How to get to the Maldives: air tickets and other details. How to fly to the Maldives cheaply? Accommodation in the Maldives

Let’s look at the price tags on the luxury islands and see if the Maldives roads are as they are “painted”.

It’s trite, but still: prices in the Maldives can vary greatly. It all depends on the level of comfort you require and the purpose for which you are going to the islands. Therefore, in this article we will present the minimum prices relevant for 2019, and accept the highest level as unattainable. 🙂

Cheap tours to the Maldives. Where is the best place to look?

Budget holidays in the Maldives, as a rule, are organized independently. And you can consider a luxury trip (i.e. to an island resort) with a tour operator - experts in the country claim that luxury hotels with a package tour are cheaper. Very generalized limits of the cost of a tour package - from 150,000 to 1,000,000 rubles for a week of solitude. The amount is formed from several factors: season/off-season, location from the airport, promotion of the hotel, type of room and food.

Let's show the dependence using specific numbers. Price of a tour to the Maldives with flight from Moscow to (4 stars) for 7 days for two:

• in June (low season) – 148,000 rubles
• in December (high) – 220,000 rubles
• with breakfasts – 148,000, + dinners – 152,000, + lunches and dinners – 160,000, all inclusive – 188,000 rubles

To the question of where to look. Travel companies have different prices for vouchers to the same hotels, so you need to go through all the tour operators at once. Three aggregators are very convenient in this regard:

They compare available offers and display the best prices for the Maldives for two (with a child/four - according to your preferences) for the selected dates. Many travelers use the services and leave detailed reviews about each hotel.

It's time for a holiday in the Maldives. When is it cheaper to go?

When is the best time to go to the Maldives? Ideal dates – they are also the most “predatory” ones – are from November to April. During the high season, the islands are sunny and calm, although for some lucky tourists the weather can be disappointing even in mid-January. The tropics are so unpredictable.

Cheapest of all fly to atolls in the off-season – from May to October. At this time, the rains begin, and demand drops slightly, as well as prices in the Maldives. Don’t rush to dismiss this option! Precipitation is short-lived and more refreshing than annoying, because... Humidity rises in summer.

Among the budget months, there are also jumps: at the beginning of May, air tickets from Russia become more expensive (holidays); in August - tours and hotels (the height of the holidays). The lowest cost period is June and July. Last minute tours are appearing, and some resorts are generous with cool offers like room upgrades or even free transfers.

Flight prices to the Maldives in 2019

The average price of a Moscow-Maldives-Moscow flight is 35-37 thousand rubles. Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Turkish Airlines (with transfers) and Aeroflot (direct) fly. One-way flight time is ≈9 hours directly and from 12 hours with a connection.

These same companies often hold promotions where the amount drops to 25 thousand per person. By the way, the low price calendar suggests that in 2019 the minimum cost of a flight to the Maldives without sales is 28,500 rubles.

Visa for Russians

A visa to the Maldives is not required provided the duration of the holiday is no more than 30 days. Documents that you should have with you: a foreign passport (valid for at least six months at the time of entry), a return ticket (required!), and a hotel reservation.

Hotel prices in the Maldives 2019

There are 2 types of housing in the Maldives: hotel resort and guesthouse. The difference is that the first is located on a separate island, free from outsiders (the same well-known concept of an island-hotel with paradise landscapes), and the second is on a piece of the island where locals live (with not quite picture garbage, more restrictions, but also with white sand and turquoise water).

How to rent a house on one's own? We recommend the search engine RoomGuru - it finds favorable prices by analyzing all popular booking systems. It is equally good at catching special offers for both resorts and guest houses.

By the way, the difference in cost between them is huge. Hotels in the Maldives are classified as expensive. During high season the most “modest” Gangehi Island Resort (5 stars) gives you a choice of:

• standard rooms for two from $200 per night
• villas from $300
• bungalow from $800

Moreover, by Maldivian standards, this resort cannot be called top-end. True luxury hotels - like 5* W Maldives - set prices from $1500 PER NIGHT. Do you feel the scope? 🙂

Cafe on the beach

Gestas, after all, are not so merciless. During peak period you can stay overnight from $33 for 2 people. The key word is to spend the night, because... spending time in a closet with artificial light is not particularly pleasant. Most of them are on the island of Maafushi - the most famous where the Maldivians live. There are better options, near the beach - from $50 (3* Royal Pearl Inn).

It must be said that the inhabited islands are by no means bounty places from numerous photos on the Internet. It is rather a “smoker’s” Maldives. There are snow-white beaches, but they are few and walking around in a bikini is prohibited (the country is Muslim), the azure water and greenery of the tropics fade due to garbage, and there is no alcohol at all. So why are guesthouses in demand? They save your budget and provide more freedom in movement and entertainment. Classic Maldives, along with snorkeling and shark feeding, can be seen on excursions - they can be easily purchased from the locals.

A few additional points regarding housing prices:

• Sky-high amounts - from the beginning of November to the end of April. Even more expensive during the Christmas holidays
• Taxes are not always included in the price, but this is +10% service charge, +12% VAT and +$6 per person for environmental fee
• Transfer from the airport to the resort island is not included in the final figure if you book the hotel yourself. Plus $135-650 (depending on distance) per person

5 best hotels

Which hotel to choose in the Maldives? Decide on the purpose of your trip: a house reef is important for snorkeling, a lagoon is important for complete relaxation by the ocean, and a convenient location to the airport and appropriate conditions for families with children.

We will highlight the 5 best hotels in the Maldives with high ratings and highlight their strengths that meet the main needs of tourists.

