On my first evening in Maafushi, I ran into another Russian-speaking lady from Moscow. After a brief chat, she asked me if I’ve been here before.
Oh, It’s your first time in Maafushi? It’s even better than Male! In fact, I love Maafushi so much that it’s my sixth time here…
Sixth time?! I asked her with a surprised expression.
That’s right. I’m sure you’ll love it too. And with a smile, she disappeared into the souvenir shop.
Was Maafushi all that it was cracked up to be?
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MAAFUSHI CITY GUIDE
Perfect for …
Seeing a local island – Relaxing at the beach – Day trips
After Male, Maafushi is the natural choice as the next island to travel to. It’s the second most- visited island and the most tourist-friendly in the Maldives! That’s because about a decade ago, the country expanded its tourism and Maafushi was the first local island to build guesthouses exclusively for travelers. Back in the day, the Maldives were only known for their ultra luxurious all-inclusive resorts, so this move really opened up the country to backpackers and budget travelers.
Still not convinced? Let me try to seduce interest you with the top three reasons to visit Maafushi. Look, I even made it into a pretty list ;)
3 Reasons Why You NEED to Visit Maafushi
1. It’s a short(ish) distance from Male – Only 1.5 hours by boat or 30 minutes by speedboat, Maafushi is one of the easiest islands to travel to from Male.
2. Tourist-friendly and cozy– Maafushi is small enough to not get lost but big enough to enjoy for a couple of days. It was one of the first local islands to welcome tourists and has everything from guesthouses, restaurants, and activities. Likewise, it’s very budget friendly: you won’t find any $1,000/night villas here – and you could travel on $50 a day!
3. The perfect introduction to local islands – Maafushi is right in the middle between a bustling city like Male and an all-inclusive resort. It’s hospitable without being super touristy and still retains its Maldivian charm.
How many days do I need in Maafushi?
We were there for two days, which is good enough to get a feel for the island. I recommend 2 to 3 days, although I’ve met people who have stayed there for a week because of how relaxing it was.
Want to read the rest of my travel guide to Maafushi? Check it out below!
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HOW TO GET TO MAAFUSHI
FERRY
To get to the island we took the Male to Maafushi ferry, which cost 30 MVR ($2 USD) and took 1.5 hours. The ferry runs every day except Friday (that’s their day off!) and you can check out the Maafushi ferry timetable below:
Traveling to/from Maafushi on a Friday? Don’t worry! While you can’t take the public ferry, you can still arrange a speedboat transfer. Check out the section below.
SPEEDBOAT
We had to head back to Male on Friday to catch our flight back home the next day, so we opted for a speedboat transfer. This is normally arranged by your hotel or guesthouse, although you can contact companies like iCom to set up a transfer as well. We paid $25 per person for a one-way transfer from Maafushi to Male, which is about the average price.
TRANSPORTATION & GETTING AROUND MAAFUSHI
Fun fact: Maafushi doesn’t allow any cars on the island, so your first (and only) transportation option are your legs. :)
The island is only 1 kilometer by 200 meters wide, so getting from one side to the other is a breeze. Just like the capital, Male, Maafushi is small enough that you can walk the entire perimeter in under an hour (which we did on our first day!) It takes about 10 minutes by motorbike or about 30 minutes by walking.
WHERE TO STAY IN MAAFUSHI
There are around 30-something guesthouses on the island, so you’ll have plenty of options when picking a hotel in Maafushi! Since it’s a smaller island, note that there are no hostels or resorts on Maafushi, but here are some of the best accommodations:
Stingray Beach Inn – Aside from our resort, Stingray Inn was one of the best hotels that I stayed in during my trip to the Maldives – and apparently, everyone else seems to like it too! When we chatted to locals or other travelers and they asked us about our accommodation in Maafushi, the most common answer would be something like “omg, you’re staying at Stingray?? It’s the best hotel on the island!” We had high expectations about this place (before we even got there) and it fulfilled every single one!
When we arrived in Maafushi, there was an employee to greet us from the ferry dock and take our luggage over to the guesthouse. After a short walk, we were personally welcomed inside the guesthouse by the owner, Ibrahim, who sat with us and chatted about the amenities, excursions, and our overall trip. He was extremely kind and set up our entire itinerary that included a day trip (more on that in the Things To Do section below) and a transfer back to Male. Likewise, the entire staff at Stingray were friendly and would smile every time we came back :)
Stingray has10 rooms, which is great because it feels like a boutique hotel where you’ll get special attention. The guesthouse had breakfast included in the room rate, as well as a two-floor cafe/restaurant (with delicious fish btw!) It’s a short walk from all of the major sites, such as restaurants, souvenir stores, and the beach. As a bonus, you could use the amenities (pool, restaurant, jacuzzi) from their sister hotel, Triton Beach, for free. If When I come back to Maafushi, I would love to stay here again.
