Fulidhoo

Crystal clear turquoise water, fresh seafood, palm trees and fine white sand on the beach – we couldn’t have chosen a better first destination to start our journey! 6 days in paradise to relax and forget all the stress and chaos of the last couple of months planning and organising our one-year world trip!

If you are planning a trip to the Maldives and wondering about the details and logistics, make sure to check out our comprehensive Maldives Travel Guide! We also included our full cost breakdown there.

Local island charm in the Maldives

Fulidhoo is a rather small island with about 400 inhabitants in the Vaavu Atoll, just a little to the south of Malé. It is one of the more popular local islands of the Maldives, attracting independent travellers as well as resort-dwellers on short excursions. Locals and tourists exist in complete harmony here – the slow island life is written in capital letters here: you can walk from one end of the island to the other in just about 15 minutes.

Staying on a local island alongside Maldivians gave us a good insight into their culture and daily life, which is exactly the experience we were looking for. Every day we observed the locals going about their day, playing sports and cards, hanging out at small cafés and youngsters going to school and to the local mosque. Maldivians are extremely friendly and will even greet you on the street – as Fulidhoo is a small island where everyone seems to know each other.

What can you do on 28 acres?

The island is famous for its sting ray and nurse shark observation points near the pier, where locals regularly feed the animals. They are the cutest creatures, especially the sting rays, hovering around your legs in shallow water! Don’t need to be afraid of them though, they know very well that you are no food and are used to people being around. Many tourists from nearby resorts come to the island on day trips just to get pictures with them too. As we were staying on the island, we were able to observe them every day early in the morning, right before the tourist crowds arrived at around 9 am.

Another highlight is watching the nurse sharks and sting rays swim around the pier in the evening. At around 7 pm they get fed by locals, which is an interesting event to watch.

November and December also mark the delivery season for blacktip reef sharks. We were able to spot quite a few of them around the island.

Going offshore

We booked three excursions through our hotel to experience the one-of-a-kind sea life of the Maldives, which attracts many divers and snorkellers from around the world.

Swimming with dolphins

We were joined by a friendly couple on our first adventure to see and swim with dolphins. Swimming with these magnificent creatures was an absolutely fascinating experience! You can see them curiously approach the boat and quickly swoosh by, and hear them “talk” to each other underwater on a high-pitched frequency. We paid $25 per person for the half-day trip.

Shark encounters

Our second boat trip was also a half-day excursion. At the first stop, we jumped into the water right in the middle of a huge swarm of nurse sharks! Although they are one of the friendliest sharks and not aggressive towards humans at all, they looked quite intimidating and scary from underwater. We also spotted a few reef sharks swimming among them – but luckily only young ones, nothing like the Meg.

The last stop was at the house coral reef, where we snorkelled around the beautiful reef. The corals are very healthy and colourful here and we also spotted some turtles and quite a few clownfish. We were hoping to find mantas on this excursion, but unfortunately the season wasn’t right to spot them in the waters this time around.

Luckily, the owner of our accommodation was friends with a boat captain, so they took just the two of us on a private excursion! We could take all the time we wanted and weren’t rushed at any point during the trip. We paid $55 per person, worth every penny!

In search of whale sharks

This was the trip we were looking forward to the most – there are not many places in the world where you can snorkel with whale sharks in an ethical way with no feeding involved. We joined a bigger group of about 10 people, all hoping to spot the largest fish of the seas. Many similar boats from other islands gathered on the open water, every one of them chasing the same whale shark one of the tour guides spotted earlier. The captains kept in touch the whole time, in case one of the crew members saw the “target”.

Ultimately, we were out of luck this time, and only one person of the party saw a tiny bit of the tail of a whale shark diving down and disappearing into the depths. We paid $100 each for the whole-day excursion. It is always a gamble on these kinds of trips and there is no guarantee to spot anything, as nature is unpredictable. The amount of boats chasing the one single shark made us feel a little uneasy. We are not sure if we would do this excursion again; however, we do understand that people want to make use of this opportunity, as seeing one of these giants is surely an experience you will never forget. Just know what to expect regarding the circumstances.

