Interested in visiting Maafushi or Fulidhoo Island on your next Maldives trip?
Maafushi is a larger local island with plenty of guesthouses and small hotels, food options, and water activities to keep you occupied.
Fulihdoo is a small, gorgeous island near Maafushi with guesthouses and beautiful beaches to lounge around.
When Justin and I planned our Maldives itinerary, we couldn’t decide which local islands to visit – Maafushi or Fulidhoo Island – or only one. We visited both to see the unique differences between the two islands.
So, if you’re interested in a comprehensive guide of the differences between Maafushi and Fulidhoo, continue reading this post. We hope this post helps you decide where to go on your trip.
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Quick Overview of Maafushi and Fulidhoo
We loved staying on the local islands, and highly recommend Maafushi and Fulidhoo. Both have similarities with beautiful beaches, friendly locals, and local attractions. Yet, there are some differences.
Maafushi
Maafushi is a great introduction to the Maldives as a popular and more developed local island. It’s closer to Malé, the main capital island, and the Airport, so it’s easy to get here by public ferry or speedboat.
From the beautiful palm trees and beaches, plentiful food options, to affordable accommodations, it’s no wonder why visitors like to visit Maafushi.
Since we love outdoor adventures, this island is ideal for going on a snorkeling or diving trip. But hanging out on the beach all day is perfectly acceptable.
Doesn’t this Maafushi sign already look inviting?
Recommended Number of Days: 3 days (Here is a Maafushi 3 day itinerary that we wrote.)
Top 3 Things to Do:
- Hang out at Bikini Beach.
- Experience the island’s water activities.
- See marine animals such as whale sharks and manta rays on a snorkeling trip.
Check out our full list of things to do on Maafushi.
Fulidhoo
This quiet island in the Vaavu Atoll is a hidden gem.
The crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, and diving adventures are the top reasons to visit Fulidhoo. It’s very easy to spot marine life, such as black tip sharks and sting rays in the ocean from the shore.
As a smaller island, we loved seeing the easy-going lifestyle of the locals and the overall slower pace. It’s such a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the large cities. (We’re coming from our perspective with our extended long stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam).
You’ll need to swim or kayak to see this #Fulidhoo sign
Recommended Number of Days: 2 days
Top 3 Things to Do:
- Relax on the gorgeous beaches.
- See sting rays and other marine life from the shores.
- Kayak or swim to the #Fulidhoo sign near the port.
Read our complete list of things to do on Fulidhoo.
What is the size of the island?
Maafushi is 1.275 kilometers (.89 miles) in length and .26 kilometers (.162 miles) in width. It’ll take 15 to 20 minutes to walk around the outer island. Cutting across the island will cut your time to 10 minutes.
Fulidhoo is 750 meters by 250 meters. It’ll take less than 10 minutes to walk around the island. You can get somewhere in less than a 5-minute walk.
Verdict: If you want a larger island, then stay on Maafushi.
What is the vibe/environment like?
Maafushi is a vibrant island with abundant warm beaches, cafes overlooking the ocean, and water activities. There is always something to do on the island.
I compare Maafushi to an older big sister with an extrovert personality and willing to be friends with everyone.
Since Fulidhoo is a smaller island, it’s more laid back and quiet. It’s the closest thing to get to for a private resort feel since not many people stay on the island.
I think of Fulidhoo as the shy younger sister who likes to keep herself busy.
Final Thoughts? If you want a vibrant environment, then head to Maafushi. For those who want quietness, head to Fulidhoo.
How do the beaches compare on Maafushi versus Fulidhoo?
Both islands have a Bikini Beach and local beaches. The Bikini Beach is where you can wear swimsuits, while the local beaches require clothes to cover shoulders and thighs. So, wearing a T-shirt and shorts is acceptable for the local beaches.
Maafushi has a Bikini Beach area around Arena Beach and near Maafushi pier. They’re popular spots to relax on the beach under the palm trees and rent a lounge chair. The beach is white and sandy but is heavily visited.
I sat on Maafushi’s Bikini Beach early in the morning so it was empty!
The other areas are local beaches. In my opinion, the local beaches are cleaner. But there aren’t any palm trees for coverage. Towards the park area, there are benches and coverage, so you could leave your stuff there while swimming.
Fulidhoo has a Bikini Beach on the east side. The sand is super clean and fine. There is one sun umbrella with two lounge chairs for anyone to use.
Fulidhoo’s Bikini Beach
The local beaches are the rest of the island so clothing coverage is required. The beach north of the island is not the cleanest as garbage has washed ashore. As with coverage, there are trees next to the beach and hammocks.
Which is better? We say Fulidhoo is slightly ahead as the sand on Bikini Beach is nicer than Maafushi’s.
Which island has more outdoor adventures?
Maafushi is the island to visit for water activities, snorkeling, and diving adventures.
You can easily rent a jetski, go parasailing, ride a banana boat, or snorkel off the Bikini Beach area.
Near the pier, many tour agencies provide snorkeling tours for half day and full day. Pricing is competitive so they’re the same everywhere – between $65 to $100 per person.
