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10 Awesome Things to Do in Maafushi Island (Maldives)!

After our wedding, we decided to visit the local island of Maafushi in Maldives for a mini honeymoon. It was an awesome holiday and in this article we have compiled a list of ten fun things to do here. Maafushi is a local island located at the South Male Atoll. It is a local name that means “Big Island” (Maa means “Big” and fushi means “The island”). We decided to stay on a local island this time round as we had already experienced living in the luxury resort island Baros Maldives previously and we wanted to try something different.

Maafushi is an idyllic island destination that provides the ideal balance between convenience and lifestyle. It is an easily accessible location that is just a 45-minute speedboat ride away from Male Airport. The first tourist guesthouse on the local island was only built in 2009, and since then more tourist accommodations have been steadily springing up across the island. However, Maafushi is still not overly commercialised (yet), and staying on the rustic island provided interesting insights into the local culture. At the same time, we had loads of fun as there were plenty of beach/sea activities as well as great food.

It is best to visit this island soon to admire its beauty. This is because about 180 metres of the beach have been washed away in the past 15 years, and before long there may not be much beach left on Maafushi. This article was last updated on 12 July 2019.

1. Beaches


Maafushi has four main beaches. You can refer to the map of Maafushi above to see where the respective beaches are located.
1. Bikini Beach
2. Public Beach
3. Water Sports Beach
4. Coral Beach

1A. Bikini Beach





Bikini Beach is located on the northern end of the island, in front of Arena Beach Hotel.

Only this beach allows beach goers to be clad in skimpy swimwear (bikinis for ladies and topless for men). It is illegal to expose your skin in public on other parts of the island.

This is a beautiful beach with soft white sand, swaying palm trees and turquoise waters under the limitless blue skies.

We had loads of fun frolicking in the crystalline shallow waters, and we realized that we could venture very far out from the beach as the water remained shallow for quite a distance and the sand was very soft and easy to walk on.

After we got tired, we bought a cold coconut from the beach stall and sipped on the refreshing cold juice while lazing on the sun loungers ($5 rental fee) under the palm trees.

This is a great place to just enjoy the beach, the sun, and the beautiful sea. However, we discovered that there were two more beaches further north of the island.

1B. Public Beach


These two Public Beaches were much quieter and we did not see any tourists here at all. Instead, there were only a handful of locals frolicking in the waters and playing on the beach.

The beach is wider and offered a more paranomic view of the azure sea. I really enjoyed strolling along the public beach to revel in its serenity.

It is directly adjacent to the Bikini Beach, and you can get to it simply by walking past the building with the red roof in the picture below.

The only downside is that there is not much sand on the beach here. But we felt that these two beaches are truly hidden gems, especially for people who dislike crowds.

1C. Water Sports Beach





Beside the harbour is the Water Sports Beach. We strolled along the beach here to enjoy the scenery but didn’t go into the waters as there were many water activities going on. At sunset, tables are set up along the beach for an elegant and romantic dinner setting.

1D. Coral Beach



Towards the southern end of the island, there is another beach named Coral Beach. We guessed that it is so named because there are plenty of dried corals on the beach.

The beach doesn’t have much sand, but it offers a scenic view of the sea and we took some pretty photos here.

2. Snorkeling / Diving







For snorkeling, we went for a half-day tour with our hotel, Velana Beach Hotel. We booked the tour one day in advance.

It consisted of snorkeling at three reefs (Banana reef, Turtle Reef, and Biyadhoo Reef), a sandbank visit, and a dolphin safari (aka Dolphin watching)!

The tour requires a minimum of four people and costs USD70 per person. If there are five persons or more, the price goes down to USD50.

Velana Beach organized the trip very well and we were very grateful for the great experience. We enjoyed snorkeling at the various reefs, and saw a myriad of colourful fishes and corals. There were soft drinks and sandwiches provided on the boat as well.

Other hotels and agencies on the island also provide similar tours, with some having better prices than others.

One popular agency is iCom Tours, which is ranked top in TripAdvisor. It is located very near the harbour, facing the sea. You can book the tour one day in advance at their office.

iCom Tours
Website: https://icomtours.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/icomtours
Phone: +960 7902069 / +960 7792069
Email: info@icomtours.com

We didn’t try diving, but according to TripAdvisor, Maldives Passions Dive School is one of the best diving centres on the island.

