Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guide for Fulhadhoo (Maldives) - Maldives Purple Travel Guide
Fulhadhoo has the best beach in the Maldives and some good snorkeling. We provide detailed information of its beaches and the best snorkeling spots and we show lots of photos so you know what you can expect.
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General Information about Fulhadhoo in the Maldives
Fulhadhoo is pronounced Fulla-DO with the stress on DO (DO as in to do, or doing).
The island is part of the small Goidhoo Atoll or Horsburgh Atoll, which is typically counted as part of the much larger Southern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll, from which it is technically separated by a 6 nautical mile (7-mile, 11 km) channel. Administratively, the Southern Maalhosmadulhu Atoll belongs to the even larger Baa Atoll.
Fulhadhoo has a population of only 300 people and there is no ATM. At the time of writing, there was no way to pay with credit cards, either. To pay for your accommodation, you have to bring enough US Dollars or Maldivian MVR, or another currency that your hotel accepts.
There are two small stores on the island with a very limited selection of food items and food is served in the various hotels and there is a café for drinks. It is therefore advised to pay for the food package at your hotel.
Getting to Fulhadhoo in the Maldives
The easiest way to get to Fulhadhoo from Male is by speedboat. At the time of writing, the speedboat Atoll Cute departs from just outside the international terminal of the Male Airport at 1pm and arrives in Fulhadhoo 2h later. Your hotel can book tickets for you and confirm the time. We paid US$65 per person for the trip on the speedboat Atoll Cute.
This is a public speedboat and will likely be fully booked. A bottle of water was provided in the back of the seat and it was hot inside the boat. Once the speedboat got going, there was some air movement which made the trip more bearable.
As the speedboat is dependent on the weather and the waves, arrival and departure times are somewhat flexible.
Stores in Fulhadhoo in the Maldives
There are only two small stores in Fulhadhoo, and both are only a 3-minute walk from Azoush Guesthouse. Be sure to ask for the opening times at the hotel.
In the stores you will find some food items, stationery, hardware, and a few fresh vegetables and fruits.
Beaches and Snorkeling in Fulhadhoo in the Maldives
Tourists visit Fulhadhoo because of its beaches. In fact, Lonely Planet listed Fulhadhoo in its 100 Best Beaches of the World of 2024 as the only beach in the Maldives, which rightfully crowns it the best beach in the Maldives.
Fulhadhoo also has some good snorkeling.
Even during the high season, the island never gets very busy and you can typically have wide stretches of beach for yourself.
The two main beaches are Bikini Beach in the western part of Fulhadhoo and Locals Beach in the east.
1 = Harbor
2 = Azoush Guesthouse
3 = Jungle path to Bikini Beach
4 = East (Locals) Beach
- = Bikini Beach (blue)
- = Sharp Corals (black)
- = Dangerous Currents (red)
Bikini Beach in Fulhadhoo in the Maldives
Bikini Beach is a 0.5-mile (800 m) long gorgeous stretch of white sand lined with palm trees and other trees on the south-western side of the island.
You can either walk along the beach to the western end or take the wide and well-maintained path through the jungle which is also used by bicycles, motorcycles, and golf carts.
The beach faces south and therefore, there is limited shade. The sand slopes slowly into the ocean and is therefore well-suited for children. To swim at low tide, you will need to walk far out to reach water that is deep enough.
There are some occasional snorkeling opportunities at the rocks that you can see emerging from the water at low tide. But the majority is sandy bottom with occasional seagrass cover.
The beach is absolutely gorgeous and very clean. The sand is snow white and the water shines in stunning turquoise colors.
Good snorkeling can be found north of the island where there are wide stretches of corals and rocks. Water levels at low tide are, however, too low to allow for snorkeling.
There is an artificial reef at the mast with beautiful healthy corals and lots of colorful fish.
The best access is at the western end of Bikini Beach.
It is strongly advised to wear fins or water shoes to protect your feet from the sharp corals.
Locals Beach in Fulhadhoo in the Maldives
Locals Beach is located on the eastern side of Fulhadhoo. Especially the north-eastern side is gorgeous, but unfortunately there is a little bit of trash.
Locals typically come here after 5pm on workdays. Before 5pm, you will likely have this beach for yourself.
The, in my opinion, best coral reef for snorkeling on Fulhadhoo is located directly to the south of here. The reef is nicer, but there are typically fewer fish than at Bikini Beach.
As this is a Locals Beach, please obey the dress code for tourists: No bikini, no cleavage for women, no bare chests for men, and cover your legs until at least above the knees.
Because of the solitude, excellent snorkeling, and shorter walk from our hotel (Azoush Tourist Guesthouse), I actually preferred this beach.
Hotels in Fulhadhoo in the Maldives
The hotel manager at Azoush Tourist Guesthouse told us that there are 12-15 guest houses on the island. The majority are people resting out a room, and they are not listed on international websites. There are only a handful of hotels that are listed on international booking sites, and even fewer have their own websites.
Here you can find hotels that are available on Fulhadhoo for your visit:
Azoush Tourist Guesthouse in Fulhadhoo in the Maldives (book)
On our speedboat ride from Male to Fulhadhoo, I was sitting next to a Fulhadhoo local and we chatted a lot during the 2h ride. For what it is worth, he told me that we had made the best choice by selecting Azoush Tourist Guesthouse as our accommodation –as far as I can tell, he was not associated with the hotel.
When we arrived at the harbor, we were greeted by the manager of the Azoush Tourist Guesthouse, who then drove us to the hotel – this is a 2min golf cart ride.
After the welcome drink, he gave us an orientation and asked to pay the agreed-upon price for the accommodation and speedboat ride.
The manager has a list of excursions that he can organize and, if what you want to do is not on the list, just ask. As an example, he organized night snorkeling for us, which was not on his list.
Be advised that he uses his own personnel to do the excursions and that you may be able to get lower prices by hiring locals. Hiring locals, however, means that you have no recourse and safety standards may potentially be lower.
The hotel provides free bottled water in the room, and free water, coffee, and tea around the clock in the dining area.
The rooms are spacious, with basic furnishings. There is no daily housekeeping.
Free wifi is available on the property. While surfing speeds are medium, upload speeds are slow and you may not be able to backup all your photos to the cloud overnight.
Breakfast buffet is included in the basic room rate and lunch and dinner are add-ons that you can book with the accommodation or add upon arrival (have enough cash on hand). You can, of course, try your luck at the other hotels for these meals.
At the time of writing, lunch was served (no choices) and dinner was a buffet.
During our stay, the meals varied, and we liked the portion size and how they tasted.
During breakfast, lunch and dinner, orange juice and other drinks were available.
In the dining area is a fridge with soft drinks, chocolate, and items for purchase.
Be advised that the dining area is an open-air patio with a roof.
There is a big TV screen, where they show beautiful professional videos that the Azoush team has taken, and sometimes they plays music from YouTube.
The hotel manager speaks good English and some of his staff speak basic English. The manager always seems to be around and he is super friendly and helpful. He offered to drive us the end of Bikini Beach and Locals Beach and, of course, to the harbor on our last day.
Communication with the hotel before our trip was easy and they always responded quickly – typically within a few hours.
Long story short: We would stay here again.
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