Thulusdhoo – A Photo Guide to the Maldives’ Surfer Paradise
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 19 May 2025
Read on to find out why Thulusdhoo, the surfer paradise of the Maldives, is one of our favourite islands, with a bunch of photography, food recommendations, what the vibes and beaches are like, plus more.
Encircled by crystal turquoise water and sugary sand, the island of Thulusdhoo in the Maldives is a perfect little island getaway. Situated just a short distance northeast of Malé, this mini-paradise is a surfer haven, famous for two surfing breaks called Cokes and Chickens (the names come from Australian surfers were the original tourists back in the 1970s!).
With a beautiful bikini beach, high quality restaurants and attractive guesthouses, Thulusdhoo is a fantastic choice for a budget beach getaway in the Maldives, with or without surfing.
Picking an inhabited local island to stay on in the Maldives is hard – they all seem so alike on paper. However, after visiting six of them, we can confirm that this is not the case! Here, we provide everything we learned about Thulusdhoo and what we liked (with loads of pictures) to help you decide if this is the right island choice for your trip!
IN THIS GUIDE //
A Guide: Thulusdhoo, the Maldives
WHAT IS THE ISLAND OF THULUSDHOO LIKE?
WHAT ARE THE BEACHES ON THULUSDHOO LIKE?
STAYING ON THULUSDHOO
WHAT WE ATE ON THULUSDHOO
COMMUNITY ON THULUSDHOO
TRAVELLING FROM MALÉ TO THULUSDHOO
FINAL THOUGHTS
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THULUSDHOO – AT A GLANCE
Distance from Malé: 27 kilometres
Size: 1.58 by 0.68 kilometres
Population: 1483
Best for: surfing, vibes, food, picturesque beach, swimming
Bikini Beach: one
Atoll: North Malé Atoll
ATMs: one
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What is the Island of Thulusdhoo Like?
When you reach Thulusdhoo by ferry or speedboat, it seems a bit, well, desolate (it did in January, anyway). There are a few factories and what appears to be dusty scrubland stretching for miles. However, don’t be put off; this island is actually kind of large (for the Maldives) and guesthouses and restaurants all bunch up along the beach at the furthest eastern edge.
This island has a fair bit of industry on it, including a Coca Cola factory (you can visit) – it’s the only one in the world that uses desalinated water! There are also factories drying out seafood, like tuna and sea cucumbers, and if you wander about outside the little touristy area, you can see them laid out on wooden racks.
Thulusdhoo also has its own tiny island, called Furaagandu, attached to its south-eastern edge, accessed via a little walkway. The surface is completely covered in coral (although it just seems like rock if you don’t look) and there are loads of hermit crabs, so try not to tread on them. If you make the walk (or ride) to the western end of the island, there are great sunset views along a little sandbank.
The streets on Thulusdhoo are wide, covered in flowers and paintings and have minimal ongoing construction. It was definitely one of the more charming islands, vibe-wise, to just spend some time hanging out on. We really, really liked it here.
Is Thulusdhoo Island for You?
Thulusdhoo is a little slice of islandy magic, while still having something to interest people who don’t like to hang out in the water all day (like me).
It’s obviously perfect for the surf enthusiasts, beach-loungers and swimmers, but the island is larger enough to add some variety to a photographer, cyclist or hiker’s day, too.
Honestly, this island (along with Thoddoo) is fantastic for experiencing the local community and industry, plus it’s well-suited for a group of people with lots of different interests!
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What are the Beaches on Thulusdhoo Like?
Thulusdhoo has one bikini beach, along the eastern side. It’s dotted with spindly swaying palms and backed by a few hotels and restaurants. The water seemed very calm; great for beginner swimmers and kids.
This beach is nicer than most others we visited in the Maldives – there are a lot more beach chairs, tables, hammocks and other bits for relaxing. Generally, there is far more infrastructure and it’s easier to sit and have a (non-alcoholic) drink or some lunch on the beach. It’s less wide and wild than some others, but so comfortable with little pockets of shade.
If you want to surf on a budget, Coke’s break is reachable from the beach without a boat ride (best season is June to August I was told, although I do not surf at all well and wouldn’t know personally).
