Friday, 25th December 2020 (Updated Dec 2023)
When it comes to discovering one of the most beautiful local islands in Maldives and with hundreds of islands to choose from, visiting Gulhi is something you should think about it. Planning to go to the Maldives remains a bit confusing and difficult for first time travelers because you can not visit all the major islands in Maldives on one visit. So you should choose the island that suit your goals, budget and personal preferences, and most likely Gulhi Island meets all criteria.
Medium budget travelers like me and experienced travelers have the opportunity to experience the Maldives without spending hundreds in the resort room every night, as accommodations in Gulhi mainly consist of boutique hotels and affordable guest houses.
Gulhi is located in South Malé Atoll and a speedboat trip to Gulhi from the capital Malé takes just 30 minutes and cost only 100 MVR for Maldivians and Residents for one way, and 20 USD for tourists (Some speedboat operators 25$ ). Perhaps staying in a luxury island resort in the Maldives limits your connection with the locals and discover their way of life, which you will find in Gulhi. At the same time, it will give you a better opportunity to discover the local Maldivian culture. You will see how the locals eat, interact and live on a daily basis…
Gulhi Island is not very big, therefore, it is easy to get to know the island within an hour, and it takes very little effort to find shops and restaurants and you need to taste the delicious local food. The island is mainly a fishing village with friendly local people. The small island have also two amazing bikini beaches one in the north and one in south. There is also a small sandbank island near Gulhi that you can reach it even with Catamaran, and watch many dolphins in your way, and you can take amazing pictures there. Gulhi is really great island for snorkelling and scuba diving . All water sports and excursions are available there as well. Personally i prefer Gulhi island much better than Maafushi island for many reasons and especially you will never find the crowd of Maafushi in Gulhi, you will really enjoy there and relax and it’s really peace of mind.
* Gulhi Public Beach : There are two beaches on the island, south and north. The north beach is incredibly stunning where you can lounge all day under a parasol shade, go swimming and house reef snorkeling, and have a food or drink at the beach restaurant!
*Gulhi Bikini Beach : Gulhi bikini beach is one of the famous beach in Male’ area. Fine sand, crystal clear sea that changes color during the day in all shades of blue and green. There are umbrellas and sunbeds, and many water sports facilities
Transfer to Gulhi By Public Ferry
You can reach Gulhi also in very cheap way and save lot of money. Once your flight arrive to Velana International airport and after you collect your luggage, just head to the airport ferry jetty and take ferry boat to Malé, ticket cost around 1.5$ , (just 10 to 15 minutes) and then from Malé take a taxi ride to Villingili ferry terminal (You can also walk and it take maximum 20 to 25 minutes by feet). Then once you arrive to Villingili terminal you can buy ticket for just 2$ however the journey duration will be around 80 minutes. Ferry runs everyday except in Friday and Monday.
Ferry departure from Malé : 03:00 PM
Ferry dparture from Gulhi : 07:50 AM
Where to stay in Gulhi
In Gulhi you can find easily nice affordable guesthouses very near to the beach, cosy and comfortable and where double room rate start from 62 USD per night. We are pleased to host you in our House in Gulhi that is located 2 min walking from Bikini Beach. From our beautiful Balcony you can even see the famous Resort Ananatara Dhigu Resort, where one night stay there is more than 1000 USD ! However you will have same beach and same sea and all water sports activities and excursions are available in Gulhi at affordable rates and if you stay with us you will support the Local People and the local economy of Maldives ! You can book your budget stay in Gulhi with us via Airbnb or you can also contact us directly here.
The Map of Gulhi island
When is the best month to visit Gulhi island ?
Check here our detailed blog post about the weather in Maldives, to have a clear idea about the best time to visit and enjoy the Maldives.
A trip to sandbank island from Gulhi
A beautiful sandbank island in Kaafu Atoll, not far from Gulhi
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