Currently, visiting the Maldives on a budget is simpler and more interesting than ever before. Maafushi Island in maldives can be viewed as one of the most popular and cheapest options that are commonly referred to as a budget travel center in this region. This destination offers tourists beautiful corals and great diving, wonderful beaches with snow-white sands, as well as azure water. It is located close to Male - at a distance of 35 minutes by speedboat or 90 minutes by ferry.
Maafushi Island provides visitors not only with amazing landscapes but also with comfortable guesthouses and various recreational opportunities. Cheap holidays in the Maldives are now a reality. Maafushi Island has become an attraction that allows tourists to experience the wonders of the Maldives without spending too much money. It’s a place where everyone feels welcome, and where there is already infrastructure developed for tourists interested in exploring the island.
There are plenty of coral reefs and marine life around Maafushi Island, which makes it great for scuba diving, snorkeling, and other kinds of water sports. Whether you want to go on a trip to see dolphins, or simply island hop through the Maldives, there is something here for every tourist.
The Island
The total area of Maafushi Island is measured at approximately 1.2 kilometers long and 350 meters wide, making it possible to tour around the whole island within half an hour. As soon as you set foot on the island, you will be immediately struck by the friendly attitude of the locals, who work on the island’s beaches every day. Being a quiet place, Maafushi provides great comfort due to its peaceful atmosphere. If you want to enjoy the sunsets on the island, there is no need to check in to a hotel which overlooks the horizon. Instead, a simple walk across the island will get you to an ideal place to watch the stars and nature's display of colors. Despite being devastated in 2004 by the Indian Ocean tsunami, the island has recovered significantly due to the efforts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Now that the islanders have found ways to live on, Maafushi has become a popular destination due to its tourism and fishery industries.
With a population of approximately 2,600, Maafushi is a place with a rich history of being a traditional fishing community. There are quite many people in the village who continue to practice fishing. Every morning, the local fishers get their fishing equipment ready by the coral reef and lagoon and then go to deeper waters to fish. They use traditional fishing techniques such as handline fishing to catch fish. In the evenings, the boats land back in the village, where people come to receive the fishermen and buy fresh fish. It should be emphasized that according to the Maldivian legislation, the consumption and sale of alcohol are prohibited on inhabited islands including Maafushi. People can enjoy drinking alcohol on the neighboring floating bars where alcohol is sold.
The Beach
Maafushi is a charming small island with wide back alleys with no transportation services except two motorbikes. The island boasts two beaches, Public Beach and Swimsuit Beach. Swimsuit beach is an enclosed beach found at the northern part of the island, meant specially for tourists. Here you can sunbathe in your swimsuit and even swim since it was renovated in 2017.
On the rest of the island, there should be no bathing suits at all, except that you are allowed to bathe with clothes that cover your body up to your legs and shoulders! The swimsuit beach is quite small, and if you intend to lie on the sunbeds in its shade, then better reach there by 8 or 9 AM; otherwise, you have to sunbathe in the shade of the palm tree on your own beach towel!
Excursions
One of the best ways to spend time during your holiday in Maafushi Island is to go for the dolphin and sunset cruises. The Spinner Dolphin is very common in Maafushi, where they swim in large pods while spinning and jumping high above the surface. The dolphins have a routine whereby they hunt for food during the night and return to the islands early in the morning before retreating into the deep sea later in the day. Therefore, one will never miss witnessing dolphins around Maafushi Island. A sunset cruise is also memorable since you will get the chance to sail through the Indian Ocean as the sun sets, transforming the sky into different colors.
One can also enjoy sandbank adventures in Maafushi. The island of Furanafushi Sandbank is one of the most popular beaches in the area, often referred to as a “hot beach.” It is a small and uninhabited sandbank with shallow turquoise waters, perfect for swimming and relaxing. One only needs a ten-minute ferry ride from Maafushi Island to reach there and enjoy the cool breeze while having a picnic.
The more adventurous tourists are welcome to arrange visits to remote islands, such as Maadhoo Finolhu. This island boasts greenery, white sand beaches, and a safe lagoon for swimming. Picnics or beach BBQs can also be held here. There are other nearby islands worth mentioning as well, such as Villivaru Island and Vaagali Island where one can spend time snorkeling and simply resting.
Fishing in Maldives plays an important role in their culture. Hence, visitors are welcomed to enjoy traditional fishing in the Maafushi. These fishing trips usually happen in the afternoon when people go to fish using handlines. Besides, there is an opportunity to have some fun big game fishing. Maldives' surfing is quite unique due to warm and consistent waves in this part of the world. No matter how experienced a tourist is in surfing, they will surely have an incredible time on their board. Moreover, the water around the Maldives offers a variety of water sports, such as snorkeling, kayaking, jet skiing, windsurfing, riding banana boats and many others.
