11 Best things to do in Maafushi
End of March 2024, we travelled to the Maldives. This was a last-minute trip, so we didn’t organize much nor look too much into the Maldives.
We visited 2 public islands, Dhigurah and Maafushi. We opted for public islands because we weren’t willing to put a 1000€ or so per night to stay in a luxury and private island.
Both islands we visited were different. And while there, we learnt some great tips and this Maldives Itinerary is not following what we did but what rather what we would recommend doing after being there.
Maafushi was our second and final stop in the Maldives and we would recommend starting there and not ending there. Maafushi is a bustling island and the most touristic one. The reason for that is that Maafushi is located near the international airport of Male, is easy to access and has more infrastructure than other island.
It is also where you will find the cheapest accommodation and tour.
In this article, we will tell our story going around all the best things to do in Maafushi. So, if you too are planning a trip to the Maldives and to Maafushi, then let ‘s dive in these best things to do in Maafushi.
Here is our complete video from this trip :
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
Getting there
Getting to Maafushi is quite easy. From the international airport of Male, you can take a speedboat.
The transfers cost USD 25 per person and advance booking is required for speedboat transfers. The easiest way to book it is by going through your accommodation, they will charge you the right price and you will pay with them directly.
From the Airport to Maafushi it takes about 30-35 minutes. But it can be a bit longer if the boat is full and if people take time to board up.
The time table is :
- Maafushi to Malé/Airport 08:00, 09:30, 12:00, 14:30, 17:00, 20:00
- Airport/Malé to Maafushi 09:15, 10:45, 13:30, 15:40, 18:30, 22:00
Sometimes, you may pass other islands en route (resorts, local islands and tiny uninhabited islands), be sure to keep your eyes open for dolphins, flying fishes, mantas, whale sharks.
Moving Around
The island of Maafushi is pretty small and the whole island is actually a city. The population is about 2700 and the size of the island is 1,275 km by 0,26 km.
So you can walk everywhere on the island pretty easily.
When to Visit
The Maldives is a year-round destination, with hot and sunny conditions throughout the year. Temperatures remaining reasonably consistent, with highs ranging between 28°C and 32°C and lows rarely dropping beneath 24°C.
There are two seasons in the Maldives:
November to April, the Dry season: It is the peak season, and most resorts runs from January to April which is also the driest time of year. The conditions are optimum for a dreamy Maldives holiday.
May to October: the Wet season: During this time there is a higher risk of rain, however heavy rain tends to be short. With the peak rainfall being typically in June
Therefor it is mostly recommended to travel to the Maldives between January and April. We travelled to the Maldives end of March and we had mostly a great weather. We only got one cloudy day and some rainfall either in early morning or at night.
What to Eat
The best things to try In the Maldives are:
- Vegetable noodles
- Vegetable curry
- Vegetable Kotu
- Mas Huni (Shredded Smoked Tuna) or its vegan version made with pumpkin, both are so delicious
Regarding alcohol, it is prohibited to drink alcohol and alcohol is banned from the country except for resort island and safari cruise boat.
However, you can find alcohol free beer in some restaurants and supermarkets.
Best things to do in Maafushi
Nurse Shark & Stingray Tours
This is the reason why people come to Maafushi. There are multiple variations of that tour. The basic one is Nurse Sharks and Stingrays. The variations we did also included a shipwreck snorkelling.
All of them will also include lunch on a sandbank.
Cost wise, the standard tour is 60 USD per person and with the shipwreck is 75 USD per person.
Whale Sharks Tour
The Maldives are famous for whale sharks. One of the best things to do in Maafushi because of its price is to take a tour to see Whale Sharks, the tour will take you near the island of Dhigurah where the whale sharks are located. You will often start by snorkelling with Mantas then whale sharks and end with lunch on Dhigurah.
And we would recommend you staying on Dhigurah after as for us it was a paradise and our favourite island. Plus, this will save you time and money as Dhigurah is located some 3h away.
Bikini Beach
The Maldives is a Muslim country, so you must follow their clothing rules. You can only be in bikini on the bikini beach which are well marked.
There you can enjoy the first Maldivian waters which are warm and shallow. It is so enjoyable.
On the Maafushi bikini beach, you can even spot black tip sharks which are so cool to see. We personally saw a baby one. It was awesome and totally safe.
Sunset
Without a doubt, you have to see the sunset on Maafushi island which is quite nice. You can admire it right next to the bikini beach, on the rock going toward to ocean. It is breathtaking and you can also look at the crabs while waiting for it.
Dine out
Maafushi, as the most touristic island of the Maldives have lots of restaurant. We particulary liked Mr. Octopus that had a nice setting. It is the perfect location to enjoy an alcohol-free beer and some local food.
Walk all the island
Maafushi is small, so, one of the things we did there was to walk almost everywhere. It is quite cool to see but unfortunately there are lots of construction around.
More things to do in Maafushi
If you want more things to do in Maafushi, you can consider:
- Parasailing
- Scuba diving
- Jet Ski tour
- Visit a private island (tour)
- Visit another public island
ضرب الحديد ماحدو سخون Strike the iron while it’s still hot. (Take advantage of the opportunity before it passes you by)
