You’ve finally decided to visit the dreamy Maldives for your next vacation and want to experience the more affordable and lesser known local islands. We totally understand as the Maldives is not just about the luxurious resorts and private bungalows.
After staying 8 full days / 7 nights on the laid-back local islands, they are underrated with stunningly beautiful with friendly locals, delicious cuisine, and lower cost guesthouses.
So, which local islands are recommended to visit?
With the help of my travel blogging friends, we put together the 7 best local islands in the Maldives for you to experience as soon as possible. We’re sharing what makes each island unique and top highlights of what to do.
Before reading this post, we encourage you to check out our best Maldives travel tips to help with your planning.
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Map
Click on the map to see a larger view of where these local islands are located. Credit: Map data: Google
1. Maafushi
By Jackie & Justin, Life Of Doing
Maafushi is a small island in the Kaafu Atoll (South Male Atoll) filled with paradise bliss and outdoor adventures.
It’s one of the more developed local islands with many guesthouses and hotels, restaurants, cafes, water activities, and tour agencies for snorkeling and diving tours. So, you’ll see more crowds on this island, but nothing in comparison to Malé City.
This is the first view of Maafushi when you get off of the public ferry.
Many tourists stay for a couple of days, but we recommend at least 3 days as there are many things to do here. Whether you want to relax on the soft sandy local and bikini beaches, go parasailing or diving, or walk around the island in 15-20 minutes, the opportunities are endless!
We recommend going on a 1-day snorkeling excursion to see the majestic marine life. Depending on the tour, you’ll get the chance to see whale sharks, manta rays, a school of fish, nurse sharks, lucky dolphins, a sunken ship, and visit a sandbank for lunch. The tours cost the same everywhere from $40-$100, so they’re reasonably priced.
It’s very easy to travel to Maafushi by public ferry or speedboat from Male or the Airport. We recommend the public ferry route from Male as it’s cheaper – only $3.50 per person and takes 1.5 hours.
2. Fulidhoo
By Jackie & Justin, Life Of Doing
Fulidhoo is our little secret as one of the most beautiful local islands in the Maldives. We absolutely loved staying on this tiny island for 3 nights.
Located in the Vaavu Atoll, Fulidhoo has everything you can ask for a Maldivian vacation – stunning crystal clear waters, powdery white beaches, a quiet ambiance, and many marine animals swimming to shore. Sting rays and nurse sharks can be seen close to the shore.
You can see sting rays easily on Fulidhoo!
While there are noteworthy things to do here, you can do as much or as little as you want. It’s the place to just veg out and chill on the beach or a hammock for a few hours.
For the adventure seekers, Luau Beach Inn (where we stayed) offers snorkeling and diving excursions.
While we didn’t do any snorkeling trips, we loved kayaking to the #Fulidhoo sign and snorkeling from Bikini Beach to see epic ocean views and living corals.
This island is very small, so you’ll reach your next destination in less than a 5-minute walk.
How can you get to Fulidhoo? From Maafushi, there are three transportation options to consider (public ferry, speedboat, or tour). From the Airport, there is a speedboat that departs twice a day. For the reverse trip, we share our experience of how to get from Fulidhoo to the Airport.
Related: Read our comparison between Maafushi and Fulidhoo
3. Ukulhas
By Avantika, Wayward Wayfarer
Ukulhas Island is a local Maldivian island located in the North Ari Atoll.
This oval-shaped coral island, stretching roughly a kilometer long, is most famously known to be the first systematically waste-managed island in the Maldives.
Ukulhas is still a more offbeat island than other Maldivian local islands, making it the perfect destination to escape the crowds while enjoying most tourist facilities.
Ukulhas is a stunning local island to visit in the Maldives. Photo credit: Wayward Wayfarer
The Ukulhas House Reef is a great snorkeling spot, especially to swim with the three resident turtles.
The designated Bikini Beach in Ukulhas features powdery soft sand overlooking azure waters of different shades of blue and a beach bar serving fresh juices and sodas and beach beds for rent.
There are also some incredible sites for scuba diving around Ukulhas. Some of my favorites include Gangehi Channel for drift diving and Halaveli for wreck diving. I have seen nurse sharks, grey reef sharks, leopard sharks, eagle and sting rays here, and more!
During the monsoon months of June through September, when the winds are favorable, Ukulhas also turns into a great kitesurfing spot!
Hotels in Ukulhas range from guesthouses to boutique hotels, offering comfortable and affordable options for travelers. My favorite is West Sands Ukulhas, offering affordable luxury at great prices.
4. Thulusdhoo
By Caz and Simon, Wanderlust Welsh
Thulusdhoo is a charming small island in the Kaafu Atoll, renowned for its stunning beaches, world-class surfing spots, and vibrant coral reefs.
Despite its tiny size, which you can walk across in 10-15 minutes, Thulusdhoo is a rewarding destination with plenty to see and do.
Its proximity to Malé makes it an easy and affordable destination amongst the luxury of the Maldives. The island is accessible via a 90-minute public ferry for around $3.50 or a 30-minute speedboat for around $30.
