Get to know the Maldives and Maafushi island

Velana International Airport is connected by a bridge to the capital, Male, making it only a 30 minute speedboat ride away from Maafushi Island. Transfer from and to the airport on the day of arrival and departure is included in the price of our package. Depending on the flight schedule, we book transportation for our guests.

The local currency of the Maldives is the Rufiyaa. The banknotes are water resistant and come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 rufiyaa. $1 = 15.42 Rufiyaa (MVR)

Maafushi has two bikini beaches. If you would like to swim on other beaches on the island, you need to wear a T-shirt and shorts over the swimsuit, or any other piece of clothing that would cover the swimsuit, in order to respect the local rules and local culture that is part of the Islamic community. Also, while walking around the island, visiting restaurants and bars, in all parts of the islands that are not the bikini beach area, the same rule applies – clothing over a bathing suit.

The Maldives is located very close to the equator, so the sun’s rays are very strong. Even when the weather is cloudy, the skin can burn very easily. We advise all guests to use sunscreen during all days of their stay. If you don’t bring it from home, you can find creams with protection factors of even 80, 90 and 100 in stores on Maafushi.

Maafushi has a large number of food and drink markets, souvenir shops, cosmetic shops, there are also shops for swimwear, swimming equipment, bakery, etc. The working hours of shops are dictated by the time of prayer, and during the duration of each prayer the shops are closed for an hour / hour and a half. There are two markets that are open during prayer times and close at 02:30 in the morning. Other shops are open until 22:00 / 23:00.

In Maafushi, there is the possibility of buying a SIM tourist card, with various packages for internet, calls and messages.

Maafushi has a local clinic. When visiting the clinic, you need to bring your personal passport with you, as well as rufiyaa money notes, dollars and euros are not accepted. In addition to the pharmacy located in the clinic, there are two more pharmacies, which are located right in front of the clinic.

On Maafushi you can find a bank (Bank of Maldives) which has an ATM that works 24/7. By using Visa and Master Card, you can withdraw only rufiyaa from the ATM.

Average restaurant food prices range from $5.6 to $20 per dish, while seafood prices are slightly higher, averaging around $30 – $50 per serving. Drink prices are on average 2 to 5 dollars for coffee, 5 to 7 dollars for fresh juices, 10 – 12 dollars for non-alcoholic cocktails.

According to official law, alcohol is prohibited on the local islands of the Maldives, it is not sold in shops or restaurants. Alcohol can be consumed in resorts, as well as on party boats located near certain local islands. One of them is located a 2 minute drive from Mafushi Island 😉

Throughout the year, the sun rises and sets in the Maldives at the same time: sunrise is roughly between 05:00 and 06:00, while sunset is between 17:30 and 18:50.

The local island of Maafushi always offers options for a night program, such as live concerts, DJ performances, bikini beach parties, traditional dance performance – boduberu (a local group of guys who represent the local culture through music and dance).