Maldives on a Budget!

Although it may seem like an oxymoron, you can in fact do the Maldives on a tight budget. It takes some homework and researching but Kristal and I just returned for an amazing 5 day trip to the Maldives which cost a fraction of the price at one of the resort islands. Here is how we did it.

First we cast a wide net. We explored all of our options including local options and resorts. We found that even the least expensive resorts would run about $300 per night plus the cost of food, excursions, and transportation to the resorts. Transport alone can cost several hundred dollars per person especially if you need to take a sea plane. We were able to find a local island, Maafushi, that was accessible by a $2 public ferry and offered affordable locally owned hotels for between $50 and $100 per night.

Maafushi is a local island that is inhabited by just over 1,000 people. It is accessible by a 90 minute ferry from Male or a 35 minute speed boat transfer. There are lots of options for excursions and accommodation on the island and it is a fraction of the cost of a resort. The island was heavily damaged during the 2004 tsunami and is still developing its tourism industry. It was not until 2010 that local guest houses were allowed to open in the Maldives, before that everyone needed to stay at resort islands. While you give us some of the beauty of the resorts, you can arrange day trips to resorts from Maafushi at very reasonable prices.

 

While in Maafushi we stayed at the Kaani Beach Hotel in a sea view room which was directly in front of a beautiful beach. On the island we had tons of options for diving and excursions including those offered by other hotels. We did our diving through the Shark Diving School where I was able to get PADI certified in less than 3 days and they offered us world class diving at a $25 per dive rate! We did a day trip from Maafushi to the Adaaran Club resort which has rooms for $300 a night but we went for the day for $70 and that included unlimited drinks and a great lunch buffet! And finally we were able to take out a personal catamaran for snorkeling and visiting another local island for 4 hours for $60 total. All of these excursions were incredible deals especially compared to rates at resorts around the rest of the country.

 All of this is to say, the Maldives doesn’t have to be an expensive holiday. While the resort islands are incredible they can set you back. Maafushi and other local islands offer the opportunity to see incredible beauty that won’t leave you broke. Considering how cheap flights are from Doha to the Maldives we are already thinking about going back. It was fun trying to find ways to visit on a budget and if the Maldives has been taken off your list because of cost…put it back on at the top!