The Maldives – Ukulhas Island Holiday

The Maldives is a series of tiny islands dotting the Indian Ocean that you can hardly see on a map. But what a beautiful place it is! As your flight comes in for a landing, you can see an iridescent greenish-blue glow around every island. It’s surreal! “Am I dreaming?” was the first thought I had when I saw these islands from the airplane. I walk over to the boat jetty and the boatman is waiting to take my luggage and whisk me away to the quaint Ulkulas Island. The beauty of the island is something I cherish to this day.

The capacity of the speedboat is 25 to 30 people. The boatmen first receive your money (about $100 in 2021) You need to identify your luggage, which is then placed inside the front of the boat. Ideally, you should bring one bag per person as some boats charge for more luggage. You are helped onboard and can sit anywhere in the rows of seats. Three people can sit on one bench. There is no reservation. try to find a seat toward the back of the boat as it is the least bumpy in the back. The front-most is for experienced travellers like the boatmen!

The 90-minute boat ride seems neverending. Our boatman was going about 40 miles an hour but it felt like 75! On a rough day, the ride can get pretty bumpy. So if you tend to get seasick do take some anti-nausea tablets. The doors are sometimes closed when the sea gets too rough and the smell of diesel is overwhelming then. We got the first boat of the day from the airport at 10 am. There is one more transfer at 4 pm, if you miss it, then you will have to stay in Male for a night. Many of the luxury resorts in the Maldives do transfer you up to 10 pm by seaplane or speedboat.

The boat pauses to let off people at Rasdhoo and you admire the beauty of the island. Ukulhas is next at the end of the 90 min ride. The island is protected by the reef surrounding it and they have a small protected area surrounded by a manmade wall where our boat enters at a crawl. The boat jetty is small with a few small houses in the distance. Ukulhas shimmers in the heat of the day. There’s no one in sight but us travellers and our luggage. But the resorts have sent small golf carts with trailers for our luggage to take us to our respective resorts.

The island of Ukulhas is about 1000 meters by 800 meters. You can walk around the island in under 45 minutes. Silky white sand everywhere. You can’t see any of the hotels from the jetty. There are dozens of hotels on this tiny island. Ukulhas Island resorts and hotels are on one side of the island. Most are small with 8 to 10 rooms. The biggest is Ranthari, with four floors. Island Home has eight rooms and is quite quaint and quiet, set unobtrusively behind a high wall and gate. There is no need for cars on the island, so you either walk or ride on the golf cart to your destination. When I was there I saw two tiny cars. You wonder why they are there as everything is within walking distance.

Ukulhas Island has water sports like snorkelling, diving and kayaking are available. You can also sunbathe and have boat rides. On your Ukulhas Island holiday, you can see dolphins, turtles and if you’re lucky a whale may just spout! There is a bikini beach where bikinis are permitted. During the offseason, sunbathers spend early morning hours up to 11 am sunbathing and again after 4 pm.

The people of Ukulhas lead a simple life. they are smiling and warm and extremely polite. The backbone of the tiny island is fishing and tourism. All the hard work in construction and the hotel industry is done by Indians, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans and Pakistanis. The island is remarkably clean. Every morning, the island is swept clean, the trash in the trash cans are removed from in front of the hotels and it disappears. They seem to have a good system for trash disposal – nothing is dumped into the sea. The electricity plant produces enough to ensure there is no power cut. The powerlines are all underground, so however strong the wind blows, you have power. The desalination plant provides water and the wastewater is recycled and given back to hotels for their toilets, gardens, etc. It’s admirable how eco-friendly the island is.

Most of the resorts in Ukulhas Island in the Maldives offer all-inclusive deals. But if you like, you can try out the food at other hotels and eateries. But be warned that during a particularly busy period hotels close the restaurants to outsiders. There are three mosques in Ukulhas and the faithful are called to prayer throughout the day. In the evening especially, it is poignant to listen to the prayer as the sun sets behind the Mosque at the end of a day in this tropical paradise.

Are you a foodie? One popular restaurant is Celeste which overlooks the boat jetty. You can spend a good 2-3 hours sitting there watching the boats come and go as you savour the delicious food. Try out the local fare. You will get the softest roshi (a flatbread like romali roti but smaller) at Celeste. The items on the Maldivian menu are delicious. Though delicious Western, Indian and a bit of Thai food is available at Celeste in Ukulhas. Sapore is an Italian restaurant on the island run by an ex-pat Italian. The food tastes good, though prices are on the higher side and portions are also limited. There is an Indian eatery called Chef run by an earnest Bangladeshi. Wait time can be longish so you can go in early and tell him what you would like along with the time and he will have it ready when you come at your mealtime. You could also have take-out.

The shops are all pretty much the same all over the island. They sell eggs, butter, chips, milk, juices, ice cream, toiletries, a few spices and grains. On your Ukulhas Island vacation, you get a limited supply of fruit and vegetables at the shops. Remember everything comes over from the surrounding countries. Hardly anything is made or grown in The Maldives. There are a few souvenir shops here with Maldivian trinkets. You can also get a sim card if you forgot to get one at the airport. There’s an ATM at the boat jetty too which gives the local currency.

Take a walk around the island, you can do it in 45 min! There are no tarred roads, only sand compressed streets. You can see the locals enjoying the breeze in the evening, riding their two-wheeled vehicles and enjoying the climb up to the viewpoint at one end of Ukulhas. Many of the islanders have trained parrots and parakeets that you can see at the viewpoint performing various stunts.

If you are looking for a budget holiday with all the water sports the Maldives is famous for, Ukulhas has it all. The beauty, peace and happiness you feel here are unmatched. Take a stroll around the island, relax in the beach chairs and bamboo covered tables and just contemplate the beauty of the glowing blue waters. As you leave the island look back and hope you can come again for another rejuvenating holiday.