Go to content 
Gulhi Guide, Maldives | What to Do and How to Get There
Gulhi is a small island, well rather very small, only 400 meters long and 200 meters wide. It is a quiet island, without too many hotels, just 20 kilometers south of the capital of the Maldives. Due to its proximity to the international airport Getting to Gulhi is simple, fast and cheap making it a great stop during a trip lowcost to the Maldives.
We were there one night, and although it was not our favorite Maldives island, we really enjoyed the place. In this small guide I leave you information and recommendations based on our experience., everything to do in Gulhi and practical tips.
HOW TO GET TO GULHI
How to get to Gulhi from Male
La Easiest way to reach Gulhi from Malé Airport is hiring a speedboat (speed boat) with the hotel where you are staying. It takes 20 minutes and costs $30 per person. When you hire it, they will ask you for the arrival time of your flight to organize the transfer and assign you to the company that makes the trip at that time. You will not be charged on the boat, but at your hotel upon arrival.
The most economical way It is with public ferry. The ticket price is around €3 and it takes 1 hour and a quarter. The bad part about public ferries is that They only happen once a day and not every day of the week, so it's difficult to coordinate schedules with the arrival of your flight. The line that connects the islands is the 309 which passes through Male at 15pm every day except Mondays and Fridays.
To get from the Airport to Malé there is a public ferry that leaves from the Airport itself and drops you off at the ferry terminal. Its price is less than €1 in exchange.
How to reach Gulhi from Maafushi
To get to Gulhi from Maafushi you can use the public ferry number 309. The price of the ticket is approximately €1 and it takes only half an hour. The ferry passes through Maafushi at 07:25h and returns from Gulhi to Maafushi at 16:15 p.m. every day except Monday and Friday.
There are also many tourist agencies that They offer speedboat tours from Maafushi to visit Gulhi for one day or you can hire one-way transportation with them.
THINGS TO DO IN GULHI, LOCAL ISLAND MALDIVES
As I mentioned before, many people visit this island with an excursion of a few hours while staying in Maafushi. If you like relaxation, I recommend staying here for one or two nights to fully enjoy the island, which becomes a haven of peace around midday, when the excursions return to Maafushi.
Enjoy the bikini beach
You probably already know that in the Maldives going to the beach in a swimsuit or bikini is prohibited except for the beaches dedicated to tourists known as bikini beaches where this rule does not apply. This is one of the many Interesting Facts that make this country unique.
In Gulhi the bikini beach is very extensive, It has quite clean white sand and the water is as turquoise as you would expect from Maldives. The negative part is that the shadows are very scarce. On the sand you will find plenty of hammocks for tourists to use, in the past they were free to use, but now they belong to a hotel and they charge for their use. Inside the water there is an ideal swing to sit and watch life go by and of course, take the occasional souvenir photo.
Snorkeling in Gulhi
From the same bikini beach you can snorkel and see plenty of tropical fish in the corals. The barrier reef is about 100 meters from the coast and you can docarI walked quite a bit because the water barely covered me.
About Us We accessed the right side of the beach (in front of the restaurants), the bottom was sandy until we reached the coral and we snorkeled horizontally to the left. The further to the left, the better the corals and the more life we find..
Don't forget to put your team of snorkel in your luggage or ask your accommodation, before the trip, if they have snorkel goggles for guests, something common in the Maldives.
If snorkeling from the shore is not enough for you, of course there are small agencies where you can hire snorkeling tours to different points, even from the same hotel you can book them.
See the hermits at dusk
One thing very carA characteristic of Gulhi's bikini beach is that once the sun sets the sand fills with life. Walk along the shore of the beach with your mobile flashlight to meet dozens of hermit crabs that drag their shells along the shore. You'll see some really big ones.
Buy souvenirs at the craft market
On the street that gives access to the bikini beach you will find several stalls of local vendors that They sell crafts made in Maldives and also some typical souvenirs. If you plan to take some souvenirs home, this place can be a good place to buy them since you will help the artisans a lot and in most places the souvenirs you find are imported from countries like China.
Diving in Gulhi
In Gulhi there are two dive centers that offer dives near Malé airport, although it may sound strange, there are some of the best spots to dive with sharks from all over Maldives (tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks and giant manta rays are often seen) They also go out to the surroundings of the nearby island of Guraidhoo, a place with some very good points.
The price of the dives is more caror on other nearby islands, so if you're planning to visit other islands, I probably wouldn't recommend diving in Gulhi. Dives cost between $80 and $90.
For the vast majority of these diving spots you need to have the Advanced Open Water qualification and preferably have some experience in diving in currents.
Do water sports
The island pace of Gulhi may bore some people, but for adrenaline lovers there are some interesting activities too. Next to the bikini beach, some water sports are offered such as jet skis, banana boat or kayak. Although if you are very interested in this type of activities, I recommend visiting Maafushi since the offer is much greater.
Where to watch the sunset in Gulhi
In the southern part of the island there is a great spot to watch the sunset over the sea. This point is next to the soccer field, taking into account the dimensions of the island you will surely find it. The Maldives sunsets are magical So on your trip to the Maldives it is one of the things that I definitely recommend you do every day.
Fishing trip
You can book this activity at your accommodation, at the tourist offices or even ask the locals who are usually next to the port. You leave at sunset and fish for about 2 hours. Upon returning to the island, a barbecue is made with the freshest fish possible. The price of the outing + dinner preparation is around €25.
WHERE WE TO STAY IN GULHI
Gulhi is a small island but there are several hotels and some guest houses which are small accommodations with 4 or 5 rooms. The good of the guest houses are quite cheap costing between €40 and €70 per night. They include breakfast, they are usually very clean and the employees are very friendly. The bad part is that having so few rooms fills up quickly, especially in high season, so I recommend you book them as far in advance as possible..
- Backpacking budget: Ilaa Beach Maldives It is a not very big hotel but managed by a attentive and helpful staff They even upgraded our rooms because they weren't occupied. The rooms are spacious, air conditioned and the we liked breakfast very much.
- special holidays: The Premier Beach Hotel is located right in front of the bikini beach and has modern and luxurious facilities. It has its own restaurant with direct views of the sea. where the included continental breakfast is also served.
WHERE WE EAT IN GULHI
Even though Gulhi is a very small island you can find good restaurants. One of the best in terms of quality-price ratio is the restaurant at Hotel Fulhoi which has a very cool terrace on the second floor for dinner or lunch very delicious and quite cheap local dishes.
Another restaurant we tried was Ayala Hotel where they had fresh grilled fish. Although the prices are somewhat higher to other restaurants on the island the food is good quality and the service is attentive.
These are some of the best things to do in Gulhi, I hope that if you visit this place and the surrounding islands you enjoy it as much or more than we did.
