Ukulhas – Exploring a Local Island in the Maldives

I was looking up flights from Thailand to India when I found a cheap stopover in Male, the capital of Maldives. I knew I couldn’t pass up this opportunity and figured as a solo, budget traveler that I’d stay on the local island of Ukulhas in Maldives.

Surrounded by crystal clear water and beautiful sandy beaches, a local island seemed like a great option. While I missed out on the splendor of room service at my bungalow, my experience of hanging out with locals and learning the culture of Maldives was well worth it.

Why Stay on a Local Island in the Maldives?

• Solo travel: The atmosphere at many of the Maldives resort islands caters to honeymooners and couples. On the local island of Ukulhas, I met other solo travelers and a bunch of locals were interested in showing me around.
• Culture: One of my favorite reasons to travel is to experience the culture. From the Maldivian curries to dining with restaurant owners, I learned a lot about Maldivian culture on Ukulhas. The whole experience felt more authentic than staying at a resort.
• Save money: It goes without saying, a Maldives local island is far cheaper than the resorts. Food, accommodation, souvenirs, everything. And if you want to experience resort life, all the local islands have day trips to a resort island.
• Family travel: The local islands are also a great option for families. There are beaches to play on and accommodations are more spacious for larger families.
• Beaches over bungalows: While the bungalows on resort islands are nice, many resort islands don’t have beaches to relax on. Luckily, beaches surround most Maldives local islands.
• Last minute booking: In most cases, you don’t need to book your trip months in advance. It’s pretty easy to find a place to stay on a local island at the last minute.

How to Get To a Local Island in Maldives

The Malé airport (MLE) is one of the most beautiful airports I’ve ever flown into. Rather than walking out and seeing taxis and cars picking up passengers, you’ll see docks with boats and ferries pulling in and float planes taking off!

After landing and clearing customs, you’ll reach the airport lobby. It is filled with kiosks of varying transportation options. Reach out to your accommodation ahead of time to reserve your local ferry, speed boat, or float plane. Schedules change based on weather and time of year. The local accommodations know best.

Cheap Flight

There are a few budget airlines that fly to Maldives. Most often these flights depart from nearby countries like Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, or Singapore.

A few of the cheaper airlines include AirAsia, Air India, IndiGo, SriLankan Airlines, and Thai Airways. I’ve flown all these airlines and had good experiences.

If you’re not already traveling in Asia, sometimes it’s cheaper to fly to a nearby country than buy a connecting flight to Maldives.

Emirates and flydubai have direct flights from Dubai to Malé. Large cities like Bangkok, Mumbai, and Singapore also offer cheaper flights to and from Maldives.

Local Ferries

The local ferry is the cheapest, but slowest way to get from Malé to a local island in Maldives. Rides cost between $5 – $30 per person one way.

The ferries only operate on certain weak days and are slowly returning to a regular schedule as tourism returns to the Maldives. Ask your local accommodation about the current local ferry schedule.

Speed Boats

Speed boats are much faster than the local ferries but a 40-mile speed boat ride can still take up to 2 hours. The speed boats run regularly to most tourist and local islands, however, the schedule varies.

Speed boats are more expensive than local ferries, generally starting at around $50 per person one way. The speed boat to Ukulhas was 2 hours and $50 each way.

Float Planes

Floatplanes take off and land on the water. They are the priciest option to get to any island but they are the quickest and offer a scenic ride.

Best Time of Year to Visit a Local Island in Maldives

The best weather in the Maldives is January through March. These are the driest and warmest months of the year, but also the busiest.

The rainy season is from May to November. It’s wet and humid. Very wet. Flooding on local islands is normal. If you enjoy the rain, this is the least crowded and cheapest time to visit the Maldives.

December and April are transitional months. They are typically rainier than January through March, but more manageable than the monsoon season. December and April are less crowded than January through March and usually prices are a bit cheaper.

Travel Tips

Money: Maldives has its own currency, the Maldivian Rufiyaa, and also accepts US cash. Some places take cards. You can withdraw Maldivian Rufiyaa at an ATM at the airport when you arrive. Don’t rely on ATMs on local islands.

Alcohol: Not permitted or sold on any of the local islands. The local islands adhere to Muslim laws. Enjoy alcohol on a day trip to a resort island or drink the delicious fruit juices, mocktails, and smoothies instead.

Interactions with locals: The locals on the Maldives local islands are SO excited to have tourists visit. They were excited to teach me about their culture while I taught them about mine.

Bikini beaches: Local islands have “bikini beaches”. That is the only area where tourists can wear their usual swimwear. Unless on a “bikini beach,” both men and women must cover up when walking in town, going out to restaurants, or at other beaches. You should cover your shoulders and your legs down to your knees.

Remove your shoes: Before entering any shop, accommodation, or building you must remove your shoes. It’s part of the culture and helps avoid tracking sand everywhere.

Don’t swim with jewelry: Shiny jewelry attracts wildlife which can create undesirable interactions with local marine life.

Rough waters: The seas surrounding the islands get rough, especially during the rainy season. Speed boats and local ferry rides are bumpy. If you’re prone to seasickness, pack Dramamine.

Visas: All nationalities receive a tourist visa on arrival for 30 days. Basic entry requirements include a blank passport page, proof of tickets leaving Maldives, and proof of accommodation in Maldives.

