We recently visited Fulidhoo, a small and inexpensive local island
Aside from snorkelling, Fulidhoo Island main attraction is the shark and ray beach, where you can spot nurse sharks, sea turtles and rays in shallow waters and even take photos with them.
Of course, Fulidhoo also has the white sand and clear blue water typical of the Maldives, and there are family-friendly hotels for as little as $60 a night, so it’s a good option if you want to get your dose of the tropics without breaking the bank.
This guide will tell you how to get to Fulidhoo Island, what to do there, where to stay and everything you need to know before you go!
How To Get To Fulidhoo Island
There is no airport in Fulidhoo, so you will first need to fly into the capital of the Maldives at Male International Airport (MLE), which is approximately 55 kilometres (35 miles) from Fulidhoo.
From Male, you can take a motorboat or ferry directly to Fulidhoo.
By Public Speedboat
The primary way to get to Fulidhoo is by public boat, and that’s what we did. Daily morning and afternoon departures from Male airport and town.
The boat ride to Fulidhoo takes just under 1.5 hours and costs around US$40 per person each way. In our experience, it was very bumpy, but I’m sure it depends on the weather.
On the other hand, the boats are new, and the seats are comfortable. They also have a bathroom and plenty of luggage storage and offer complimentary bottled water during your trip.
Boats from Male to Fulidhoo leave at 10:00 and 16:00 (Fridays only at 9:30), and vessels return from Fulidhoo to Male at 7:30 and 13:30 (Fridays only at 7:00).
However, be aware that several speedboat companies are operating this route, and the schedule seems to change occasionally, so I will check the schedule with your hotel before you leave.
You can ask your hotel in Fulidhoo to book the speedboat for you and then pay for it along with your room bill upon arrival. We did just that, and paying by credit card saved us having to carry a lot of cash.
By Private Speedboat
Renting a private boat will cost you much more than public boats, but it can be more convenient when you travel in a group of at least 4 or 5 people and need a direct connection to Fulidhoo Island.
You should be able to negotiate this with your hotel in Fulidhoo.
By Public Ferry
You can also take a public ferry from Male to Fulidhoo. This option is a bit slower than the speedboats but much cheaper. The ferry ride to Fulidhoo takes about 4 hours and costs US$5 for a one-way ticket.
This route departs from Male to Fulidhoo on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10:00. The ferry returns from Fulidhoo to Male on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:30.
Ferry departure times can change occasionally, so you should check with your hotel in Fulidhoo for the most up-to-date schedule. However, booking tickets in advance is impossible, so arriving a little early to secure a seat is best.
The ferry departs from the Hulhumale Ferry Terminal in Male City (map here). It is important to note that this is not the Hulhumale Ferry Terminal but the ferry terminal of the same name in Male City. It can be reached in 10 minutes by taxi from the airport.
Note: If you are coming from Maafushi Island, you can take the ferry directly to Fulidhoooo, so you don’t have to change trains in Male.
How To Get Around The Fulidhoo Island
Fulidhoo is a tiny island, so you can walk anywhere you need to go.
There aren’t even any cars on the island; there are just a few small electric cars to transport luggage to and from the pier to the hotels.
The island is only about 700 meters long and 250 meters wide, meaning you can walk from any hotel to the beach or pier in 5 minutes or go around the island in less than 30 minutes. It’s pretty convenient.
Shark & Stingray Beach
The main attraction of Fulidhoo is the beach with sharks and rays. It is a long beach stretching along the island’s southwest side and is marked on Google Maps as a “stingray spot.”
The rays come to this beach every day and night looking for fishermen’s remains; usually, a nurse shark or sea turtle shows up, too.
Of course, there is no guarantee that they will come, but in the 2 days we spent on the island, there were almost always rays on the beach, and other people reported the same experience.
We saw more than a dozen rays at a time! It was a fun experience. You can watch them from the shore or take photos with them in shallow water. Please do not touch them; it is okay if they feel you.
Is It Safe?
That’s what we thought before coming here. Is it safe to be around sharks and rays? Good question. The sharks around Fulidhu are nurse sharks and pretty harmless to humans.
What about the manta rays? Unfortunately, we all remember what happened to Steve Irwin, but I think this situation was a freak accident. Steve followed the stingray in the water to film it and saw it as a threat.
Manta rays are mostly gentle animals, and as long as you are careful not to step on them, chase them or make them feel threatened or followed in any way, they are unlikely to harm you. Not to mention that the water here is very shallow.
