Ukulhas Island
10 January 2025
Ukulhas is my second most visited island after Rasdhoo - 6 times in the last 3 years. I like it because of the beach and house reef. The island is located 72 km from Male and is part of the atoll Alif Alif. The size of the island is 1000x200 m.
Ukulhas is my second most visited island after Rasdhoo - 6 times in the last 3 years. I like it because of the beach and house reef.
The island is located 72 km from Male and is part of the atoll Alif Alif. The size of the island is 1000x200 m. about 900 people live on it.
But this rule applies only to the period of Nov - Apr. The rest of the time, waves and currents carry a large amount of dead coral. Locals can't take them off because there are too many of them. Also, during off-season tides are usually higher, so most of the beach is underwater and you can no longer go from one end to the other. Depends on the times of the year, the size of the beach can change, for example, in April, the southern part almost completely disappears. The reason is the change in wind direction and the absence of an external reef, which serves as a barrier to debris and waves.
This island is a perfect place for families with small children because the distance from the beach to hotels is a maximum of 100 m. Ukulhas is very popular among Italians, about 80% of tourists are from there.
There is almost no garbage on Ukulhas, as on many local islands. Moreover, the island is considered one of the most environmentally friendly in the Maldives and in 2014 received the award from the government.
Ukulhas is home to sea turtles. Once I saw three (!) turtles there at once. This can only be seen on snorkeling safaris on other reefs.
In the northern part of the island, there is a lagoon with a coral reef. A couple of years ago there were some alive corals, but not so long ago I swam there, and no sharks, no stingrays, no live corals, only some fish.
Truly large schools of fish, living corals, and manta rays can only be seen during a snorkeling safari.
Between Ukulhas and Mathiveri there is a lagoon, where up to 20 mantas gather together! This is the only place in this area with manta rays. Therefore, tourists often come there both from local islands and from resorts.
>>> Check our Ukulhas Tours here
How to snorkel with manta rays? Mantas are very intelligent and friendly animals that if they feel threatened, they will never come to you. What to do in this case? It's simple, as soon as you jump into the water and see mantas, just do not rush and swim toward them very carefully and wait a bit. If the manta feels that you are not a threat, it will come to you. Chasing manta rays is the last thing you need to do because it will be faster than you in any case.
Any snorkeling is not a sprint, but a marathon that requires patience and endurance.
There was such a story, I went on a snorkel with mantas. In the same place was a group of tourists. Because of the rush, the manta always sailed away from them and sailed to me, because as soon as I jump into the water, I just waited. They swam so close that I could touch them.
Life-hack: do not try to touch the mantas, it will touch you if it feels that you will not harm it.
Due to its size (wings up to 6m.), It can scare you, but do not worry. Their main food is the smallest plankton. Therefore, it certainly will not swallow you!
Over the past 4 years I have seen hundreds of manta rays, so I can say with confidence that following the above rules will help you get to know these marine giants closely.
Never swim alone in such places! It may be dangerous! Every year, in the Maldives, tourists are taken to the ocean by the current. Some of them can't be rescued
Sometimes tourists from nearby resorts are brought to this sandbank, so it can be crowded or no one at all.
There are no palms, so you must take umbrellas and a portable refrigerator with you (the hotel provides them).
Table of content:
- Things to do in Ukulhas
- Ukulhas Infrastructure
- Where to eat on Ukulhas
- Where to stay on Ukulhas
- Ukulhas Vacation Package
- Transfer to Ukulhas
Things to do on Ukulhas
Beach and house reef
The beach is the main attraction of Ukulhas. Its length is almost 1 km! Therefore, it occupies almost the entire western part of the island. Some hotels have direct access to the beach, but there is no sea view from the room. There are a lot of sunbeds and umbrellas. You can comfortably be under the shade of trees. The beach is regularly cleaned, like the rest of the island. Despite a large number of tourists, there is enough space for everyone. Not like on Rasdhoo or Thoddoo, where there really may not be enough sunbeds. >>> Check our Ukulhas Tours here
But this rule applies only to the period of Nov - Apr. The rest of the time, waves and currents carry a large amount of dead coral. Locals can't take them off because there are too many of them. Also, during off-season tides are usually higher, so most of the beach is underwater and you can no longer go from one end to the other. Depends on the times of the year, the size of the beach can change, for example, in April, the southern part almost completely disappears. The reason is the change in wind direction and the absence of an external reef, which serves as a barrier to debris and waves.
This island is a perfect place for families with small children because the distance from the beach to hotels is a maximum of 100 m. Ukulhas is very popular among Italians, about 80% of tourists are from there.
There is almost no garbage on Ukulhas, as on many local islands. Moreover, the island is considered one of the most environmentally friendly in the Maldives and in 2014 received the award from the government.
Snorkeling on Ukulhas
Opposite the bikini-beach, there is a long and beautiful house reef with live soft and hard corals. Many fish, including huge schools of parrotfish, can be seen during a snorkel. Also, almost every day you will see stingrays, small cuttlefish, turtles, and octopuses. Sometimes there are even mantas! I saw only once mantas during the off-season.
Ukulhas is home to sea turtles. Once I saw three (!) turtles there at once. This can only be seen on snorkeling safaris on other reefs.
