Makadi Bay house reef
The family-friendly option — reef at the end of a jetty, so children and nervous swimmers skip the awkward shallow crossing entirely.
Getting in
Most hotels here run a jetty out over the reef flat to the edge. Steps down into deep water at the end.
Makadi is chosen by families for the water parks, and the house reef is the underrated part of the deal. The jetties are the key: they solve the problem that makes shore snorkelling hard for children, which is a long shallow walk over sharp coral before anything interesting starts.
It is not the best reef on the coast. It is one of the easiest good ones to actually get into.
What you are likely to see
- A reef running the length of the bay, better than Makadi’s reputation
- Large shoals of reef fish along the drop-off
- Rays on the sand between coral heads
Conditions
- Shallow, calm and sandy inshore, which is why the bay suits families
- Jetty access means you enter straight into deep water at the reef edge
- Reef quality varies along the bay — ask your hotel which end is better
What to watch out for
- Jetty steps put you immediately in water over your head. For children, that is a bigger step than it looks — vests, and an adult in first.
- Currents run along the reef edge on windy days. Swim into any current at the start, so the tired half of the swim is the easy one.
Conditions change and this is planning information, not a briefing. Nobody can promise you an animal. If something goes wrong in the water, the coast’s emergency numbers are on our emergency contacts page.