Maldives maafushi What to know Before you go 2024
Maldives Maafushi
Maafushi is where public tourism began in the Maldives. It is known for its guesthouse tourism and it has over 50! For a small island with just under 2,000 people, it seems a lot. In Maafushi you will find a lot of tourists more than local people. There are many excursions including half-day and full-day trips as well as day trips to resort islands or transfers widely available on the island. It is therefore a perfect base for your Maldives on a budget stay.
How do you get to Maafushi from Male?
public Ferry Maldives Maafushi
When you arrive at Velena International Airport in Male you will need to head to the jetties. When you come out of arrivals go straight and cross the road. A word of warning, there are a lot of jetties here however the public ferry is to your left – you can’t miss it. They have a booth where you can buy a ticket, you will need to head to Male City. The ferry comes every 15 minutes.
To find out more about the public ferries in the Maldives click here.
In Male City, you will then need to buy another ticket to get to Maafushi. The ferry comes at 3 pm from Saturday to Thursday. The public ferry does not run on Fridays. It takes 90 minutes to get to Maafushi from Male Airport and only comes once a day so if you miss it you will need to take a speedboat to Maafushi.
Maldives Maafushi Speedboat
You can get a speedboat from Velena International Airport, no need to head to Male City. This therefore is the most convenient mode of transport to Maafushi, plus it is faster. It takes just under 30 minutes. The speedboat comes 3-4 times a day and costs $25 for a one-way journey.
To book I got in touch with my hotel who booked the speedboat for me. The hotel will also arrange transfers from the port to the hotel free of charge.
Maafushi Maldives Hotel – where to stay?
Velana Beach Maafushi Hotel Maldives
I stayed at the Velana Beach Maafushi Hotel Maldives as the rooms cost just under £40 a night (so £20 for two people) and this included breakfast. The rooms had AC which was very nice, and toiletries including shampoo, tea and coffee facilities.
Triton Beach and Spa Hotel Maldives Maafushi
The second hotel I stayed in the Maldives Maafushi was Triton Beach and Spa Hotel. This hotel had a swimming pool, gym, and spa, and it was just a short walk to Bikini Beach. It was also around £40 per night with breakfast.
Arena Beach Hotel Maldives Maafushi
Right by Bikini Beach Maafushi you will find Arena Beach Hotel. I found this hotel incredibly popular due to its beachside location and views of the ocean. You can get a sea view room however these rooms were around £120-150 a night, although this may not seem a lot you can get a cheaper room (with no view) or another cheaper hotel which will only be a short walk away.
Arena Beach Hotel Maldives Maafushi has its own sunbeds so you don’t need to wake up early and claim them as they are included in your stay.
Where to eat in Maldives Maafushi
There are a lot of places to eat in Maafushi. I would recommend the tuna dishes (particularly the steak) as the tuna is caught locally. If fish is not your thing there are many restaurants available to suit your taste buds including Chinese and Italian.
semolina seafood restaurant Maafushi Island
This was a highly recommended seafood restaurant that did not disappoint. They had a huge range of seafood options. You can also pay with a card here.
sapphire cafe maafushi
Sapphire Cafe has outdoor seating and I found it to be very dark as it had limited lighting. This was my go-to place for lunch and some coffee.
Stingray Beach Inn Maafushi Maldives
Surrounded by coconut trees is Stingray Beach Inn Maafushi Maldives. This restaurant was very popular in the evening. The fresh coconut from here was cheap and very nice.
Things to do in Maafushi Maldives
Bikini Beach Maafushi Maldives
In front of Arena Beach Hotel, you will find Bikini Beach Maafushi Maldives. This is surprisingly small (compared to other Bikini Beaches on other local islands such as Gulhi) and way more crowded. The water I found to be more murkier but still a great place to read, tan and swim.
If you are not staying at a participating hotel some locals may give you a menu to buy drinks. When I refused they said I had to buy a drink to use the sunbeds, however, this was my third day in Maafushi and this is the first time this has happened. I did ask and another local told me the sunbeds were free so I would claim a sunbed and when I got told to move, I moved to a different sunbed. Honestly, I’m not sure about the rules myself.
Arena Water Sports
To the left of Bikini Beach, you can find Arena Water Sports. Here you can do parasailing, kayaking and jet skiing. Activities are priced per person however the parsailing was $60 so for two people that would be $30 each however by yourself it is still $60 which I think is a lot.
Also, note you cannot wear a bikini on this beach. I would recommend a long-sleeved top and leggings, you will also get given a life jacket.
Maldives Maaafushi Coconut Trees Walkway
Maldives Maafushi has coconut trees on either side of a walkway which you can walk down. Great for your Instagram pictures.
Maafushi Outdoor Gym
If your hotel doesn’t have a gym there is an outdoor gym on the island. I would recommend using this in the early morning or evening as it is far too hot to be working out in this heat.
Maafushi Maldives Excursions
I would highly recommend excursions when in Maafushi Maldives. There are a lot of tour companies that all offer different packages, You can get a half day, or a full day to see nurse sharks, turtles, dolphins and sting rays. There are different locations on offer that vary in distance as some are a good hour’s boat ride away.
You can even visit a resort island for the day. This cheaper alternative offers you lunch or dinner (including alcohol) as well as transfers to Maafushi for $110 or more (I guess this would depend on which resort island you go to and how far away it is).
Both the half-day and full-day tours offer a towel, snorkel equipment, lunch included fruits as well as photos and videos of your excursions all included in the price. I did a half-day tour to see the turtles and fish at Coral Garden which cost $30 for the half-day and included all the above. You pick up the photos and videos in the evening and they send it to your phone.
Money in Maldives Maafushi
The local currency in the Maldives is the Maldivian Rufiyaa however all the restaurants and hotels in Maldives Maafushi accept United States Dollars (USD) as a form of payment. Maldivian Rufiyaa is a non-convertible currency so you can only get it in the Maldives, you can find more information here.
Unlike Gulhi Island Maldives, Maafushi didn’t charge me a 3% fee to use a card so I paid by card for my hotels. Just make sure that your card doesn’t charge you the foreign exchange fee.
Although a lot of restaurants in Maafushi did accept card payments a few smaller cafes and stalls didn’t so it is a good idea to take some cash with you.
There is a self-service ATM in Maldives Maafushi if you do need to take more money out. Just remember that Maldivian Rufiyaa is a non-convertible currency so you cannot exchange this money when you get home.
Maafushi Maldives Map
Maldives Maafushi Map
