THE REAL MALDIVES, THODDOO ISLAND AND UKULHAS ISLAND

The real Maldives is a country full of natural beauties to discover.
The best way to discover the real Maldives is to choose a fishing (local) Island and to stay in a local guesthouse.
It’ s very important to check well that the chosen Island has at least one bikini beach. It's also very important to know that if there is no bikini beach , it is not possible to stay on the beach and in the sea with bikini.
With the excursions recommended, it is possible to visit sandbank and dessert Island, to snorkel, to see Manta , turtles , dophins and sharks.
The real Maldives are not luxury resorts and yachts.

bikini beach

leave nothing but your foot prints on the beach

THODDOO ISLAND, LOCAL ISLAND.

It’s known as fruit and vegetable island and also as reef Island.

You can admire fruits and vegetables plantations and taste delicious fruit.

plantations

papaya local fruit

You can snorkel just a few meters from the beach and to see turtles and different fishes.

reef just a few meters from the beach

You can relax and sunbathe on 2 bikini beach. At the entrance of each bikini beach a local man sell fresh fruit.

fresh fruits at the entrance of bikini beach

To know that not all beach is bikini beach. The beach occupies more than half of the Island.

public beach

This bikini beach is the ideal for sunrise view. There are sunbeds under the trees and a swing in the sea.

sunrise bikini beach

This is the other bikini beach . The ideal for sunset view. There are palms and sunbeds. Swings are on the beach and also in the sea. This bikini beach is bigger than the other.

sunset bikini beach

This Island with sand roads can be explored by bicycle and on foot.

sand roads thoddoo island

sand roads thoddo island

sand roads thoddoo island

Hotels aren’t on the beach and they haven’t direct access on the beach.

In the centre there are several minimarkets and restaurants and some souvenir shop.

minimarket thoddoo island

Seli Poeli restaurant Thoddoo island

mojito passion fruit green berry thoddoo island

green berry thoddoo island

On Thoddoo Island there is also ambulance point, a pharmacy, an open-air gym, a school, a council and a mosque, football field, beach volley field...

beach volley field thoddoo island

football field thoddoo island

thodddo school

mosque thoddoo island

On Thoddoo Island you can pay by cash with dollars and Maldivian Rufiyaa and also by credit card. There is no money Exchange office but many hotels Exchange Euro and Dollars in Maldivian Rufiyaa.

Public ferry and speed boat connect Thodoo Island to Male. No seaplane.

Public ferry connect Thoddoo Island to Rasdhoo Island and to Ukulhas Island.

speed boat

public ferry

Excursions on the Island are arranged by hotel /guesthouse. The following excursions are recommended: fruit tour, snorkeling, manta ray, sand bank trip, romantic dinner on the beach, dophins sightings, morning fishing, night fishing, sunset cruise…

The best restaurant of Thoddo Island are Seli Poeli Café & Restaurant and Panda restaurant.

Seli Poeli Café & Restaurant

Panda restaurant

Local guesthouse recommended in Thoddo island is Shoreline Grand Thoddoo .

Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

You feel like at home .

This guesthouse offers spacious and comfortable rooms with a private bathroom with a shower.

In a room fridge, tea /coffee space, a TV, air conditioning, fan and hairdryer.

Our room a deluxe room with patio .

deluxe room with patio Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

deluxe room with patio Shorelin Grand Thoddoo

deluxe room with patio Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

Excellent room cleaning every day. Beach towels and bath towels provided every day.

Free wifi available in all rooms.

Free bicycles available for guests.

bicycles Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

A continental or a maldivian breakfast is served every morning outside a room patio . Breakfast is very delicious every morning.

continental breakfast Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

maldivian breakfast Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

pancake with nutella Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

mango Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

banana Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

papaya Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

Guests can enjoy also a lunch and dinner on request. Lunch and dinner served always outside a room patio .

dinner Shoreline Grand Thoddoo

On request Shoreline Grand Thoddoo arrange transfer from /to airport, transfer to another Island and excursions.

Shoreline Grand Thoddoo is located in a great position in a quiet area but close to restaurants, mini markets, souvenir shops , 2 bikini beaches and harbor.

Staff always kind and helpful. Thanks also to Ayu always smiling , kind and helpful.

Thoddo Island is the ideal for those looking for quiet and peace and for bicycle and swing lovers.

swing Thoddo island

It’s the ideal also for relaxing, sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling.

bikini beach Thoddoo island

UKULHAS ISLAND, LOCAL ISLAND.

The beach is the main attraction of the Island. All the beach is bikini beach. It occupies the entire western part and the south part of the Island .

This is the most beautiful sea point to swim.

bikini beach Ukulhas island

In other sea points you have to pay attention to a strong current. The size of the beach can change . It depends on the period.

bikini beach Ukulhas island

You can snorkel just a few meters from the beach but always pay attention to the current.

bikini beach Ukulhas island

Some hotel has a direct access to the beach with sunbeds under the trees but they are not on the beach.

bikini beach with sunbeds under trees Ukulhas island

Other hotels haven’t direct access to the beach but they have sunbeds and umbrella on the beach.

bikini beach with sunbeds and umbrella Ukulhas island

However the beach is never too far from anywhere on the Island.

bikini beach Ukulhas island

The west side of the beach is the ideal for sunset view.

sunset view Ukulhas island

There is a front beach road with front beach hotel /guesthouse, a main road and also other parallel roads with restaurants, minimarkets and souvenir shops.

