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Honestly, this view has completed me in a way.

If you have ever shrugged when people talk about the Maldives and silently told yourself it really is not the kind of destination for you (or more correctly, your budget!), you’re not alone. I used to react similarly!

This is, after all, the place where resorts that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars per night are the norm. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes honeymooned there. David Beckham and his entire family spent their Christmas holiday there. The list of filthy rich celebrities vacationing in this far-away Indian Ocean nation goes on and on.

Thus, it’s very normal to be intimidated.

However, after spending a week there last month, I realized Maldives is NOT as prohibitively expensive and impossible as people usually make it out to be.

There’s no denying that it’s more expensive than, say, the Philippines, Indonesia, or Thailand. But you still can have a hell of a good time on a budget, and I’m here to testify that what Maldives lacks in affordability it more than makes up in natural beauty.

Otherworldly, drop-dead gorgeous natural beauty.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s one of the most beautiful places you will ever see in your life in terms of beachside destinations.

The reasons Maldives is no longer exclusively catered to the upper echelon of visitors are that the government has permitted locals on inhabited islands to open guesthouses and hotels and that budget airlines like Tigerair and AirAsia have launched direct flights from Singapore, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.

And I feel like the timing of my trip couldn’t have been any better. The country has been increasingly hospitable to budget travelers and there are more of them there than ever, but not to any extent that sends off negative vibes. I wouldn’t say that I had the most authentic, immersive experience, but I’m glad that I still got to observe and have conversations with local people and learn a thing or two about their lives.

The flip side of not that many young, independent travelers visiting Maldives yet is the dearth of travel information on the Internet. I personally prefer to read travel blogs to guidebooks when researching, and if you google you won’t find a lot of travel bloggers talk about this destination. However, the two excellent ones I used extensively pre-trip are Never Ending Footsteps (Lauren spent a few weeks in the country in 2014) and Expat of the World (Sarah taught English there for quite some time so she had some very interesting experiences and stories).

Before I offer some practical advice based on my experience, I want to share with you a breakdown of my expenses for your reference. I didn’t skimp or splurge, as it was a short vacation after more than 6 months straight of staying put and just working and I didn’t want to think too much. However, I did a quick comparison with other travelers, and our numbers appeared roughly the same.

Flight: $550 ($250 for Singapore <-> Maldives, and the rest was Vietnam <-> Singapore)

Hotel: $506/ 6 nights (it would have been $70 less if I hadn’t had to cancel a part of my trip)

Food: $130 (I didn’t have to pay for breakfasts; they were included in the hotels’ charges)

Activities (1 snorkeling day trip and 2 resort trips): $170

Transportation (ferries, speedboats, and taxis): $32

TOTAL: $1388/7 days

(compared to the $2-3,000 tour packages…yikes!)

My snorkeling trip in the middle of Indian Ocean wasn’t a very pleasant experience because of the rain (taken with iPhone)

*****

1. The most budget-friendly way to get in is to fly from somewhere in Asia

If you’re traveling around India or Sri Lanka, perfect. Flights from these two countries to Male (Maldives’ capital) are short and inexpensive and frequent. I met people who booked their tickets from Colombo, Sri Lanka ONE day in advance.

If you’re traveling around South East Asia or anywhere else like Korea or Japan, it’s still easy, though it will take longer and require some coordination.

Wherever you fly from, rest assured that the views from your airplane windows will be INSANE (taken with iPhone)



Like I mentioned, Tigerair and AirAsia have direct flights from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur several times per week. The round-trip ticket is around USD250 if you’re lucky. Your itinerary will look like this: Somewhere -> Singapore or Kuala Lumpur (you can always find cheap tickets on this route) -> Male.

For me, it was Hanoi-Singapore, Singapore-Male, all with Tigerair. I did have to stay overnight in Singapore on my way to and back from Maldives, but I didn’t mind. Changi airport makes spending a night in airport such a breeze with free WiFi, 24/7 cafes and restaurants and even places to rest. I also got to explore Singapore a little bit, so it was the best of both worlds.

The most delightful boarding pass of all time. OF ALL TIME, Y’ALL!!!

