Can I visit Maldives on a budget?

Apr 18, 2023

Hey guys!!

How are you doing? It’s been a while. I miss writing to you guys as well. I have gotten loads of requests about traveling to Maldives on a budget. My darling, there is no way to travel to Maldives that’s budget friendly except you are visiting as Mammy Water.

I got Alma Asinobi, a travel influencer and blogger to share her Maldives experience with us. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Location

Maldives

Anybody who asks you how to visit The Maldives “on a budget”, please run, they are after your life. Maldives is a pretty pricey destination, and in a few minutes, I’d explain why.

I’m usually looking for destinations that help me stretch my money and get the most out of it, but in January 2023 I decided to splurge on this trip because my partner and I hit a milestone which I thought was worth celebrating. So, the details I would be sharing in the following paragraphs would be based on a two-person trip.

Let’s get right into it…

Recall how I mentioned that I like to stretch my budget when I travel? One of the ways I do that is to pair countries. This basically means that I intentionally choose countries based on how close they are to other ones I would like to visit so I get the most out of my flight tickets - e.g: Senegal and Gambia, Egypt and Jordan, etc.

This time, I paired India and Maldives.

After I spent a week solo tripping in India, I flew to Maldives for a much needed downtime with my partner. If you’re looking to take a similar trip, here are the details to help you plan it:

Flights

This trip to Maldives was a surprise gift, and I booked my partner’s ticket from Lagos a week before departure, so it was pretty expensive and could have cost about half the price if I booked earlier. The cost of the return ticket was 1.1 million naira from Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, on Qatar Airways. I flew from Indira Ghandi Airport, Delhi on Indigo (a budget airline) for $334 USD. The airport to fly into is Velena International Airport, on the capital island of Male.

Immigration and Entry Requirements

Maldives is visa-free for Nigerians and you can simply book a ticket and be on your way. All you need is fill out this declaration form, have a return ticket, hotel booking and yellow fever card if you’re coming from Nigeria and some other countries in Africa. Immigration is pretty smooth and easy.

Currency

USD is widely accepted across the country, but it’s nice to have the local currency - Maldivian Rufiyaa. At this time, $1 USD = 15 Maldivian Rufiyaa. Don’t change money at the airport because the rates are not so good. You can change money at any of the local exchange shops in town.

Transfers

The Maldives has over a thousand islands, 200 of which are inhabited and 164 being tourist resorts. These resorts are responsible for getting their guests (you) to their islands, and they do this mostly with seaplanes on Trans-Maldivian Airways and/or speedboats. The hotel arranges all of these transfers before you arrive, so you don’t have to do anything else after payment. The cost of this seaplane is compulsory and it is specified in fine print on the hotel’s website, so take an extra look before you book.

Transfers start at $100 USD for speedboats and start at about $350 USD for seaplanes. These prices go all the way up depending on the distance from the airport. My hotel was in Huruvalhi, Raa Atoll, and the seaplane cost $600 per person for a return ticket. Please keep in mind that sea planes don’t leave after 3 p.m., so book a flight that arrives Maldives in the morning. If not, you may have to spend a night in Male and then go to your resort the next day. Also ensure that your departing flight after your trip leaves earliest by 12 noon, so you have enough time for the sea plane trip to the airport before you fly back home.

Hotel

I spent 5 nights in the Maldives, 3 on the tourist island of Huruvalhi and 2 in Male - the capital. I booked a lagoon overwater villa at The Standard Maldives on booking.com and it cost $647 USD (taxes included) per night for 2 people - bed and breakfast only. During our stay, we paid for lunch or dinner separately whenever we wanted to eat and I found it to be a cheaper alternative to booking a half-board plan. Food cost about $70 USD for 2 per meal at any of the 3 restaurants on the property. The second hotel I stayed at was Unima Grand Hotel in Male two days before I left Maldives. It was nothing fancy, and it cost $122 USD per night.

Activities

One thing you should keep in mind when visiting the Maldives and choosing a hotel is that the logistics for moving from one tourist island to another can be super expensive and almost near impossible. I’d advise that you book a hotel that has everything you want to do so you don’t have to leave for anything.

During our stay, we booked a spa session for $180 USD per person on our second day, and honestly, I regret it. We could have spent that amount on water activities and more fun stuff, but yeah. Speaking of water activities, the only one we did was kayaking on a glass bottom kayak for 30 minutes and it cost $50 USD. We spent most of the time relaxing by the beach, eating or swimming in our private infinity pool overlooking the ocean. It was so beautiful!

Getting around the local islands

If you have to spend a night or two in Male, you can go around by taxi. The streets are super narrow, so many of the locals own motorbikes and use it as their major mode of transportation. The cost of a taxi from the airport to my hotel in Male cost about $7 USD, and it cost me about $15 for a taxi from Male to Hulhulmale where I went to get a transit visa from the Indian embassy since I had to return to India, before going back home.

Tips for visiting Maldives on a tight budget

I know I said it’s pretty tough to do Maldives on a budget, but here are a few tips to help you stretch your budget:

Book hotels that are close to the main island of Male: This way, you may not need a seaplane (only a speedboat) so you can save almost $1,000 USD for 2 people. You can also ditch the tourist islands and all the fancy stuff, and just book regular hotels on any of the local islands - Maafushi, Hulhulmale, etc., so you’re just a $20 taxi away from your hotel when you arrive.
Book resorts and hotels that have package deals including free transfers and promos during holidays.
Visit during low season: hotels and activities are less expensive during May to November because it’s technically rainy season and not a lot of people visit around this time. I’ve heard of a number of people who visited during this time and didn’t experience rain, so feel free to consider it if you’re feeling lucky.
Look for the best all-inclusive package deals and make sure you make the most of it if you choose to get one. Find one that includes food, drinks, activities and actually use everything up.

Alma shares amazing travel content and plans exciting group trips as well. You can reach out to her via her Instagram or Twitter page.

I hope we have been able to convince and not confuse you that Maldives cannot be done on a budget. Is Maldives still on your bucket list or have you thrown away the entire bucket? There are other islands you can visit in Africa, that is not as expensive as Maldives. Eg Mauritius.

Until next week

Love

Muna