In the northern part of the island, there is a lagoon with a coral reef. A couple of years ago there were some alive corals, but not so long ago I swam there, and no sharks, no stingrays, no live corals, only some fish.
Truly large schools of fish, living corals, and manta rays can only be seen during a snorkeling safari.
Between Ukulhas and Mathiveri there is a lagoon, where up to 20 mantas gather together! This is the only place in this area with manta rays. Therefore, tourists often come there both from local islands and from resorts.
>>> Check our Ukulhas Tours here
How to snorkel with manta rays? Mantas are very intelligent and friendly animals that if they feel threatened, they will never come to you. What to do in this case? It's simple, as soon as you jump into the water and see mantas, just do not rush and swim toward them very carefully and wait a bit. If the manta feels that you are not a threat, it will come to you. Chasing manta rays is the last thing you need to do because it will be faster than you in any case.
Any snorkeling is not a sprint, but a marathon that requires patience and endurance.
There was such a story, I went on a snorkel with mantas. In the same place was a group of tourists. Because of the rush, the manta always sailed away from them and sailed to me, because as soon as I jump into the water, I just waited. They swam so close that I could touch them.
Life-hack: do not try to touch the mantas, it will touch you if it feels that you will not harm it.
Due to its size (wings up to 6m.), It can scare you, but do not worry. Their main food is the smallest plankton. Therefore, it certainly will not swallow you!
Over the past 4 years I have seen hundreds of manta rays, so I can say with confidence that following the above rules will help you get to know these marine giants closely.
Uninhabited island near Ukulhas
I would say that this is something between a sandbank and a desert island. They do not organize trips from Ukulhas because of the poor beach and inconvenient entrance. For these purposes, tourists are taken to uninhabited islands near Rasdhoo.
Sandbanks
In the Ukulhas area, there are at least 5 sandbanks that are available at different times of the year. Most tourists are visited three of them. I visited all of them at different times. Such places are a unique Maldivian experience where you can feel like Robinson Crusoe, being cut off from the outside world! The length of one of them is approximately 100-150 m and is available year-round. There is a cool house reef with plenty of fish, stingrays, and even turtles. Visibility - up to 40 m! I was not able to fully explore it, at the end the current becomes strong, so I had to go back to a sandbank.
Never swim alone in such places! It may be dangerous! Every year, in the Maldives, tourists are taken to the ocean by the current. Some of them can't be rescued
Sometimes tourists from nearby resorts are brought to this sandbank, so it can be crowded or no one at all.
There are no palms, so you must take umbrellas and a portable refrigerator with you (the hotel provides them).
Resort visiting
From Ukulhas, trips to resorts such as Nika Island, Gangehi, Ellaidhoo by Cinnamon can be organized on request. The cost depends on the resort. The hotel only charges for transfers to/from the resort. But the entrance fee is paid separately at the resort (about $ 100-150 per person). The price includes the time spent on the island (usually from 10:00 to 17:00), towels, food and drinks (depending on the resort), the ability to visit bars, restaurants, SPA, and other resort amenities >>> Check our Ukulhas Tours here Access to the villas is at an additional cost.
Romantic dinner
Hotels can organize two types of dinners: on the beach and on the sandbank. The cost of the first is about $ 100 per pair, the second is about $ 250. The high cost of sandbank dinners is because of the high cost of logistics. On the beach, unlike Rasdhoo, you can organize a fairly private candlelight dinner for two. No one will disturb you.
Big game fishing
Ukulhas is one of the few local islands where such activity is organized because it requires knowledge of the places and availability of special speed boats that can sail to a depth ocean. Popping. There is no better site for a fisherman than to see a sudden explosion on the surface and the popper or swimbait being smashed while the reel starts to lose line rather rapidly. Be it a GT, Dogtooth, Red Bass, Coral Trout, or Barracuda they simply cannot resist a surface lure that is properly displayed. Jigging. With plenty of dropoffs and channels all across the Maldives, Jigging always lands you plenty of fish and quite often fish that can give you a real fight. Big Dogtooths, GT's, Barracudas, and if at the right location, Yellowfin Tuna take the properly worked jig with surprising regularity. Trolling. Every angler has their sights set on a successful day of fishing, but it’s more than just throwing some bait on a line and hoping for the best. There are different techniques used for every type of fishing, whether it’s inshore or offshore.
Safari with dolphins
Not regularly arranged because the natural habitat of dolphins is far from Ukulhas. However, I saw them several times along the way from the sandbank. They are not very friendly and do not allow them to swim close to themselves. Seeing playing dolphins in the wild is an unforgettable experience, and the Maldives are home to some species of dolphins, including spinner dolphins and grind. This is one of the most fun activities for Ukulhas and is especially popular among families. Excursions for watching dolphins are on request, early in the morning, or before sunset. >>> Check our Ukulhas Tours hereDiving
There is only one dive center on the island. This is due to the limit of dive spots nearby. Usually, divers go to Rasdhoo or other islands of the central and southern Ari Atoll.Night fishing
Even amateurs can try to catch a fish. It is very rare that anyone comes back without any single fish. A catch can be prepared at the hotel.