Find out what are the best local islands in Maldives you need to visit in our ultimate guide! We spent a long time trying to plan a trip to Maldives but it required a lot of effort to match up the ferry times and the logistics of actually getting from one local island in Maldives to the next.
We ended up visiting loads of islands on a backpacking budget and we’re here to share everything you need to know about visiting Maldives on a budget!
In this post you’ll find out what local islands in Maldives we visited, how we did a day trip to a Maldives resort, how much we actually spent in Maldives and so much more!!
Absolute essentials to bring to Maldives include a drone and a floatie!
Where is Maldives?
Most people might have heard of Maldives but also a lot of people have no idea where it is exactly. Fear not, we had to run a search on it before we could work out the logistics.
Maldives is often an extra tag onto many people’s trips who are heading to India or Sri Lanka because it’s just a short flight away. We actually went onto Sri Lanka and India after our visit to Maldives which worked out really well.
Maldives is also the smallest Asian country of just 298 square kilometres and is home to 427,756 people.
Book Maldives Accommodation In Advance
So here’s the thing, it took me absolutely ages to work out a plan for Maldives. Now usually when we travel, we just turn up and find accommodation. Not with Maldives.
You have to book your Maldives accommodation ahead because, well, getting to islands isn’t that easy and that’s when the local knowledge of the guest house owner will come through like a knight and shining armour and help you plan the trip.
However, I wasn’t quite aware of this and did all of my own planning which is why I’m going to show you exactly how to travel around Maldives on a budget in this ultimate guide!
I did buy a Lonely Planet for Maldives but I didn’t actually use it once as I just read more up to date blogs about it.
I booked all of my locals islands In Maldives accommodation through airbnb and booking.com.
OK so brace yourselves, this is a long post but it’s also got all of the information you need for your Maldives holidays!
I’ve tried to be as detailed as possible and you’ll even get to see my itinerary, a Maldives map of the islands we visited and how much we actually spent in Maldives.
How To Get cheap Flights To Maldives
We managed to find really cheap flights to Maldives from Sydney – Male, the capital city for $350 with Scoot Airlines on Skyscanner.
I mean $350 probably wouldn’t even get you to Perth from Sydney, yet somehow we found flights to Maldives. Turns out flights from other destinations to Male can be cheap too.
Things To Know Before Visiting Local Islands In Maldives
Drone shot of me on the perfect beach in Thoddoo
Getting a Maldives visa
You don’t need a visa to visit Maldives under any nationalities, just make sure you don’t stay over 30 days!
Maldives Money
This is a confusing one. Everything is priced in US$ and the local currency, Rufiyaa. It works out better value to pay in US$ but bring some local currency with you if you want to buy stuff at the local shop like drinks or ice cream.
Also, there isn’t any ATMS on any of the local islands. I did however see one on Rasdhoo when we visited for the day, but that’s it, so bring US$ before you leave your country and get some local currency at the airport when you land. Most guest houses will have a credit card machine but check with your guest house before you arrive.
Expectation of the Maldives local islands
Don’t expect the local islands to be anything like a resort because they’re not. Travelling around Maldives this way allows you to go island hopping, immerse yourself in the local culture and to really get a feel of a country that is known for having the most luxurious resorts in the world. The local islands might not have the luxury of a resort but the beauty of the island will be there. The clear water as well will be out of this world!
Level of Service on Maldives local islands
As a backpacker or for someone on a budget, we specifically made sure we found the cheapest places to stay on the islands not only because we needed to but because I wanted to show everyone what Maldives is actually like on the tightest budget.
We were totally blown away by the service of the Maldivian people. From our guest houses to restaurants to boat drivers, the level of service was excellent. Not once did we carry our backpacks ourselves.
If we needed something, our guesthouse host would go above and beyond to sort it out for us no matter how small an ask. As someone on a budget, I doubt you’d find anywhere else in the world with better service than in Maldives. We have those resorts to thank for that!
Is Maldives Safe?
Carrying our cameras around all the time out in the open in Maldives was very safe
Honestly, Maldives has to be the safest country I’ve ever been to. The local people are incredibly friendly and the hospitality is on another level. We walked around with our expensive Canon cameras out and no one cared.
