You think the Maldives is too expensive to visit? Think again… (part I)

The Maldivian paradise is an unfulfilled dream to most of us. Apparently because of the fancy resorts that cost much more than a budget traveler can afford. However, during the recent years this tiny country of 1190 tropical islands has been more affordable, as lots of local hotels and inns have been running in competitive prices. Therefore, the traveler who wants to visit one of the countless exotic islands of the Maldivian complex can combine the picturesque beaches with the everyday life of the locals without paying a fortune. For all those reasons I -together with a friend- decided to visit the jewels of the Indian Ocean for 6 days, trying to spend the least we could, but still enjoying ourselves to the fullest. I really hate maths, but let’s talk about numbers for a while…..and let’s see if the Maldives is actually a budget friendly destination or not…

Choosing accommodation is very difficult. If someone can afford the expensive resorts has to choose between hundreds of them. On the other hand, it is also difficult for someone to pick over dozens of small hotels in a local island. I decided to stay in Maafushi in the south Malé atoll, close to the capital and airport. The truth is that I wanted a nearby, cheap and easily accessible island, as we would stay only for 6 days. There are 2 other local islands around, Guhli & Guraidhoo. After a lot of research I rejected both of them: the first one because it has fewer and more expensive options for accommodation than Maafushi, and the second one because the beaches are not that good, as per other bloggers.

Arriving at the Maldives

Regarding the flight: I am not going to suggest anything here, as the airline and the route is someone’s own decision. We used Turkish Airlines, flying from Munich-Istanbul and then to Malé, the capital of the country (7.50hrs. ticket price 750€/person, quite expensive as we booked last minute and during the Easter holidays).

The flight was very interesting; we flew over Abu Dhabi, Dubai & Oman with unlimited views to the Arabic peninsula. However, the best view comes over the Maldivian atolls! If the sky is clear, you can even make out the over-water bungalows of the fancy resorts in each atoll’s lagoon. The airport is built on a small island and apart from the classic aircrafts, there are also seaplanes to transfer visitors to the remote islands. The entrance to the country is very easy for Greeks. Entering the main hall, you have to fill in the arrival card, give it to the police personnel, receive the stamp visa on your passport and the left part of the arrival card (which you must save for your departure) and proceed to the baggage claim (please check out the official page for other nationalities). At the exit, the resorts’ stuff awaits at their desks to transfer their clients with a private boat or a seaplane.

The visitors of the two local islands (Guhli & Maafushi) have only two transfer options:

1) The local ferry: departs every 10’ from the domestic terminal to Malé, fare about 1$/person and takes 10’. There’s also a speedboat, for 2$/person and takes 4’. When arriving at Malé port, you have to take a taxi to Vilingili ferry terminal at the south port, jetty1 to Maafushi (for 25MVR – 1.50€, takes about 10’). From there, you take the local ferry for 22MVR- 1.30€ which takes about 1,45hrs. The timetable is valid for every day except Friday, the official bank holiday of the country.

2) The fast speedboat Icomtours for 25$/person which takes about 30min. to Maafushi.

We used the fast speedboat to catch the daylight, as the sun sets at 18.00hrs.

Welcome to Maafushi island

The views from the speedboat were amazing as we were passing by those private islands with the fancy over water bungalows. Arriving at Maafushi port, the stuff of our small hotel was waiting for us to carry our luggage. I was pretty sure I hadn’t contacted anyone, but it seems that the guys from the ICOM Tours had already called our hotel. We walked to the other side of the island where our small hotel was located. As I have already mentioned, the decision was very difficult. There are numerous small hotels and inns within the island at about 50-60€/double. I chose the Isle Beach Inn, No.1 BB on Tripadvisor, for the amazing offer of 30€/double with breakfast! Whatever your selection is, bear in mind that there is an extra tax fee for 3$/person/stay paid on the spot.  

The small hotel owned by locals is actually a complex of basic rooms with private bathroom and fridge, on the ground floor, with a reception, a breakfast area and a small yard with tables and hammocks. It is located at the northeast side of the island, close to the public beach. There is a small unpaved road in front of the yard, a small football area and the beach used mostly by locals. They serve traditional Maldivian or continental breakfast, as well as lunch/dinner á la carte. We were very satisfied with the location, cleanliness and the customer service. We were welcomed with a welcome drink (fresh tropical fruit juice) and Anas, the manager, gave us a map with directions and tips about food, beaches, day trips, etc. We opted for the traditional Maldivian breakfast, a mixture of tuna, grated coconut, onion and chili, served with fried eggs and their traditional bread-pie. They also served tea or coffee, fruit salad, fruit juice and water. The best way to start the day having a beautiful sea view and being barefoot, as there is nothing but sand under your feet.

The beaches

You don’t have much of a beach choice in Maafushi. Even though it is a tropical island, people can swim only in the north part. The rest of the beaches are either reefs or full of trash. So, only two of them are suitable for swimming. The first one is called Bikini beach, mostly for tourists, as it is the only place where women can wear a bathing suit. The Maldives is a Muslim country, so women have to be dressed in an appropriate way when walking around the islands or swimming. In each local island, there is a Bikini beach for tourists. In Maafushi, that beach is placed on the northwest part of the island. The water is crystal clear, calm and turquoise. The underwater landscape is indifferent, the sea is shallow and you have to walk a long distance to find the coral reef. The sand is fine and white and there are some palm trees on the beach. The con of this beach, as of the whole island, is the numerous construction sites, as there is an unfinished building at the back, soon to be a hotel. Honestly, I cannot understand why it is allowed to build such a high building at this small and beautiful beach that is going to spoil the landscape, but, this is just my personal opinion. This specific beach gets crowded around noon, as the tourists return from their day trips and stay there until the sunset. Can’t imagine how busy it is going to be during the peak season. There are chairs for rent there, for 5$ each, and there is also a small shop that sells food, fresh fruit salad, juices, etc. The Bikini beach expands to the area in front of the Arena hotel on the north side. From there on, you enter the public beach, meaning you have to wear clothes all the time.

This one is my favorite beach and covers the whole northeast part of the island. There are no chairs, no umbrellas, nothing there for a shadow but a big old boat on the sand. The beach is usually empty, you may meet some locals who come there at noon to enjoy swimming and have a picnic at the beach. Swimming in the north part of this beach is not safe, as there are strong currents, even in the shallow water. However, the east side is the best, having crystal clear turquoise waters and an interesting coral reef close to the shore. Here, you can swim together with the locals, with small colorful fish, small black-tip sharks, while during the night time dozens of small stingrays appear to feed. Local women always wear their everyday clothing and most of men as well, so I was wearing my bathing suit, a blouse and a sarong on top. We didn’t encounter any problem at all, the locals were very kind and some of them tried to help us taking pictures of the small sharks by feeding them. The place can be crowed sometimes as well, but the locals do not spend much time at the beach as tourists do. They swim, play with their kids, eat and leave, so you can enjoy this amazing beach by yourself!

to be continued… PART II