Tourists are not allowed to island hop to islands that are not within the designated tourist zone unless they have a permit. Some of the island attractions are: Kaafu Atoll (Male' Atoll): Kaafu Atoll consists of 80 islands but only 12 islands are inhabited. The first tourist resort opened here in 1972 and since then it has continued to attract thousands of visitors to its beaches. Male and the airport island Hulhule are a part of the Kaafu Atoll. Male is the favoured holiday destination in the Maldives because it has some interesting sites and shopping! Male may not have the best dive sites in the Maldives but there is exciting diving to be enjoyed as there are beautiful coral reefs, exotic marine life and even a shipwreck to explore. North Male is surfers’ paradise as it not only has the most surf sites but also the best sites. The Angsana Resort and Spa is located on the idyllic island of Angsana. The island has a beautiful lagoon, lush vegetation and fantastic beaches. The Soneva Gili Island Resort is situated on the south east side of the atoll. Male Atoll is also home the Bandos Island Resort, Helengeli Island Resort, Dhonveli Beach & Spa Resort and many others. Seenu Atoll (Addoo Atoll): what’s special about this atoll is that it is one of the few where visitors can ride a bicycle to town. The Gan Islands were once the site of the British air base but the buildings have been converted into a hotel and the airport is now one of the four domestic airports in Maldives. Diving and snorkelling are very popular here because there have been frequent sightings of turtles, sharks, mantas and other big fish. Divers can also explore the wreck of a British ship that was torpedoed by the Japanese. Alifu Atoll (Ari Atoll): although this is one of the most developed tourist areas in the Maldives, it’s still peaceful and retains its island charm. The atoll is great for diving and sightings of massive whale sharks. Angaga Island in the south of the atoll is a tropical paradise and the site of the tourist resorts. Its location gives it easy access to the dive sites on the east and west. The Lily Beach Island Resort is located on the south east side of the atoll. The Maldives Hilton Resort is located on Rangali Island with a bridge connecting it to the smaller island next to it. There are also other resorts on this atoll. An interesting historical site to visit on the island of Mathiveri is the 17th century mosque. Faafu Atoll (North Nilandhoo Atoll): this atoll lies to the south of Ari Atoll and like many of the other atolls has several channels that make it perfect for diving. It was on the island of Nilandhoo that Thor Heyerdahl, a shipwrecked sailor, first discovered that the islanders used to worship Hindu gods before converting to Islam. The island is also the site for the ancient mosque that was built by Sultan Mohamed Ibn Abdhulla, who converted the islanders to Islam. The atoll resorts include Velavaru Island Resort and Filitheyo Island Resort. | 