4* ANGAGA ISLAND RESORT

There are many hotels with a reef in the Maldives, in particular Angaga, although here it is not so impressive. What sets this resort apart from others is its successful combination of main characteristics: great beach and lagoon without sharp corals, a varied diet (and an emphasis not on seafood, but on meat, which is rare), colorful underwater life and those same villas on the water. According to reviews from tourists, the hotel is a good example of price/quality ratio.

4* THE BAREFOOT ECO HOTEL

The place is unique in its own way. This is a hotel built on the inhabited island of Hanimadhoo, but with a hint of privacy and resort views. So let's say inexpensive Maldives, but not at the guesthouse level. On private territory there is your own beach where you can splash around in a swimsuit, a spa and fitness center, a swimming pool, a diving center, and they can take you out to snorkel. There are also positive comments about the kitchen. The downsides are a 45-minute transfer by plane from Male, the need for closed clothing outside, interesting locales nearby.

5* ANGSANA IHURU

Angsana embodies the true concept of a Maldives bungalow - with your own private corner by the ocean, palm tree and hammock. An accessible reef with lots of coral, powdery sand and a wide lagoon. Here everything is brought to exemplary level– service, food, rooms, lack of contact with guests, but also at an appropriate cost.

5* SUN ISLAND RESORT

Experienced travelers advise looking at prices for the Maldives from this hotel, which has been tested by thousands of our compatriots and is, in general, affordable. Sun Island the most Russian The resort is large and spacious, which is why it is crowded. A normal lagoon is normal, a so-so reef, some kind of entertainment and, of course, all inclusive.

5* ANANTARA DHIGU RESORT

One of the best for holidays with children– half an hour by boat from the airport, children’s club with animation, several restaurants with different cuisines, gentle entry into the water, soft sand. Near the island there are two neighboring resorts of the same chain, one of which can be freely visited (by boat). Snorkeling is not very good - there is almost no reef. Instead, there are surfing classes, yoga and spa treatments.

Food costs directly depend on where the tourist stays - in a resort or on a local island.

Resorts. Interestingly, in the Maldives they do not recommend going all-inclusive (with the exception of if life without alcohol is not pleasant). They say it’s a waste, because, for the most part, the food is not very varied, and the alcohol is from India. High-quality alcohol only for money (for example, $35-100 for a bottle of wine, $10-20 for a cocktail). A half or full board hotel with a separate fee for meals or drinks will be more economical.

Approximate prices in the Maldives for food in resorts for two:

• Water 1.5 liters $5
• Pizza/pasta for lunch $70-100
• Dinner without alcohol $150-200

Of course, the higher the class of the hotel, the higher the cost of food.

Local islands. A couple of nuances: food in the Maldives is spicy and does not have a wide selection of products used; fruits are expensive because... imported (except coconuts), alcohol is not sold at all; It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to cook on your own.

Backpackers eat at local establishments or grab something from stores. Price lists:

• Salad in a cafe $5-7
• Second (meat/fish) from $20
• Juice pack $2
• Pack of cookies $1
• Water $1-2
• Mango, kg $10-15

Transport cost

Prices for holidays in the Maldives also include travel around the country. This is quite problematic: you can only move between the islands by water or air.

Resort hotels themselves organize transfers for guests from the airport (by boat or plane, sometimes hydro), and there is no escape from this - these are the rules that force you to shell out, on average, $300 per person. But it is quite possible to travel between local islands (for example, from Hulhumale to Maafushi) on a budget - on national doni boats or, in Russian, a ferry.

In total, we have:

• Dhoni/ferry – inexpensive ($1-2) and rather slow transport
• High-speed boats/boats: they can take you anywhere, quickly, “with the breeze.” How much it will cost depends on the distance (locally – from $20)
• Local air carriers and seaplanes are already from the series “not everyone can afford it, but you have to pay”

Dhoni on Maafushi

Relevant for “savages”. Maafushi Island is one of the preferred corners of the archipelago for living. It is chosen by those who need to stay in a guesthouse at an affordable price.

How to get from the airport if the final destination is the above island? Here we must take into account that the airport itself is located on the island of Hulule, from where you need to take a ferry to the capital Male ($1 per person). From there, from Villingili Ferry Terminal, the dhoni to Maafushi ($2) starts.

Price for entertainment and excursions

When calculating prices in the Maldives, budget for a couple of excursions or entertainment, even despite the promoted idea of ​​a seal holiday. For resorts, the cost varies sharply, and if very roughly, swimming with manta rays starts from $100, snorkeling equipment is free or $10-20.

In the case of an independent tourist, leisure time is a little more fun.

Things to do? Those who like scuba diving or snorkeling can go to Maafushi, where the Maafushi Dive School is very popular. Based on prices, you should be guided by approximately $60-80 for theory and diving. Are you an extreme person? Then to the whale sharks. Real swimming with huge fish is a real pleasure for those who want to tickle their nerves ($200 per person).

What to see in the Maldives? There is an excursion to Male, but the reviews about it are 50/50. But trips to island resorts are selling out with a bang. Transport and entrance to the island are paid, plus meals of your choice. For example, from Maafushi to the island of Fihalohi, such a trip costs about $100 per boat (a group is recruited), $30 per person, admission to the territory, $70-90 optional lunch.

The beaches of the Maldives are what excite the imagination of people going on vacation. Surely, you also paint colorful pictures for yourself and look at photos of the beaches of the archipelago. Don't limit yourself to just sightseeing in Male and scuba diving in Maafushi. Have you seen glowing beaches? And there are such ones on Vaadhoo Atoll, and the sight is worth the long journey.

