Gulhi, the no-frills Maldives

gulhi maldives

Today I'm going to talk to you about Gulhi, an island in the Maldives without any luxury.

When we think of Lhe Maldives all come to mind a luxury resort, infinity pools, paradisiacal beaches and an unforgettable vacation. But, have you ever considered going to the Maldives without going to a luxury resort or hotel?

I did it, I went to the Maldives but I was staying on a local island where indigenous people live without any luxury, away from international tourism seeking an all-inclusive luxury vacation in the Maldives. It wasn't many years ago that the national government passed a law allowing local islands to open rental accommodation. Before this law, only private islands and resorts could host foreign tourists.

Gulhi is a tiny island located a few kilometers from the capital of the country Malé and the southern part of the Kaafu Atoll. Less than 1000 inhabitants live on a piece of land that only measures 200 meters wide by 500 long. There are not 10 guesthouses or small hotels where to stay.

gulhi maldives island

Although it may surprise Islam rules in Gulhi as well as the rest of the country. Islam is the official and predominant religion, the inhabitants strictly follow it and tourists must also adapt to it. There are only exceptions on private islands or resorts, where Islam is not present.

One of the things one should keep in mind before traveling to a local island in the Maldives is that women can only wear bikini in very specific areas of the islands, commonly called "bikini beach". There is no alcohol on any of these islands and the inhabitants, as dictated by Islam, do Ramadan and pray towards Mecca several times a day.

gulhi maldives male

How to get to Gulhi?

To get to Gulhi I recommend that you first speak with the hotel or hostel staff to agree on the way to get to the island. In this sense, there are normally 3 ways to get from the airport to any island.

  • Plane: is the fastest and most expensive way. There are islands that are more than 100 km from the airport, for very long distances I recommend it, yes, the prices are around $ 150 to $ 300 per person.
  • Speedboat: It is a very valid option if we travel a lot and / or the arrival time by plane does not match that of the public ferries. The price is around $ 100 to $ 200 per boat.
  • Public ferry: it is the most suitable option to go to islands on the same atoll as Gulhi. The prices are very correct (from $ 2 to $ 4 per person) and they have a frequency of 1 or 2 a day even though they do not leave every day.

In this sense, I am going to explain how to get to Gulhi by public ferry.

gulhi maldives street

Once we have landed at the Malé international airport we have to take a ferry that will take us to the island of Malé. The daily frequency is very high to do this journey and the price is $ 1.

Already in the city of Malé we have to take the public ferry from the boat terminal that takes us from Male to Gulhi. It usually leaves around noon (1 or 2 in the afternoon). The journey is approximately 2 hours. If we wanted to travel to Maafushi (another local island) we should either take another ferry or make sure if the ship that travels to Gulhi then heads to Maafushi (right after).

What to do in Gulhi?

Gulhi is an island in the Maldives and as such we can enjoy its paradisiacal beaches. Because all the islands belong to a parent atoll that protects them from the waves, one of the most important activities that can be done is the snorkeling or diving at the edges of the atolls. There we can see all kinds of coral and fish, a real spectacle.

With such a variety of fish, fishing is another option that Gulhi offers to tourists who come to the island.

gulhi maldives sand

An activity that I recommend you do is see how its inhabitants live, what they do, what they do and try to adapt to their lifestyleDon't travel to Gulhi solely as tourists!

They are very small islands under strict Islam. It is curious (and questionable) to see how women have their faces completely covered living on a tiny island full of palm trees and white sand and coral beaches.

Most guesthouses or small hotels offer two excursions that I consider interesting:

  • Enjoy a small private island just for us. They move you to an islet of sand in the middle of the sea with no one else. There we can snorkel and enjoy a little paradise just for us!
  • Enjoy a day at a luxury resort. Yes, I am talking about traveling to the Maldives but to a local island and now I propose to go to a resort… Even so, going and coming back in the same day to a luxury resort is recommended. The prices are not very cheap either, but much more acceptable than staying in one of them. There you have the right to almost everything except entering a water villa or activities not included even for hotel clients. gulhi maldives village

Without a doubt, the Maldives is a destination where you can disconnect from daily stress and enjoy a well-deserved vacation. As I have told you, if you plan to travel there I recommend you go to a local island and once there if you wish to travel to a luxury resort for 1 day. The local islands are very small, a stay of 3 or 4 days in each would be enough.


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