Joanna James
As a public island, Maafushi Island comes across as one of the most visited of its kind within the Maldivian Archipelago. Given its unspoiled, white sandy beaches and incredible water sports facilities, one’s time here is destined to go off well and for the ultimate Maldivian holiday, look no further than beautiful Maafushi Island. Outlined below are the ways and means by which you can commute to the island.
As a prospective vacationer to the Maldives, you must understand that you will be spending the majority of your time travelling from one corner of the country to the other either via speedboat, seaplane or public ferry. Further, the cost factor will largely depend on the distance between islands and especially, the duration from your port of entry to your mode of accommodation. If you have chosen to reside at a Maldives island resort the likes of SAii Lagoon Maldives, then you will be readily presented with the option to arrive either by speedboat or public ferry from the capital of Male or Velana International Airport.
Spelling convenience with a capital ‘C’ would be the speedboat facility that can be availed of no sooner you have landed at Male Airport. Often resorted to by travellers arriving in the Maldives from across the globe, one can expect to spend nothing more than a 45-minute ride that is generally known to cost you approximately USD 37 per person. Essentially, multiple trips are presented for the benefit of those vacationers who will have their flight schedules to focus on. The day’s 1st trip from Male Airport begins at 10.45 am while the last is at 6.35 pm. On the other hand, those leaving Maafushi Island can expect the 1st trip for the day at 9.30 am with the last speedboat known to leave the Island at 5.00 pm.
In complete contrast to the former, at least from a cost point of view would be the experience of boarding the public ferry that offers its services from Male. However, as opposed to the speedboat option that operates directly from the country’s main airport, one choosing the public ferry will be called upon to pay for additional transportation as the ferry service commences at a jetty port on Male Island. Overall, although you will be required to break the journey on more than one occasion, the public ferry costs would be far cheaper and more affordable than those associated with a speedboat. Having obtained clearance from the Airport, you will then have to decide between paying USD 1 for a ferry ride or USD 2 for a speedboat ride that will have you safely at Male Island. The travel time will be 10 minutes and 5 minutes respectively. Additionally, to access the Maafushi Ferry, one will need to pay a further USD 2 for a taxi that will take you to the jetty port from where you will begin boarding. In short, you can expect to spend around 90 minutes via the ferry and in turn, handed sweeping views of sparkling oceans and lazily-swaying palm trees along the way. With reference to the cost, you will only have to pocket out a mere USD 3 for this leg of your journey. The public ferry does not function on Fridays and those vacationers arriving either on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday will be able to make use of the aforementioned service at 3.00 pm (once a day). Alternatively, the service can be availed of at 10.00 am and 3.00 pm if you see yourself landing in Male on a Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