It offers SSI and PADI diving courses. The centre is located very near Arena Beach Hotel; you can click here to see its location. If you are a diver, make sure you experience the myriad of beautiful marine life in Maldives!

Maldives Passions Dive School
Website: www.maldives-passions.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Maldives.Passions
Phone: +960 7776877
Email: marc@maldives-passions.com

3. Sandbank



The visit to the sandbank did not disappoint too. It was located in the midst of crystalline turquoise waters that blended into the azure blue sea.

It felt surreal to sit on the pristine white sand and enjoy the gorgeous sea view.


Our guide entertained us by digging up crabs from the various ghost crab holes on the sandbank. It was simultaneously amazing and hilarious to see him reaching his hand deep into the sand holes and pulling out the struggling crabs.

He then released the helpless crabs, and I had fun chasing them until they escaped into another hole.

Even though we saw some wild sea vegetation and a few small piles of rubbish scattered around, on the whole the sandbank was definitely a beautiful spot that we did not regret visiting.

4. Dolphin Safari




We might not have been lucky enough to spot turtles at the Turtles Reef, but we did manage to see an entire school of magnificent dolphins!

I was daydreaming on the boat when I suddenly heard gasps of excitement from other people on the speedboat.


I looked up and realized that we were cruising right beside dozens of dolphins! They didn’t all surface at the same time, but based on my observation the pod probably consisted of about 50 dolphins.

The sight was breathtaking, to say the least.


The dolphins were all around us, swimming in front of the boat as well as alongside. I moved to the bow to get a closer look and the dolphins in front were so close that it felt like I could almost touch them!

A few playful ones that were further away even leaped out of the water to perform elegant flips.

We had been informed by the guide beforehand that the chance of spotting the dolphins were 50-50, and therefore I did not harbour high hopes.

And so when the dolphins appeared I was ecstatic. It was truly a surreal experience and definitely the highlight of our trip!

5. Stay at Velana Beach Hotel



During our holiday in Maafushi, we had many activities every day and were usually completely spent by the end of the day. Therefore, we were grateful that we were able to return to our super comfortable room at Velana Beach Hotel every night.

After reading Velana’s great reviews on TripAdvisor, we decided to stay at this premier boutique hotel even though it charges a slight premium over other hotels.


And it was worth every single cent as the room was extremely well-furnished. It had a modern chic decor with a king-sized bed that was super comfy.

Water was replenished every day too. It felt great to return to such a pleasant room at the end of a tiring day!

Velana Beach is located in a tranquil location facing the sea, offering us serenity at night when we were resting. At the same time, the hotel is a short five-minute walk away from the bustling Bikini Beach, which ensured that we were never too far away from the action.



The hotel also offers sumptuous breakfast and fine dining at its signature Kaalama Restaurant. We enjoyed our meals here very much!

Velana Beach Hotel
Address: Miskyy Magu Maafushi 08090 Maldives
Facebook: www.facebook.com/velanahotels
Website: www.velanahotels.com
Email: sales@velanahotels.com
Phone: +960 7920044 / +960 7920088

6. Luxury Resort Excursion



We booked a one-day resort excursion to Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives through iCom Tours. The tour was booked one day in advance.

We paid USD 120 each which covered the entrance fee, transport fee, and even included a sumptuous buffet lunch as well as unlimited drinks (including alcohol).


This is a luxury resort island, and it is the typical image that comes to mind when people think of Maldives. It was indeed beautiful, and we spent some time taking photos with the overwater villas perched on crystalline waters.

Afterwards, we went to the pool bar to get our free cocktail and beer before lazing on the beach chairs facing the sea.


For lunch, we had buffet at the resort’s Oceans Restaurant. The restaurant had a dreamy interior decor with pretty lights and stylish furnishings. We enjoyed the buffet which had a decent spread and all the food tasted delicious.

For the rest of the day, we spent our time between lazing in the pool and lying on the beach chairs, enjoying the unlimited drinks.