When we flew our drone on all the islands, none of the locals even battered an eyelid. We got more attention at the resort from the other tourists! We also left our all of our equipment including 2 MacBook Pros in our room and they were fine. We also felt safe walking outside at night time and didn’t have any problems at all.
Most of all, no one hassled us, asked us for money or even tried to rip us off. We had a huge culture shock when we arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and greatly missed the level of service and safety in Maldives. I honestly don’t think you’ll get much better anywhere else in the world when it comes to being safe and being respected by the locals.
Getting a Maldives mobile SIM and Wifi
Dhiraagu phone shop at the airport
I read online to pick up a SIM from the airport which was a great idea because they actually have a really good deal for credit and data. I spent $32 for 15GB for 2 weeks. Can you believe I actually ran out of data? It was all of those insta stories I blamed it on because well, when you’re in the Maldives, you want the world to know about it!
My lovely guest house owner Arif, in Fulidhoo helped me buy more data which was a mission but it cost me something like $30 for 5GB. You’ll get phone reception everywhere in Maldives, on the local ferry, on the islands, everywhere!
If you miss out on buying a SIM at the airport, there’s a Dhiraagu behind the ferry port in the centre of Male you can get one from there.
Wifi is also amazing in Maldives. It honestly kicked Australia’s butt to the curb, it was so good. But only in Hulemale and Thoddoo it was incredible.
Maldives FoodLocal Maldivian breakfast at our beautiful guest house, Thundi Guest House in Fulidhoo
There’s not a huge choice of restaurants on the local islands that we went to and you’ll pretty much be living off fish and rice everyday. The local breakfast is a mix of tuna and coconut and roshi (like roti) which is a simple but awesome dish. We also lived off Peanut bars and on some islands they had every single Magnum ice cream flavour going. Of course we tried them all!
Can you drink alcohol on local islands in Maldives?
You can drink alcohol at the resorts!
Alcohol is banned in Maldives. If a local person is caught selling it or drinking it, they will go to prison. You on the other hand will probably be deported. But, anything goes on the resorts and you can drink there or there’s a booze boat on Maafushi Island (more on that later).
You Can Do A Day Trip To Maldives Resorts
We visited Ellaidhoo Resort for $150 each
That’s right, you can visit a resort for the day! We paid $150 each which included the speedboat and entry into the resort for an all inclusive deal. This means you can experience Maldives on both sides for next to nothing and you can drink as much alcohol during the day before you get picked up and dropped back to your resort. More on this later on.
Maldives Resort vs Maldives Local Islands
Although we were visiting four local islands in Maldives (Maafushi, Fulidhoo, Ukulhas and Thoddoo), we were really interested in going…
What to wear on the local islands in Maldives
If you’re wondering what to wear on the local islands in Maldives? Because it’s a Muslim country meaning men and women have to cover up their shoulders and above the knees, it can be a bit tricky trying to find the right clothes.
I honestly didn’t see many tourists at all abide by these rules and it’s highly offensive to the local culture. I heard that women even went into the mosques with their bikinis on which is terrible. Be warned, it is very hot in Maldives but cools down in the evenings for a more manageable heat. We had aircon in every guest house we stayed in so it’s not too bad!
What To Wear In Maldives Local Islands
Are you going to visit the Maldives local islands and not sure what to wear in Maldives? If you’re looking…
What is an Maldives Bikini Beach?
Sunsets on the bikini beach in Ukulhas were incredible
One thing to know is, because its a strict Muslim country it’s not like you can swim anywhere in your bikini or swimmers. You’ll need to go to a designated tourist beach known as a bikini beach to be able to sunbathe and swim as you would do normally, otherwise you’ll have to swim in your clothes on the local beaches.
Make sure you check with the island you are staying on because I know Rasdhoo Island doesn’t have a tourist beach and that would suck because it’s so hot.
What nationalities are the other tourists on the local islands in Maldives?
