The Ultimate Guide To Visiting Gulhi Island Maldives 2024
Gulhi Island Maldives Table of Contents
Transport | Things to do | Where to eat | Where to stay | ATM | Money | Alcohol
Gulhi Island Maldives
Gulhi Island Maldives is one of my favourite islands in the Maldives. Situated in the Kaatu Atoll it is only a 30-minute speedboat from Male airport. Gulhi is a lot quieter than other islands and therefore has a more relaxed feel. Gulhi Island is great for snorkelling and diving. It is a small island, and walking around the whole island takes just 15 minutes.
If you are staying in Maafushi, Gulhi can be a perfect day trip on the public ferry which leaves at 7.25 am and comes back to Maafushi at 4.15 pm. This would cost you $4 for a return trip. Here is the ferry schedule.
First time in the Maldives? here is everything you need to know before you go.
How to get to Gulhi Island Maldives
Public Ferry
The cheapest and least convenient option is to get the public ferry. Be warned this goes from Male City NOT Velena National Airport. You will need to get the ferry from the airport to Male City and then change ferries. Also, the public ferry comes once a day and doesn’t run on Fridays. Having said this it can cost $2-$5 for a one-way trip – super affordable if you don’t mind the faff.
To pay there is either a booth so you can pay before you board, otherwise you pay on board. They accept cash only (USD or MVR).
I took the public ferry from Maafushi to Gulhi which left at 7.25 am and arrived at Gulhi at 7.45 am. This cost $2.
You may have a long wait time to get the public ferry as the schedule is either really early or mid-afternoon. I would therefore recommend the speedboat for convenience and time saving especially if you are only in the Maldives for a short period of time.
Speedboat
The next affordable means of transport from the airport to Gulhi is by speedboat. This is just under 30 minutes direct from the airport to Gulhi. I arranged my speedboat with my hotel which booked it for me. I would advise getting in touch with your hotel and making sure they book this for you, as there have been occasions where people could not get on as it was fully booked.
Also, note the speedboat comes 3-4 times a day so you may have to wait a while, depending on when your flight arrives. It costs $25 one way. It does however run on Fridays unlike the public ferry but it is not as frequent.
Private Speedboat
If your flight comes in at an awkward time you may need to get a private speedboat. This is expensive and is not recommended. A couple on my excursion paid $150 from Gulhi to Velena Airport in Male at 6:30 am.
Things to do in Gulhi Island Maldives
Bikini Beach
Although Bikini Beach on Gulhi is free, you did have to pay for a sunbed if you weren’t staying at certain hotels. This is at $10 a day! They were really strict about it as I was just sitting on one and they tried to make me pay. You can however place your towel on the sand – this was free of charge if you didn’t want to hire a sunbed or weren’t planning on being there long.
Be sure to check out the I love Gulhi swing in the ocean. It does get very busy but it is definitely worth a swing. You can’t miss it on Bikini Beach Gulhi Island Maldives.
Support locals at the Market Stalls
En route to Bikini Beach, you will find lots of market stalls where the locals have a selection of clothing and jewellery for sale. These are really affordable and being a tourist they will try and lure you in. I did purchase a turtle necklace, a magnet and a cover-up from the stalls so it definitely worth taking a look.
Snorkelling half day trip Nurse Sharks
I did a half-day snorkelling trip in the morning (I advise going in the morning when the sun isn’t as strong). It included photos and videos and transfers to and from the hotel. I had a better camera so I asked for them to use my camera instead. I opted to see the nurse sharks and my excursion also included a visit to a sandbank.
Gulhi Beach South End
Gulhi Beach South End is the perfect sunset spot. You can also sit on the Gulhi Pier if you prefer to sit on a bench. Keep a look out as you can find nurse sharks swimming around the area.
Nurse Sharks Feeding
At the harbour, during certain times of the day, the fisherman will gut the fish and chuck them into the ocean. This attracts nurse sharks who come to eat the gutted fish. I found them at 7:45 am when I got off the public ferry.
Where to eat in Gulhi Island Maldives
Hotel Fulhoi
When I did research on where to eat Hotel Fulhoi was on all the lists I looked at so I had to try it and it did not disappoint. I opted for the Reef Fish and it was delicious (even after all the deboning).
Benha Restaurant
The top-rated restaurant on Google is Benha Restaurant on Gulhi Island Maldives. You have a choice of sitting inside or outside (I opted for inside as I went for dinner and the mosquitos were out to get me). Prices were reasonable and the food was very nice.
Dhilakani Cafe
Another cafe that has very high reviews on Google. I would recommend Dhilakani Cafe for lunch or a small bite to eat and coffee.
Where to stay in Gulhi Island Maldives
Ocean Pearl Maldives at Gulhi
I stayed in Ocean Pearl Maldives for 2 nights in Gulhi Island Maldives. It was so affordable at £26pp per night. The rooms were clean, and a good size and free breakfast was included in the rate. Breakfast was not located at the guesthouse and was a 1 minute walk up some stairs to a cafe. For breakfast, there was a choice of Continental and Lavista (which is the one I opted for as it contained chicken sausages, an omelette, pineapple, watermelon, toast with butter and jam, coffee and water.)
My room was upstairs and there was no lift. The staff kindly brought my suitcase up the stairs for me.
Beach Stone Maldives
Very close to Bikini Beach is the Beach Stone Maldives. I met a lady who was staying here and she recommended it. Although it is more expensive than Ocean Pearl Maldives if you stay at Beach Stone you can use the sunbeds on Bikini Beach for free. Breakfast which is also included in the rate was at Hotel Fulhoi.
Aimi Hotel
The half-day excursion that I participated in Gulhi was from the Aimi Hotel. It seems very popular with both indoor and outdoor seating available. The breakfast rate was also included in the price. This hotel has beautiful views of Gulhi Island.
Sandy Haven Maldives Guihi
Another popular place to stay is Sandy Haven. They offer daily excursions from Sandy Haven and you don’t need to stay there to take part.
Tropic Tree Hotel Maldives Gulhi
Tropic Tree Hotel Maldives Gullhi is a small hotel that has just 12 rooms and is another popular place to stay in Gulhi.
In regards to the area, Gulhi Island Maldives is a small island and all hotels and guesthouses are really easy to get to from anywhere.
Does Gulhi Island Maldives have an ATM?
Yes! It is right by Gulhi Beach South End. This is a self-service ATM by the Bank of Maldives.
Gulhi Island Maldives Card or Cash?
Mainly cash. My accommodation charged me a 3% fee if you paid by card. I was also advised that it was cheaper to pay in United States Dollars (USD) instead of the local currency Maldivian Ruffiya (MVR). Some restaurants accepted cards and some didn’t so it is advised to have some cash on you just in case.
Advice: Bring United States Dollars (USD) with you to Guhi Island Maldives for accommodation to save money.
Alcohol Maldives
Due to the Maldives being a Muslim country alcohol is not served on local islands (apart from Maafushi). You can get alcohol on resort islands and floating bars or boats. I have been told alcohol is on the expensive side for this reason.
