Co-Author: Kankana Debnath
Maldives, as a destination is close to our heart. There are so many islands in this country that there is always plenty of options to explore. While there are expensive resort islands, there are options of staying in guest houses in local islands as well. Whichever you choose, you can be sure to be mesmerized by the crystal blue waters.
This time (December 2021), we visited Maafushi. Maafushi is about 28 km from the Male International Airport. It is really easy to travel and speed boats are available just outside the Airport. However, it would be advisable to inform the guest house/ hotel in Maafushi so that they can make the booking for the speed boat.
Maafushi is really a small island, about 1.2 km long and just about 260 metre wide. A part of the island has the prison, and the Northern part of the island has most of the hotels, guest houses and open air restaurants. This part becomes even more lively in the evening. Many of the restaurants have live bands to add to the charm.
The Western part of the island has the beaches which offer plenty of water sports. Jet Ski, Parasailing, Banana Rides and Kayaking are pretty popular. Also, Snorkelling equipment is easily available. The Northern corner of the island has the Bikini Beach and restaurants and Juice centres provide food, juices and fruits right on the beach. Maafushi is local island, so alcohol is banned. The water in this part of the island is shallow and has corals, so not really ideal for swimming, but it is excellent to just float in the water and enjoy the sunset.
The North Eastern part of the island has a Public Park and Public Beach, and swim wear is not allowed in this part. Every part of the island is beautifully maintained. There are plenty of souvenir shops and grocery shops for tourists. There is a branch of Bank of Maldives along with an ATM available in this island and International Debit Cards work on it. Both Maldivian Rufiyaa and US Dollar is accepted everywhere. It’s slightly cheaper to pay in Maldivian Rufiyaa.
The restaurants offer amazing food. There are plenty of them and there are ample options to choose from and food was very good in most of the places where we tried.
There are quite a few options of Day Trips available, and they can be booked from the hotels/guest houses or water sports booking counters on the island.
One trip which is not too popular but definitely a must try, is travelling to a Sandbank on a Jet Ski. While normal Sandbank trips are available for groups, the advantage of a Jet Ski Sandbank Trip is, it provides a kind of Private Sandbank Experience. The Jet Ski apart from the driver can carry max 2 people and drop to a Sandbank and let you stay there for the amount of time you choose. Then they come back on the stipulated time to pick you up. The Sandbank Experience was just out of the world and we hope that our video has captured some part of it.
Maafushi is small island but offers a host of options for anyone who loves the sea.
Before planning your trip, please remember to follow the Travel Guidelines from both Maldives as well as from the Home Country.
Also, you can read our other article about Pocket Friendly Trip to Maldives in the below link. This is a Travel Guide that we wrote from our experience in travelling to Maldives few years back.
https://styletravelandmore.com/pocket-friendly-trip-to-maldives/
