Island guides
Pick your local island
Every island is different. Some are busy and easy, some are tiny and sleepy, and one or two are basically farms with a beach. Here's the lot, so you can pick the one that fits your trip.
Maafushi
The easy first-timer pick. Most guesthouses, most trips, shortest transfer.
🚤 Public ferry or shared speedboat
Read the Maafushi guide →
Ukulhas
Super clean, long bikini beach, and a reef you can swim to from shore.
🚤 75–90 min by speedboat
Read the Ukulhas guide →
Thoddoo
Farm island. Watermelons, papaya and a calm, uncrowded beach.
🚤 Speedboat, or the ferry on some days
Read the Thoddoo guide →
Dhigurah
Long sandy island and a budget base for whale sharks.
🚤 Speedboat, or flight to Maamigili + boat
Read the Dhigurah guide →
Fulidhoo
Tiny and quiet. Stingrays and nurse sharks right by the jetty.
🚤 About 1 hr 10 min by speedboat
Read the Fulidhoo guide →
Gulhi
Maafushi's quiet neighbour. Calm bikini beach, close to the airport.
🚤 About 25–30 min by speedboat
Read the Gulhi guide →
Rasdhoo
Diver-friendly North Ari hub, about an hour from Malé.
🚤 About 1 hr to 1 hr 20 min by speedboat
Read the Rasdhoo guide →Not sure where to start? Most first-timers go with Maafushi because it's the easiest to reach and has the most going on. If you want quiet, look at the North Ari islands. Before you pick, have a look at what a budget day actually costs and the local island rules.
Photos: Maafushi: Saaremees (Andres Larin), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ukulhas: karl muscat, Unsplash License · Thoddoo: Adam Juman, Unsplash License · Dhigurah: Hoodh Ahmed, Unsplash License · Fulidhoo: Naail Hussain, Unsplash License · Gulhi: Abdulla Irufan, Unsplash License · Rasdhoo: Maahid Photos, Unsplash License. More on the photo credits page.
