Maldives Seaplane vs. Speedboat: Which is better?

Maldives seaplanes can ONLY fly during daylight hours. If your international flight is arriving in Male late in the day, your only option may be the speedboat if you are trying to make it to your resort that evening.

Or you can spend the night in Male and take the Maldives seaplane first thing in the morning.

Your international departure time will also play a role in deciding your return transfer. On our last day, our international flight was leaving at 11 pm from Male. If we chose the seaplane, we would have to leave our resort at 4 pm.

Sitting for hours in the airport was not appealing to us. Instead, we choose the speedboat option which bought us 2 extra hours. We were able to leave our resort at 6 pm instead.

In our case, booking the Maldives seaplane was more expensive. On our first visit to the Maldives, we stayed at the Reethi Faru Resort, which was incredible by the way (full review here)!

If you are still trying to figure out which Maldives resort to pick and SNORKELING is a priority, do not miss my top 6 Maldives resorts with the best house reefs (videos included!).

The cost of the Maldives seaplane and speedboat will depend on the distance it takes to get there and the quality of the resort.

At Reethi Faru Resort, the cost of the speedboat (which also involved a short domestic flight) was $168 per person. The Maldives seaplane was $275 per person.

Rates will continue to increase. On our recent trip to Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa, the cost of a return seaplane transfer was $420 per person.

If your resort is quite far from Male, your only transfer choice may be the seaplane. In contrast, if the resort is quite close to Male, the hotel may only offer a speedboat.

Trans-Maldivian Airways is one of the major airlines. Here is a list of all the resorts they fly to.

Many factors play a role in determining which is faster, the Maldives seaplane or speedboat.

We tried out both methods of transportation.

The seaplane took about 45 minutes to get to Reethi Faru Resort.

The speedboat (40 minutes) + domestic flight from Dharavandhoo to Male (20 minutes) took a grand total of 60 minutes. Clearly, the seaplane was faster to get to Reethi Faru but not by much.

We decided to experience both transfers. We landed in Male late in the evening, spent the night, and took the first seaplane out the next morning.

You will not book your seaplane directly. All the reservations are completed by your resort.

I love organizing ahead of time and having a set schedule.

One important thing to know is seaplanes do not operate on a set schedule. The arrival and departure times are figured out on a daily basis based on where they need to fly and the total number of passengers. We were informed of our departure time AFTER we landed in Male.

While some hotels may have their own seaplane, you will likely be flying with Trans-Maldivian Airways or Maldivian Air. The hotel arranged our transfer with Trans-Maldivian Airways. 

Our seaplane also carried guests from other hotels. If your seaplane is making multiple stops, this is a fun way to check out neighboring resorts.

What’s it like flying in a 2 x 1 configuration with 15 passengers max?

It’s a little cramped, warm (no AC but a few fans operate near the front), noisy (propellor operated) … but incredibly exhilarating!

The aerial views are incredible!

The descent can be a little nerve-wracking because the plane has to dive down to make the landing in the water. If you are traveling to the Maldives (especially for the first time!), DO NOT MISS flying in a seaplane.

Because our departing international flight was not until 11 pm, we opted to take the speedboat + domestic flight for the return transfer to gain a few extra hours at the resort.

We left Reethi Faru at 6 pm. If we chose the seaplane, we would have needed to leave at 4 pm.

Our speedboat experience was not great. One big reason was the water was pretty choppy that day, so our ride over to the domestic airport was very bumpy. Not a great choice especially if you are prone to getting seasick.

After getting off the boat, we then waited around a little bit before boarding our domestic flight at Dharavandhoo over to Male.

This 2-step process was not ideal. No epic views. No excitement.

I am glad I was able to experience both transfer methods.

In hindsight, even if it meant a few more hours at the airport, I would have picked the Maldives seaplane both ways.

The Maldives really is as stunning as it looks in the brochures—and then some. Soft, powdery white sand. Crystal-clear turquoise waters. Snorkeling that makes you feel like you’re swimming in a vibrant aquarium.

And, if you’re lucky, even the chance to swim with a whale shark.

But one thing you might not realize when booking that dream resort is that you also need to choose how to get there.

Deciding between a seaplane and a speedboat isn’t always straightforward. Each option has its pros and cons, and I hope this article helps you figure out which one suits you best.

From my perspective, the seaplane ride is an iconic part of the Maldivian experience—something you won’t want to miss.

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Have you done both types of transfers? Which did you prefer: seaplane or speedboat?

Let me know in the comments below!