Where to Stay

When visiting a local island in Maldives, it’s most common to stay in a guest house or bed and breakfast. Many local islands have a variety of guest house accommodations for affordable rates.

Depending on the time of year and what amenities you are looking for you can get some great deals. During the off-season in Ukulhas, I booked a room with a king bed, private bathroom, and yard for less than $50 a night. There are fancier accommodations for $100 – $200 a night, still far less than a resort island. Both Airbnb and Booking.com list guest houses.

A few of the islands have hostels for budget backpackers. Hostels are great if you’re looking for a social environment, but in Maldives, a shared hostel room costs almost as much as a private room in a guest house.

Best Local Islands in Maldives

Of the 1,192 islands in the Maldives, 187 are inhabited. Some are private resort islands, some are purely local islands, and some are local tourist islands. These are some of the best local islands in Maldives.

Ukulhas, Alif Alif Atoll

I spent 5 days on the island of Ukulhas and LOVED it. Ukulhas is considered the most environmentally friendly island in Maldives and is known for its natural beauty.

It’s about a 2-hour speedboat ride or a 4-hour local ferry from Malé. There’s a good mix of guest houses and small hotels, a few restaurants, and a variety of excursion options from Ukulhas.

Ukulhas is known for its beautiful sandy beaches, clear blue waters and friendly locals chatting you up at dinner.

Dhigurah, South Ari Atoll

Dhigurah is famously known for its long white sandy beaches stretching almost 2 miles in length. Because of this, it’s a great island for both sunrise and sunset. This beautiful inhabited island is about a 1.5-hour speed boat ride from Male.

Go diving, snorkeling, or swimming with whale sharks year-round when visiting Dhigurah.

Fulidhoo, Vaavu Atoll

A small island, only 600 meters long by 200 meters wide, Fulidhoo is another one of the inhabited islands in Maldives. It’s about 1.5 hours by speedboat or 3.5 hours by local ferry.

Fulidhoo has 2 bikini beaches with calm water, comfortable sunbeds, and shade. The water is actually some of the brightest blue water seen around the Maldives! It’s a great spot for a snorkeling excursion.

Maafushi, Kaafu Atoll

Maafushi Island is a great Maldives local island option. It’s another one of the inhabited islands and is only a 45-minute speed boat ride from the airport.

It’s known for its better infrastructure than nearby local islands ranging from guest house restaurants to neighborhood cafes. There are also plenty of excursion options from Maafushi and beautiful sandy beaches.

Things to do on Ukulhas, a Local Island in the Maldives

The opportunities are endless when visiting a local island in Maldives. From hanging out and relaxing in the sun to a full-day excursion, all travelers will enjoy their stay.

Head to a Bikini Beach

Lie out in the sun, swim in the warm Indian Ocean, and relax under the palm trees when hanging out on a Maldives local island.

One of the advantages of staying on a local island is getting to relax on the white sandy beaches. Ukulhas is surrounded by these. When you stay in a bungalow over the water, you never get to take a stroll along the nice beaches, so these local islands allow for that.

Go Snorkeling

Simple enough, if you bring a pair of goggles you’ll likely see fish right off the shore. If the shore is close to a house reef, which many times it is, you might even see other wildlife like small sharks, fish, eels, and sea stars.

Some of the islands are part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. These are protected areas with diverse coral and fish ecosystems in the Maldives, and worth checking out.

Many accommodations on local islands offer snorkels and masks to borrow for free or to rent for a very low price. When you book your accommodation see if the owners have any gear.

Go Scuba Diving

Scuba diving isn’t the most budget-friendly activity in Ukulhas, Maldives, however, it is one of the most incredible once-in-a-lifetime experiences you can have.

The marine life around the reefs in Maldives is very impressive. Fish, sharks, sea stars, and manta rays. All the local islands can set you up with an incredible scuba diving experience ranging from a few-hour discovery dive to a few-day diving courses.

Maldives is not the cheapest place you can go diving in the world; however, if you’re going to splurge on one thing, I found scuba diving well worth it. A few-hour discovery dive at Murakabay Dive Center in Ukulhas costs $100.

Dine Out

Contrary to the resort islands, dining at a local island in the Maldives is very affordable. Depending on where you eat you’re able to find filling meals for around $3 – 5 USD. All of my meals on Ukulhas Island were in that price range except for a pizza which was less than $10.

Day Trip to a Resort Island

Spend a day at a resort island when visiting Maldives. Book a private bungalow and sip on a cocktail while relaxing above the clear turquoise waters. Ask your guest house or accommodation about the best resort island to visit.

Resort island visits start as low as $30 per person per day but can cost as much as a few hundred dollars at an upscale all-inclusive island resort.

Hang Out on Sandbar Beach

Off the cost of some of the larger islands are nearby sandbar beaches. They move a bit as the tide comes and goes but they are a beautiful spot to hang out.

Get in touch with your accommodation to book your own private beach for a romantic dinner or a sunny lunch! The boat ride and food are often provided and it’s a lovely way to enjoy your day in peace.

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My trip exploring a local island in Maldives was one of my favorite travel experiences so far. I regularly reminisce on the beauty of the islands and the friendly culture of the locals. As a budget trip to the Maldives, I was far more impressed than I could have expected. I hope this guide helps you plan your bucket list adventure!