Which beaches get the best reviews?

• Beaches of Fulhadu Island. The island itself is small (250 m by 2.5 km); on one side there are wide, snow-white beaches. They have a cool, intimate atmosphere
• Biadu – this tiny island also boasts some of the most beautiful beaches. If you try, you can find a corner where no one will disturb you to enjoy the silence. A special atmosphere is created by the riot of tropical greenery near the coastline. Entrance - $30
• The beaches on the island of Fihalhohi are also on the list of attractive places to visit. Despite the fact that quite a lot of tourists vacation on the island, the beaches themselves are calm, vacationers will be pleased with the rich coastal fauna - fish, small sharks, turtles, stingrays
• The uninhabited island of Maaadhoo is also famous for its excellent beach. The shore and bottom of the shallows consist of white sand, the ocean opens about a kilometer from the land. You can cook meat in the shade of the trees; there are places for this. Picnic excursions are regularly organized to Maadhu (for example, from neighboring Maafushi), the approximate cost of such an event is about $40-50
• Those who go to the Four Seasons Hotel (Baa Atoll) are very lucky to have a beach. Comfortable dry climate, absence of insects, sandy shallow waters, well suited for families with children. If you choose a hotel of the same chain, but in Northern Male, then the beach will also delight you with its cleanliness and well-groomed appearance. The shore and bottom are composed of coral chips and white sand

3 tips for tourists: how to have an inexpensive holiday in the Maldives?

In conclusion, I would like to give a few instructions. All this is advice from tourists who have already been to the Maldives:

• Monitor prices for flights and hotels in the Maldives in 2019 from May to October. Moreover, it is more important to book your accommodation, and it is better to do this six months in advance. Cheap flights are more likely to be found a month before the desired date
• Choose islands where you can rent inexpensive accommodation, provided that you are not looking for luxury hotels. Budget islands are Maafushi, Thoddhoo, Rasdhoo, Male, Mathiveri
• Look for establishments “for your people”, and may you have more or less food prices

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The Maldives is famous for its luxury hotels and respectable resorts. But such a vacation does not fully understand the mentality of the inhabitants of this country, what people live and dream about on these pieces of land. The islands are isolated from each other, hotels suggest privacy on the atoll and a very high percentage of Europeanization. It’s as if a service has been created for those who want to get to know the real Maldives (click on the link to find an article that says how to rent a house abroad using this service). On it, booking apartments takes place in two clicks, and the price is more than acceptable if you use.

How does it work

Airbnb is a website where travelers can book their favorite accommodations from private individuals. Most likely, accommodation will be provided by the same avid tourists, so at the arena there is active communication, exchange of experiences, invitations, promises to book and come.

Anyone can register on the Airbnb website and start searching for apartments to rent. Do not forget that on this service you can not only rent, but also rent out your home.

Is it profitable to go to the Maldives with Airbnb?

In a distant island country, it’s nice to save a lot of money on excursions and souvenirs, while living in the comfortable conditions of the chosen house or apartment. Airbnb makes it possible to rent housing at the same prices as staying in a hotel, and you can learn from the inviting party the subtleties and nuances of your vacation. A self-organized trip is always interesting and budget-friendly compared to tour packages to the Maldives.

Documentation

To stay on the territory of the Republic of Maldives for tourism purposes, you must have the following documents with you (you will be asked to present them at Male airport):

• A passport that will be valid for at least another 90 days from the date of departure from the Maldives
• Return air ticket (specific departure date must be indicated)
• Travel voucher or hotel/home reservation
• The amount of money that will be enough for the entire vacation period is approximately 50-100 dollars for each day

A visa is not required if you intend to stay in the territory of this state for less than 30 days. If, however, your vacation lasts longer, you will still have to get a visa. Read about how to do this, it also indicates what can be taken out of the country and what is strictly prohibited, where to go in case of all sorts of problems, where the Russian embassy is located, in general, everyone should read it without exception.

When is the best time to relax?

You can vacation in the Maldives any month. The islands are located in the subequatorial zone, which suggests that the air temperature (average +24 to +31) and water temperature in winter and summer practically do not differ from each other. Another thing is the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season begins in May and ends in autumn; during this period the rains are quite frequent and heavy, but pass quickly: usually thunderclouds cover the sky with lightning speed for half an hour to an hour, pouring water on everything abundantly, and then immediately give way to sunny weather, so rest possible during this period.

The most popular period among tourists is November-April. During these months there is practically no rain, the weather is sunny and warm, all hotels and restaurants are open, almost the entire country works for tourists.

Purchases

In the Maldives you can buy quite unusual and interesting things. The main place for shopping is Male Island and the airport. In the latter, prices are quite high, but in Male you can buy anything very cheap from local craftsmen if you know how to bargain. What is unusual for Europeans is that most shops close several times a day so that workers can pray.

Many residents of Male who are employed in the tourism industry speak English, some can also speak German and French. Almost no one here knows Russian, except for the staff of hotels focused exclusively on Russian-speaking visitors, and there are very few of them and almost all of them work exclusively with tour operators at very high prices.

The following products will be a good purchase:

• cotton tunic
• water hookahs
• jewelry made by local artisan
• Maldivian tea
• national wicker mat
• photo album made from palm leaves
• varnished wood products
• mother-of-pearl mini dhoni pumps

Read about what else you can bring from the Maldives. Also in that article are goods that cannot be exported from the country.

