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Most people think the Maldives are pretty expensive. That may be true for the resorts and water bungalows but I will show you how you can visit a local island in the Maldives on a budget.
The Maldives is a popular destination for luxury vacations and honeymoons. But what many people don’t know is that you can also vacation in the Maldives on a smaller budget, namely on a local island. This has been possible since 2010 when locals were allowed to open their own guesthouses and hotels. This way, you can enjoy a cheap vacation and still experience the Maldives and its beautiful beaches.
For one week and two people we paid 700 € (without flights). Included are hotels, meals, transport and several snorkeling trips. We were very frugal regarding accommodation and food, but with 500 € for one week and person, you should definitely be fine.
Sure, it is more expensive compared to the rest of South Asia but its the MALDIVES. I’m already thinking about coming back because it was so incredibly beautiful.
First of all you need to choose an island. The Maldives is made up of over 1000 individual islands, so it’s quite overwhelming at first. You land at Male International Airport, near the capital Male in the North Male Atoll. You should choose your dream island(s) within this atoll. Basically, the closer to the airport, the easier and cheaper it is to reach.
Popular local islands include Dhigurah, Fulidhoo, Maafushi, Thoddoo and Dhiffushi. We opted for Thulusdhoo and Dhiffushi, but in the end we only stayed on Thulusdhoo due to a cancelation of our hotel.
The Maldivian currency is called the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR). You can either withdraw money from an ATM at the airport or, as we did, order dollars from your bank at home. Most places, especially the touristy ones, accept dollars or price their goods and services in dollars.
However, it’s handy to have some MVR when dining at local restaurants. The owner of our apartment offered to exchange currency at a fair rate. He also mentioned that locals sometimes try to scam tourists with the conversion rate when paying with dollars in local shops. So maybe ask about the exchange rate beforehand.
There are diffrent types of transportation and it can be quite confusing because there is not much information about schedules and prizes on the internet. These are the diffrent options to get to your island:
This is a ferry locals use to get from one island to another or to Malé, the capital. This option is the cheapest at just a few dollars per trip. Most ferries travel to several islands on a fixed route. There is a timetable you should check before your trip. In our experience, the ferries only went there and back once a day. They do NOT run on fridays. They depart from the ferry terminal in Malé, so you have to get there from the airport first.
However, this is easy to do with a ferry, which departs every few minutes on the right side of the entrance, or with a cab. The airport ferry takes only 15 minutes and coasts 15 MVR ($1). Note that travel times from Malé with the public ferry can be quite long.
If the ferry had been running at our arrival time, we would probably have taken the ferry for cost reasons. But taking a public speedboat is also a good option. Depending on the island, they run several times a day and are significantly faster than the ferry. From the airport to Thulusdhoo, for example, we paid $25 per person. However, you have to be prepared to be shaken up quite a bit.
For timetables, prizes, and bookings, I recommend the Odi app. It is better to book at least a week in advance, as the provider is still confirming the booking. It worked well for us via the app.
The boats usually leave right at the main exit of the airport, near the smoking area. Get there in good time and keep an eye out for your boat. It can get quite hectic and there are no signs.
There are three main activities you should enjoy during your trip: relaxing, watching the sunrise/sunset, and snorkeling/diving. In my opinion, it’s the perfect combination for a beach holiday. Bring a book and enjoy the white sand beaches with their stunning turquoise waters. On most islands, you can watch both the sunrise and sunset because the islands are so small that you can walk from one end to the other.
And of course, the highlight of the Maldives is the underwater world. We took three different snorkeling trips, which we booked directly at the beach on the same day. Just go to the beach and ask about the different tours and prices.
On Thulusdhoo, there were snorkeling tours to Coral Gardens, a Shark Point, and a Turtle Point. They also offered dolphin tours, surf tours, and sandbank tours. The price range was from $20 to $70. I think the tours do not vary much between the different islands.
If you have a bit more money, you can also take diving lessons and go on amazing tours to beautiful underwater locations. Even if the tours were a bit expensive for our budget, it was worth it. You don’t have the chance to see such an amazing underwater world in many places in the world.
On our island, the only shops to buy food were very small mini-markets. As a result, we always went out for dinner and ate breakfast at the hotel. When dining out, be aware that there are both touristy and pricey restaurants, as well as restaurants where the locals eat.
We always chose local restaurants and never regretted it. We were also surprised by the variety of dishes available. Cheaper options included fried rice/noodles, sandwiches, and burgers. They also offered fresh fish, curries, and Western food at reasonable prices. For example, a satisfying vegetarian fried rice was about $3.
Note: On the local islands the sale and consumption of alcohol are strictly prohibited. This means you won’t find any alcohol in local shops, restaurants, or guesthouses.
I love to be surrounded by the greenery and the sea, so I travel all over the world, whenever I can. I travel on a budget, but my enjoyment of planning still allows me to experience a lot.
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