It’s best to visit the agencies in the late afternoon/evening before your tour date to inquire about the schedule. Depending on the tour, you could see whale sharks, manta rays, sting rays, a school of fish, and lucky dolphins, and have lunch on a sandbank or island.
This was on our Shipwreck tour. Photo credit: iCom Tours
We took two excursions and loved them – 1) Whale Shark and Manta Rays, 2) Underwater shipwreck and Nurse Sharks.
Fulidhoo has a few snorkeling excursions and diving opportunities. With the fewer offerings, you need to inquire with your accommodation if there are any scheduled. The cost will be slightly higher too.
We saw that Kinan Resort and Luau Beach Inn had snorkeling events. We didn’t go on any so we cannot share our experience. But the tours have fewer people so you’ll receive more attention and 1-on-1 support.
We suggest contacting Divers Lodge Fulidhoo, located in Luau Beach Inn for inquiries.
If these options are not interesting, snorkeling from the beach and kayaking are other options. Or you can check out the sting rays near the pier.
Seeing the sting rays is one of the perks of staying on Fulidhoo Island
Verdict: Maafushi has more options to choose from.
What are the accommodations on Maafushi and Fulidhoo?
Maafushi has guesthouses and small hotels on the island. The accommodations are spread around the island, so some are next to the beach while others are in the residential area.
Check out the options on Booking.com here.
Our Recommendation for Maafushi: Island Ambience
It’s a small guesthouse in a quiet residential area. The guesthouse is newer so amenities are clean. We had the larger Family Room so it was enough space for 2 people. We loved how the hotel gave us drinking water in glass bottles.
We stayed at Island Ambience for a few days
Check availability for Island Ambience on Booking.com
Fulidhoo has a handful of guesthouses and hotels. They’re located next to the beach, so you can wake up to the gorgeous ocean water every day!
Check out the Fulidhoo accommodations on Booking.com
Our Recommendation for Fulidhoo: Luau Beach Inn
Located near the Fulidhoo pier, it’s the tallest hotel on the island at 4 levels. Our room faced the ocean so we admired the azure waters every day.
We had breakfast and dinner included in our room price, so we didn’t have to worry about finding a place to eat.
We loved how this place gave us a reusable water bottle as a gift, and to use during our stay. There were water dispensers on each floor.
They also had amazing service and picked us up from the pier on arrival. Even though we packed light with a carry on luggage, they had a small truck to bring them to the hotel.
We stayed here in this room for 3 nights and it was fabulous!
Check availability for Luau Beach Inn on Booking.com
Which is better? It’s a tie. Both are great to stay overnight. You will get more options on Maafushi.
What about the food?
Since Maafushi is a larger island, there are many food options. Whether you want local Maldivian cuisine to BBQ seafood or pizza, there are options for everyone.
We tried a few places, so check our restaurant reviews here.
Fulidhoo has a few local restaurants and many guesthouses and hotels has an in-house restaurant. As mentioned in the previous section, we ate at our hotel. So, we don’t have experience with the local restaurants on the island.
But, we loved the food served at our hotel. It had a lot more flavor than what we experienced on Maafushi.
Here is one of the buffet breakfasts from Luau Beach Inn.
Final Thoughts: The food on Fulidhoo had better flavor for us even though it was at a hotel.
What about the nightlife?
To be honest, we’re not the type of people to stay out late. Yet, Maafushi is better for night activities at restaurants and cafes.
There aren’t any bars on the island as selling alcohol is illegal. But there is a party island off of Maafushi that sells alcohol. You would need to take a small boat to get there.
Fulidhoo is very quiet at night with fewer people on the island, so it’s perfect for those who want a good night’s sleep.
Verdict: Maafushi is recommended for those who want evening activities.
Which island is more family-friendly?
At Maafushi, children played in the water. On our Shipwreck Excursion, we had two children onboard.
At Fulidhoo’s Luau Beach Inn, there was an inflatable trampoline in the waters. Since families were staying at the hotel, we saw the children use the trampoline every day. We believe the trampoline is only for guests though.
Winner: We say both! We saw children on both the Maafushi and Fulidhoo Island.
How is the shopping?
Maafushi has more shopping for souvenirs. We saw a few souvenir shops along Miskiy Magu Road and Mirithi Magu Road selling beachwear, marine animal t-shirts, and decorated corals (I’m not sure if they’re real or made out of plaster).
Fulidhoo has one souvenir shop on the island.
Winner: Maafushi for the variety.
Is Maafushi or Fulidhoo cheaper?
The cost between Maafushi and Fulidhoo will be similar for accommodations, food, and water activities.
Check out our post on how to travel to Maldives on a budget for our tips.
Maafushi is slightly cheaper than Fulidhoo since the island has more competition. There are more water excursions and tours to choose from, so the cost is lower.
Thoughts: Overall, Maafushi wins by a little bit.
Final Thoughts – Which is Better?
It depends on what you value, your budget, and your expectations of the Maldives.
We recommend visiting both! First, travel to Maafushi to do your burst of adventures, and then spend a few days on Fulidhoo to unwind, relax, and enjoy privacy.
We wouldn’t hesitate to return to both islands.
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