Get to your destination

Because The Maldives are islands, then there Ferry mode of transport is very popular. Even after leaving the airport (where it is located and its features, you can find out how long the flight to the Maldives takes), you will need to get to in order to go from the main ferry station to the island where you booked your accommodation (the airport is located on the island of Hulhule , near Male). Ferries to Male from the airport leave every 15 minutes and cost about $1. On Male Island you can take a taxi for $5.

Ferries between the islands run at certain times (you can find out the schedule or, if you don’t know English, use an online translator), and on some days they don’t run at all. An independent trip to the Maldives involves planning your movement in the Maldives after leaving the airport. But even if you cannot find the ferry you need at a certain time, then a good option would be to use the services of a boat, but it will be much more expensive than a ferry (several hundred dollars if the island is far away). Ferry tickets range from $5 to $75.

Inexpensive food

Traveling to the Maldives certainly includes sampling the local cuisine. Most guesthouses and hotels serve Maldivian cuisine. If you rented a room or chose a hotel room, the price of which does not include meals, then there are inexpensive restaurants on the islands. Inexpensive cafes sell snacks, sandwiches for $3, and delicious coffee for $1.5.

On almost all islands in the morning, fishermen sell part of their catch to everyone (don’t forget to bargain, this way you can get fish for half the price). This fresh and tasty fish can be easily prepared and eaten by you :) .

Also, breakfasts in hotels/guesthouses include tea with milk, canned tuna with herbs, and delicious bread cakes. For lunch and dinner - fresh fish, rice, bread cakes and anything else to choose from.

Excursions, diving, wedding

The main excursions on the islands are diving. Prices vary greatly. Ask your hotel or rental owner who has the lowest diving rates in those areas. On average it's $65. Read about what equipment is needed, who can dive under water, where this can be done, where you can learn to dive and how much it costs, as well as about the best places for diving.

Also here you can swim with whale sharks in the presence of an instructor for $30. This type of shark does not pose any danger to humans, because They feed exclusively on plankton. This is the largest species of shark in the world.

If your hotel or guesthouse does not organize excursions, then you can ask neighboring hotels, they will not mind taking you into their group. Since you have decided to fly to the Maldives on your own, I recommend booking excursions on the SecretParadise website. This tour operator specializes in excursions in the Maldives. Among other activities, it offers ocean fishing, diving, dolphin watching, seaplane flights (which make for wonderful photographs), and a submarine tour.

It is popular among young people to hold a wedding ceremony in the Maldives. A wedding is organized especially for the newlyweds, tables full of food are laid, live music plays, and the waves of the Indian Ocean splash nearby. The ceremony can be attended by both the bride and groom and all relatives and friends, depending on financial capabilities. You can read more details.

You need to know this

• The Maldives is a Muslim country.
• In the Maldives you cannot swim or sunbathe in a bikini everywhere, only on the resort islands and on some excursions.
• Consumption of alcohol and pork is prohibited, sometimes exceptions are made for tourists in the hotel.
• The Maldives has a humid climate.
• The air temperature fluctuates around 30 degrees almost the entire year, and the water temperature is about 27 degrees.
• Wi-Fi is not available everywhere.
• Nobody speaks Russian there (unlike Egypt and Thailand), you need to know English at least at a basic level. I wrote about how to learn a language at a basic level.
• Bargain in souvenir shops. This way you can save up to 80% of your money.
• Citizens of the Russian Federation and CIS countries do not need a visa to the Maldives if their vacation is less than 30 days. You need your passport to be valid for another 3 months from the end of your trip, you need a ticket home, a travel voucher and some extra money.

Now you know how to relax in the Maldives cheaply. This excellent place to relax. The budgets that will be needed for a holiday in a good hotel in Egypt and for a full-fledged holiday in the Maldives are almost the same, if you use all the tips written above, especially for finding tickets and accommodation. On average, a budget holiday in the Maldives (including air tickets, accommodation, food and some excursions) for two weeks will cost 95,000 rubles. An independent trip to the Maldives will give you an unforgettable experience. Nowadays, a holiday in the Maldives is not the prerogative of the rich; quite a lot of people can afford such a trip. If you don’t have the money or time for such a vacation, then I recommend reading the article about. Travel and enjoy life. All the best!

Maldives on the map

How much does a budget holiday in the Maldives cost in 2019: prices for food, hotels, transport, tickets, entertainment. We give tips on how to have a cheap holiday in Paradise. The dream can come true!

You can't have a cheap vacation in the Maldives!

You only need to go to the Maldives to expensive resorts, only there is paradise, everything else sucks.

Fanatics of resort holidays in the Maldives threw such statements at me when I announced to your VK group that I’m flying to the Maldives to experience a budget holiday on the paradise islands. Well, let the fanatics be indignant and rage. Meanwhile, I achieved my goal and now I’m ready to tell you how to relax in the Maldives inexpensively. So, let's go debunk the myths!

Sailing across the Indian Ocean on a ferry from one island to another.

I flew to the Maldives in April 2019 and was convinced of several things from personal experience:

1. In the Maldives you can relax cheaply. Not for three pennies, of course, but only slightly more expensive than in Thailand. It’s realistic to spend no more than $700 for two people for the entire vacation (without tickets). Budget calculation is at the end of the review.
2. Budget holidays in the Maldives is in no way inferior luxury holidays in expensive resorts. The azure sea, crystal clear water, white powdery sand and a rich underwater world - all this is the same on any island.
3. Economy vacation brings with it a number of disadvantages and inconveniences. I'll tell you honestly about everyone. But if the Maldives is your dream, you can forgive these shortcomings.

