New picnic island at 'Kudagiri' Island
The Government has stated that they hope to finish this project by the 26th of July, just in time for the independence day holidays.
Source: President's Office
Blessed with naturally beautiful beaches, the islands of Maldives are known to be the perfect spot to unwind and relax. This is also true for locals who live on islands, as their weekends are usually spent having picnics and going to the beach, detaching from the stress that work brings during the weekdays. However, when it comes to the capital city Male’, there aren’t many options left as the city lacks natural beaches and many people resort to going to the artificial beach for picnics and the track area for swimming.
Even so, an artificial beach is extremely different from the beauty of natural beaches leaving many wanting an escape from the capital during the holidays. As a result, when the holidays arrive, most people in Male' begin booking trips to nearby islands in order to enjoy even a few days of natural beaches and the tranquility they provide.
During holidays such as Eid and school vacations, both resorts and local islands nearby Male', and also in Vaavu and Baa Atoll become extremely popular. Despite the many resort islands in Kaafu Atoll, only few resorts are accessible to locals, or many will find hotels fully booked, leaving them with no choice but to spend their vacation stuck in Male' or pay a higher price for transfers to an island further away from Male'.
Kudabandos in Male' Atoll was one of the first islands to become a solution to this problem. This island is located near Male' city and was developed into a picnic island, making it a popular destination for many families looking for an affordable getaway. However, Malahini Holdings Pvt. Ltd. Ltd paid the island's acquisition cost and decided to convert the island into a tourist resort while keeping the old picnic island concept - however making it inaccessible to those who used to visit the island almost free of charge - creating a need for another picnic island to be developed for the residents of the greater Male’ area.
Finally, around 2021, Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) was contracted to reclaim land for a picnic island in Kudagiri for MVR 41 million. While the company was contracted for this job in November of last year, they have revealed that the reclamation component of the project has been completed as of April of this year. The picnic Island is being developed by reclaiming eight hectares of land from the Kudagiri lagoon. They are also planning to build a 1.5 hectare island as a sandbank near the site.
The company has stated that they hope to finish this project by the 26th of July - which is the Maldives independence day. With the island being only 10.5 kilometres from Male' and having access to rooms, a mosque, and public showers, this island will be an ideal spot for a picnic for the people of the greater Male' area.
If the picnic island opens on the 26th of this month, many people will undoubtedly be eager to picnic at this brand new location!
