The dhoni is the traditional Maldivian boat, and it's less a museum piece than a design that's simply kept working — the same basic hull shape shows up as a fishing boat, a resort transfer or excursion boat, and the vessel behind sunset cruises covered in our sandbanks & excursions guide.
Traditional construction
Older, traditionally built dhonis were constructed from timber without nails, planks fitted and joined using wooden dowels and, in some methods, coconut-fibre rope lashings — a boatbuilding approach suited to a country with limited local timber and metal resources but abundant coconut palm. Modern working dhonis today are far more likely to use conventional nailed or bolted construction and diesel engines, but the traditional hull shape and shallow draft — well suited to reef-strewn, shallow lagoon waters — persists.
Why the shape endures
The dhoni's shallow draft and manoeuvrability suit exactly the kind of reef-and-lagoon environment the Maldives is built from, which is a large part of why the silhouette hasn't meaningfully changed even as construction materials and engines have modernised.
Where you'll encounter one
Nearly every resort and local island harbour has working dhonis in use for transfers, diving trips and fishing — see our traditional fishing guide for the pole-and-line method typically practised from one.