Ukulhas Island Guide 2026: Clean Beaches, Mantas & Ferry Times

We may earn a commission when you book through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.

Why Ukulhas

Ukulhas is a small local island in Alif Alif (North Ari), about 1 km long and 225 m wide. It's best known for two things: it's one of the cleanest local islands in the country, and its tourist beach runs along more than half of the island. You can swim out to the reef straight from the shore.

It's quieter than Maafushi, but it still has a good choice of guesthouses and trips, so it suits a first local-island stay as well as a slower beach week. It also sits on the same ferry line as Rasdhoo and Thoddoo, which makes a North Ari island hop easy.

Getting there

Shared speedboat (fastest)

One company, Coral, runs the shared speedboat between the airport and Ukulhas. It takes 75 to 90 minutes and often stops at Rasdhoo first. Guesthouses list these times:

• Airport to Ukulhas: 10:30 and 16:00, Saturday to Thursday. On Fridays it leaves at 09:30, and the afternoon boat is listed at 16:00 or 16:30 depending on the source.
• Ukulhas to airport: 07:00 and 13:00, Saturday to Thursday. On Fridays, 07:00 and 14:00.
• Fare: US$50 per adult each way, about half that for young children, and free for infants. You pay on the boat, in US dollars, euros or rufiyaa.

You don't buy a ticket in advance. Your guesthouse reserves your seat, so send them your flight number and arrival time, and confirm at least a day before you travel.

MTCC public ferry (cheapest)

The government ferry, Route 303, links Malé, Rasdhoo, Ukulhas and Thoddoo. The timetable effective 1 August 2026 shows:

• Malé to Ukulhas: Monday and Thursday. It leaves Malé at 09:00, stops at Rasdhoo around 12:10 and reaches Ukulhas around 13:05.
• Ukulhas to Malé: Sunday and Wednesday. It leaves Ukulhas at 09:45 and reaches Malé around 14:10.
• To and from Thoddoo: Ukulhas to Thoddoo on Monday and Thursday afternoons (14:00, arriving around 16:20), and Thoddoo to Ukulhas early on Sunday and Wednesday mornings.
• Other North Ari islands: Route 301 stops at Ukulhas every day except Friday, linking it with Rasdhoo, Mathiveri, Feridhoo and Himandhoo.
• No ferries run on Fridays.

Guesthouses list the fare at about US$3.50 per person. The Malé ferry leaves in the morning, so it only works if you land early or spend a night in Malé or Hulhumalé first.

Private speedboat or seaplane

A private speedboat can go any time in daylight. Ukulhas guesthouses quote around US$650 per boat each way, so it only makes sense for a group or a late arrival. One guesthouse also lists seaplane transfers from US$390 per adult each way, plus a short boat ride to the island.

Where to stay

Ukulhas has a good spread of small guesthouses, from simple rooms in the village to places right behind the bikini beach. Many run their own excursions and will meet you at the jetty, so look at what trips and transfers they offer as well as the room price.

Things to do

• Spend long afternoons on the bikini beach. It faces west, so it's the place for sunset
• Snorkel the house reef from the shore, where turtles, reef sharks, rays and plenty of fish are often seen
• Join a manta ray trip to nearby cleaning and feeding spots. Ask your guesthouse which sites are working that season
• Take a picnic or sandbank trip, for example to Fushi, a small picnic island near Ukulhas
• Go diving. Local operators say the best diving season here is January to May
• Try sunset fishing or a dolphin cruise
• Take a long day trip south to look for whale sharks, or stay a few nights on Dhigurah for better odds

The clean-island story

Ukulhas used to have the same rubbish problem as many islands. After island councils were introduced in 2011, the new council made it a priority and set up a waste management centre, and the council says Ukulhas became the first island in the Maldives with systematic waste management. Rubbish is collected and sorted, and the clean beaches and lanes show it.

You can help by bringing a reusable water bottle, saying no to plastic bags and straws, and following your guesthouse's rules on sorting rubbish.

Good to know

• Ukulhas is a local island, so there's no alcohol and modest dress applies away from the bikini beach. Read the local island rules.
• Bring cash in US dollars or rufiyaa. Card payments aren't accepted everywhere, and small notes are handy for trips and tips.
• The island is small and flat, so you can walk everywhere.
• Fly at least 24 hours after your last dive, and plan the speedboat back to the airport around that.
• Don't touch or feed mantas, sharks or turtles, and don't take coral or shells.