Maafushi : Is This The Perfect Maldives Destination In 2024?

Ah, the Maldives! For years, these gorgeous islands had been my unattainable dream. “It’s so expensive to visit the Maldives!” and “I’ll never have enough money for the Maldives!” had been my main excuses up until a few short years back.

My doubts and excuses for not visiting the Maldives ceased when a friend of mine let me know about the island of Maafushi. It turns out, Maafushi is one of the most affordable Maldivian islands! Thus, I stopped making excuses and started planning my trip. Yay, Maldives!

Here are the main reasons why you should choose Maafushi for your Maldives vacation. Trust me when I say that Maafushi is totally worth it!

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🏨In a hurry? Book the a room at the Kaani Palm Beach. It is a travel sustainable property, with a great pool, amazing views and a buffet breakfast to boot! 🏨

Maafushi Hotels

First things first. If you are headed to Maafushi, you will find that there are different types of accommodation in Maafushi. The best part is that there are some world class resorts in Maafushi and some hotels that fit with lower budgets. Here are some places that you should check out.

Arena Beach Hotel (Luxury)

⭐️ Rating: 8.2/10 (1,283 Reviews) Price: $137 per night 📍Location: Arena Beach Hotel, Beach Road, Maafushi Details: Read more on booking.com now!

If you are looking for a cool place to stay that is high in luxury then Kaani Palm beach hotel is something that you should check out. You will find that the hotel is elegantly furnished.

The highlight of it is however the views that each room has to offer because it is located super close to beach. Heck many of the balconies offer panoramic views of the iconic blue waters.

“We visited Arena Beach during our honeymoon, it gave us the best experience. The rooms are excellent, clean, and spacious. The hotel staffs are well trained and friendly. The bikini beach is so good as it is just in front of the beach. The food at the buffet was too good. We cannot describe in words how good the hotel is, the more I say it becomes less to describe.”
Leia (read more reviews now!)

If you want to intersperse your vacation with some watersports then the hotel can book you in for some activities like wind surfing, snorkeling and diving. Did I mention that you can enjoy a nice dip in a hot tub or just bask in one of the sun lounges. Sounds pretty luxurious doesn’t it?

Book Your Room Now!

Kaani Palm Beach Hotel (Mid-Range)

⭐️ Rating: 8.4/10 (3,318 Reviews) Price: $97 per night 📍Location: Beach Front, Maafushi Details: Read more on booking.com now!

Kaani Palm Beach hotel is one of the cool hotels that is a mix of luxury and its cost falls in the mid range as far as budget is concerned.

One of the perks of this hotel is that it is a beachfront property. It has a lovely garden, an amazing swimming pool and a terrace where you can chill at.

“Beautiful hotel! Great Infinity pool on the roof top. Decorated our room Beautiful for my Birthday Good location, nice beach and loungers. Very nice food. Good customer service. Great hotel to book on Maafushi Island. Take a Sea View room.”
Rheeders (read more reviews now!)

The onsite restaurant provides a mix of international cuisine so you know that you really don’t have to get off the property for meal. In fact, you will find that you can choose to ask for specialized meals which includes dairy free, gluten free or vegan.

You can also rent a cycle or a bike if you want to cycle around the island.

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Is Maafushi Worth It?

It’s Affordable

Just look at that clear water in Maafushi… Makes you want to jump in!

There are two types of islands in the Maldives – public and private ones. The private islands are usually one whole resort, and this is where you can usually find the infamous water villas. These are some of the expensive resorts in Maldives.

Maafushi is a public island, which means two things – first, some locals live there, and second, you need to dress appropriately. You can find a few different hotels on the island, prices start at about $50 per room per night.

However, you can find AirBNB offers and stay with the locals for even better prices! This is something that you can’t do on private islands in the Maldives, so if you want to save money – choose a public island.

It Has A Bikini Beach

Not all the beaches in Maafushi allow bikinis but that doesn't make it a reason not to visit them! — **Not all the beaches in Maafushi allow bikinis but that doesn’t make it a reason not to visit them!**

As the Maldives are mostly Muslim, some common decency needs to be complied with.

When you are visiting Maafushi, you can’t wear bikinis on the beach.

You should really respect these rules and their religion and keep your shoulders and knees covered.

Come on, it’s not that hard!

Some public islands have specialized bikini beaches – these are usually secluded with some sort of “fences”. Maafushi is not a very large island (you can go around it on a 20-30-minute walk) and it doesn’t have that many beaches.

The Bikini Beach is located right in front of the Arena Beach Hotel, which was our choice for staying on Maafushi.

It’s Gorgeous

Take a look at the underwater views in Maafushi!

Maafushi offers you the Maldivian experience just as much as the expensive resorts do. You don’t need to spend $1000 per night for a water villa – you can enjoy the white sands and turquoise waters just as much on a public island and a normal hotel.

And Maafushi is absolutely gorgeous! The beaches and coastline is breath-taking, even when it’s stormy and raining. I have seen many sunsets in my life, but none like the ones in the Maldives – and Maafushi offers these just as much as the expensive resorts.

It Has A House Reef

The sunsets in Maafushi is gorgeous!

As an avid snorkelling fan, the Maldives were the perfect place for me! Some islands in the Maldives have spectacular house reefs with many fish, but others don’t. In addition, the house reefs of some islands could be too dangerous for you to enjoy them.

Luckily, the reef in Maafushi is great – shallow, a few different fish species that you can spot, and the current is not strong at all. The best place to snorkel is right in front of the island’s bikini beach. But make sure you always swim with a T-shirt on, otherwise you risk spending your vacation with severe sunburn!

🏨In a hurry? Book the a room at the Kaani Palm Beach. It is a travel sustainable property, with a great pool, amazing views and a buffet breakfast to boot! 🏨

About The Author

Rosie is an explorer, a dreamer and is in love with sea and sunsets. She currently live in my hometown – Varna in Bulgaria, but is on the road all the time!

With 18+ countries, 80+ flights, she just can’t get enough of the world!

Her blog, Trips With Rosie, has many important practical travel tips, itineraries, and fun things to do all over the globe. You can catch Rosie on Instagram too!