front beach road Ukulhas island

minimarket Ukulhas island

restaurant Ukulhas island

parallel road Ukulhas island

souvenir shop

On Ukulhas Island there is also a medical centre, a pharmacy, an open-air gym, a school, a council, a mosque, football field

mosque Ukulhas island

football field Ukulhas island

mosque Ukulhas island

At the harbor there is a shark view point where you can see sharks and baby sharks daily between 12h00AM to 6h00PM. This is reason for which Ukulhas Island is known as shark Island.

baby shark Ukulhas island

manta Ukulhas island

baby shark Ukulhas island

sting ray Ukulhas island

This Island with sand roads can be explored by foot. There are motorbikes ,ape car and golf car, no bycicles, no cars. Most hotel/ guesthouse arrange pick up at the harbor by a golf car / ape car.

golf car Ukulhas island

ape car Ukulhas island

On the Island you can pay by cash with dollars and Maldivian Rufiyaa and also by credit card. There is no money Exchange office but many hotels /guesthouse Exchange Euro / Dollars in Maldivian Rufiyaa. ATM point is at the harbor.

ATM point Ukulhas island

Public ferry and speedboat connect Ukulhas Island to Male. No sea plane.

Public ferry connect Ukulhas Island to Thoddoo Island and to Rasdhoo Island.

Speedboat conncect Ukulhas Island to Rasdhoo Island.

public ferry

speedboat

Excursions on the Island are arranged by hotel /guesthouse. The following excursions are recommended: snorkeling trip, Manta safari, dessert Island, sand bank, romantic dinner on the beach…

private boats

Ukulhas island is the ideal for relaxing on the beach, sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling.

bikini beach Ukulhas island

PAGURO BEACH INN hotel is recommended in Ukulhas island.

Paguro Beach Inn Ukulhas island

It's the ideal for relaxing.

It’s a small hotel situated in a beautiful Island, called Ukulhas Island.

It’s just few steps from Ukulhas beach and 10 minutes by foot from Ukulhas harbor. It’s also close to mini markets, souvenir shops and restaurants.

Our room a comfort double room with balcony with private bathroom with a shower. In our room a fridge,a tea/ coffee space, a TV, safety box, air conditioning, fan, hairdryer.

Our room spacious and well cleaned.

Pity the wall view of nearby structure .

Paguro Beach Inn Ukulhas island

Free wifi is available in all rooms.

Beach towels and bath towels are changed every 2 days.

Buffet breakfast is served every morning. Guests can enjoy also buffet lunch and buffet dinner and they can also order from menù à la carte.

buffet breakfast

buffet lunch /dinner

buffet breakfast

On request Paguro Beach Inn arrange transfer from /to aiport by speeboat or by ferry, transfer from /to another Island, excursions with Paguro Beach Inn boat and with Paguro Beach Inn staff.

Our full board treatment was good with unlimited water included.

Staff kind and helpful.

This is the typical Maldivian boat , Dhoni .

Dhoni Ukulhas island

The sea lights up at night.

This is bio luminescent plankton.

bio luminescent plankton

Ukulhas and Thoddoo island are two examples of local islands.

Before a return fligh I recommend a stop over to HULHUMALE ISLAND.

It’s an artificial Island located south of the North Male Atoll.

It’s just a 15 minutes drive from Velana International airport. It’s linked to the airport ( Hulhule Island) by a causeway.

Hulhumale is also connected with the capital of Male by ferry transfer and by a causeway.

In Hulhumale there are several hotels , restaurants, bar, different shops,banks, minimarkets, mosque, schools…

Hulhumale by night

bar Hulhumale

mosque Hulhumale

bank of Maldives Hulhumale

shops Hulhumale

hospital Hulhumale

minimarket Hulhumale

There are no money Exchange office but many hotels Exchange euro /dollars in Maldivian Rufiyaa. On the Island you can pay by cash with dollars and Maldivian Rufiyaa and by credit card.

Hulhumale beach has white sand and crystal waters. Unfortunately this beach is not bikini beach. It seems that bikini beach is in costruction in the south of the Island. On the beach there are several water sports centres.

beach Hulhumale

water sport centre Hulhumale

beach Hulhumale

The front beach road is the ideal for a relaxing walk. There are several front beach hotels and restaurants.

front beach Hulhumale

These are attractions to see in Hulhumale:

- Central park , located in the middle of the Island and it’s the ideal for some serenity and peace. In the park there is also an open –air gym. This park is frequented also by local people.

central park Hulhumale

Mosque central park Hulhumale

central park Hulhumale

- Fish market : fishing is very important for this county. Yellowfin Tuna is the most caught fish.

fish market Hulhumale

- Fruits and vegetables market where you can buy and taste fresh and delicious fruits.

fruits and vegetables market

Near the beach there is skate park, fusa pitch, beach volley field for sports lovers.

beach volley Hulhumale

futsal pitch Hulhumale

beach volley field on the beach Hulhumale

skate park Hulhumale

NB GRAND HOTEL is a small hotel located in Hulhumale Island, a few steps from Hulhumale beach and from restaurants,bar, shops, mini markets…

Nb Grand Hotel Hulhumale

Our room a deluxe room with a balcony with a private bathroom with a shower. In our room fridge, tea/coffee space, a TV, air conditioning, fan and hairdryer.

Our room spacious and cleaned.

Helpful and kind staff.