Russian tourists standing out like a sore thumb in Ukulhas
I really only noticed a huge influx of Italians and Russians on the last two islands I visited. When we visited Thoddoo, the locals said they had only met one other Australian before so Steve felt quite chuffed. The majority of tourists were couples or families. I rarely saw any single travellers but it doesn’t mean you can’t travel on your own at all.
Washing your clothes & bathroom habits
I was prepared to have to hand wash our clothes but there’s washing lines at most guesthouses and we were even allowed to use the guest houses washing machines!
Also, on a random note, don’t put any toilet paper down the toilets on the local islands, always use the bin provided.
Taking your shoes off
When you go into your guest house, shop or any building for that matter on the local islands, you have to remove your shoes. It soon becomes the norm and you’ll be doing it without even thinking!
Things to do in Maldives
Steve diving with sharks with Fulidhoo Dive
Make sure you try scuba diving as Maldives has some of the best diving in the world. Check out our review here of Steve’s diving with sharks which was out of this world!
Every island has different packages ranging from sandbank trips, resort trips, snorkelling, etc so there’s plenty to do in the day. At night, there’s not much going on so we just got early nights each night.
How To Travel Maldives
Getting the local ferry was easy, cheap and a pleasant experience
This is a very tricky one because if you want to go island hopping like we did, you’ll need to plan way before you arrive in Maldives. More on this one later in the post. The local ferries and speed boats were brilliant. I’ve heard that the local ferries and speedboats sometimes don’t turn up and we experienced this when going from Ukulhas to Thoddoo so we had to pay $130 to get a private boat over to the island.
Extra charges
There are a few extra charges in Maldives like a tourist tax and green tax on the local islands. They are around $6 on top of your bill at your guest house, something that the government has included and can’t be avoided.
OK, so there’s a few things to know about Maldives. Still interested? Read on to see what islands we stayed on and where we also would have gone if we had more time.
In total, we spent 17 Days in Maldives.
Male Accommodation
The reality of Hulhumale
It seems that most flights land into Male at night time meaning you’re going to have to stay the night in Male. Actually, don’t stay in Male because a) it’s absolutely boiling hot there, and b) did you know Male is the most densely populated city on earth? All tourists stay in Hulhumale, a man made island which is where the airport is based.Crazy views of high rises on the tiny island of the capital of Male
With over 150,00 people in Male, our taxi driver said that if everyone was to walk around the city, there wouldn’t be enough space in the 5.8KM2 radius. I have a feeling Thoddoo was a bigger island than Male as I timed it as 6KM when we cycled around it.
Don’t stay in Hulhumale for any longer than one night, because, well, it’s a dump although it’s where all the tourists stay. Construction is everywhere in Maldives and mostly here where new guest houses are going up by the dozen. We walked around it and all we could think of was it sort of looked like it was once a holiday destination, but has now been deserted and ruined. This is not what we hope Maldives to be like and frankly, it’s not a good first impression of the country.
Where to stay? We booked into UI Inn (for AU$45) although when we arrived, they made us go down the street and stay at another hotel. It was late, we’d been on a long flight and I didn’t actually are too much so we ended up staying at Star Shell Hotel which was pretty good.
Getting to Hulhumale is easy. You can either get the local bus which costs around $1. Once you come out of the airport, just turn left down the road opposite the water, and there’s a bus stop. It goes every 30 minutes to Hulhumale town. Or you can organise your hotel to pick you up and it costs just $10.
Or if you arrive early in the morning, you will probably be able to get onto a ferry or speedboat to the island you are visiting. For us, Maafushi was the easiest first island to visit because it was only 30 minutes away and the local speedboat cost $25 each and left the airport at 10am. You can also get the local ferry at 16:00 which won’t cost more than a couple of dollars. More on Maafushi below.
Which Islands In Maldives To Visit
Sunset on Ukulhas Island was incredible!
There are like over 200 islands to choose from and it’s a bit of a minefield to know what’s going to be best for you. Luckily I ended up going to four islands: Maafushi (1 night), Fulidhoo (6 nights), Ukulhas (3 nights), Thoddoo (5 nights).
See below for a map of the islands we went to!