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Where to Stay on Thulusdhoo
The best accommodation options will be on the eastern coast, where the population is clustered. The island is small enough that you can choose basically anywhere and you won’t be far from the bikini beach and restaurants!
The best hotels are on the oceanfront (unsurprisingly). We had a proper explore and some of the nicest options are the Canopus Retreat Thulusdhoo, which is a slightly larger ocean-facing hotel with beautiful modern rooms, and Samura Maldives Guesthouse which is just exquisite. It has perfect island decor (I might decorate my house like this) and I want to live there forever.
Where We Stayed on Thulusdhoo
We stayed at Reef Edge Thulusdhoo.
This was our absolute favourite accommodation across all the Maldives islands we visited. It was modern, well-equipped and every room had a beautiful view and balcony. The hotel also had bicycles you could use for free and even a free washing machine (which was *the* most exciting thing that had happened to us in months).
The ground floor was surrounded by a meticulously cared-for, flower-filled garden, stretching away towards the ocean.
Our inclusive breakfast was great, the staff spoke fantastic English and the guesthouse also picks you up for free from the ferry port in their little golf buggy. Everything was perfect and we’d definitely stay again given the opportunity.
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What to Eat on Thulusdhoo
The food options on Thulusdhoo seemed a bit higher-end than some other islands. It had quite a classy vibe to it (for the Maldives). There were few great international options, but as with everywhere in the Maldives, fish dishes and curry are the most common.
We found that food on Thulusdhoo often took a while to prepare, far longer than on some other islands! No idea why this was, though.
What we Ate on Thulusdhoo
As usual, we mostly ate curry because it was the most affordable option!
Twice, we had daal and vegetable curries with breads at Byyoni. These were really great value and served food within an hour (which seems to be a bit of a miracle in the Maldives).
This island was a rarity in that we managed to find some vegan food (outside of curry); we had lunch at Indulge for a very Western pumpkin melt and a kale pesto sandwich along with a ‘chocolate bliss ball’. The food was outstanding, but also the most expensive we ate across our entire trip around the Maldives.
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Community on Thulusdhoo
This might sound weird, but we didn’t speak to as many people on Thulusdhoo, so learnt less than usual about the community compared to other islands. It was very quiet, so despite the island having 1400 residents, there were few people out and about.
Thulusdhoo has a lot of non-tourism industries, such as ship building and fishing, so many people work away from the little section of the island that houses the tourists. We saw a lot of drying cucumbers and fish racks, but not many people!
The women seemed weary when I greeted them, but men on bikes waved and smiled. I think that honestly, I was just a bit unlucky not to have many interactions with people (or maybe I was feeling lazy on those days!). It was a lovely peaceful island though, and I never felt uncomfortable.
We did a lot of people watching on this island (not in a creepy way). We recommend walking around the island and checking out the factory area and watching a football game at the pitch in the centre of the island (it is rarely empty, especially in the evenings). Also, sitting on the southern coastal wall and watching a sunset – it was always so busy down there in the evenings.
The staff in our hotel were exceptionally nice and spoke fluent English. They were surprised we used words in Dhivehi (probably ineptly) and told us most tourists do not do that. Even saying thank you – ‘shukriya’ – is gratefully received.
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Activity Costs on Thulusdhoo
Riding a bike around the island is a popular activity and most guesthouses provide bicycles for free. They also usually supply snorkelling gear (the quality of which may vary).
There are a number of off-island activities available from Thulusdhoo; surfing, snorkelling tours, sandbank tours as well as night fishing and a dive school. Below are some of the prices we found whilst on the island:
Kayak rental | 25 USD for 2 hours (Almost half the price of Ukulhas per hour)
Night fishing | 100 USD for 2 hours
Surfing trip to Cokes | 10 USD for 2 hours
Snorkelling trips to see green turtles | 25 USD
Full day cruise to a sand bank, coral reef and turtle snorkelling for 7 hours for up to 8 people | 450 USD
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How to Travel from Malé to Thulusdhoo
Public Ferry (MTCC – Maldives Transport and Contracting Company):
The number 308 MTCC public ferry serves Himmafushi, Huraa, Thulusdhoo and Dhiffushi after leaving Malé. It costs 22 MVR per person and leaves Malé at 14:30 every day except Friday and arrives in Thulusdhoo at 16:00.
