Batala Travel Guide

 
by Mara_2
 
  •   Batala
    by Mara_2
  •   Batala
    by call_me_rhia
  •   Batala
    by call_me_rhia
  • chiara about to emerge
      chiara about to emerge
    by call_me_rhia
  • a baby batfish
      a baby batfish
    by call_me_rhia
 

Explore Batala

Things to Do  

perfect sunsets

perfect sunsets, Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  At about 6 pm there is one of the highlights of the day... the sunset. And a colourful one it is... it starts in a soft blue-ish tone, then it turns yellow, then orange and finally the sky becomes flaming red, as if there was a fire there. The whole sunset doesn't last long,... 

corals and fishes

corals and fishes, Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  The best Bathala sight, in my opinion, is neither the beaches nor the sea... it's what lives underwater - namely corals and fishes. Corals have suffered from El Nino and have turned white-ish, but recently they have started to recover... I have seen some shy shades of light... 

turquoise waters

turquoise waters, Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  Water is the essence of all the Maldivian islands... and here in Bathala is no exception. There's a turquoise wonderful lagoon surrounded by a house-reef rich of corals and fishes. I found the best water to be on the south of the island... the lagoon is deeper and it's... 

white beaches

white beaches, Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  White beaches... you really have to spend some time there and enjoy them. One of the good things about Bathala is that there are not many bungalows... and on top of that many visitors are divers, which means that you'll mostly have the wonderful beaches to yourself. Another... 

Hotels  

Bathala Island: Beach bungalows

Bathala Island: Beach bungalows, Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  I really liked our simple beach bungalow... circular in shape, with a wall separating the sleeping quarter from the wardrobe. Two doors led to the backyard... with an outdoor typical maldivian bathroom. Wonderfully deprived of all facilities except hot water... no TV, no... 

Restaurants  

the only restaurant: Don't miss the sweets
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a waiter in the restaurant

There's only one restaurant on Bathala, with sand on the floor, so that you never need to wear shoes - and the meals it serves are all buffet style.

Favorite Dish: I had heard it before: the fish is never exceptional in the Maldives: confirmed! I only really liked uncooked tuna fish. The restaurant's curries were really good, in general, as well as the other western dishes. What made the difference, however, were the sweets... unbelievably delicious - and plenty of them!

Written Nov 18, 2004

Address: Bathala Island

Phone: 960-450 587

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Nightlife  

north pier: shark feeding
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sharks ready to be fed

There is very little nightlife on Bathala... the most exciting moment after nightfall is at 7 o'clock sharp on the north pier. A man from Bangladesh takes out all the daily fish leftover fo feed the sharks. There are normally five or six grey sharks and a white-fin shark that come regularly to the pier to be fed, as well as two large blotched fantail rays and hundreds of jackfish. Fun to say, but the quickest to get the food are the jackfish, while the mighty shark appear particularly clumsy and slow.

Updated Nov 18, 2004

Address: Bathala Island

Phone: 960-450 587

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Transportation  

From Male to Bathala

From Male to Bathala, Batala

 Mara_2 Says:  Bathala is an island sold exclusively by an Italian tour Operator: Azemar, so the vacations are all-inclsive and therefore in the price transport from Male to Bathala is included.You can choose to get there by boat or by sea-plane.If you go by boat, be prepared for a rather... 

seaplane...

seaplane..., Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  Seaplanes are fun! Seaplanes land near a platform a few minutes by boat from your island - and this is the least interesting part of the trip. The best part is the flight... barefooted pilots fly them very low so that you can enjoy other islands, resorts and sand banks in... 

Local Customs  

Bare-footed pilots

Bare-footed pilots, Batala

 Mara_2 Says:  We were so surprised to find out that the pilots of the sea-planes don't wear shoes!I don't know if on the photo this can be seen, but believe me! 

no shoes, please

no shoes, please, Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  No shoes, please.. on Bathala there is sand everywhere. The restaurant's floor is covered in sand, and so is the bar's floor. It's wonderful to spend a week without wearing shoes except... in your own bugalow! Well, to keep sand away from the bed, we resorted to wearing... 

What to Pack  

reefshoes and highscreeen protection
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fins, snorkels and so on

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: bring shoes that you can wear in water (like reefshoes)... to protect your feet from corals and especially from the deadly stone-fish

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: high protection sun-screen (40 factor and over)

Photo Equipment: cheap underwater cameras

Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: fins, snorkels and mask to enjoy marine life. Bring also a t-shirt for snorkeling, so that you don't burn yourself

Updated Nov 12, 2004

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Off The Beaten Path  

Ayurvedic massage
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entrance to the massage centre

The Ayurvedic massage centre is so well hidden that one risks to spend their time on Bathala without ever noticing its existance. In fact both times I went to reception to book a massage I was the first (and only) client of the day). It's a pity because the two Indian masseurs are quite good. There are several types of massage available: if you opr for the full massage, don't book the 45 minutes one, book the 30 minutes ... the masseurs are not really so much in a hurry that they will stop bang on time: they'll finish the massage - often in over 45 minutes anyway.

Written Nov 12, 2004

Phone: 960-450 587

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Sports & Outdoors  

Snorkeling

Snorkeling, Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  Snorkeling is how I spent my days in the Maldives - possibly I spent more time with my head underwater than overwater. The colours of the fishes near the reef - and the variety - was simple endless and unbelievable: I wish I knew the English names for them. My favourite,... 

Diving

Diving, Batala

 call_me_rhia Says:  Many people go to the Maldives for diving - this gives you the opportunity to see wonderful colourful fishes. Forget about corals: most have been "whitened" by el Nino so it'll take some years before they recover fully. So basically diving in the Maldives is only for the... 

Favorites  

Bathala - not Batala
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bathalascape

Favorite thing: Bathala is a beautiful island in the north Ari atoll, about 56 kilometres from the airport. You can reach it by speedboat in 90 minutes or by seaplane in 20 minutes. Bathala, in particular is a natural island: no trees were cut to make room for the beach - no nasty walls were built to protect the beach from the sea. And It's tiny: it takes seven minutes to walk its perimeter

Fondest memory: I liked the white soft beaches and the different colours of the sea. I also and especially liked the fishes: I spent the best part of the day with my head underwater, snorkeling. Wonderful, colourful, amazing, curious and friendly little fishes. And by the way, Bathala is a sort of sweet potato. Go figure...

Updated Nov 12, 2004

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Map of Batala