Service was a little inconsistent, with one  staff constantly trying to sell us food and champagne, and making sarcastic remarks when we declined.

But on the whole, we had a very pleasant day here and left at about 6pm. You can check out the best prices and reviews of Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives.

7. Explore Maafushi and Experience the Local Culture



We spent about one hour exploring Maafushi. Even though it is a small island with a slow pace of life, there were still many interesting attractions. The best attraction is of course the beautiful beaches, which we have described in point 1 above.


It was interesting to walk through the main street (see map above) and experience the local culture. We saw various local convenience stores, hair salons, a football pitch, a police station, a clinic, a bank, a city council building, bistros and local homes. This was definitely a self-sufficient island.


There was even a small gym that was quite decently equipped. This was great for gym-goers like me since none of the hotels on Maafushi have gyms. Below are details of the gym:

Gym Name: FitPro
Opening hours: Daily 9am to 11am, 2pm to 11pm
Price: Day pass USD10 (USD5 between 9am and 11am)


There were many locals going about their daily activities. We realised that many of them liked to laze on chairs outside their homes. This was definitely a refreshing sight, especially for city-dwellers like us who have hectic lifestyles.


We also saw a group of teenagers playing football, a highly popular sport in Maldives.

Maldives is an Islamic country, and we could definitely see strong Muslim influences everywhere. Even though Maafushi has a population of less than 3000, it still has two large Mosques.


When we walked past the Maafushi School, we saw several cartoons painted on the school walls advocating good values, and one of the values was “Practising Islam”.


At the end of the main street on the far south side of the island, we found the daunting Maafushi Prison. It looked pretty imposing and is surrounded by a metal fence with menacing jagged edges. If I were a prisoner, I would definitely think twice before attempting to climb the fence.

8. Water Sports



Active Watersports Maafushi is an agency on the island that offers plenty of activities for water sports lovers. You can book the activities on the day itself at the booth. It is located near the harbour facing the sea.


We walked past the booth one day and was approached by Kefu, a really friendly staff who explained the list of activities to us patiently. There are loads of water activities available, such as jet-skiing, windsurfing, parasailing, sailing, knee boarding, banana boat, fishing, canoeing, and even flyboarding!

We checked the prices of a few activities and it was USD10 for canoeing / stand-up paddle surfing, USD75 for flyboarding, and USD130 for parasailing (two persons).

We originally wanted to try parasailing but the price was out of our budget. But it would definitely be a good idea to canoe in the beautiful waters.

Active Watersports Maafushi
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Active-Watersports-Maafushi-1482354375347742
Instagram: www.instagram.com/activewatersportsmaafushi
Phone: +960 7770514 / +960 7765202 / +960 7765449

9. Night Fishing


We also tried our hands at Sunset Line Fishing in Maafushi, which was a fun experience. The trip was booked through our hotel, Velana Beach Hotel, and cost just USD 20.

We went out to sea at around 5pm on a spacious fishing boat.

The boat crew provided us with long fishing lines that were coiled up. At the end of the fishing line was a hook with a sizeable chunk of sliced fish serving as our bait.

Following the crew’s instructions, I released the fishing line down about 20 metres into the sea. This was my first attempt at fishing and I was pretty excited.

Within minutes, I felt a subtle tug on my line, which eventually became a strong pull and I had to hold on tight to the fishing line.

I had caught the first fish of my life!

I pull up the fishing line enthusiastically and rapidly, ready to admire my catch and to show off my trophy catch to every one on the boat.

After a few minutes of pulling, I finally managed to pull up the entire fishing line! But something was wrong.

There was no fish on the hook, but my bait was gone.

Suffice to say, I was disappointed and the wife had a good time laughing at me. My earlier enthusiasm and gloating (because I had caught a fish faster than her) certainly did not help the case too. I guessed that the fish escaped because of the way I had pull up the line.

Therefore, I learnt my lesson and whenever I felt a tug on my fishing line later, I would ask the fishing crew to help with pulling up the fish. True enough, they were experts and managed to help me catch quite a few fishes!


Even though it was the crew who helped me to pull up and unhook the fish, I liked to think that it was me who had managed to bait them in the first place using my superior fishing technique.

