Maldives launched homestay tourism on 1st January 2022 – a travel segment new to the island nation known for its luxury resorts. Julie Mack and her husband Kyle Hand were among the first tourists to arrive in The Maldives on The First Day of the New Year. They spent their Holiday at M.Dhiggaru, an island in the north of the Maldives known for offering exemplary hospitality.
The first homestay tourism visitors are American couple – Julie Mac and Kyle Hand, a Sudanese couple, and Catherine Haswell – the UN Resident Coordinator for Maldives. Speaking about the holiday experience, Julie said that the people of Dhiggaru are kind hearted and welcoming. Julie also wrote that they were invited to homes to show the culture and lifestyle of Maldives and they felt at home in Dhiggaru.
Julie writes that the most memorable experiences of her homestay holiday are the kindness and joy of everyone in Dhiggaru.
“We will always remember the hospitality we received from Dhiggaru this holiday. Thank you very much,” Julie wrote, posting some photos of Dhiggaru.
She thanked the Tourism Ministry, Dhiggaru Council, their host family at Moorithi Homestay, and the friends they made during their stay in Dhiggaru for an experience she said they would never forget.
