Lying in the Kaafu Atoll at a mere 27 kilometres far away from the capital Malé, the charming Maafushi Island is the biggest and most popular island in the Maldives. One can travel from Male to Maafushi Island by means of the use of local transport such as pace boats, public ferries, and speed boats. Maafushi Island in Maldives amazes vacationers by its never-ending charm and surprises them at each step. The northern part of the Maafushi island is more touristy and attracts many travellers.
This region is absolutely dedicated to tourism due to the fact that in this region you possibly can locate guest houses, fine dining places, souvenir stores, and Maafushi Island resorts. This elongated island homes nearly 3000 human beings and is far from being overcrowded. It is likewise one of the places that take you close to the wealthy Maldivian tradition and culture.
This island covers an area of about 1270 x 265 m in an elongated form. Maafushi is one of the islands in the Maldives with a thriving economic system. While greater than sixty families gain immediately from fishing, the tourism industry has taken a new turn from then. Maafushi turned into the primary hotspot for funding in tourism accommodation. Tourists from neighbouring resort islands also go to Maafushi for island hopping and Maafushi provides them with buying opportunities with souvenir stores at assigned regions of the island. Maafushi Village Ethereal Inn, Summer Villa Guest House, and Narnia Maldives are famous guest houses worth staying in.
How to reach Maafushi Island?
1. Via Speedboat: From the Male International Airport, one can easily take a speedboat to Maafushi Island. It is always advised to pre-book the speedboat online to avoid any form of inconvenience. The availability of seats, timings and fare can be checked on their respective websites. Typically, it takes around 45 to 50 minutes to reach Maafushi Island via speedboat and costs $25 per individual approximately.
2. Via Ferry: For the ones on a budgeted vacation, the ferry is undoubtedly the best option. From the Male International airport, one should take a ferry to Male island. The ferry experience to Male island will cost around $1 and takes 10 minutes to reach the terminal. After reaching Male island, you possibly can take a taxi to Jetty 1 or the ‘Maafushi Ferry’. This taxi experience costs nearly $2 and takes another 10 mins to reach the ferry terminal. From the jetty, you can take a direct ferry to Maafushi island that costs $3 per individual and a travelling time of almost 90 minutes. Since ferries can’t be booked online, it is advised to purchase the tickets on spot. Kindly note that the ferries don’t operate on Fridays and no meals and water is served on board.
Top things to do on Maafushi island
- Visit the famous Bikini beach in Gulhi island which is less explored and enjoy swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling experiences here in its crystal clear blue waters. It is a 30 minutes boat ride.
- Visit the Floating bar, which is a 5 minutes boat ride from the port. Alcohol is not allowed in Maafushi island but they are allowed here in the floating bar and make sure you grab your beer before sunset here.
- Enjoy a 2-hour Turtle snorkelling experience. Your guesthouses will arrange for organized trips and it costs around $30 USD per person.
- Take a Day trip to one of the luxury resorts which includes lunch, snorkelling and visiting sandbanks. The most popular day trip to resorts are Rannalhi, Fihaalhahi and Olhuveli and it costs around $ 150 USD per person.
- Enjoy the white sandy beaches on a Sandbank trip where this is an island hopping experience and costs around $ 35 USD per person.
- Go for a Fishing trip in a traditional dhoni or a speedboat. The best time is at sunset and if you fish they will cook for you and you can have fresh dinner. It costs around $ 50 USD per person.
- Another popular thing to do in Maafushi Island is Dolphin watching during sunset. The activity costs $30 USD per person and it will take 1-2 hours.
Basic FAQ’s
- Best time to visit Maafushi island: You should make sure to visit Maafushi Island on its sunniest months. The dry season begins in December and lasts until April, so this would be the best time to visit Maafushi Island.
- Currency used and ATM in Maafushi island: There is one ATM in Maafushi the official currency is Maldivian Rufiyaa ($1=15.4 Rufiyaas approximately). Always advisable to carry extra cash when visiting the local islands.
- Wifi and internet connection in Maafushi: You have a good internet connection and most of the guesthouses have Wifi connections. We recommend you to buy a local Sim card(Dhiraagu) to enjoy data connection when wifi is intermittent. It costs around $30 USD for 14 days with 17 GB and $20 USD for 7 days.
- How many days should I spend here: We recommend you at least 3 days in Maafushi Island if you have time for it. You can stay for a week if you plan to have day trips or you just want to relax in Maafushi. The first day you will arrive on time for the sunset if you are coming with the public boat.
- How expensive is Maafushi island: Maafushi is highly value for money stay and is less expensive when compared to the luxurious private island stay. Right from food, travel, and stay you have all these in every bucket range.
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