Secret Paradise Maldives Tours

Definitely 10 out of 10 experience with Secret Paradise. Highly recommended. First big shutout for Ruth. As a solo traveler, I have tons of questions to ask before arriving. All the information she provided was invaluable. On the tour day, everything was well planned: the walk around the island, the snorkeling, and the art presentation were very detailed. The tour leader Shark is very professional in terms of the introduction of Maldivian cultural and Art. And even the intern was very friendly.

We had an incredible two weeks with Secret Paradise Maldives. While arranging the trip Ruth was extremely helpful in answering all our questions and helping to plan our trip. Our first week was on the Mantra Ray Conservation cruise, living aboard the (Felicity) boat and visting the Raa and Baa Atolls. Our second week was a week of island hopping in the North Ari Atoll (Visting Mathiveri, Ukulhas and Rasdhoo). All the guides and staff were incredibly friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. We saw amazing wildlife everyday and learnt so much about the local culture and traditions and about sustainability, research and conservation in the Maldives.

We took the 4-hour walking tour in Malé and it was absolutely fantastic. Our guide Archie showed us all the main sights in the city and told lots of interesting stories about everyday life in the Maldives. We visited the local market, tasted all kinds of snacks – sweet and salty – and even received a coconut sweet as a small gift. What I loved most was the atmosphere: nobody tried to push us to buy anything, nobody begged for money or followed us around. It felt very relaxed, friendly and respectful, which is very different from what we sometimes experience in other touristy countries. The treats at the market were complimentary, and later Archie even took us to a café where we were invited for juice at no extra cost. It felt more like walking around the city with a local friend than being on a “commercial” tour. Highly recommended – a perfect way to get to know Malé.

My experience with Secret Paradise was overall a 5-star one! I really would like to thank these people for everything & especially highlight: - The kind help from Ruth, who answered all of our questions via e-mail beforehand & was always so helpful and professional. We planned the perfect itinerary together & everything was organised from arriving at the airport, to hotel stay, to transport. - The outstanding performance of Shaffaf during our Malé walking tour - we could literally feel how much he loves history & to tell others about Maldivian culture & traditions. Our visit at the local market was my highlight of the tour. Thank you for letting us try all the delicious local snacks! And of course, thank you for making us laugh SO MUCH :) I can genuinely recommend Secret Paradise to anyone who wants to explore the Maldives in an authentic, mindful and meaningful way. It was the perfect experience for me!

We booked 5 days with Secret Paradise ecotour because we wanted to experience the local culture and the natural beauty of Maldives- the one you don’t see from the resorts! Kamey our guide was very knowledgeable in all sorts of areas- he has Masters and he is active in conservation of the marine life and tough us all about the marine life in the Maldives and all the good work they do to protect such a delicate environment. He was very down to earth and seemed he had a very good relationship with Jodi our host at the Olive Hotel and the other islanders which was important for us to to see. We had a lovely time certainly it was a stark difference from the resorts we have been at, which was refreshing and humbling- just what we wanted! We participated in activities and the tour was organised with local people which was nice to see the professional and cooperating relationship secret paradise have built over the years. We learned a lot about the local culture, in a gentle non invasive way. We taste amazing local cuisine, seen marine life we would never have seen with resorts excursions in the respect of their delicate environment. Amazing time we would definitely recommend it if you want a gentle, sustainable oriented tour and learn lots about marine life and local culture! Thank you so much!

Our tour with SPM was fantastic. Very friendly guides and very well organized. As most resorts in the Maldives are, you are a bit stranded on your island - these experiences enable you to break away and immerse yourself in Maldivian culture and scenery outside of the resort. Can't speak for any resort other than the one i stayed, but also very reasonably priced compared to the "official" excursions offered though our resort. Highly recommend. We liked it so much we booked another excursion a few days later.

I had the most wonderful and amazing trip of a lifetime in the Maldives with Secret Paradise Maldives. An extraordinary tour guide UB professional , knowledgeable, passionate caring and funny. I was taught about the culture the reef and the islands and conservation and sea life . I stayed at the tropical tree with wonderful friendly staff . The snorkelling was mind blowing I can’t wait to go back for a longer trip soon . Put it on your bucket list, but don’t wait too long. Highly recommend.

While booking our trip to the Maldives, my mom and I knew we wanted to spend at least a bit of time in the capital city instead of booking a boat transfer straight from the airport to our resort as many other travelers seemed to be doing. Rather than wandering the city and wondering to ourselves what exactly it was that we were seeing, we hoped to enlist the help of a local tour guide who could answer our questions. It didn’t take long before I stumbled across Secret Paradise, which impressed me with their environmental advocacy, commitment to sustainable tourism, and active social media presence. Without hesitation, I booked a four-hour walking tour on the day of our arrival and quickly connected with our tour guide Kamey via WhatsApp. My mom and I met Kamey on the afternoon of our arrival for what wound up being a private tour for just the two of us. We appreciated his enthusiasm, patience, and professionalism while introducing us to Male’s architecture, culture, education system, history, languages, politics, religion, and wildlife during our tour. Indeed, we left no stones unturned as we traipsed across one of the world’s most densely populated capital cities, carefully guided by Kamey. I would highly recommend Secret Paradise to travelers of all ages, especially those interested in sustainable tourism for a country disproportionately affected by climate change. Ruth, Kamey, and the rest of the Secret Paradise team are clearly making meaningful contributions to the local community, and it was a pleasure to learn more about our holiday destination before embarking on the rest of our journey. Thank you, Ruth and Kamey!