The Maldives – a tropical island paradise in the middle of the Indian Ocean with white sandy beaches and crystal clear, turquoise water.
Are you one of those people who think that a vacation to the Maldives is unaffordable?
You’re wrong, because the Maldives doesn’t always have to be expensive. Even with a small budget you can have a dream vacation in the Maldives. I’ll show you 5 tips to keep your costs low and experience the Maldives on a budget.
1) Travel in off season
As with most travel destinations, prices are significantly cheaper in the low season than in the high season. The low season in the Maldives is between May and October and prices are around 30% cheaper than the peak season between November and April.
The low season is the rainy season in the Maldives – but rainy season does not mean that it rains all the time. Even in the rainy season you can have a great vacation in the Maldives.
The weather in the Maldives can never be predicted exactly. However, I can tell you from experience that the weather in May has been very good in recent years. If you are flexible in terms of time, I would recommend planning your trip at the end of April or beginning of May – because at the end of April many accommodations start to adjust their prices for the low season.
You can find details about daily temperatures and rainy days in the following table:
Climate graph from https://www.wintasun.co.uk/maldives.html
2) Book an accommodation near Malé
Another tip to experience the Maldives cheaply is to book accommodation near the capital Malé. The international airport of the Maldives is located in Malé. The further your accommodation is from Male, the more expensive the transfer within the Maldives will be.
If you choose an island near Malé, you can get to your accommodation by speedboat. A transfer to a resort costs approximately $150 (round trip). You can get a transfer to a local island, like Maafushi, for as little as $50 (round trip).
But it can be even cheaper: the ultimate saving tip is to transfer by ferry. There are ferry connections from Malé to many local islands. A ferry takes about three times as long as a speedboat, but the prices are unbeatable (between 2 and 5 USD depending on the island).
For islands that are very far away from Malé, only a seaplane transfer is an option. Speedboats only go to islands that are a maximum of 60 minutes away from Male. Expect to pay around $400 for a seaplane transfer. Depending on the distance, however, the price can be even more expensive.
3) Stay on local island instead of overpriced resort islands
The Maldives consists of almost 1,200 islands – 220 of which are inhabited by locals and around 150 are considered resort islands.
There is only one resort on a resort island, which is specifically aimed at tourists. Resorts are the ideal destination for honeymooners, package vacationers and all-inclusive lovers.
A resort usually starts at around 250 USD per room/per night – there are no upper limits. In addition, the prices for diving and snorkeling trips are very high. You also pay a lot of money for meals and drinks that are outside of the booked meals.
The optimal solution for a vacation on a budget is a stay on a local island. In contrast to a resort, there are several accommodations on a local island. As the name suggests, locals live on the islands and have everything you need for life, such as restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc.
You benefit from low prices. You can stay in a cozy guesthouse for around $30 per night and eat in a restaurant for around 4 $. You’ll also get to know the country’s inhabitants and culture, something you won’t be able to do on a vacation at a resort. Another bonus: diving and snorkeling trips are very cheap, starting at 25 $.
There are some special features on local islands that tourists should be aware of.
You’ll find details about the behaviour here:.
4) Use excursion packages from tour providers
Do you love activities like diving, snorkeling and jet skiing or would you like to take a trip to a sandbank to relax? Unlike resorts, local islands offer budget-friendly excursions and activities to help you enjoy your Maldives vacation on a budget.
If you are interested in several activities, an excursion package is worth it. Many tour providers combine excursions and activities into packages that can save you around 20%.
Even if no excursion package is offered, you can negotiate with the tour provider. If you book multiple tours through one provider (e.g. airport transfer, snorkeling with manta rays, snorkeling with sharks, banana boat ride, etc.) they will most likely be eligible for a discount.
5) Book your accommodation directly
Of course, there are cheap offers and discounts on well-known booking portals. However, sometimes you can save even more money by booking your favorite accommodation directly.
Almost every accommodation in the Maldives has a homepage where you can find contact details. Many accommodations are happy to be contacted directly and offer an additional discount on the room price. If a discount on the room price is not possible, another advantage is usually offered, e.g. in the form of a room upgrade, an increase from half to full board or a discount on an excursion.
On my last vacation to the Maldives, I was able to save almost 15% compared to the price offered on a booking portal by booking directly.
Do you have any other tips to help you experience the Maldives on a budget? I welcome comments.