We traveled to the Maldives as an alternative, we had amazing experiences and it cost us much less than we expected!!!
There are 2 vacation options in the Maldives, the most common is to go to one of the many resort islands, stay and relax doing activities offered by each hotel.
The second is to stay on local islands or to do a combination of both options!
We chose to stay on local islands, eat in traditional restaurants and experience the culture of this very kind and peaceful people.
We chose to stay 3 nights at Rasdhoo island and 2 at Ukulhas. The criteria for choosing these islands was that there is a ferry connection with a speedboat from the airport to Male as in other islands.
You will find plenty of rooms to stay in of all kinds on various sites such as booking.com with the cost being around $50-75/double room with a typical breakfast. Also when you book a room they will send you a message to tell them your arrival flight and to wait for you at the airport to take you to the speedboat.
The islands we stayed on were exactly double the very big resorts (Kuramathi Maldives and Nika Island Resort & Spa, Maldives.
On the local islands you will find the best beach of the island called bikini beach with sunbeds, bars and restaurants where tourists and especially women can go around in their swimsuits and as we are used to in the summer. When you go to the center of the island to shop or eat in a restaurant, women should cover their shoulders and legs up to the knees because it is a Muslim country and we should respect their religious rules.
Another limitation on the local islands is alcohol.. You can't drink or buy anywhere except at the resort. Of course you will find alternative solutions with alcohol-free beers and wonderful Moctails with fresh fruit for $2-3.
The food on the islands wherever we ate was very good with excellent service and dishes did not exceed $5 unless you get fresh lobster which was around $35-40.
More information on how to plan the trip in our Maldives Travel Guide click here
Comments