)

What Room Types Are Available?

The resort has a total of 90 rooms, beach bungalows, and water bungalows.

Beach Bungalow: There are 60 beach bungalows situated along the island’s coastline. The bungalows are spacious and furnished with modern furniture. They have a porch with sun loungers and a double bathroom with an indoor bathtub, shower, and outdoor shower area.

We stayed in bungalow Nr 139, on the right of the dive center’s jetty. We were satisfied with our room. We liked that it was much bigger than at the resorts we stayed at before, so we could store our stuff nicely. The best part was the bathroom; we liked the outdoor shower so we could comfortably rinse off ourselves and our gear after snorkeling.

Note: During the southwest monsoon in August, we visited the island and noticed that the sand had almost thoroughly washed away between the sunset bar and the dive center’s jetty. Therefore, technically, there was no beach on that side of the island, and lots of sandbags surrounded the bungalows.

The staff said this happens due to the seasonal water movements and the sand returns in the dry season. Still, it is good to remember this information if you plan to come during the southwest monsoon (wet season) and check with the reception before or upon arrival where your room will be located. The affected bungalows are between Nr 115-136, maybe not all of them, depending on the water/wave movements. Some rooms may be completely shut down.

Water Bungalow: Dreamland has 30 water bungalows built on the island’s south-eastern side. Twelve are on the lagoon side, while 18 face the house reef. All water bungalows directly connect with the ocean through stairs and offer easy access to the island’s best snorkeling area.

Dreamland Resort Summary

We chose to stay at Dremland Maldives mainly because it is near Hanifaru Bay, offers good house reef snorkeling, and seems to offer good value for money.

All in all, we were satisfied with everything, and the resort met our expectations. Although the house reef is not the best in terms of corals, we found the marine life very rich and saw new species, such as lemon sharks. The biotope pool makes the island unique; we have never seen anything like that at other destinations!

We would happily return to this resort, but since there are so many other promising resorts in the area, we will probably pick up another one when we return to Baa Atoll so we can experience other places, too.

For Whom Do We Recommend This Resort?

Dreamland Maldives is a good choice for those who visit the Maldives for relaxation and want to focus on enjoying underwater activities. This island best suits couples, solo travelers, and families with bigger kids.

If you are looking for a resort island that is not overpriced, has a good house reef with rich marine life, and is close to Hanifaru Bay, so you go on manta ray excursions, consider staying here.

Who Should Not Book This Resort?

Dreamland Maldives is not recommended for families traveling with small kids, as the island has no playground or kids’ club. Also, although there is an animation team and evening activities, this island may not be a good choice for those who seek entertainment.

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Additional Resources:
https://dreamland.com.mv/
https://www.joydive.com/en/joy-dive/dive-center/dreamland-unique