Five tips for those who wish to travel to Maldives on a budget

Maldives, with all its captivating photos online of white sandy beaches, atolls out of nowhere, endless emerald waters and bungalows in the middle of the sea, it’s easily  one of the most irresistible places to visit.

I remember watching a documentary about this tiny nation with its capital city Male, just 1.5 hours away from Colombo airport in Sri Lanka. I sat in front of the TV learning, taking mental notes of all the adventure I could have. It was love at first sight.

For years, Maldives has been voted as one of the top honeymoon destinations for couples looking for a romantic getaway. But it comes with a price, a rather steep one at that.

Luckily, for all other types of travelers who are not looking to be married any time soon, or simply want to explore the archipelago independently or with BFFs, the Maldivian government changed its regulations allowing guesthouses to operate in local islands. This created more reasonable options and affordable choices for tourists. Hooray for stretching your hard-earned money!

As you book that flight to the land of the 26 atolls in time for your next holiday, keep in mind these 5 helpful tips to travel Maldives on a budget:

(1) Book EARLY.

Nothing beats getting the best deals online because you caught it early. Rings true when you’re looking for airfare and a place to stay.

Most travel websites offer all-in, bundled packages including taxes and some perks to boot (note: buffet breakfast, free 24 hour bike rental, free life jacket, fins and mask for snorkelling, roundtrip transfers, etc.)

This is going to matter a LOT when saving money for other things like tour packages, especially since almost everything that you would have to purchase on the island comes with an 8-10% service charge. Ouch!

As for a really nice, clean and relaxing home away from home, with a friendly and accommodating staff, I personally recommend Kaani Village just a few steps away from the dock, right next to tour operator centers, adventure stores, and dive shops.

When going guesthouse or hotel hunting, Maafushi is every budget traveller's best bet. Compared to its other counterparts Guraidhoo and Fulidhoo, Maafushi is the largest and the busiest of the 3 major local islands. It hosts the most number of modern and some boutique hotels, indoor and al fresca restos, floating bars, which is basically the Maldivian version of night life on a yacht.

The cherry on top is the spectacular Bikini Beach, an enclosed area exclusively for when you want to go summer struttin' in your favorite swimwear and still be sensitive to the sensibilities of the locals who are strictly Muslim. Remember to cover up appropriately. 

(2) Go for cheap means of transport. 

As a tourist, I enjoy the occasional convenience of getting to wherever fast, fast, fast because time is of the essence. I like to squeeze in as many things as I can manage in 24 hours.

But as a budget traveler, I prefer the local means of transport because it's inexpensive, helps me get an insight of the day-to-day life in this side of the world, and I gain perspective as I go along, albeit the wait and the long(er) journey.

Male airport is practically a hub of air, land and sea transportation and if you check the schedule online, you will know that there are ferries that go back and forth 3-4 times daily to Maafushi and costs only $2-4 one way per person.

Despite infrequent, you will be thankful having synched your arrival at the airport with the ferry schedule since speedboat rental as an option is rather ridiculously pricey at $25 one way per person when sharing with 6-7 other hotel guests or $200-$250 for an entire small boat.

Do your research, inquire with the resorts for free transfers and be proud of yourself that you saved some dough. 

(3) Book "day packages", NOT overnights. 

Maldives won't be without those fabulous over-the-water bungalows we see online that we all yearn to stay the night in. It's like going to Singapore and totally missing the Merlion if we don't, right? WRONG.

Every single one of those 5 star resorts that sit on its own, exclusive atoll have their stylized version of the bungalows. One can be far more expensive that the other depending on size, and amenities.

A classic example is the Olhuveli which I asked about as soon we got to our hotel. Online, it goes for a discounted price $385/night from the regular rate of $600. What a steal!...said not one budget-conscious traveler. 

Fortunately, locals devised a work-around, found a way to promote these resorts and bring in more but in bite-size business. It's called an excursion or a daytrip package.

To avail, simply visit a friendly tour operator, usually one recommended by your hotel for a guest discount, and choose from a variety of offerings. It ranges from island-hopping, snorkelling, dolphin/whale sighting, fishing, shark-feeding, or all-day adventure.

Almost every single one of these options comes with a buffet lunch and unlimited alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks at a five star resort from 8am until 7pm.

You can freely roam around the atoll and bask in the sun, just make sure you keep your wristband worn at all times. Go trigger-happy with all sorts of cameras you have on you (I had my iPhone 6 Plus, GoPro Hero 3+, and Canon G15). No judgement, because literally wherever you point and shoot, it’s just absolute perfection.

As the sun sets, tourists will have to make their way back to their respective hotels in Maafushi island. To go back to how important the wristband is, it makes for proper identification as there will be several tour operators shuttling in guests from other villas and picking them up on a speed boat at a designated time.

The package will set you back between $25-100 per person depending on the activities but personally, I think this is the most value I got for my money. I was one satisfied customer that I did 3 back-to-back-to-back daytrips and was soon a recipient of the most gorgeous Maldivian tan. 

(4) Free buffet breakfast? Eat like a champ!

The reason I highly recommend having a big breakfast is because you could use all the carbs you can get your hands on to seize a regular day in Maldives. And by regular I mean a lot of sun, sand and sea. That can be both fun and exhausting.

You can work up a monster appetite before you know it. But if you go big in the morning, you might opt to skip lunch and just have an early dinner. That's what worked for me during my stay in Maldives and I also made it a point to have a bottle of water on me (compliments of the hotel), biscuits, bananas, boiled eggs and some chocolates (yes, I pack my own food to save a few bucks).

As for dinner, I didn't mind going down the stretch of the beach to survey several restos, comparing menus, before finally ordering what I thought was a perfect meal to try. Did so for the entirety of my stay. It was like a russian roulette of dinners. Fun! 

(5) If you are a licensed scuba diver, go for numbers. 

Maldives boasts of the world's most incredible dive sites and sightings. One thing I promised myself was to not leave the island without a shark encounter in the wild. Boy, did I get what I asked for and more.

It was exhilirating. My only regret was I did only 2 dives when I should've done more, especially when you get a discounted rate booking 5-6 dives plus a free use of a torch, and an underwater camera if you don't have one yet.

Every professional diver knows most dive shops would charge a fee for items rented so that alone is already a good deal. Free stuff is always welcome.

If you are going to Maldives with a big chunk of your holiday dedicated to diving, I suggest you do it in the beginning of your trip and not risk having decompression sickness. That was another consideration I had to take having done my 2 dives a little over a day before my flight back to Qatar.

As rule of thumb, don't dive within at least 18 hours before your flight or face the possibility of going straight into the decompression chamber as soon as you land. 

Have a wonderful Maldivian holiday! Safe travels :) 

As a parting request, please help preserve the ocean by buying and using only the kind of sunscreen that DOES NOT promote coral bleaching. Check the labels and save our beautiful underwater paradise for generations to come.