The 308 return ferry from Thulusdhoo to Malé leaves Thulusdhoo at 07:10 every day except Friday and arrives in Malé at 08:40.
Check out our comprehensive post for more information: Guide to the Maldives public ferries.
Speedboat:
Public speedboats are usually available multiple times a day and cost 35 USD per person each way. We recommend arranging through your guesthouse in advance to guarantee a seat, or book online with 12GoAsia, a reliable transport aggregator we’ve used a lot.
Final Thoughts – Thulusdhoo, Maldives
Thulusdhoo was one of our favourite islands out of the six we visited. It is difficult to decipher why as we didn’t do a whole lot here, but despite that, we loved it. The high quality of the accommodation, food and beach really elevated this section of our Maldives trip.
It’s a fantastic island choice if you’re low on time. The island is close to Malé so the ferry is reasonably quick. There are also several other islands on the same ferry line you could stop off at as part of an itinerary, such as Himmafushi and Dhiffushi, making island hopping easy. The island is also large – you can walk and cycle around it without getting the feeling that you’re doing laps.
We can’t really think of many negatives – it’s reasonably priced, beautiful and convenient.
Whatever islands you choose, we hope you have an amazing trip!
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Thank you, Claire + Nick
Hi, thanks a lot for creating this interesting and very useful source of the information. Really god job. I will go to Thulusdhoo in January. Might I have small question? Where did you exchange money to MVR ? Airport or any better place? thx in advance
Hi Luke,
If you have a credit/debit card which doesn’t charge you to withdraw cash abroad then you can use the ATM at the airport (and elsewhere) to take money out. There’s a small withdrawal fee but this is less than the conversion rate at the airport, depending on how much Maldivian rufiyaa you take out. There is a snag in that you cannot exchange money back at the airport because you need a money exchange receipt from them. However, there are people willing to exchange your Maldivian rufiyaa to US dollars at a not so good rate – but at least you won’t be leaving with money you can’t exchange outside the country!
As for exchanging money, definitely do this away from the airport if you’re looking for a better rate. If you don’t have time, then exchange at the airport counter and keep the receipt. I used Sago money exchange on Hulhumalé – there’s not many money exchanges on Hulhumalé compared to Malé.
As a final note – if you’re getting any speedboats, these can be paid in dollars. Also, some shops will accept dollars (again at a not as good rate) but change will be in rufiyaa.
I hope this helps and you have a great time in the Maldives!
I am planning to travel to Thulusdhoo in October this year. Can I ask if there are any excursions for whale sharks/ mantas/ dolphins and scuba diving during your visit there? And are they expensive compared to other islands?
Hi Wong,
At the time we went, there was a snorkelling trip to see stingrays and sharks advertised for $35, but this required a minimum of 5 people. There are a number of diving centres on the island and most hotels will also offer excursions. If you have a particular excursion in mind, it might be worth contacting where you plan to stay.
We found the prices for excursions from Thulusdhoo to be more reasonably priced than on some of the other islands we visited.
Hope this helps 🙂
Hi!
Where is that little swimming hole with the steps located?
Hi Sabrina,
The swimming hole with the steps is in an area called Thulusdhoo Pond 🙂
We are visiting Thulusdhoo in November 2025. Your article on the island is very helpful. Having visited the Maldives several times and always use local islands, a note for other intrepid travellers to check their dollar notes are within the correct dates. You can check at the airport exchange office which date the country is using as a bench mark eg no notes printed before 2006 will be accepted. Also if you are using speedboat check the timetable, we had to wait 7 hrs once which is no joke after a 10 hour flight. And if you arrive on a Friday there are no ferries. We have visited about 9 local islands, each one is different and offers a unique experience.
Hello 🙂
Im heading to this sweet lil island in 6 weeks and have been SUPER overwhelmed by the amount of info and options for the Maldives. Stumbling upon your blog is a godsend.
I really enjoyed reading your down-to-earth musings 🙂
Love Suskia