Exchange rate: 1 Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR) ≈ 4 RUB.

Rasdhoo Island, Maldives. The water is amazing! By the way, right ahead is an expensive resort, but the water there is the same. If there is no difference, why pay more?

Visa to Maldives

For Russians, a visa to the Maldives is not required if the trip does not exceed 30 days. If you need to stay more than a month, you need to apply for a tourist visa. Upon entry, they may require a return ticket, hotel reservation or travel voucher, as well as a bank statement (at least $50 per person per day). They didn’t check anything on us, they just asked where we would be vacationing.

The uninhabited island of Madivaru. Just look at the color of the water and that sand! I did not do any photo processing. And everyone can enjoy such views, it is not necessary to buy a tour to an expensive resort.

When is it cheaper to holiday in the Maldives?

In many countries, you can save money by coming on vacation during the low season. For a budget holiday in the Maldives, this scheme does not work. The off-season here is in the summer, but hotel prices at this time do not decrease, nor do prices for food and excursions. The sea will be cloudy and rainy. There is no point in going in the summer.

But vacations on tours at resorts from June to August cost 20% less. Expensive hotels still offer discounts for the low season.

An excellent beach on Thoddoo Island, an ideal place for a pleasant and budget holiday in the Maldives.

1. How to fly cheaply

I have two news for you: good and bad.

I'll start with the bad. You won't be able to fly to the Maldives particularly cheaply. Low-cost airlines do not fly there, and independent connections through neighboring countries do not allow you to reduce the price. A flight to the Maldives from Sri Lanka or Malaysia costs from 9,000 rubles per person, but tickets to these countries from Russia cost the same as to the Maldives. You won't be able to save money. The only thing you can get out of this is to visit the Maldives as part of a big trip to Asia. For example, we first spent a month in Sri Lanka, then flew to the Maldives for vacation, after which we flew to Malaysia and Indonesia. This is cheaper than flying from Russia to each country separately, but few people do this.

And now the good news! You will fly to the paradise islands on board the coolest, most comfortable and pleasant airlines in the world - Etihad, Emirates or Qatar. This is what they call 5 stars! Oddly enough, they always have the cheapest tickets from Russia to the Maldives. So forget about the lack of low-cost airlines and enjoy your flight.

How much do air tickets cost? to the Maldives in 2019 (round trip):

• From Moscow with transfers in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi: normal price - 30,000 ₽, with a promotion you can catch it for 25,000 ₽.
• From Moscow by direct flight with Aeroflot - from 37,000 ₽.
• From St. Petersburg - from 33,000 ₽.
• From Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk, Samara, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Mineralnye Vody - from 37,000 ₽.

Our ticket costs: 18,000 ₽ - from Colombo to Male (Emirates), 18,000 ₽ - from Male to Penang (Air Asia).

Conclusions on how to save on tickets: Keep an eye on airline promotions, compare prices of all airlines on Skyscanner, tailor your holiday to dates with the lowest ticket prices.

How much do tours cost? The cheapest tours to the Maldives in 2019 that I found cost from 100 thousand rubles for two. But these are tours to local islands, tours to resorts cost from 150 thousand for a week of vacation. Last minute tours search on the services and - they will find the best offers among different tour operators. Want to save money? Explore our.

Clear azure water in the Maldives.

2. Choose an island where it’s cheap to vacation

There are three types of islands in the Maldives:

1. Resorts. These are island hotels, completely dedicated to the needs of tourists. Vacations are expensive.
2. Desert Islands. No one lives here, there are no buildings, often there is not even vegetation. You can come here on an excursion.
3. Local islands. The locals themselves live here, there are schools, banks, shops, a hospital, a cafe - in general, civilization. These are the islands we need!

So, for a cheap holiday in the Maldives, come to. They all differ from each other in size, distance from the capital and airport, and infrastructure development. The cheapest place to vacation is on the islands that are located near the capital, because they can be reached inexpensively and easily. But there will be a lot of tourists there. If you want the most secluded holiday, choose distant islands.

Beach on the island of Ukulas. All tourist beaches on the local islands have sun loungers. Each hotel has its own, but there are so many sun loungers that you can choose any - no one will turn you away.

I vacationed on three islands: Thoddhoo, Rasdhoo, Ukulas.

Todd. Cool, nice island! Russians love it very much - 90% of all vacationers are here, so we dubbed the island “Maldivian Anapa”. Thoddu is a fruit plantation that feeds the entire country. You can get to the island by ferry for about $10 (4-6 hours) or by speedboat for $35 (1.5 hours). Hotels cost from $50 per night, there are many of them. There are cafes, shops, a bank. The island has two excellent tourist beaches, both are clean and pleasant, and you can snorkel right off the shore. I recommend!

Rasdu. So-so place: the tourist beach is mediocre, outside there is a lot of garbage, a lot of broken glass. There is a waste incineration plant right next to the beach: the smell and noise will not give you a pleasant rest. Only diving enthusiasts or those wishing to visit the uninhabited Madivaru Islands, which are just one km from Rasdhoo, should come here. I don't recommend it for a beach holiday.

Ukulas. A pleasant island with a huge wide bikini beach. There are shops, cafes, and many guest houses. Good snorkeling right off the shore, I saw a shark - great! Hotels start from $37. Ferries run rarely, only 2-3 times a week. A speedboat to the airport costs $50, I bargained for $40 (the journey takes 1.5 hours). I recommend!

Thoddoo Island is one big farm where fruits and vegetables are grown. There is a lot of greenery around and walking around the island is pleasant. The photo shows plantations and a new tourist beach.
Ukulas Island is much smaller than Thoddu, but the beach is very long and wide.