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Our host on Thoddoo told me that apparently the further away from Male you go, the more beautiful the islands are. There were islands I wanted to go to but to be honest, they were so far away that you’d have to get a seaplane and they aren’t cheap.
I was quoted $450 for a return seaplane ride, that’s more expensive than the flight from Sydney – Male! So I made sure I kept to local ferries and local speedboats when choosing the islands to visit.
What time of year to visit Maldives
Visiting a sand bank near Thoddoo was simply amazing!
Just before I start, one thing I did learn was that the local islands are changing at such a huge rate because tourism is exploding. So, what might have been amazing a few years ago, might not be now or for that matter might be even better. Also, at the time of visiting in January 2018 during high season (Dec-Feb), every single island had construction going on with more and more guest houses being built. If you’re thinking of going to Maldives, get there now 🙂
I’ve also written more detailed posts about each island we visited which are linked in the sections below.
1. Maafushi Island in Maldives
I specifically wanted to go to Maafushi first because a) it’s the local island tourist hub and b) I hadn’t read any good reviews about it and I thought if I visited it first, I wouldn’t have anywhere else to compare it to, and it would be a good insight to form my own opinion. Also, it was the easiest island to get to from Male which I stated above.
Weirdly Maafushi Island also houses one of the two prisons in Maldives. This one is only for the drug addicts, yep you heard right. Weird to think alcohol is banned yet there’s a drug problem. We didn’t experience any problems on any of the islands with anyone with drugs whatsoever. You wouldn’t even know it’s a problem unless you chatted to the locals about it.
Maafushi is an island split into three sections, the local side, the tourist side and the prison. The tourist beach was jammed packed and there was building work everywhere. But Maafushi had a great holiday vibe to it. There were loads of restaurants on the beach and watersports so if you’re looking for a holiday vibe and want to be around loads of other tourists then this is a good place to base yourself.
It is also a great island to experience loads of activities and best of all, you can get a great cheap deal to a resort for the day. I saw some for just $100 and we paid $150. Also remember there is a booze boat as well so if you want a drink you can just get a free transfer over to the boat.
Watch My Maafushi Island Video Below
How much did we spend on 1 night in Maafushi Island?
$50 on accommodation incl. brekkie at Maafushi Inn
$10 on 2 coconuts (they were huge and delicious!)
$14 on two fish meals
$50 on speedboat from Hulmale
Total: $124
Getting to Maafushi
Local Ferry: 16:00 everyday except Fridays. Takes 1.5 hours and costs something like $2. Ask your guesthouse if they can ask the ferry to pick you up from Hulemale rather than Male ferry wharf.
Speed Boat: 10:00 everyday except Fridays. Takes 30 minutes and costs $25 per person. Ask your guesthouse to book this for you.
What’s Maafushi Island In Maldives Really Like?
Are you wondering what Maafushi Island in Maldives is like? There are plenty of mixed reviews online so we’re here…
2. Fulidhoo Island – the ultimate castaway paradise
I absolutely loved Fulidhoo Island in Maldives for its beauty, authenticity and charm. It’s one of the smallest islands in Maldives but I just fell hard for it.
We stayed at a beautiful brand new guesthouse called Thundi Guest House and it was stunning falling asleep to the waves every night. We also made friends with the local diving company and had an awesome time with them.
If you’re looking for a very quiet island with a small but gorgeous little tourist beach, barely any tourists and an island so small you’ll get to know the locals quickly, then this is for you. The diving is also incredible from here as you’ll get to dive with sharks if you are Advanced certified.
Incredible Scuba Diving In Maldives With Fulidhoo Dive
Thinking about scuba diving in Maldives and not sure where to start with your Maldives planning? If you’re looking for…
Be warned, there’s only two places to eat on this island so we ate at our guest house every night. Our guest house was in the middle of building a stunning rooftop restaurant when we were there, that I’m sure it will be THE go to place.
Watch Our Scuba Diving In Maldives Video Below!
How To Get to Fulidhoo Island in Maldives:
Ferry from Male – takes 3.5 hours every, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday and costs about $4US
Ferry from Maafushi (same one as from Male)
See here for more information about the local ferries from Male – Fulidhoo
Local Speedboat from Male – takes 1h10m and costs $50 one way. Ask your guest house to arrange for you.