On the whole it was a fun experience fishing amidst the orange glow of the setting sun, and eventually under a black sky full of twinkling stars.

The crew helped us to catch many more fishes, and later at night the restaurant cooked the fishes for the seven of us who had gone for the fishing trip. It was done Maldivian style with spices and curry, and tasted awesome.

It felt nice to sit in Velana Beach Hotel’s airy garden and dine with the rest of the guests under the starry night.

10. Floating Bar and Safari



Last but definitely not least, Maafushi also offers a Floating Bar and Safari that is located about three minutes away from the shore by boat.

It offers Italian and fusion food, but the main reason that people come here is because it is the only place in Maafushi that serves alcohol.

Islamic law prohibits consumption of alcohol on local islands, therefore the restaurant managed to work around this prohibition by offering alcohol on an offshore boat.

We went to the Floating Bar at night, and the boat was lighted up with colorful neon lights. We went to the second floor of the boat which was lighted in a similar psychedelic fashion. There were several comfortable lounge chairs around too.


I ordered a Tiger Beer (USD 6), and we had a good time chatting and relaxing on the boat.


I walked around the boat and found a cool entertainment room on the first floor equipped with a large television, a karoke system and a comfy sofa. There were also several DVDs for people to enjoy movies.

Using our drone, we found out that there is even a lounge area at the front of the boat! I can imagine how awesome it must be to chill out there with a glass of champagne in hand.

To get to the floating bar, we asked our hotel to help arrange a small dinghy to bring us over. It was free. You can ask your hotel to arrange too, or you can call the Floating Bar’s number which is listed as +960 763 0899 on TripAdvisor.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Ultimate Maafushi Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?

72 Comments and Questions

  • Syazwani
    09 Oct 17

    Thank you so much for sharing. I’m going to Maafushi this week and had no idea what to do. This article has helped me a lot.

  • Evan
    10 Oct 17

    No problem! We are really happy to hear that. Have a wonderful time in Maafushi =)

  • parminder singh
    28 Nov 18

    Hi we are travelling to Maafushi in January. Lovely review, very educative, thank you! It’s a great help.

  • Evan
    29 Nov 18

    Hi parminder, thank you so much for your kind words, I’m happy you found the article useful =)

  • Nikitha Selvakumar
    12 Nov 17

    everything i needed to know! thank you guys

  • Evan
    13 Nov 17

    No problem! Enjoy your trip! 🙂

  • TW
    24 Jan 18

    Planning to go in May! Thanks for your info =)

  • Evan
    25 Jan 18

    Glad you found our information useful. Enjoy!

  • Vaida
    30 Jan 18

    Wow this post is great. All the information are in one place. Since I am on Maafushi Island right now I can use a lot of these ideas to plan my days here. Thank you.

  • Evan
    30 Jan 18

    Hi Vaida, I am glad you found the post useful, have a wonderful time in Maafushi =)

  • nica
    22 Mar 18

    Thank you, this has all the information I need for my trip in April.

  • Evan
    23 Mar 18

    Glad you found our article useful! Enjoy yourself in Maafushi!

  • Jef
    22 Mar 18

    How much is the floating bar and safari?

  • Evan
    23 Mar 18

    Hi Jef, we asked our hotel (Velana Hotel) to arrange the transport to the Floating Bar and it was free.

  • Alex
    04 Apr 18

    Thank you for sharing. We will be there this weekend, hope things go smoothly.

  • Evan
    05 Apr 18

    Enjoy your trip! =)

  • A
    10 Apr 18

    Hi! How did you get to the sandbank and how much did it cost? Are the prices for the water sports per hour or unlimited?

  • Evan
    10 Apr 18

    Hi A! For the sandbank tour, we booked it as part of a package tour through our hotel (Velana Beach). It consists of snorkelling, a sandbank visit, and dolphin watching. The tour costs USD70 per person for four people, and goes down to USD50 if there are five people or more. I believe the prices are for the duration of the activities.

  • Shweta
    17 Apr 18

    Thanks, your article was very helpful. I am in Maafushi now and was unsure about taking the resort tour. But now I will definitely do so.

