Galufalhu to be reclaimed and developed as a picnic island

Maldives Integrated Tourism Development Corporation (MITDC) has announced that they are seeking an interested party to reclaim land at Kaafu atoll Galufalhu and develop it into a picnic island for the people in Malé area.

Galufalhu is located north west of Malé City between Feydhoo Finolhu and Dhoonidhoo.

The announcement made by the MITDC said that the usual lease of a lagoon is between 20-50 million US dollars but the lagoon will be leased for free for 50 years to an investor developing the island to the standard set by MITDC.

MITDC said that the investor can may develop a resort on the extra space after developing the picnic island.

Interested parties have to develop a land of seven hectares at the island five minutes out of the capital. The island has to include 20 rooms with space for four people, a watersports area, a recreation area with a futsal pitch and a volley pitch along with a jetty that can service two ferries at a time.

The development area is between 3-7 percent of the island and the island must be usual by 1000 people at a time according to the MITDC.

The government made a decision to develop a picnic island in the Malé area after Feydhoo Finolhu was awarded to a Chinese company to develop a resort.

Before that, the previous picnic island Kuda Bandos have been rebranded into Malahini Kuda Bandos and reopened as a resort.