Co-Author: Soumyadip Ray
What is the first thing that comes to your mind if someone tells you “Let’s plan a trip to Maldives”? Is it Exotic Blue Seas, White Sands or that you need to spend a lot of money to enjoy that?
The serenity of Maldives might affect your sanity if you realize your pocket is almost emptied after the trip.
But wait, what if we tell, you can enjoy Maldives and its breath-taking beauty without being broke.
We did it, so can you.
In this post, we will decode the ways to plan a “Pocket Friendly trip to Maldives”
Maldives is a collections of 1200 islands spread across 22 atolls. Of them only 200 are inhabited. But wherever you go in Maldives, you will find breathtaking views.
The first view you will get of Maldives is from the plane and you will be amazed by its splendor. You will immediately know that you had made the right decision in planning the trip.
Islands to Stay – >
The first decision that you will need to take is, which island are you going to stay in Maldives. For tourists, there are 2 options: Private Resort Islands or Public Islands
Maldives Government has given a lot of islands to Private Resorts and they operate the entire islands. These resorts are obviously expensive, but they have the Water Bungalows and offers variety of cuisines and liquor options.
If you are looking for a pocket friendly option, you will need to stay in a Public Island. In a Public Island, you will also get to have a feel of the local life. However, Liquor is banned in the Public Islands.
Visa ->
Maldives offers Free Visa on Arrival for tourists of all Nationalities and they are valid for 30 days. All you need to have is a valid passport.
Getting there ->
Maldives has 4 International Airports, but Velana Airport is the biggest one and you will find most of the Flight options in this one . This airport is on Agatti Island and only 2 Islands are connected by Road and they are Male and Hulhumale. If you need to go to any other island, you would need to go there by Speed Boat, Sea Plane or a Domestic Flight. The fares are often expensive so you must check these fares before making a booking.
Major Islands->
Male is the Capital of Maldives and is considered as the Gateway of Maldives. It is extremely congested, in fact, it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. It has plenty of hotels to stay but please remember Male has only 1 artificial beach. What is the fun of going to Maldives if you can’t enjoy the beach.
Maafushi is another popular island for tourists. It is not too far from Velana Airport and can be reached by Speed Boat. It takes about 45 minutes and the charges are US Dollar 25 per person
Hulhumale is a reclaimed island and work is still going on. It is at present, the 4th largest Island of Maldives. It is also the closest island to the Airport. Normally the hotel/Guest House where you would be staying should be able to pick you up if you inform them of the flight timings. There are also buses available from the Airport and charges about 1 US Dollar.
Stay – >
If you are looking for pocket friendly trip, enjoy the beach, have a feel of the Local Life and Food and enjoy some Water Sports as well, Hulhumale is the best island to stay. There are a lot of Hotels/Guest Houses by the beach and they aren’t too expensive as well.
Things to Do ->
Hulhumale has plenty of options for water sports. Just walk by the beach and you will see offers for jet skis, banana rides etc. You can choose any of them and bargain to some extent. Since the water is calm, you can enjoy some great water sports with relative lesser risks.
Secret Paradise: Hulhumale is the home to Secret Paradise and they offer Cruises to Snorkeling Trips, Diving tours, Local Island walking Tours etc. They are not too expensive, and their service is great. We did a Sunset Cruise with them and got to see Dolphins along with an Amazing Sunset. We paid US Dollar 110 for 2 people and since it was off season, we got the Cruise for ourselves and it was really and Out of the World Experience.
Food – >
Food in Hulhumale is not a problem. Most to the Sea Side Guest Houses/Hotels offer Lunch and Buffett Dinner. They aren’t too expensive, and quality is decent. You can also try some local cuisine in some of the restaurants and there are some cool bakeries in Hulhumale as well.
Shops ->
Hulhumale has plenty of stores and a few large Departmental Stores as well. The Stores close for prayers and they open back after the prayers. So, if you see the stores are closed in evening, don’t panic, they would open after the prayers.
Currency ->
USD and Maldivian Rufiyaa are accepted everywhere. However, if you pay by USD, you would end up paying more since they round it up slightly higher than normal exchange rate.
If you are carrying any other currency, it would be difficult to Exchange and you would need to visit a bank for that. However, Hulhumale has ATMs where you can use your International Debit or Credit Cards to withdraw Maldivian Rufiyaa. In terms of Exchange Rates, this is the best option.
Weather – >
Most of the islands of Maldives are closer to the Equator, so the weather is Hot and Humid. May, November and December have the highest Rainfall.
You can spend 5-6 days in Maldives and if you can plan properly as we have suggested, you should be able to enjoy Maldives too the fullest, without burning a hole in the pocket.