We did have a fantastic whale shark experience in the Philippines later on in our trip, where we saw three whale sharks with a similarly sized group of people, with only one other boat around. We preferred this experience and we felt that the excursions in the Philippines were more regulated, keeping daily boats to a minimum and showing greater efforts to protect the animals.

Food

Fulidhoo offers delicious local food, which is a must-try on the island! Our favourite was the catch-of-the-day grilled fish, freshly prepared and perfectly seasoned. It was one of the best grilled fish we’ve ever tried!

Another favourite dish of ours was the local pumpkin curry. Also mas huni, the Maldivian breakfast, is super delicious, served with a paste made of tuna, coconut, onion, lime and chilli. Make sure to try the fresh fruit juices and smoothies too! Fresh coconut juice can be bought around the island – they slice the fresh coconut open right in front of you.

Our top spot on Fulidhoo: Kinān Retreat has a buffet dinner with drinks for just $12. You will find delicious grilled fish, coconut-based curries and roasted potatoes on the menu. You need to book in advance on the same day at the resort. Bonus point: this is also the beach where locals feed the nurse sharks in the evening. You can watch them from your table while having dinner!

Another great find was the humbly named “Fish Restaurant” with a more intimate atmosphere, tucked away between palm trees on the northern side of the island. As the name suggests, they specialise in fresh fish grilled to perfection.

Accommodation

Fulidhoo, being a popular destination, has many hotels to choose from. Luckily, the island is still not overrun by tourists and has managed to retain its relaxed local vibe.

We spent 5 nights on the island, 4 of which at the Cowry Inn on the east side of the island. The room we had was located on the ground floor with a little patio facing the street. It was spacious with all the necessary amenities, hot water and WiFi. Traditional Maldivian breakfast with mas huni, fresh fruit, coffee and fresh juice was also included in the price of $55 per person per night. The staff were super kind and helped us book all the tours we wanted to do. Make sure to check out the owner’s Instagram account too for breathtaking pictures from the island!

For the last night, we booked the Madi Grand, a little more upscale hotel in the middle of the island offering rooms for around $72 per person per night. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take full advantage of all the amenities, like the rooftop pool here, as a small storm hit the island on our last day.

Getting to the island

You basically have three options:

• Slow & cheap: the public ferry. After landing at Malé International Airport, you have to take the airport ferry to the capital’s larger port. Finding the stop is quite straightforward, the way is clearly marked at the exit. This first ride costs $1 (or 15 Rufiyaa), and you have to pay in cash.
  After that, you take the public ferry line 306 from the Hulhumalé Ferry Terminal. You do not need to book in advance; you can buy tickets at the terminal, which is quite spacious with ample seating, toilets and a small shop for snacks & drinks. The ferry costs $4 one way and takes around 3,5 hours. Again, you have to pay in cash here too. Make sure to check the current schedule on Atoll Transfer, as departure times vary by day.
• Quick & more expensive: the shared speedboat. In this case, your departure point is conveniently located at the airport terminal. The ride takes around 45 minutes and costs $40-$50. You need to book in advance, which you can do through your hotel or online on Atoll Transfer.
• Quick & flexible: private speedboat. For maximum flexibility and the comfort of private transportation, you can opt for a private speedboat. They will pick you up at the airport and take you to the island without any further stops. Prices are available only by enquiry, but typically range between $200-$300. You can make a booking request here, or through your hotel.

We did a combination of the first two options, taking the public ferry to Fulidhoo and the speedboat on the way back. Both were comfortable enough, and the weather was calm so we didn’t suffer from any seasickness.

Do I need cash or is a credit card sufficient?

The official currency of the Maldives is the Maldivian Rufiyaa, but they also accept US dollars. Most shops in Maldives accept credit cards as well, but there is a commission of around 5% on all purchases. If you pay in cash in USD, you will probably get your change in Rufiyaa. (The bills are beautiful, by the way!) On smaller islands, like Fulidhoo, there are no ATMs. Therefore, your best bet is to bring US dollars in cash to avoid exchange fees and credit card commissions. The bills have to be in good condition without tears or markings, otherwise they won’t be accepted. Also make sure what kinds of payment types your accommodation accepts.

For the cost breakdown of our 6 days in Fulidhoo as well as further tips and resources, check out our full guide about travelling in the Maldives!