Private Speedboat from Male – $200 one way. Ask your guest house to arrange for you.
How much did we spend on 6 nights in Fulidhoo?
$540 incl. brekkie ($90 a night at Thundi Guest House). Book here and make sure you use my $50 off airbnb here
$156 on dinner ($26 on dinner every night at the guest house)
$60 on ice cream and water (av. $10 a day)
$200 on Steve’s diving (inc 3 dives)
$40 on sandbank trip
Total: US$996
Why Fulidhoo Island In Maldives Is Our Favourite Local Island
We’re calling it… the best local island in Maldives is Fulidhoo Island! It’s an easy island to get to via…
3. Ukulhas Island In Maldives – the forward thinking eco friendly island
We wanted to go to Ukulhas Island in Maldives because it’s known as the first eco friendly local island of the Maldives. You see, Maldives has a bit of a plastics problem and you might see some plastics washed up on the shore on the islands but not on Ukulhas. There’s constant reminders of keeping the island clean everywhere on the island and I especially loved the eco parks.
Ukulhas is perfect for those wanting an in between island. For somewhere that has a touristy vibe because there are a good few restaurants to choose from but also small enough to get a good local vibe. The beach is also beautiful here.
Our only let down was all of the other tourists were unfriendly Russians which was a shame. We did however absolutely love our accommodation called Holiday Haven and would recommend staying there in a second for the amazing hospitality and service.
How to get to Ukulhas Island in Maldives
Local speed boat from Male: Our guesthouse in Ukulhas sorted out our speed boat tickets and we paid them when we got there. After we arrived from Fulidhoo, we caught a cab for 30R around to the other port, at Ferry 6 opposite the Bank of Ceylon.
The boat was an hour and a half late, something that’s apparently the norm in Maldives so we just waited with the other locals until it arrived. The speed boat cost $50 and the guys working on the boat had our names down for the boat so it was super easy.
Private speedboat from Male: I’m not too sure how much it would cost but I’m guessing it would be something like $200. Your guest house can easily arrange this for you.
How much did we spend on Ukulhas in three days?
US$278 – on accom
US$100 local speedboat to get to Ukulhas
US$300 on the resort
US$60 – on food ($20 a day)
Total: US$738
Why You Need To Visit Beautiful Local Island Ukulhas In Maldives
Wondering what it’s like to stay in Ukulhas in Maldives? Known as the Maldives first ever eco-friendly island, find out…
4. Visiting Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon Resort for the day
Whilst we were staying on Ukulhas Island in Maldives, we decided to go and visit a resort for the day to see what it would be like in comparison to the local islands. We really loved that you can have the best of both worlds when staying on the local islands and at a fraction of the cost. We spent $150 each to get a speedboat to take us to Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon Resort for an all inclusive package.
We stuffed our faces with the buffet lunch and drank as much alcohol as humanly possible before we had to go back to Ukulhas at the end of the day. As much as it was fab to experience a resort, I was glad we were experiencing the real Maldives.
Maldives Resort vs Maldives Local Islands
Although we were visiting four local islands in Maldives (Maafushi, Fulidhoo, Ukulhas and Thoddoo), we were really interested in going…
5. Thoddoo Island – the fruit plantation island
We wanted to go to Thoddoo because it seemed so different to the other islands. For a start, Thoddoo wasn’t part of any of the 19 atolls in Maldives and it was an island all out on its own. We also wanted to really experience the local vibe and to see where most of the country’s fruit is grown.
The thing about Thoddoo is, like the other islands, it’s growing fast. Guesthouses has risen by 200% in the last year from 10 to 30 which is mad but it’s still pretty rustic. We went on a full board basis at Royal Stay Inn and the food was the best we had in Maldives. It’s a fifteen minute walk to the most beautiful local beach we witnessed in Maldives with a stunning beach den area jam packed with sun loungers and hammocks.
This is an island you can keep to yourself if wanted and you don’t have to mix with the locals at all if you want to spend all your time at the tourist beach.
