I'm a teacher. And not even a real one with a decent salary. So how in the WORLD could I EVER afford to go the Maldives?
I'm a pretty resourceful traveler, so pulling this trip off was a pretty good accomplishment. To be upfront- no, I did not stay in one of those over-the-water bungalows. As much as I was dying to charge one of those $500 a night (minimum) babies on my card, I couldn't do it.
If there is one thing I know to be true about travel, it's that getting to the destination always takes longer than you think it will. Doing some research on these dream resorts, you'll learn the only way to get there is either by boat (duh) or seaplane, and the thought of spending SO much money for one night and realizing I would probably be a) spending a buttload more to get there and b) I would probably be in transport way longer than the time I would have time to actually enjoy the stay, I made the financially wiser choice not to let my FOMO get in the way.
As soon as you walk outside the airport of the Maldives, you see water. There are probably more boats than vehicles waiting for arrivals, and for good reason- most of the travelers will jet off to their island resort. But if you arrive late at night, you'll probably have to stay on the island connected to the airport- Hulhumale Island.
For most, Hulhumale Island is a one night stop- either on the way in or way out because of its accessibility to the airport. But guess what? If you choose to stay in a hotel here for your whole vacation, you might be able to actually afford the Maldives on a budget! I got this idea from a pair of bloggers that I met while living in Korea (their original post with lots of great tips is here: http://barileetraveling.com/maldives-on-a-flashpackers-budget/).
While it might not be a tiny private island, the come and go nature of other tourists actually makes it extremely peaceful. I got to enjoy almost empty beaches to myself. The Maldives are a conservative little group of Islands, so unless you're at a private resort, women cannot wear bikinis or even just regular one-piece suits. If you swim at a public beach, you have to be covered- like t-shirt and sarong covered. Luckily where I stayed, the H78 hotel, there was a tourist beach nearby, complete with wooden fence to separate from local beaches, and you can wear regular swimwear. While I was there for my summer vacation, I saw maybe three other people on the beach!
And the best part- I paid about sixty dollars a night for a beach front room with a balcony! In the Maldives! (Here's a link to the hotel:http://www.hotel78maldives.com/ but I always book through Agoda.com)
Even if you're traveling on a dime, you can still get a taste of the glamorous life. How? A resort excursion! You can easily find excursions in Hulhumale Island at different hotels or shops, and I chose to book a day at the Adaaran Prestige Vadoo through my hotel.
From the airport dock, we took a boat to a small island. You could walk around the whole thing in maybe about ten minutes or so . We had access to the pool, beaches, could walk along piers, and were served a pretty decent lunch and later a relaxing tea and dessert. If I had the money, I would stay here in a heartbeat, but it was so nice to get a taste of luxury even for one day.
The whole day cost about $150, so I justified this by spending my other days relaxing back on Hulhumale Island. I took long walks around the island, took one of the free hotel bikes for a sunset ride to the marina, and relaxed on my nearly private beach for the rest of the time. For food, I mostly ate ate the hotel cafe, as I was feeling lazy in my state of relaxation, but was always happy with my order, and had the chance to eat on the beach if I wanted.
Are the Maldives on a budget worth it?
YEs. Go. ASAP.
I also cut costs by having a long layover in Kuala Lumpur- and while some may consider that a downside, I used it as an opportunity to explore a new city! If you're traveling around Asia, visiting the Maldives may be a more realistic destination than you though. Just get creative with your travel planning!
Are the Maldives on your bucket list?
-Jessie
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