  • Evan
    18 Apr 18

    I’m glad to hear that! Which resort tour did you sign up for? Let us know how it goes!

  • Iliyan
    05 May 18

    A wonderfully written and most importantly helpful post about this island. I plan to go to Maafushi in January 2019! Thank you indeed guys!

  • Evan
    06 May 18

    you’re welcome! Have a great time in Maafushi.

  • Iera
    08 Jun 18

    Thanks for the article. I’m going to Maafushi at the end of this month and this would be my first time visiting. So basically, the currency used there is USD and not MVR?

  • Evan
    10 Jun 18

    Hi Lera! Yes the main currency used in Maafushi is USD. Make sure your USD dollars are in small denominations! They accept MVR as well but it is definitely more convenient to use USD.

  • Avinash Sheth
    19 Jun 18

    Great article, thanks for the insight! It helped to clarify quite a few questions I had. But I have another question: which currency should we carry around, Dollar or their local currency? Every activity that you have mentioned is charged in American dollars, so do they give proper change for USD?

  • Evan
    19 Jun 18

    I would recommend that you carry around USD in Maafushi. They definitely have change for USD but the smaller establishments like restaurants and convenience shops may not have change for big amounts. Therefore, make sure your American dollars are in small denominations! They use MVR (their local currency) too but USD is definitely the more widely-used currency on the island.

  • Avinash
    19 Jun 18

    Thanks. For the 1 day resort visit you guys selected Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives, did they allow you to enter water villas? Because one of your pictures was on the nets near the water villa. And quite a few pictures were outside the water villa rooms?

  • Evan
    20 Jun 18

    Hi Avinash, no we were not allowed to go into the water villas area. The picture on the net was taken at a bar facing the water villas. Yup, we were taking photos at the entrance of the water villas, but we didn’t go in.

  • SHARENA MOHAMED
    29 Sep 18

    I will be going Maafushi in early Dec. I’m glad I came across your website. Just wondering if you did any snorkelling? Do they also do tours to snorkel with manta rays?

  • Evan
    30 Sep 18

    Hi Sharena! Yes we did snorkelling, it’s in activity number two above in our article. Yes, ICOM Tours does manta snorkelling tours, you can check out their website for more details! https://icomtours.com

  • Shirish
    04 Oct 18

    Hi, thank you so much for the information. I am also planning to visit Maafushi in January 2019. How many days have you been there. And how much in total did the Maafushi tour cost you? Please reply, thanks.

  • Evan
    05 Oct 18

    Hi Shirish, you’re very welcome. We visited for around 5 days. You can check out our detailed Maafushi five day itinerary to see our daily activities and the breakdown of the costs.

  • Maged
    10 Oct 18

    Thanks, this is very useful information.
    My trip is coming soon on 19th Nov 2018.

  • Evan
    10 Oct 18

    Hi Maged you’re welcome!

  • sameer
    11 Oct 18

    Is there a good 4 or 5 star hotel located in or right next to the Bikini Beach?

    Is there any kids play area on Maafushi?

    Are there a lot of foreigners?

  • Evan
    11 Oct 18

    Hi Sameer,

    The Arena Beach Hotel is a great hotel located at Bikini Beach.

    I don’t think there is any kids play area on Maafushi.

    Yes, during our visit the island was teeming with tourists of multiple nationalities.

  • Catherine
    20 Oct 18

    Hi great well-written article.
    I have a few questions as I am going in December and I’m actually worried it’s not going to be what it’s cracked up to be as the picture I envisaged of the Maldives.

    When walking around can you wear shorts and sleeveless tops, or do you have to cover your arms and legs even on the public beaches?

    Can you not even get a cocktail or wine with your meals at night or anything on the local island?

  • Evan
    20 Oct 18

    Hi Catherine!

    On Maafushi, you are only allowed to wear skimpy swimwear (bikinis for ladies and topless for men) at Bikini Beach. It is illegal to be overly-exposed on other parts of the island. However, if you are talking about shorts and sleeveless tops, it should be fine as long as you are decently clad.

    No, it is not possible to get alcohol on the main Maafushi island. However, there is a small yacht located about three minutes offshore by boat that sells alcohol. To get there, you can ask your hotel to arrange for transportation.

