Transfers in the Maldives

As Maldives holiday specialists we find many holiday makers are confused by the options for transfers in the Maldives. With the country spread over such a wide area of sea, and each island generally only having one hotel on it, the Maldives is unlike any other destination.

There are 3 main ways of getting to your Island:

Regular Boat transfer (or Dhoni): A work boat chugging between islands, slow and steady.
Speed boat transfer: Faster and bouncier.
Seaplane transfer: a floating plane that takes off from the sea near Male Airport, and lands on the sea close to your island, where it is either met by boat, or sometimes can come alongside a jetty.

Each has advantages and disadvantages. The Seaplane is fastest, and has wonderful views of the islands from the air, but is more costly, may be restricted on weight of luggage, and is a bit scary to some travellers! (Personally, I love it!)

The Speedboat is quite quick, but can be a bit rattling to the unseasoned seafarer. It is really only suitable for short trips, up to about 1 hour.

The Dhoni is much more steady, but can take ages. Often your luggage may be sent by Dhoni, even if you have used a speedboat or Seaplane.

Whichever one you want, you MUST book it in advance. It is not possible to organise transfers on arrival at Male - even though I have heard some travel agents saying it is! Most reputable accommodation suppliers include the cost of transfers in their pricing.

You may not have a choice in what sort of transfer you have, depending on where your island is in relation to Male Airport. The furthest Islands can be 6 to 12 hours away by Dhoni, and these are generally offered only with Seaplane transfers. The closest islands would not leave enough room for the plane to take off and land again, and these are offered only with boat transfers. There are only a few islands in the "in between" range, where either option may be viable.

When an upgrade to Seaplane is an option, it costs £120 to £150pp to book the return transfer.

Check the details on your intended island online to see what options you might have. If you'd like advise about traveling to the Maldives then please feel free to call us or email us. If you've been and have experience of any of these transfers, please let us know what you thought.