Kolhumadulhu Atoll, Natural atoll in Thaa administrative division, Maldives.
Kolhumadulhu Atoll, also known as Thaa Atoll, is a group of coral islands in the central part of the Maldives. It contains over sixty islands in total, around a dozen of which are inhabited and home to small communities.
During the reign of King Koimala, when all Maldivian atolls were united under one kingdom, this formation was known as Kolhumaduva. The name evolved over time, but the atoll has remained part of the Maldivian territory ever since.
Fishing shapes the daily rhythm across the inhabited islands, and processing facilities on several of them are easy to spot as you arrive by boat. The catch is central to how people here live and work.
Getting to the islands generally requires a domestic flight to a regional airport, followed by a boat transfer to the specific island. It is worth arranging transfers in advance, as connections between islands can be infrequent and depend on weather conditions.
Archaeological work on the island of Kinbidhoo uncovered Buddhist structures, including a large stupa studied by researcher Muhammad Ismail Didi. This points to a religious past that predates the arrival of Islam in the Maldives.
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