2. Local islands offer the most budget-friendly accommodations

This is surely a game-changer for both Maldives tourism and all of us, budget travelers. And it’s not just about costs because staying on local islands allows us to get a glimpse into daily Maldivian life, which is circumscribed, relaxing, peaceful and involves a lot of hanging out on the beaches and watching sunsets. I loved it and wouldn’t have traded the experience for resorts (I mean, I wouldn’t deny myself a night or two at a resort with over the water bungalows, but I wouldn’t spend my entire vacation. Too boring!)

Guesthouses and hotels on local islands usually cost USD 50-100 per night, depending on seasons and types of rooms. Very reasonable if you split it with your travel partner.

3. Have realistic expectations about Maafushi

There’s a score of inhabited islands in Maldives, but Maafushi is probably the most vibrant, easy to access, has great infrastructure, and offers a variety of excursions. It’s located in South Malé Atoll (an hour and a half from Malé by public ferry), with a population of less than 3,000. These days the island has more than 40 different guesthouses. I was even more impressed when I learned that it was heavily damaged in the 2004 tsunami. Talk about resilience!

Here’s the thing: Except for resort-goers, everyone and their mother will stay at Maafushi at one point or another. Thus, it’s been commercialized. Also, the beaches there are not the most pristine or heavenly, so adjust your expectations. Some of the reviews on the Internet are so negative, but let me tell you from my personal experience that those people can’t be satisfied and will complain no matter what.

Maafushi is clean and beautiful enough. Full stop.

Can you argue with this?

Or this?

I was in Maafushi for the most part and stayed at Summer Villa Guesthouse, which was affordable, clean, and friendly. I enthusiastically recommend!

Dramatic sunrise on Maafushi.



Some lesser-known islands include Gulhi (very quite and peaceful according to fellow travelers I talked to), Hulhumalé (an artificial island near Male; the reviews are mixed), and Fulidhoo (pretty remote. I went so I’ll talk about it in a separate post).

4. US dollars are KING

I have the impression that Maldivians love US dollars way more than their own currency and Americans do, lol.

You can pay with US dollars almost everywhere in the country; in fact; some of the places that I went to didn’t even accept rufiyaa (Maldivian currency) on the grounds that the country was switching to a new currency and thus wanted the stability of the dollars.

Biyadhoo Island Resort was one that didn’t accept Rufiyaa. American dollars all the way, baby!

This means that you won’t need to, or probably shouldn’t, exchange a lot when you arrive at the airport. You can change some just in case, but if you change a lot and don’t spend all of it, you will have to change back when you leave and incur exchange losses.

In my experience, cash is the best way to pay because many places charge additional 3% when you pay by cards.

5. Having some flexibility in your schedule will come in handy

If you travel Maldives independently like I did, you will use local ferries to go from one island to another.

And that really means one thing: You are at the mercy of the ferry schedule!

Don’t get me wrong; the ferry schedule in the country is reliable for the most part and you won’t be stranded like the people in Lost if the ferries you need to take are cancelled. There are always speedboats.

The only thing is a speedboat costs hundreds of dollars, and since you’re reading this article, I know you don’t want to shell out that amount of money.

The government operates public ferries, and the first thing you need to know is no ferries run on Friday so try to arrange your itinerary in a way that makes you not have to use ferries on Friday.

Also, I believe (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong here) that there’s no public ferry after 3.30PM everyday so if you arrive in Malé after 3.30PM, you will have to spend a night there and leave for your destination the following day.

Here is the official website with information about ferry routes and schedules. It looks like you can book online, but I personally don’t think it’s necessary.

A cursory glance at Malé on my way to the airport. A fellow traveler from Europe I shared the taxi with told me his hotel staff in Malé advised him against wandering around the city on his own after 6PM, as it’s not very safe. I didn’t stay in Malé so I can’t confirm, any further insight?



(Practical info: When you arrive at Malé International Airport, you will take the public ferry right outside the airport to Malé. The ferry runs every 15-20 minutes and costs $1. Then, you will take a taxi (fare is about $2) to Villingili Ferry Terminal , which is where you board another ferry to the local island of your choice.)

If you don’t move around much during your time in Maldives and only stay at well-connected local islands such as Maafushi or Guraidhoo, you will be fine. Public ferries to and from those two islands are frequent enough.

