Getting Around the Maldives: Ferries, Speedboats, Seaplanes and Flights

Velana International Airport (MLE) occupies almost the whole of Hulhulé island. After immigration and customs, you walk out into the arrivals hall, where resort representatives meet guests under their resort’s sign and walk them to the speedboat jetty a few metres from the terminal doors, or put them on a shuttle bus to the seaplane terminal on the far side of the runway. Guesthouse and shared speedboat passengers usually leave from the same jetties; your guesthouse will tell you which counter or boat to find.

To Malé, the quickest options are a taxi across the Sinamalé Bridge, about 10 to 15 minutes and roughly 100 to 150 MVR ($7 to $10), or the public bus, which runs frequently through the day and evening for a few rufiyaa. The old airport ferry to Malé’s jetty still runs for a small fare. To Hulhumalé, a 10-minute ride, the buses run every 15 to 30 minutes, and most Hulhumalé hotels offer free or cheap airport pickups at any hour, which is why so many people stay there on a late arrival. Buses are operated by MTCC under the RTL brand and accept cash or prepaid cards; fares and routes change, so check on arrival.

MTCC (the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company) runs the public ferry network that links Malé with inhabited islands across Kaafu, Alif Alif, Alif Dhaal, Vaavu and beyond, and connects islands within the outer atolls. It is the cheapest way to travel by far: rides from Malé to the guesthouse islands of South and North Malé Atoll cost roughly 30 to 100 MVR ($2 to $7), with luggage included. Older routes use large wooden dhonis that take 1.5 to 4 hours; newer speed ferries on the busiest routes cut that roughly in half.

Typical trips from Malé include Maafushi (about 1.5 hours by slow ferry), Gulhi and Guraidhoo on the same South Malé line, Huraa and Thulusdhoo to the north, Fulidhoo and Felidhoo in Vaavu (3 to 4 hours), and Thoddoo and Rasdhoo in Alif Alif (around 4 hours or more). Many routes run once a day or a few times a week rather than hourly, the timetable is built around island residents commuting to Malé in the morning and returning in the afternoon, and many routes do not run on Fridays.

Ferries leave from the numbered jetties along Malé’s waterfront, not the airport. Buy tickets on board or at the jetty with rufiyaa or a transport card, and arrive 20 to 30 minutes early on a busy route. MTCC publishes timetables on its website and app, but times change seasonally and with Ramadan, so confirm with your guesthouse the day before; they know which boat actually leaves.

Scheduled shared speedboats fill the gap between slow ferries and private charters. Local operators run them from the airport and Malé jetties to the main guesthouse islands, usually several times a day: Maafushi in 30 to 45 minutes for about $20 to $35 each way, Thulusdhoo and Huraa in 30 to 40 minutes for $20 to $35, Fulidhoo in about an hour, and Thoddoo or Dhigurah in South Ari in 1.5 to 2 hours for $40 to $70. Your guesthouse books the seat and tells you the departure time and jetty; you pay cash in dollars on board or with the room bill.

Private speedboat charters are the fallback when no shared boat fits: expect $150 to $500 one way depending on distance and boat size, more at night. Speedboats are fast but bumpy in open channels, especially between May and November; sit near the back, where the motion is gentler, keep your bag in a dry bag, and take seasickness tablets beforehand if you need them.

Seaplanes are how resorts beyond about an hour’s speedboat ride from the airport move their guests. Trans Maldivian Airways, which operates the world’s largest seaplane fleet of de Havilland Twin Otters and serves more than 80 resorts, is the main operator, alongside Manta Air and the state airline Maldivian. The seaplane terminal is on the lagoon side of Hulhulé, a short shuttle ride from the international terminal, with resort lounges where you wait for your flight.

Flights take 25 to 60 minutes, often stopping at a second resort, and land on the resort’s lagoon or at a floating platform offshore from which a boat collects you. The views over the atolls are the best sightseeing in the country. Prices are set by your resort, typically $600 to $1,200 per adult return, with children usually paying half, and are not sold to the general public.

Domestic flights reach the outer atolls that seaplanes do not serve and that ferries take a day or more to reach. Maldivian, the state airline, flies Dash 8 turboprops from Velana’s domestic terminal to Gan in Addu, Fuvahmulah, Hanimaadhoo in the north, Kadhdhoo in Laamu, Kaadedhdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu and several other regional airports. Manta Air flies to Dhaalu Airport near Kudahuvadhoo, Dharavandhoo in Baa, Kooddoo in Gaafu Alif and other airports used by resorts. Villa Air flies to Maamigili in South Ari, the gateway for whale shark trips.

Flights take 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Resort guests buy a flight-plus-speedboat package through the resort, typically $400 to $800 per adult return. Independent travellers can book public fares on the airlines’ websites, roughly $150 to $300 each way to the far south for foreigners, which makes Addu City and Fuvahmulah realistic trips from Malé. Baggage allowances are usually around 20 kg, and flights are full around Eid and school holidays, so book early.

Malé covers barely 2 square kilometres, so you can walk from the ferry jetties to the fish market, the Friday Mosque and the National Museum in 15 to 20 minutes. Taxis are plentiful, cheap and charge a flat fare for most trips within the city, and they are useful with luggage. Traffic is mostly scooters, and pavements are narrow, so walk carefully. Ferries from Malé also reach Villingili, a residential island with a public beach 10 minutes away.

• Book international flights around transfers. Land before about 2pm if you have a seaplane transfer and depart after midday on the way home.
• Leave a buffer night. Spend the last night in Hulhumalé or Malé if you are on a local island reached by ferry.
• Let guesthouses book boats. They hold seats on shared speedboats and know when a ferry is cancelled.
• Carry cash. Ferries take rufiyaa and speedboats often want dollars in cash.
• Pack light and soft. Seaplane and domestic baggage limits are about 20 kg, and you will often lift bags on and off boats.
• Fill in IMUGA before both flights. The traveller declaration is required within 96 hours before arrival and before departure; see our visa guide.

Accessibility is limited: boats are boarded from jetties and steps, often with a gap, and seaplanes require climbing a short ladder from a floating platform. Resorts can arrange help if you tell them in advance.

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