by Maldives is usually defined as a honeymoon destination but it is actually much more than that. Yes, maybe it does not have an old history, but with its magnificent sea and dozens of activities that can be done in the sea, it is also great for all travel lovers. We went to Maldives with my little son so I didn’t want to make an expensive plan like going on a honeymoon. We handled this trip in the most appropriate way possible for our budget. We did not miss out magnificent turquoise waters and had an affordable holiday. I experienced myself that a cheap holiday in Maldives is possible. I wanted to share a detailed Maldives travel guide so you can plan your own cheap holiday to Maldives. Here it is, my budget friendly travel guide to Maldives, you will find the answer to the question of “How to plan your dream trip to the Maldives on a Budget” in this article.
How to get to the Maldives cheapest? Maldives Cheap Flights
First of all, let’s start with the airfare issue. This is really big news: we can now get really cheap tickets to the Maldives. Wizz Air, one of the cheap airlines, has launched flights from Abu Dhabi to the Maldives as of October 2022. This has opened a cheap connecting route because Wizz Air also has cheap flights from many countries to Abu Dhabi.
How to find affordable accommodation in Maldives?
Let’s talk about accommodation. If you want to stay in overwater villas, you don’t need to read the rest of this article. The cheapest way to stay in Maldives is to stay on the islands where the locals live Maafushi, Fulidhoo, Thulusdhoo, Thoddoo, Dhigurah, Dhiffushi, Dharavandhoo, Hulhumale, Guraidhoo, Himmafushi, Hithadhoo, Ukulhas, Feridhoo, Omadhoo, Rasdhoo, Bodufolhudhoo are among the beautiful local islands that accept tourists. The beauty of the sea is the same, the palm trees, the tropical fruits, the activities you can do are all the same, you just stay in more affordable hotels. As you can see, there are many alternatives, I am sure you can find an island and a hotel according to your taste. If you can’t decide and have time, you can also stay in a few of them. Let me talk about the two bad features of these islands. Since Maldives is a predominantly Muslim country, there are some restrictions on the local islands where locals live. First of all, there is no alcohol sale on the island, and secondly, there is not bikini freedom on every beach. There are special beaches where you can wear bikini. But the hotels are already around the bikini beaches. You can walk around the island in shorts, suspenders etc. as you wish, there is no problem. By the way, I saw a lot of people in bikinis in beaches where bikini is not allowed, but honestly I didn’t risk it. There are non-alcoholic beers etc. for sale on the islands. I am not sure if you can take alcohol with you because no one ever searched my bag, so if I had alcohol with me, no one would have noticed anything. I think you can look at the islands I mentioned above one by one and find a place according to your preferences. It is even possible to stay in guest houses for 2 people 5 nights for 100$.
Prices of Food, Beverage and Extra Activities in Maldives
On the island, you will have to pay for food, drink and extra activities that you want to be involved in. You can choose to stay full board in the hotels or you can pay per meal and eat the meal you want. The advantage of local islands is that there are cafes and markets outside the hotel. In this way, you can manage to eat and drink at an affordable price, for example around 20$ per day. Activities include swimming with turtles, diving, swimming with dolphins, traveling in transparent canoes, etc. Also, if you want to see the luxury islands, there are tours you can go on a day trip. The cost of these activities usually varies between 15$-30$. However, if you go to a luxury island, the price is higher because that visit is sold as a package tour including food and drink all day, I honestly don’t remember the price of luxury island tours because I didn’t experience them.
Cheap Transportation from Airport to Islands in Maldives
Expense items in the Maldives are never ending, but this is the last one. There is also the issue of transportation to the island of your choice. Fortunately, I will tell you a cheap solution for this too. 😉 You land in the capital Male by plane, this is an island where the locals live, but I don’t recommend you to stay here, it is just a simple city. From here you will go to the islands mentioned above. You may have seen some sea planes flying to some luxury islands. There are many people who think that this is the only way of transportation. This is of course not true, it is a very expensive way of transportation and some of the more luxurious and faraway islands are mostly accessible only this way. There is a ferry for the closer islands. Since I was alone with my child and I arrived at sunset, I took the boutique ferries which cost 30$. But of course, since these are the islands where the locals live, they often need to go to the capital island. For this reason, depending on the distance of the island where you will stay, you can take ferries in kind of public transportation for 1$-4$.
I have tried to write every detail you should be aware of for a cheap Maldives vacation, I hope it was clear. If these conditions are not for you, you will not go anyway, I am just showing a method for those who want to feel the tropical environment without being too expensive. I don’t show something that doesn’t exist to attract people to the page, there really is an opportunity with such conditions and I explain it for those who don’t know. After all, this is what content producers are for, I share my own experiences and knowledge with you.
I hope this budget Maldives travel guide will help you to plan your affordable trip to Maldives. If you have any additional tips for planning a trip to Maldives, please feel free to share it in the comments, so everyone can benefit.
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