Kaafu Atoll, Maldives
Maafushi is a small local island in Maldives, with plentiful options for budget tourists to enjoy. Among expats working in resorts, it is known as a must visit local island with its combination of local culture and tourism spots like bikini beaches, which is uncommon to find in other local islands. While working as an intern on a private island, I had an opportunity to make a quick trip to this amazing island for a night with my colleague and needless to say, it was truly memorable.
Transportation
The water! Yes, Maldives did spoil me a bit with its unbelievable water color. But all the gasps aside, we took a speedboat from Malé airport to Maafushi which is normally 25USD per way per person but we only paid 20USD because we had working visas. Perks of working in the Maldives! It took us 45 minutes to Maafushi, including a short stop at Malé city to pick up a few more passengers. This is the fastest option unless you are doing private pick up which may take up to 35-40USD per head. It depends on which resort/hotel/hostel you stay at and with which ferry company they work with. I booked my ticket on icomtours the night before my departure.
If you are looking for something cheaper, there’s another option to take a local ferry for 3USD but it departs from Malé city ferry terminal not the airport. Check the schedule via http://maafushimaldives.com/arena-lodge-maldives-maafushi-south-male-atoll/ferry/ for details. Usually you can purchase the ticket at the dock or in the ferry. It takes 90 minutes per way and it is a more laid back journey compared to the speedboat so if you are keen on enjoying the blue waters and soaking in some sun, this might be for you. But keep in mind that this is a local ferry, hence there will be more locals than tourists whereas the speedboat has more tourists than locals. Also, no working visa discount here, hey it’s only 3USD!
Accommodation
Would you belive if I told you I only paid 35USD for a night? Crazy, right?! We went in mid November which was not the peak season but not the lowest either. We booked ours through http://booking.com/ and it wasn’t even on the list of deals, which was surprising with such an affordable price. Because there were two of us, we paid 70USD in total, but still 35USD per person was such a steal for what it offered. Anyways, I would highly recommend Kaani Village & Spa for your stay, not only because of its price but its facilities and service. The outdoor swimming pool was clean and perfect to tan peacefully during the day and to jazz up the night with the cool lighting. The staff in Front Office were present at all times and responsive. One drawback was their food. We had lunch at their second floor balcony restaurant and it totally gave me a stomachache. The dish did not look so fresh nor tasty so I’d say enjoy the pool and the service but get food elsewhere. Thankfully our room was decent and clean, not too small with comfortable beds, so a strong 4 out of 5!
Kaani has two other resorts with different price points under its brand, and if you are willing to spend more for an ocean view room, check out Kaani Grand, which is located right at the bikini beach. There are other small lodges all around the island ranging from 20USD to 200USD per night, and since the island is only a 20 minute walk around, the location of the accommodation is not so important. Ours was just a minute away from the main road that connected the main dock to the very end of the island, which was super conveninet. But wherever you stay, it would only take a couple minutes to walk to the main road. And the island is very safe even during night, so walking around isn’t dangerous at all.
Things to do
Obviously I had to go for a nice tan, and the bikini beach was the best place to absorb all the Vitamin D. Maldives is a Muslim country so all the local islands normally strictly prohibit people from wearing bikinis or even short sleeves. Of course if you are going to private islands with international resorts, everyone’s only in their bikinis with a glass of cocktail, but in local islands you have to stick to the Muslim rules. As selling alcohol is illegal in local islands, if you are looking for a night out with alcohol, I’d recommend looking into excursion boats that take you out to the middle of the ocean. They will serve you “outside” the island which is technically allowed (I think). Back to bikini beach, you can legally tan here in your bikinis, jet ski, snorkle, go parasailing, but still no alcoholic beverages. My friend went on a jet ski for 30USD for 15 minutes and she had so much fun. I was still afraid of the jet ski back then-little did I know I would jet ski everyday in Bintan couple months later-but I just spent a few hours on the beach and although it was a bit crowded, it was good to feel liberated with other tourists around rather than serving guests in uniforms back in my work island.
During sunset, we walked on the main road and came across couple girls in front of a colorful mural. They were shy at first but when they saw me taking photos, they joined enthusiastically. They reminded me of the kids from Huraa, another local island, where I went for plastic awareness education at a local school on the island.
After walking on the main road for few more minutes, we arrived at the end of the road that led to the most reflective beach I’ve ever seen. There were steppping stones that were half underwater, streching out all the way to the middle of the ocean where the locals were in for a sunset swim. This beach was not a bikini beach with only a few locals hanging out, and it was more of a stoney shore than a sandy beach. I’d highly recommend going at sunset as the water almost turns pink which portraits such a serene moment with the sunset.
Summary
A night at Maafushi was such a nice getaway and I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting Maldives with a budget. Especially if you are an expat working in another resort island, treating yourself to a short trip here is definitely worth it! Two days were enough for us but if you are planning for a longer trip, looking into island hopping around Maafushi might be an option after your first night as there are better snorkeling/diving spots around.
-Transportation
Speed boat from Malé International Airport: 25USD per way, 45 minutes
Ferry from Malé City: 3USD per way, 90 minutes
Private transfer: 30-45USD per way per person, 30-40 minutes (if departing from Malé)
-Accommodation
Kaani Village & Spa: 70USD per night per room (2 people), as of Nov-2018
Other resorts ranging from 20-200USD per night
*Maldives accept USD, the local currency is MVR (1USD=15MVR approximately)
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