  • Mille
    13 Nov 18

    How much did you pay to go to the gym?

  • Evan
    13 Nov 18

    Hi Mille, thanks for your question. The gym opens daily from 9am to 11am, and 2pm to 11pm. The day pass costs USD10 (USD5 between 9am and 11am).

  • Traveling family
    29 Nov 18

    Hello! Great informative blog posts. What are the hotel rates where you stayed, if you don’t mind me asking? What other options on the island would you recommend for lodging with two kids ages 5 and 7? We are on a budget but would not mind paying a little more for comfort and amenities. Any input would be truly appreciated! Keep up the great work!

  • Evan
    30 Nov 18

    Hi Traveling family, thanks! You can check out our article on the best places to stay in Maafushi for all the information =)

  • Rustam
    03 Dec 18

    Thank you so much, your article is so helpful!

    Next week I’ll be going there and I booked Arena Beach Hotel. Is it in direction of bikini beaches? Anyway are all beaches are free to go there? Thanks a lot once again.

  • Evan
    04 Dec 18

    Hi Rustam! You’re very welcome. Arena Beach Hotel is located directly on Bikini Beach. Yes all beaches are free in Maafushi!

  • Nailah
    07 Dec 18

    Hi!

    Your article is really helpful to me as I will be travelling to Maafushi soon!

    May I know,did you explore Maafushi’s streets solely on foot? I’ll be bringing my 1 year old niece too, so to travel on foot with her will be a daunting task =)

  • Evan
    09 Dec 18

    Hi Nailah!
    Yes, we explored the streets solely on foot. The island is really small, measuring just 1.3km in length and 0.3km in width, so it should not be a problem at all. There were a few small cafes along the streets too =)

  • Preetam
    10 Dec 18

    Thanks a lot buddy, your blog was the only research source I needed to plan my holiday. I have booked the Arena Beach Hotel for a 5 day trip. There are just a couple of questions I need your help on:

    1) For the Centara Ras Fushi excursion, you mentioned alcohol is included in the package. Is it just one drink per person or unlimited?

    2) Can you buy souvenirs on Maafushi, what are the recommended items, average costs, and do they accept credit cards?

    3) Where can you book these day trips?

  • Evan
    11 Dec 18

    Hi Preetam! You’re very welcome. Below are the answers to your questions:

    1) The house pours were unlimited! But I think you would need to pay for the other more expensive types of alcohol.

    2) Yes there are several shops in Maafushi selling the usual souvenir items (magnets, keychains, etc). No they do not accept credit cards.

    3) You can simply book the day trips through your hotel (most hotels on Maafushi can help their guests to book day trips), or at iCom Tours (a popular tour agency on the island). The various hotels and agencies offer different day trips at varying prices so you can do some comparisons first before booking.

  • Alex Chan
    10 Jan 19

    Excellent write up Evan.

    My family is flying there in April and staying at Maafushi. Good information.
    Btw, is the ferry terminal located near the airport at Male, and will it reach Maafushi directly (and can I purchase tickets at the terminal too).

    We will need to kill some time at the airport (arrive 11am, ferry at 3pm ), what are good things to do around there (eg. any provision shops to stock up before taking the ferry).

    I would love to hear from someone who has been there before. Many thanks.

  • Evan
    11 Jan 19

    Hi Alex, thanks for your kind words!

    No, you cannot go to Maafushi directly from the airport. You need to catch a ferry to Male Island, and take another ferry from there to Maafushi. For more details you can check out my article on how to get to Maafushi.

    Yes there are several restaurants at the airport! And there is duty-free shopping too. Click here for more details.

    Enjoy your trip!

  • Farah
    18 Mar 19

    Wow Evan! Such a great article. Very informative! I love to read this.

  • Evan
    19 Mar 19

    Thanks for your kind words Farah =)

  • Eloi
    22 Mar 19

    Hi, just wondering, how did you go around? Is it by just walking or did you need to rent a motorbike?

  • Evan
    23 Mar 19

    Hello Eloi! We simply walked around the small island! There is no need to use a motorbike at all, because the tiny island measures just 1.3km in length and 0.3km in width. I don’t think there are any shops that rent motorbikes too.