Available in the Maldives and other local islands where you can have a cheap holiday. I wasn’t there, but I found out everything during preparation. There are dozens of local islands, I’ll tell you about the popular ones.

Maafushi. The most famous and popular island for a budget holiday. Easy to reach from the airport, a lot of hotels and other tourist infrastructure. But there are also very, very many vacationers. Another drawback is that new hotels are being built everywhere. However, the beach and snorkeling on the island are praised. At first I included Maafushi in the trip program, but then decided not to go. If crowds don’t bother you and you want the most developed infrastructure, come. Hotels - from $45.

Hulhumale. The most convenient island in terms of accessibility. The only island where you don’t need to sail, but can be reached directly from the airport by bus. Some of the most inexpensive hotels in the Maldives are here - from $44. Disadvantage - there is no bikini beach, that is, you can only swim in clothes.

Guraidhoo. Inexpensive hotels (from $37), convenient to get from Male. The bikini beach is located on a nearby island, which you need to walk across a bridge to reach - however, this is not a problem. The problem is different - the beach is not suitable for swimming due to dead corals and shallow water.

Himmafushi. Hotels are inexpensive, but officially there is still no bikini beach. The island is more suitable for surfers; there are spots for divers.

conclusions. There are many islands for a budget holiday in the Maldives. Choose an island based on your interests: beach holidays, active holidays, snorkeling, diving. The closer the island is to the capital, the cheaper and easier it will be to get there. The more guest houses on the island, the higher the competition between them and the lower the prices. But there are many tourists on such islands.

Bikini Beach on Maafushi Island - the most popular island for a budget holiday in the Maldives. Photo © Scalino / flickr.com.

3. Looking for inexpensive hotels

All prices in the examples are for double rooms per night.

The average price of staying at a resort in the Maldives is $300-1000. Expensive? Certainly! Guest houses on local islands are 10 times cheaper. Let me remind you that the sea, sand and fish will be the same everywhere - no matter how much you paid for the hotel.

Powdery sand on the beach of Ukulas Island.

Verified budget hotels, in which we vacationed in the Maldives (all had a rating above 9 points):

. .
• Ukulas Island: .

Cheap hotels on popular islands:

• Maafushi: Island Cottage for 45$ per day
• Vashafaru: Vashafaru Inn for 30$ per day

Big (old) bikini beach on Thoddoo.

4. Food prices in the Maldives in 2019

So, friends, we come to the most pressing issue - catering. Food is a real problem in the Maldives! I have never met a worse country in terms of food. Food prices are high, the food is cooked very poorly, and the choice of establishments is meager.

I haven’t read so many reviews about food in the Maldives! What drama, what emotions! Some tourists even firmly decided that next time they will fly to the Maldives with a suitcase of food.

At resorts everything is simple: you pay a hundred or two greenbacks and get decent lunches or dinners. On local islands, a budget traveler will have to work a little to find an establishment where the food is decent and the food prices are not too high.

Even pizza can’t save you in the Maldives! The filling is delicious, but the dough...

My tips on how to holiday in the Maldives cheaply and not get a stomach ulcer:

1. Take a hotel with breakfast- they are almost always good and filling. I especially loved the traditional local breakfast of shredded tuna and coconut with flatbread. This is the best thing I ate on these paradise islands. I recommend! If you don’t like it, then any hotel offers continental breakfasts. Some tourists said that such hearty breakfasts easily last until dinner, so there is no need for lunch. We didn't have enough, but I'm still happy.
2. Buy fruit - papaya and bananas. There is not an abundance of fruits here; almost all of them are imported. But local papaya, as in Sri Lanka, is especially tasty, better than in Thailand, Vietnam or Indonesia.
3. Eat at the hotel. Read reviews of lunch and dinner at your guest house. If people praise you, feel free to eat at the hotel and don’t even look for any other cafes - it’s cheaper, tastier and more convenient, because food can be ordered at a certain hour.
4. Choose for relaxation popular islands- there is a larger choice of cafes, and due to competition, food prices are lower.
5. Read also our reviews of proven cafes on the islands of Thoddoo and Ukulas.

In general, don’t count on a belly-feast as part of a budget holiday in the Maldives: the prices for food here are the same as in Europe, but the taste and quality are like in a seedy Soviet factory canteen during the stagnation era. You will have to eat modestly; you will not taste interesting exotic dishes. However, this will not be a problem if you successfully choose a restaurant or guesthouse with meals.

Traditional Maldivian breakfast, hearty and delicious!

Prices in the Maldives for food in cafes in 2019:

• Juices - $2.
• Milkshakes - $3-4.
• Rice/noodles – $4-10.
• Curry – 5-10$
• Salads – $4-9.
• Soups – $4-6.
• Lobster – $30-60 (depending on size).
• Fried shrimp - $10.
• Grilled seafood plate - $50.
• Fruit plate - $6.
• Ice cream - $3.

Our dinner at the guesthouse looked like this: grilled tuna and reef fish, rice, vegetables and a drink - $20 for two.

On each local island there are supermarkets where you can buy fruits, drinks, cookies, snacks, chocolate, canned food, pasta, rice and other products.

Prices in the Maldives for food in stores - 2019:

• instant noodles - $1;
• milk - about $2;
• loaf of bread - about $1.5;
• jam - $1;
• eggs (10 pcs) - $2;
• cheese (1 kg) - up to $5-10;
• drinking water (1.5 l) - $1 (but almost all hotels provide water for free);
• bananas (kg) - 3$
• apples (kg) - $4;
• oranges (kg) - about $4;
• potatoes (kg) - about $1.5.