Do you want to visit the beautiful Thulusdhoo Island? Photo credit: Wanderlust Welsh
Now, what are the best things to do on Thulusdhoo? Here are our recommendations:
The Bikini Beach, located on the east coast, is the tourist beach where you can wear typical beach attire and is ideal for watching the sunrise. It features a shallow reef teeming with tropical fish very close to the shore.
The Western Sandbank is a long sandbank surrounded by warm, clear water. It’s the perfect place to watch the sunset.
The Coca-Cola Factory is a factory that supplies the Maldives with its sodas. It’s the only Coca-Cola factory on earth to use desalinated water. You can request a factory tour to watch the bottling process in action, just ask at the front gate.
West of Bikini Beach is Naafi Jetty. This pier is another great spot for sunrise viewing. Keep your eyes peeled for the passing marine life like reef sharks and rays.
Lastly, Thulusdhoo offers boat trips to amazing snorkeling sites such as Mushroom Reef and Turtle Point.
5. Thoddoo
By Niki, Travelnania
Thoddoo Island features some of the whitest beaches and turquoise waters among the local Maldivian islands.
Known as the Fruit Island of the Maldives, Thoddoo is covered with lush fruit plantations, particularly watermelon farms. The island’s charm lies in its unique combination of white beaches and green agriculture.
Thoddoo is a luscious green with fruit plantations. Photo credit: Travelnania
We highly recommend visiting the two tourist bikini beaches in Thoddoo that are perfect for relaxing, snorkeling with turtles at Thoddoo Snorkeling Point, and experiencing magical sunsets accompanied by flying foxes.
Explore the island on foot or rent a bicycle from your accommodation for $5 USD a day. Stroll along the picturesque palm-tree road, Vaau Magu, and observe the locals working on the fruit plantations.
TIP: Be sure to try the sweet local fruits.
Other highly recommended activities include diving to encounter manta rays at the manta cleaning station near Thoddoo and visiting the sandbank and picnic island near the neighboring Rasdhoo Island.
During our time in Thoddoo, we loved eating at Mango House, which offers amazing fresh and healthy food options. We stayed at Karaa Village and were extremely happy with everything.
The fastest and easiest way to get to Thoddoo Island is by speedboat (1.5 hours) from Male Airport, which departs twice a day. However, the cheapest but slower way to reach the island is by public ferry from Male Harbour (~7 hours), which runs twice a week.
6. Baa Kihaadhoo
By Samantha, Undiscovered Path Home
Tourists looking for a lesser-known local Maldives island should consider Baa Kihaadhoo, nestled in the pristine waters of the Baa Atoll.
This quaint island is known for its rich, local cultural heritage and serene environment, with just one local hotel on the small island. It’s a peaceful retreat away from the resort scene with so much to offer.
One of the main attractions of Baa Kihaadhoo is its vibrant coral reefs, perfect for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts.
The island’s clear, turquoise waters are home to a diverse marine life, including colorful fish, sea turtles, and the occasional manta ray. It’s the perfect spot for underwater lovers to see the truly spectacular Maldives marine life.
On land, visitors can explore the island’s lush vegetation and traditional Maldivian architecture, including the historic mosque, which offers a glimpse into the country’s Islamic heritage.
Unlike other local Maldives islands, this island is truly off the beaten path and offers the perfect spot to experience the real Maldives.
The best way to get to the island is a local flight to Dharavandhoo, on the Baa Atoll, then a speedboat to the island (10-15 minutes).
The best time to visit for the spectacular weather is normally December to March. But if you visit around August to October, you’ll catch manta ray season — the best time to spot these beautiful underwater creatures.
7. Malé
By Jackie & Justin, Life Of Doing
Malé, Maldives’s capital city and island, doesn’t have the same allure as the other local islands, as it’s the most congested island with people and traffic.
Yet, it’s worth exploring for a few hours or a full day. We were surprised at how much you can see in a short amount of time just by walking or taking a taxi.
One of my favorite spots is the Sultan Park. It’s a local park in the middle of the island with a children’s playground, tall trees, and tons of shade and plants. After sweating buckets from the humidity, it’s a nice place to take a break and escape the crowds.
The National Museum and the National Art Gallery, located next to the park, provide greater insight into the Maldivian culture and history.
Another fun place to check out is the Artificial Beach. It’s a small, manmade local beach that faces the Airport. For those who love planes, it’s the perfect spot to see seaplanes and airplanes landing and departing from the runway.
You can see planes land when you’re at Artificial Beach
It’s easy to get to Male City from the Airport – either by a 10-minute ferry for $1.00 or a short taxi ride.
What is great about Male is that it’s an ideal spot to depart to other local islands in the atoll by public ferry or speedboat. As mentioned in this post, you can travel to Ukulhas, Thoddoo, Thulusdhoo, Maafushi, and Fulidhoo from the Henveiru Terminal public ferry dock.
Final Thoughts
Which of these islands piqued your interest? We hope you get a chance to try one or all of them on your trip for an authentic Maldivian experience.
From the kind locals to the exhilarating underwater adventures and lower costs, you can’t go wrong with choosing any of these islands for a meaningful trip.
Check out our other Maldives blog posts for inspiration:
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