However, if you plan to explore different islands particularly one that is remote like Fulidhoo, then prepare. My trip to Fulidhoo almost became a nightmare due to unexpected ferry cancellation.

Bottom line is by having some flexibility in your itinerary (for example, you don’t have to book everything in advance, especially accommodation. Book a few night first and then roll with it with the help of locals), you will fare better in case something crops up.

6. You still can experience high-end resorts even if you don’t stay there

Maldives is renowned for its stupendously beautiful but obscenely expensive resorts. And fortunately, these resorts are open to visitors (unlike Marina Bay Sands Hotel with the famous infinity pool in Singapore. Sorry, I have so much beef I need to get it out of the system), so we as non-guests still can have a taste of the glamorous life.

Apparently, this is a country where world-class view like this is only rated 5-star (Adaaran Resort)

You can book a day tour at your hotel or guesthouse to a resort of your choice. You will be dropped off at the resort in the morning and picked up at around 5 or 6PM to go back to your hotel. The total cost includes speedboat fee paid to your hotel and entrance fee paid to the resort. How much you have to pay depends on the resort you choose; the more upscale the resort, the more money.

However, no day tour should cost you more than USD 200. The most expensive one, I believe, is only around USD 180, give or take some.

I went to Adaaran Club Rannalhi with a group of friends and paid USD 100. We originally planned to go to the 7-star Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, but it was fully booked for one week.

We were a little bummed initially, but ended up enjoying Adaraan immensely. It’s achingly beautiful.

7. Tour and activities prices are pretty consistent

You won’t have to exercise your bargaining skills too hard. I don’t know if you find bargaining fun or thrilling, but I live in South East Asia so I’m pretty tired of it.

8. The taxes feel like daylight robbery

For the sake of brevity, let me show you my hotel receipts:

$37.73 in total for service charge and service tax. Worse than New York!

$31 in taxes, a hard pill to swallow. And now that I type this, I have more gripes with Thundi Guest House in Fulidhoo than I realized. Why the hell was the service charge 10% instead of 8%?

9. There’s no alcohol on local islands, and it’s a real bummer

Some of you are going to think I’m a crazy and spoiled alcoholic for saying that, but hear me out.

I don’t usually drink when I travel, but the ocean breeze and aroma, the copious amount of sunshine, and the overall relaxing atmosphere made me feel such a strong desire for a beer or two. There was also a dance party right on the beach for everyone on the new year eve. Which made having a drink even more necessary…you know, to get into the spirit.

YET there was none. Because Maldives is a Muslim state, and under Islamic law alcohol is not permitted.

Was I disappointed? Yes. Did I try to get some alcohol in my system at all costs? No because I believe we should be respectful and restrain ourselves.

Don’t worry, though, because alcohol is available in abundance at resorts. If you take resort day trips, drinks usually are included in the price you pay so you can have as many as your body can handle.

Beer has never ever tasted so good in my life!

10. Food is not cheap and food choices are not diverse

Finding good cheap eats in Maldives is NOT going to be easy.

On local islands, a typical meal will cost $10 or a bit more (and way more expensive in resorts), and to be perfectly honest I didn’t find it a bang for the buck. Food is served in buffet style in many restaurants.

Some smaller restaurants offer Maldivian cuisine such as tuna rice, chilli tuna, or curries, among other things for $3 to $5. But the thing is- and this is not just my opinion- you’ll get tired of them after two or three days. Which will be a problem if you stay for a week or more.

I don’t have any good advice about food; in fact, I don’t think there’s really anything you can do about it. You’ll have to eat no matter what to survive, so I guess the mentality to have here is we’re not there for the food.

Anyway, if you stay in Maafushi, I recommend you dine at Summer Villa Guesthouse at some point. The meal is $10 and different every night and features both Maldivian and Western cuisines. I brought fellow travelers from different hotels there for dinner, and they liked it better than the meals they had had at other places on the island.

On the left side of the plate is traditional Maldivian breakfast of Roshi and Mas huni (tuna, onion, coconut and chili).

Well, it’s been lovely reliving my time in Maldives with you guys. It really is a stunning place that is worth every hassle and more affordable than what people usually think. If you’re planning your trip, I hope you find these tips helpful. As always, sound off in the comment section should you have any question 🙂