Housing Development Corporation (HDC) has revealed that the requirement to make advance bookings for Kudagiri Picnic Island has been cancelled.
HDC said interested individuals can now visit the island at any time of the ferry departure without booking. HDC stated that although individuals do not need to book in advance to go to Kudagiri, they will still need to book huts through the mobile application. Bookings must also be made in advance to stay in rooms on the island. In addition, there will be no charge for travel to the island on weekends and public holidays. Locals travelling to the island are required to pay USD1.6 per individual for the ferry and the entrance fee is USD3.2. However, children under 12 will be charged half these prices and children two and under will not be charged.
HDC stated those who wish to visit Kudagiri and decide not to stay in a hut will have to pay a fee. There are 13 small huts and four large huts on the islands. The price of the hut is fixed in two ways. In addition, public ferries are available to travel to Kudagiri. However, privately owned vehicles will have to pay a parking fee of USD19.4 for half days and USD32.4 for full days.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih pledged to develop a picnic island that will be more complete. To fulfill this promise, the work of dredging the Kudagiri lagoon near Male' City began in November 2021. A year into the project, the lagoon had been turned into a pleasant area for recreation.