Coconuts in the Maldives are very expensive - $3-5 per piece. You can't find it everywhere.

On Maldivian beaches you can often find swings and hammocks, and sunbeds are always available for free.

5. Save on entertainment

Entertainment and excursions in the Maldives are expensive. Even on local islands they cost $30-100 per person, however, at resorts the prices for the same excursions are several times higher.

There are few excursions and entertainment here. For us, almost all of them seemed uninteresting, because we love more active and educational programs. The only interesting thing is diving, but snorkeling was enough for us for the first time.

Here are the prices for excursions and entertainment on Ukulas Island in 2019:

• Swimming with manta rays – $150 for two for 90 minutes.
• Romantic dinner on the beach – $70.
• Fishing for big fish (Big Game) - $75 per hour.
• Regular fishing – $50.
• Snorkeling – $70.
• Diving - $70.
• Water skiing – $25 for 15 minutes.
• Trip to Picnic Island – $90.
• Canoe rental - $15 per hour for two.
• Windsurfing – $20 per hour, training – $45.
• Jet ski – $35 for 15 minutes, 1 hour – $100.
• Banana ride – $15 for 15 minutes.
• Trip to the sandbank - $150 for 90 minutes for two.

Prices are slightly lower on Maafushi and Thoddou.

In the Maldives, always bargain! You can easily knock 20% off the cost of the excursion, hotel and transfer.

We didn't spend anything on the excursion. Considering that this was my first experience of snorkeling, and I visited four different beaches on three islands, these impressions were more than enough for me. Over the course of several days, I saw dozens of tropical fish of various colors and shapes, corals, swam with a turtle and a shark, and filmed manta rays off the coast with a drone. And all this right on the house reef right off the coast. We don’t know how to dive, and fishing, banana boat rides and jet skis are not interesting to us.

How to get to a desert island cheaply. Instead of buying an excursion, find a fisherman - they will charge 2-3 times less for a round trip. We were planning to sail for a couple of hours to the uninhabited islands of Madivaru from Rasdu. I met a local cop, whose father is a fisherman, and I discussed such a scheme with him. But I didn’t agree with him on anything specific then, I just inquired. In the morning, we decided to go to the island, but we couldn’t find a fisherman - the Maldivians are lazy, at 6 am everyone was asleep, and then it was too late for us. So agree on everything in advance, repeat ten times and take the phone number - then everything will work out.

Beautiful Malagasy night shark! I was lucky enough to meet one on the island of Ukulas and admired it while hunting. Photo: fishx6/commons.wikimedia.org.
Uninhabited Madivaru Islands 1 km from Rasdhoo. You can come here on an excursion. From one island to another you can walk directly along the ocean (500 meters). We didn't get to the island, but I flew there on a drone.
Right next to the island is a blue lagoon of amazing beauty. Great place for snorkeling.

6. How to save on transport

The main transport in the Maldives is water. Taxis are only available in Male and Hulhumale, and they are surprisingly cheap - $1-2 per trip.

There are two types of water transport.

State ferries. The cost of a ticket depends on the distance: from $0.7 to $10. All you need is to know the schedule (see) and adapt to it. But it changes frequently, and ferries are sometimes canceled due to bad weather. Ferries go to some islands every day, to others several times a week. The further the island is from the capital, the more difficult it is to get to it by ferry. There are almost no ferries between the provincial islands; you need to change trains in the capital. Ferries do not operate on Fridays.

Speedboat, speedboat. Most tourists use them: you can get to the island 3-4 times faster, and private boats operate more often than ferries. One way trip cost: $25 - to Maafushi, $35 - to Thoddu, $40-50 - to Ukulas. The further away the island, the more expensive it is. Bargain! For example, we reduced the price of a boat from Ukulas to the airport by $20 for two. Attention: if the sea is rough, almost everyone on the boat gets seasick. You can negotiate a speedboat with the owner of your guest house.

You can get to Thoddoo Island on a special ship - (read my report at the link). Convenient for those who arrive late in the evening and do not want to spend the night in the capital. Save both time and money on your hotel stay.

How to save money. For a holiday in the Maldives, choose islands close to the capital and get to them by cheap ferry. A trip on a speedboat costs the same as 1-2 nights in a hotel, which is unreasonably expensive. The main thing is that when purchasing air tickets, adjust to the schedule of ferries to the island you need, so as not to lose a day or even more in the capital. Be sure to check the schedule with the hotel owner - it changes frequently.

Ferry transfer from the airport in Male it costs 10 rufiyaa ($0.7), travel time is 10 minutes. Communication between the capital and the airport is regular and daily, donoi run every 15 minutes during the day, and every half hour at night.

Ferry to Maafushi. Dispatched from Villingili Ferry Terminal in Male. You can get there from the ferry pier, where the boat from the airport arrives, on foot (30 minutes - 1 hour) or by taxi. The ferry to Maafushi from Male costs 30 rufiyaa ($2), the ferry runs once a day - at 15:00. There is also an additional flight on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 am. The ferry back to Male leaves at 7:30 am every day except Friday. Arrive early to secure a seat.

Quiet hour on the local ferry - the locals are sleeping, and we are photographing them and the ocean.
During our holiday in the Maldives, there was unique and even, as the locals put it, extreme weather. There was absolute calm for more than a week. The Indian Ocean was completely calm, like a lake on a windless day.

