Manta Reserve in Dharavandhoo

The photos don't match reality.

So, let's focus on the cons (one plus at the end):

-THIS IS NOT A RESORT, but a local island where locals live.
-160 km from Male (almost 2 hours by boat).
-There's a ton of construction equipment on the pier, so there's no pretty picture.
-You're greeted by a tuk-tuk.
-The entire island is like something out of Counter-Strike: locals' one-story houses, piles of garbage, fallen trees.
-The entire beach is so teeming with crabs that it's impossible to walk on it in the evening.
-You'll be taken to a separate "bikini beach" area because sunbathing is prohibited elsewhere for religious reasons.
-You're essentially arriving in a village with cramped rooms and no services.

+ thanks to the friendly man in glasses, the hotel employee. He was very polite to us, a sincere and kind person. He understood that we wanted to leave, and I just want to wish him happiness and well-being! I hope this island has a bright future.

I didn't take any photos because we left for the resort the next morning.

It's a matter of personal preference, of course, but in my opinion, it's better not to go at all than to the Maldives in this format and end up on such wild local islands where you won't even feel a hint of paradise.