Let’s just for once close your eyes and imagine travel to Maldives. The white sandy beaches, pure blues water, and spending the day with your loved ones in those Over-water bungalows while looking out over the jade-and sapphire-hued ocean. I’m sure that you’re smiling right now and dying to live that dream. Well, I dreamed it too but as soon as I started searching for the cost of that vacation, my dreams were shattered like broken glass.
It costs a fortune!
The Maldives was an expensive tourist attraction, but in past years changes in the law had made tourism quite popular. Resorts cost hundreds even thousands of dollars per night without even food facilities, only the rich can afford Travel to Maldives.
But what if I tell you that you can Travel to Maldives without putting a huge dent in your wallet and you will still be able to explore the beauty of Maldives and you won’t find yourself stranded between these high-end luxury hotels and expensive restaurants.
Travel to Maldives Cheap:
When I started to look for flights towards the Maldives, I was shocked that they cost more than my monthly salary. At that point I began to lose hope that it would be impossible for me to afford even a one-way ticket, that would cost 1000 USD. Then I came up with the idea of connecting flights as they are usually cheaper than direct flights. After few hours of digging, if you take flights from the Middle East or Sri Lanka, or Bangkok, will cost just over 300 USD. So just by few hours of research, I saved around 700 USD. Now that is way motivational for me.
Maldives Special Offers: Book Flights to Maldives
CHEAP MEANS OF GETTING AROUND:
In the Maldives, nothing is accessible without taking a ferry or a domestic flight. Except for a five-time prayer break, the ferries leave continuously, you just need to wait for them to get full. From the airport, the ferry to Malé leaves every 10-15 minutes, costs 1 USD, and it takes around 20 minutes to reach.
Upon arrival to Malé from the airport, take a taxi to the main ferry station to access the other islands, they usually take 5 USD and you don’t need to convert it to local currency as USD is a legal tender there. To get around the islands, you can take a public ferry, make sure to check the timetable as they don’t operate daily, so you don’t miss your flights. So plan accordingly.
Ferry prices range from 5 to 25 USD. If by any chance the ferry doesn’t run that day then you have one of these options. You can stay for one night in Malé, a very expensive speed boat ride to your destination which costs an average of 400 USD or a 200 USD domestic flight. If your stay is at an island far away from Malé then the best mode of transport for you is the ferry and also this might require you to stay overnight on an island along the way.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY PLACES TO STAY:
In 2009 the government allowed locals to run small guesthouses this opens a lot of opportunities for them and affordable places to stay for us tourists. If we talk about the prices, a hotel room at a fancy place would cost 400 USD a night but as compared to the guesthouse which is 40 USD.
This could be the best option for small-budget travelers. There are not many dorms or hostels there. That would be a real plus for everyone. You can also use AIRBNB, BOOKING.COM, or reputed local travel agent with 5 star customer reviews Trevely to book cheap hotels as it let you connect directly to the host. An average stay on a good day would cost you 40 USD, and if you’re sharing it with a partner then it would be a great bargain.
Local travel agent with 5 star customer reviews Trevely
EATING ON A BUDGET:
Most of the hotels provide complimentary breakfast and you can save your money by having a healthy free breakfast and easily skip lunch and then eat at dinner. Because most of the time you’re way busy swimming, enjoying yourself with your friends that you won’t feel the urge of lunch.
There are many inexpensive cafes and restaurants that you can find near your guesthouse that serves fair-priced meals, coffee, and snacks that will help you provide enough juice for the day. You can also visit early morning fish markets and strike a great deal for some fresh fish and can grill it at your guesthouse. I find this technique rather interesting because what’s better than cooking with your friends and family and enjoying the aroma of freshly cooked sea fish.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY EXCURSION:
The best way to make your journey memorable is deep-sea diving. You can ask locals or find it online on AIRBNB, or like in my case I hired a fisherman with some diving gadgets for 70 USD per tank and it helped me explore nature under the sea. It was so peaceful and majestic. If you want to visit the Maldives take my advice and just go for this excursion. This will make your trip worth dying for.
That fisherman also took us snorkeling with manta rays for 30 USD and something that was on my bucket list for years: whale sharks. It was a breathtaking experience to swim with them and appraise the beauty of God.
Read Also: 10 Ways to Travel as a Single Woman
OTHER THING TO REMEMBER:
The Maldives is a Muslim country so you have to obey laws like no alcohol, no vulgar clothing, and no pork. You have to sign these laws upon your arrival. There was also a lack of Wi-Fi as most people can’t live without it and also western styles washrooms might not be suitable for everyone. But it was a vacation of a lifetime and I request you all to visit it now. You can live a week enjoying all these things at the cost of one night in a resort bungalow.
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