7. How to change money profitably

It is best to go to the Maldives with a wad of beautiful new dollars - this is the favorite currency of the locals, even more beloved than their own. Local rufiyaa, of course, is in use, but hoteliers and excursion sellers prefer to make payments in dollars. The rufiyaa exchange rate is pegged to the dollar and does not change.

Withdrawing money from ATMs in the Maldives is not profitable - the commission is $7-10 for any amount. You can only withdraw in rufiyaa. This is a bad idea not only because of the commission: if you have any rufiyaa left, you will not be able to exchange it for dollars before departure (more on this below).

Exchange only $20-50 upon arrival for ferries and snacks. The exchange rate at the airport is not very favorable - 15 rufiyaa per dollar. During your vacation, change money at the guest house, in shops or cafes. Look for a place with a rate of 15.42. Change small amounts so that you don't have any rufiyaa left at the end of your holiday. The problem is that no bank will exchange rufiyaa for dollars if you do not have a receipt indicating that you previously bought rufiyaa from that bank. This is such idiocy! I planned all my expenses well, and I only had a few rufiyaa bills left in my hands for my collection. Do the same.

Sunset in the Maldives.

You can try to organize an independent trip and thereby save a certain amount, but you definitely won’t be able to relax as cheaply as in Turkey or Bulgaria. The whole reason is the long and expensive flight. A direct flight lasts approximately 10-12 hours and there is a direct flight to the capital of the Maldives from Moscow. But a direct flight is not the best option for a budget tourist. To save on a flight, you need to review the offers of dozens of airlines (mostly Asian and Arab) and perhaps in this way you will be able to find a good option. Experienced tourists advise choosing options with one or even two transfers. The cost is also affected by the waiting time for the flight (connection). There are good options for air travel to the Maldives from Sri Lanka. In any case, you need to spend more than one hour, and perhaps more than one day. At the same time as choosing a flight, you need to select a hotel so that the dates coincide, and this is sometimes very difficult to do.

The Maldives includes about 1200 islands, but only a number of them are very popular among tourists and that is why prices on those islands are simply off the charts. There are islands that are predominantly inhabited by local residents, who have recently begun to ask questions about the development of the tourism business. And it is on such unpromoted islands that you need to look for housing. In this case, we can talk about significant savings.

After tourists arrive at the airport of the capital of the Maldives, Male, the first question that arises is how to get to the desired island. Under no circumstances use the services of the so-called “water taxi”, for which you will have to pay a lot of money (100-200 or more dollars). Local residents do not use such transport and travel by ferries. It may be much slower, but the fare does not exceed 2 dollars. Tourists can also travel on these ferries without any problems. If for some reason the ferry does not suit you or you are late for it, then you can negotiate with private owners for 30-50 dollars.

There is no point in going during the high season, since at such a time you can only dream of saving money, but during the rainy season from May to October you can not only have a good rest, but also save a lot. Rain alternates with sunny days, so you won’t have to sit in your room the entire holiday.

Prices for souvenirs, food and even ordinary drinking water are high only in popular, well-promoted resorts, but on other islands they are quite affordable even for an ordinary tourist. Since the Maldives is a Muslim country, a budget tourist can only dream of alcohol. The fact is that it is prohibited in the country, and importing it is also prohibited. Alcohol can only be found in a few luxury hotels, but its price there is exorbitant.

If the price of a souvenir is steep, you can try to bargain. This, although not always, helps. You will have to refuse excursions (especially sea excursions), as their prices are too high. The only thing you can try is to negotiate with some local residents, but they themselves are well versed in prices and how much you can earn from a tourist.

Whatever one may say, when people talk about the Maldives, they immediately mean a resort where only rich people relax, but in fact, if you try hard, you can relax for relatively little money.

Everyone dreams of vacationing in the Maldives. But many people don’t even imagine how inexpensive it is to spend a vacation in paradise.

How to travel to the Maldives cheaply.

Let's start with the fact that "cheap" is a relative concept. Yet the Maldives archipelago is located on the other side of the earth. And you still have to fly there. And not on a charter cattle carrier, but on a flight from the best airlines in the world. So the ticket does not cost 5 rubles. And this very flight is always included in the package, and you can’t do without it on an independent trip.

You can get inexpensive tickets. To do this, just follow what I publish. I keep track of them for myself.

Or subscribe to the abnormal prices bot

But, if you do not have at least $1000 per person, then it is better to consider another vacation destination. However, what is 60 thousand rubles for a summer vacation? The only thing cheaper is “at Baba Nyura’s” in a barn in Crimea. With amenities in the yard.

Moreover, almost half of this amount, approximately 25-30 thousand rubles, is the cost of air tickets. Therefore, the longer you travel, the cheaper your vacation costs per day.

Cheap tours to the Maldives

To be honest, this is closer to the category of science fiction. I have already written about that. But miracles sometimes happen, though only in individual hotels, where tour operators buy large blocks of places in advance. In such as

Sometimes others are added to them, but I definitely write about it.

In most cases, a budget trip to the Maldives is

Solo travel

You can find step-by-step instructions for planning an independent trip.

Everything is clear with tickets. Cheap air tickets to the Maldives can only be bought in advance by catching a sale. The closer to departure, the less chance there is.

The next step is choosing an island.

Which island to choose

You can immediately draw a circle with a radius of 100 km around. The atolls that are inside this circle can be reached quite inexpensively, and a transfer costs around $50.

Believe me, a budget holiday in the Maldives is wonderful!

Snow-white sand, gentle, warm waters of the Indian Ocean, tropical sun are the same both at the resorts and on the local islands. The main thing is to carefully choose an island for your vacation.