There’s quite a few activities here too, we hired our bikes for $5 each and cycled around the island. See also did the sunrise manta ray trip and sand bank and snorkelling trips which were awesome.
This island was rustic, still had its authenticity but there seemed to be a divide between locals and tourists. Funnily enough the island was only full of Italians and Russians. We heard Steve was one of the first Australians to visit this island.
How to get there:
Local Ferry: The local ferry goes at 23:45 every night except Fridays and takes about 5 hours.
Local Speedboat: If you get the express from Male it costs $35 which leaves at 4pm everyday except Fridays. Because the ferry decided not to run on the day we had planned to arrive from Ukulhas, our amazing host from our guesthouse in Ukulhas managed to hire out the local speedboat to take us across the waters and before we knew it we had landed on a huge island thirty minutes away. It did cost us a hefty $130 thought.
Private Speedboat: I can imagine it’s around $200 for a private speedboat.
How much did we spend on 5 nights in Thoddoo?
$575 – full board accom for 5 nights
$20 – on icecream and water
$10 – renting out bikes for the day
$70 – getting the ferry back to Hulemale
Total: US$675
Total spent on visiting four local island between two of us over 17 days which would have been cheaper if we just got local ferries and didn’t go on any excursions: US$2,523. I know that’s a lot for a budget traveller, but to be honest, when you think about it, you’d be lucky to pay for one night on a resort for that much!
Why We Love Thoddoo Island In Maldives
Wondering what it’s like to stay on Thoddoo Island in Maldives? After island hopping around the local islands in Maldives,…
Local Island In Maldives Itinerary
Friday 5 January: 1 night in Hulhumale
Bus to Hulhumale $1
Accom: UI Inn AU$45 but ended up staying at Star Shell
Saturday 6 January: Hulhumale – Maafushi 1 night
$10 cab back to airport, then $25 speed boat at 10am to Maafushi.
Accom: Stayed at Maafushi Inn US$50 a night
Sunday 7 January: Maafushi – Fulidhoo 6 nights
$3 local ferry from Maafushi to Fulidhoo (1.5 hours).
Accom: Stayed at Thundi Guest House for US$90 a night
Saturday 13 January: Fulidhoo – Ukulhas 3 nights
$3 local ferry from Fulidhoo to Male (3.5 hours) at 11am
$10 cab to Ferry 6 terminal to get the local speedboat to Ukulhas
$50 each for local speedboat to Ukulhas. Our guest house Holiday Haven sorted out our tickets and we just paid them at the end of our stay on Ukulhas.
Accom: We stayed at the awesome Holiday Haven (AU$116 a night)
Tuesday 16 January: Ukulhas – Thoddoo 5 nights
Local speedboat didn’t turn up
$130 on private speedboat to take us to Thoddoo (30 minutes) Our guest house again at Holiday Haven organised this for us.
Accom: Stayed at the lovely Royal Stay Inn (US$115 a night for full board)
Sunday 21 January: Thoddoo – Hulhumale 1 night
$35 7am local speedboat to Hulhumale Airport from Thoddoo (1h10m)
$10 taxi pick up from Hulhumale Airport to our guest house Koamas Lodge
Accom: Stayed at Koamas Lodge (AU$55)
Monday 22 January: Leave Maldives
$10 taxi back to the airport before our flight to Sri Lanka!
Maldives Islands we also considered
If we had more time, I would have probably visited some of the islands below Fulidhoo like Keyodoo, Thinadoo, Felidhoo. I was also really interested in the Barefoot Eco Resort but it looked like the only way to get there would be to get a seaplane as it’s in the far north of the country.
Maldives Islands like Gulhi and Guraidhoo near Maafushi are becoming really popular because of the mass tourism on Maafushi. We did consider staying on one of these islands but I’m glad we just headed straight for Fulidhoo as it was lovely and quiet there.
If you’re into surfing, there’s a famous surf spot called Coke’s at Thulusdhoo Island in Maldives which is not too far away from Male.
We hope you have found our guide to the best local islands in Maldives helpful. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!
Best Local Islands In Maldives
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