Of course, we can’t say that this place is 100% safe, but many tourists come to Fulidhoo every day to see the rays and take pictures with them, and we have never heard of any serious incidents.
More Things To Do In Fulidhoo Island
- East Beach/Bikini Beach: Fulidhoo’s main beach is the east beach with beautiful white sand and turquoise water. This is the island’s “bikini beach,” where tourists can wear swimsuits and sunbathe. The waves are calm enough for kids to swim in, although there isn’t much shade.
- Sunset Viewpoint: If you want to walk, the island’s west side offers good sunset views.
- Banyan Tree: In the island’s center is an impressive old banyan tree with giant roots. It shades the volleyball court, and if you’re staying at the Huvan Inn like we did, this tree is right outside the hotel.
- Scuba Diving: The Fulidhoo area is famous for snorkelling, and you can get up close to reef sharks, manta rays, octopuses and other animals. Check out the dive shops at Fulidhoo Dive and Divers Resort Tours: Hotels in Fulidhoo can arrange a half-day tour to one of the nearby luxury resorts, which is a fun way to visit one of the Maldives’ luxury hotels without paying the total price. These packages typically include round-trip transportation, access to amenities like the resort’s pool and spa, and an allowance for food and drinks while you’re there.
- Other Activities: Fulidhoo offers snorkelling tours where you’ll be taken to a shipwreck, or you can have a picnic on the sandbar. There are also tours where you can see whale sharks and dolphins.
How Long To Stay
Fulidhoo is a tiny island, so I think most people would be happy with 2 or 3 days, although it wouldn’t hurt to stay longer. We stayed for 2 days, and that was enough for us. In my opinion, less than a day is too little.
Many people come here on excursions from other islands to see sharks and rays, but we watched these tour groups from afar, and they seemed to be in a hurry.
Most tour groups left after only 30 minutes on the island, which is not enough time to walk around or take good photos. We were glad we didn’t do this. I think staying on the island for at least 1 or 2 days is better.
Tips For Visiting Fulidhoo Island
- Permits: A travel permit is no longer required to visit non-resort islands in the Maldives, including Fulidhoo.
- ATM: There is still no ATM on Fulidhoo Island, so you’ll need to carry enough cash for your stay or use the ATM at Male Airport.
- Currency: US dollars are accepted throughout the island, though you’ll usually get a slightly better exchange rate with Maldivian Rufiyaa. Just be aware that rufiyaa cannot be used outside the Maldives, so you don’t want to be left high and dry at the end of your trip. There is no currency exchange office in Fulidhoo, so it’s best to do this at Male Airport.
- Credit Cards: You’ll need to double-check, but many hotels in Fulidhoo… There may be a fee for this (around 3 to 5 percent), but it’s worth it, in my opinion, so you don’t have to carry a credit card. Just take a lot of cash. However, restaurants and convenience stores in Fulidhoo don’t usually accept cards, so you can’t go there without money.
- Alcohol: The Maldives is a Muslim country, so alcohol is banned on local islands like Fulidhoo, although you can buy it if you take a day trip to one of the nearby resort islands.
- Dress code: Fulidhoo has a conservative dress code, as locals mainly inhabit it. You shouldn’t wear swimsuits or revealing clothing except on the designated “bikini beach” – although plenty of people break this rule, it doesn’t seem strictly enforced. However, if you don’t want to get into trouble, it’s best to follow this rule and cover up when you’re not on the beach.
Other Tips For Visiting Fulidhoo Island
- Mosque: There is a mosque on the island, but it’s quiet. We never heard any noise from it.
- Electricity: We stayed at a budget hotel in Fulidhoo and still had 24-hour electricity, so you don’t have to worry about outages here.
- Cellular: Our phones had decent 4G reception from Ooredoo (via T-Mobile) all over Fulidhoo Island.
- Wi-Fi: Fulidhoo has fast and reliable Wi-Fi, even in budget hotels.
- Drones: Most fancy resorts in the Maldives don’t allow drones, but since Fulidhoo is a local island, I could bring and use a drone without any issues.
- Mosquitos: We saw a few mosquitoes at the outdoor restaurants but not at the beach or hotel. We used bug spray when eating, but we didn’t need it.
- Malaria: The entire country of the Maldives has been malaria-free since 1984, so you don’t have to worry about it, though there can be cases of dengue fever.
- Safety: Overall, the Maldives is a very safe country with one of the lowest slaughter rates in the world. We have always felt safe here, and I have not heard of any serious incidents on the island.
- Hospital: There is a small medical centre in Fulidhoo, but in case of a severe emergency, you must go to the hospital in Male.