Agoda || Booking.com || Hotels.com || HotelsCombined
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Velana Beach Maldives *Boutique Hotel* – Velana is one of the only boutique hotels on Maafushi, with a cute tropical vibe in each of the 10 rooms (some rooms have a balcony!) They also offer all-inclusive packages (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) in the garden restaurant.
Agoda || Booking.com || Hotels.com || HotelsCombined
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Kaani Grand Seaview – There are four or five Kaani hotels on Maafushi, but this one is the best rated. Since it’s called Seaview, some of the rooms offer a gorgeous view of the ocean/beach, and breakfast is included in the rate.
Agoda || Booking.com || Hotels.com || HotelsCombined
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WHERE TO EAT IN MAAFUSHI
Although the island might seem small, there are a few nice cafes and restaurants in Maafushi! Here are some of my favorites:
Nero Cafe – Italian food on Maafushi? You better believe it! The pizza here was surprisingly good (considering the fact that Maafushi is over 7,000 km from Rome). I also recommend the Watermelon Mojito for a quick refreshment.
Kaani Beach Restaurant – This restaurant might look upscale, but it’s actually quite affordable – we spent around $15~20 per person! Try the juicy and delicious seafood dishes.
Arena Beach Restaurant – Let me tell you a little secret about traveling to Maafushi on a budget: come to this restaurant. Why? They have a $10 beach buffet! That’s right, for only $10 you can take as much food as your stomach can handle – they have a huge table with a ton of different options, and there’s even a chef grilling meat and veggies on the barbecue.
Stingray Beach Inn – Remember our hotel? They have a (pretty delicious) restaurant as well! After our half-day trip we didn’t feel like going out and searching for a restaurant, so we crashed at our hotel’s cafe. We ordered a huge seafood platter that we split between two people – and it was some of the best seafood that we’ve had the entire trip!
Floating Bar – Finally, if you’re craving a boozy beverage, you can actually have a few beers on Maafushi! Although alcohol is technically illegal in the Maldives, some genius realized that if you take a boat and anchor it offshore, technically it’s not in the country. Voila, a floating bar! Beer costs around $6 here and there’s a neat lounge as well. There’s information on how to get to the bar on their Tripadvisor page. ;)
THINGS TO DO IN MAAFUSHI
Relax on the Beach
First and foremost, check out the bikini beach on Maafushi! It’s easy to access as it’s right across Arena Beach hotel, there are plenty of chairs, and the water is gorgeous. Just make sure that you properly cover up before and after coming to the beach, since there’s a modest dress code on the Maldives (check out my 17 Things to Know Before Traveling to the Maldives post for more info!)
Visiting a Resort Island
If you want to visit a resort island in the Maldives but don’t want to pay the sky-high prices, you can do a resort day tour for much less! Basically, this means you’ll get transported to/from the resort island and you can explore all day: take photos by the overwater bungalows, eat at the restaurant/bar (sometimes you can get resort credit), swim in the ocean, and so on. Prices start at around $70 to $100 per person and can be arranged through your hotel or one of the tour kiosks on the island.
Half-Day Trips
Our initial plan was just to relax for the three days that we were on Maafushi, but being the fidgety travelers that we are, we couldn’t pass up a half-day trip around the island. We booked a fun half-day trip for $30/person through our hotel that included snorkeling at the Biyadhoo Reef (free snorkeling gear and photos were included), turtle watching at Turtle Reef, having lunch at a local “picnic island” (sandbank), and even seeing some dolphins on our way back!
Credit: Unsplash
Snorkeling & Scuba Diving
Snorkeling and scuba diving is one of the most popular activities in Maafushi, and there are plenty of dive shops on the island. Here are the average prices:
Scuba diving – One of the shops offered a single dive (for certified scuba divers) for around $40, a Discover Scuba Diving trip (for non-divers) for $75, and a 2-Day Course for $315.
Snorkeling – Our hotel had a few snorkeling trips, with one place going for $15, two places for $20, and 3 places for $25.
Water Sports
Although we personally didn’t do any water sports on Maafushi, there were some travelers that we met who highly recommended jetskiing. The island has a ton of water activities including windsurfing, waterskiing, jetskiing, flyboarding, parasailing, kayaking, kitesurfing, paddleboarding. Just ask your hotel or one of the local tour kiosks for more info and they’ll be happy to arrange something. :)
Fishing
Fishing is another popular activity on Maafushi, with prices being around $80 for a morning fishing trip and around $25 for a sunset fishing trip (with BBQ dinner included!).
That’s it for my island guide to Maafushi! Let me know if you’re planning to visit this colorful and friendly island, and as always, happy travels!