  • Zulaiha
    23 Mar 19

    Thanks for the very detailed itinerary.
    My husband and I are planning to go Maldives for our 9th wedding anniversary this year. And of course we are bringing our 6 year old son who loves the water. A relative suggested Maafushi and I am now even looking at staying in Arena Beach hotel!

    I am getting excited now!

  • Evan
    23 Mar 19

    Hello Zulaiha, wow happy 9th year anniversary! I hope your family will have a wonderful time in Maafushi. I’m really happy you found the article useful for your planning.

  • 13 Jun 19

    Hi Evan,

    Wow, thank you SO MUCH! We are heading to the Maldives in 2 weeks and were looking for exactly these kinds of things to do. We will head to a resort for a day trip, and will also do the sand bank and snorkeling, maybe even diving.

    Thank you so much, again! I also love the video!

  • Evan
    15 Jun 19

    Hello Matt,
    You’re very welcome =) Have a wonderful time!

  • Ani
    12 Jul 19

    Hi there, thanks for sharing! =) Just wondering, how did you go to Centara Ras Fushi from Velana Hotel? Is there any shuttle provided by iCom Tours?

  • Evan
    14 Jul 19

    Hello Ani you’re welcome! Centara Ras Fushi is located on a different island, so we had to take a speedboat (arranged by iCom Tours).

  • Mark
    18 Jul 19

    Hi Evan,

    Thank you for this very helpful article.

    1. Any issue at immigration for drones?
    I will be bringing Mavic Air which is small and compact.
    Any regulation on drone use?

    2. Can I use drone on Maafushi?

    3. When you visited centara were you able to use the drone or they don’t allow?
    Your information will be of great help, I’m going there in August thanks.

  • Evan
    19 Jul 19

    Hi Mark,

    You’re welcome! My replies below:

    1. When I brought my drone I did not experience any issue at immigration. You can refer to this article for the regulations.

    2. I used my drone in Maafushi without any issues, but that was over two years ago. To be safe you should email your resort to check.

    3. I did not use my drone at the Centara resort. You can email them to find out if they allow it.

  • vinod
    18 Jul 19

    Hi,
    Is it advisable to visit Maldives in month of September?

  • Evan
    19 Jul 19

    Hello Vinod, the wet season is between May and December, so you may experience some rain if you go in September. The best months are from January to April.

  • Randa
    31 Jul 19

    Great review, thanks a lot.

  • Evan
    01 Aug 19

    You’re welcome Randa, have a great time in Maafushi!

  • Tahir Mahmood
    17 Sep 19

    Thanks for such comprehensive information. My wife and I have booked the same hotel and were searching for other information. I was wondering if there are any diving companies on the island?

    We are staying there for six nights in mid March next year. Do you think it is worth booking speedboat transfer from airport to the island via iCom Tours, or can we take the public ferry as it is a lot cheaper?

    Best regards.

  • Evan
    18 Sep 19

    Hi Tahir, you are welcome! Yes there are several popular diving centres on the island such as Eco Dive Club, Maldives Passions Dive School, and Arena Dive Club.

    Choosing to take the speedboat or public ferry is really a matter of personal preference. With the speedboat (USD20) you enjoy flexibility, comfort, and a much faster trip (45 minutes). The public ferry is less comfortable and slower (90 minutes), but it only costs around USD3 per person. Hope this helps.

  • Tim
    14 Oct 20

    Thanks for sharing your holidays… it was very nice to read. I wish you and your wife all the best.
    Greeting from GOOD OLD GERMANY.

  • Evan
    15 Oct 20

    Hello Tim, thank you so much for your kind words.
    Hope you are doing well in Germany! =)

  • Atiya
    23 Mar 22

    Hi Evan,
    Thanks for your great, nicely narrated and informative article. It was hugely helpful in deciding my itinerary.

    Keep up the good work.

    Atiya

  • Evan
    27 Mar 22

    Hi Atiya,
    Thank you for your kind words, glad you found the article useful. Have a wonderful time in Maafushi!

    Cheers,
    Evan