Getting here
Malé airportto Ukulhas.
Ukulhas is reached from Velana International Airport by shared speedboat. The crossing takes about ninety minutes and runs daily. The shared fare is $50 per adult each way, and both journeys are already included in every Madi package.
The journey, in order
You do not book any of this yourself.
Send us your flight details after your stay is confirmed and we arrange the seats, match them to your arrival and tell you exactly what happens when you land.
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You land at Velana International Airport
On the island next to Malé.
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You clear immigration and collect your bags
Usually 15 to 20 minutes.
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Someone meets you in arrivals
We arrange this. Madi is on Ukulhas, so it is a colleague at the airport rather than us in person, and they will be expecting you by name.
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The speedboat crosses to Ukulhas, in North Ari Atoll
About ninety minutes across open water and between islands.
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You arrive at Ukulhas harbour
Madi is a few minutes away on foot.
The same thing happens in reverse when you leave. We arrange the return journey and time it to your outbound flight.
Fares
The shared scheduled speedboat, per person.
Two adults, both journeys: $200. That is the transfer component sitting inside every package price, and it is why the packages are worth comparing against booking the pieces separately.
| Who | Age | Each way | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | 11 and over | $50 | $100 |
| Child | 3 to 10 | $25 | $50 |
| Infant | 0 to 2 | Free | Free |
The timetable
Two departures a day, each way.
Malé airport → Ukulhas
- Saturday to Thursday
- 10:30 · 16:00
- Friday
- 09:30 · 16:00
Ukulhas → Malé airport
- Saturday to Thursday
- 07:00 · 13:00
- Friday
- 07:00 · 14:00
Times can move with weather and sea conditions. We confirm your actual departure once we have your flight details.
Which boat your flight puts you on
You need to land at least 45 minutes before the boat leaves.
Immigration and baggage usually take 15 to 20 minutes, which leaves enough margin to get across to the jetty without running.
- If you land by 09:45 you make the 10:30 boat, arriving Ukulhas around 12:00
- If you land by 15:15 you make the 16:00 boat, arriving Ukulhas around 17:30
- If you land by 08:45 on a Friday you make the 09:30 boat, arriving Ukulhas around 11:00
Landing after about 15:15 means you have missed the last boat of the day.
Two options at that point, and it is much better to know now than at the airport.
- A private charter, which departs at any time, at $800 per way.
- A night in Malé or at an airport hotel, then the morning boat.
This is the single most common way a Maldives local-island trip goes wrong, and it is entirely avoidable at the point you book flights. Send us the flights you are considering before you book them and we will tell you which ones work.
Check my flights with youGoing home
Work backwards from your flight.
You should be at the airport at least an hour before departure for check-in, and long-haul airlines often want more, so check what yours requires.
| Boat from Ukulhas | At the airport | Suits flights from about |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00 | around 08:30 | around 09:30 |
| 13:00 | around 14:30 | around 15:30 |
| 14:00 Fridays | around 15:30 | around 16:30 |
Many long-haul flights out of Malé leave late in the evening, which the 13:00 boat covers comfortably. If yours is early in the morning, you will want the 07:00 boat the day before and a night near the airport, or a private charter. Tell us your flight and we will work it out with you.
Private speedboat charter
$800 per way, per boat.
Departing at any time of day rather than on the shared schedule.
This is a timing product, not a saving, and we would rather say so. The shared fare is $50 an adult; a private boat only becomes cheaper somewhere past 16 passengers, and we host nine guests at most. It will always cost more.
What it actually solves
- A flight that lands late at night or very early, outside the shared schedule
- A long wait at the airport you would rather not have
- Travelling with small children, or with a lot of luggage
- A group taking all three rooms who want to travel together on their own timing
Also worth knowing
If your flight is delayed
Tell us as soon as you know, on WhatsApp. Flight delays are ordinary and we would rather rearrange your seats than have you arrive to a boat that has gone. Because your transfer is arranged rather than self-booked, there is one number to message and one person tracking it.
Luggage
Standard baggage travels with you on the shared speedboat. If you are carrying something unusual — diving kit, a surfboard, more than the normal two cases between you — mention it when you send your flight details so we can flag it to the boat.
Is there another way to get to Ukulhas?
A public ferry service operates in the Maldives and is the cheaper way to reach many local islands, but the schedule is limited and the journey much longer. Almost every guest comes by speedboat, and every package is built around it. If you specifically want to look at the ferry, ask us and we will tell you what we know about the current service rather than guess at a timetable.
Questions
The crossing, answered.
How long is the speedboat from Malé to Ukulhas?
How much does the transfer cost?
Is the transfer included in the package?
Does someone meet us at the airport?
What time does the speedboat leave the airport?
What time does it leave Ukulhas?
How early do we need to land to catch the boat?
Do the boats run every day?
What if we arrive late at night?
Can we get to Ukulhas from Malé city rather than the airport?
Do we book the boat ourselves?
Send us your flight details.
Once your stay is confirmed, send your flight numbers and arrival time. We reserve the seats, match them to your landing and tell you exactly who you are looking for at the airport.
Send my flight details