The Maldives Travel Guide
The Maldives is one of the most sought-after luxury destinations in the world, conjuring images of lavish resorts and jet-set honeymooners lounging in beachfront villas and swimming in sapphire waters. While the Maldives is home to all of those things and is known as a luxe destination for splashing out, it’s also possible to visit here without entirely breaking the bank.
Located in the Indian Ocean, this remote country of 1,192 islands and 26 coral atolls is bursting with world-class diving and snorkeling. There are a plethora of opportunities to explore outside the hotel resort bubble and take in the beautiful remoteness of this tropical paradise. Thanks to a greatly improved boat transfer system and the opening up of independent guesthouses, the Maldives is evolving into a (slightly more) budget-friendly vacation spot.
This travel guide to the Maldives can help you plan your trip, save money, and make the most of your time in this gorgeous tropical getaway!
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Top 5 Things to See and Do in Maldives
1. Explore Malé
The Maldivian capital, while small, has plenty of things to see and do. Seet the country’s 17th century mosque (Hukuru Miskiiy) and get a historical overview of the country at the National Museum. Be sure to grab a coffee and watch the world go by in one of the charmingly chaotic cafes too.
2. Go diving
The Maldives is one of the best diving destinations in the world. See hammerheads in Rasdhoo Madivaru (aka Hammerhead Point) or free dive with whale sharks. There are also lots of mantas and sea turtles here too. Single-tank dives start at 775 MVR.
3. Relax on the beach
Outside the private resorts, Omadoo (on the South Ari Atoll) and Ukulhas Island (on the Alif Alif Atoll) are two of the best beaches in the country. Manadhoo is another great place too. Just make sure you’re on a designated ‘Bikini Beach’ (a beach specifically for westerners).
4. Enjoy the food
The seafood here is beyond delicious and incredibly fresh. Most of the restaurants in Malé offer outdoor dining areas. Some of the more popular places to go include The Seagull Café, Symphony, Royal Garden Café, and Irudhashu Hotaa (for quick meals).
5. Do some watersports
Banana boats (inflatable boats pulled behind a speedboat), parasailing, water skiing, jet skiing, snorkeling, and kayaking can all be found here. Prices range from 380 MVR for snorkeling to 2,000 MVR per person for tandem parasailing.
Other Things to See and Do in Maldives
1. Treat yourself to a spa day
Even when you’re on a modest budget, it’s wonderful to indulge in an extra dose of R&R. Expect to pay at least 1,000 MVR for a 30-minute massage. Some of the larger hotels offer discounts for early-morning/late evening bookings so inquire with your hotel, Airbnb host, or guesthouse to find out about deals.
2. Go fishing
Seafood is an integral part of Maldivian cuisine. Most hotels and guesthouses rent poles, bait, and provide a guide for around 775 MVR. Skipjack and yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi, bigeye scad, and mackerel scad are all commonly found here. If you’re an experienced angler, some of the best game fishing in the world can be done here. Expect to pay at least 3,000 MVR for a half-day shared charter.
3. Snorkel in the Baa Atoll
The Baa Atoll is a 1,200-square-kilometer (463-square-mile) UNESCO Biosphere Reserve brimming with manta rays and whale sharks. On a clear day, you can see them swarming below the surface. It’s only a five-minute boat ride from Dharavandhoo Island but visiting the area is strictly regulated and there is an 80 person capacity so as not to disrupt the precious ecosystem. Admission is around 550 MVR, which gives you 45 minutes in the water and a certified snorkel guide. Profits go towards the Baa Atoll Conservation Fund.
4. Tour the National Art Gallery
Established in 1999, there’s no permanent gallery here so be sure to check the website in advance as the space is left empty if there is no visiting exhibition on display. The temporary exhibitions at the gallery, which range from traditional paintings and local textiles to international modern artists, are well worth a visit.
5. Dive the Maldive Victory
In 1981, this 100-meter-long (328-foot) cargo ship hit a reef and sank. It’s now an incredible dive site for experienced divers. Resting between 15-31 meters (50-100 feet) below the surface, there are strong currents here that keep the tropical fish flowing through the shipwreck — but they also make it a challenging dive site. There are all kinds of coral, fish, and sponges here. It’s accessible all year around.
6. Visit the Malé Fish Market
Come here and catch a glimpse of Maldivians living out their daily routine in the commercial center of Malé. Select a fish (if you can muster your way through a purchase as most fishermen don’t speak English) and have it cooked at your guesthouse for dinner.
7. Wash up on a sandbank
These tiny mounds of sand in the middle of the Indian Ocean are the closest you can get to feeling like you’re on your own private island. Private trips can be arranged to any one of the hundred different banks dotted around the islands (many of which are attached to/affiliated with resorts). Tours usually last 2-3 hours and cost 900 MVR.
8. Skip Maafushi
Maafushi, once a sleepy little island, is now the victim of uncontrolled development. There are hotels going up left and right, boats making frequent trips to Malé to pick up tour groups, and an increasingly-crowded and overbuilt beach. The few restaurants on the island cater mostly to tourists and outside the area cleaned up for visitors, it’s one trash-covered dump. Skip it!
9. Do all the watersports
Diving and snorkeling to see the life under the water is what the Maldives are famous for but there’s plenty more to do. Most resorts have kayaks, paddleboards, and paddle boats that you can borrow for free. Others offer surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing packages for both beginners and experienced surfers (May-October is the best time for this). Then you’ve got things like banana boating, tubing, jet skiing, sailing, parasailing, and flyboarding which are all also often available.
10. Stay on a local island
Most people stay in the high-end resorts when they go to the Maldives but there’s so much more to the islands than this. Local islands give you the chance to get to know the Maldives as a country rather than just seeing a resort and a ton of biodiverse marine life. The local islands are where you can find guesthouse accommodation which is cheaper, and there is more variety in terms of tour operators, restaurants, and other things to do. Fulidhoo, Ukulhas, Rasdhoo, and Thinadhoo and some of the most popular choices. Generally speaking, the further away from the capital you get the more laid-back and quiet the islands are.
How to Stay Safe in Maldives
The Maldives is an incredibly safe destination for tourists. Keep an eye on your belongings in public areas in Malé, which is more prone to petty crime (although at a very low level). On the other islands, especially the resort-focused islands, it’s highly, highly unlikely anything is going to happen to you or your stuff. That said, it’s always a good idea to avoid leaving any valuables on the beach while you swim.
Solo female travelers should feel safe here, though the standard precautions apply (always keep an eye on your drink when out, never walk home alone at night, etc.)
With the exception of the 2004 tsunami, large-scale natural disasters are rare. However, climate change has led to an uptick in increased rainfall, storm surges, and minor coastal floods. Make sure you have travel insurance when you visit.
Respect the Muslim customs by adhering to dress codes, especially in the capital, where resort wear isn’t common. Do not drink alcohol outside your resort as fines are possible.
While scams here are rare, you can read about common travel scams to avoid here if you’re worried about getting ripped off.
If you experience an emergency, dial 119 for assistance.
Always trust your gut instinct. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID. Forward your itinerary along to loved ones so they’ll know where you are.
The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:
Where to Stay in Maldives
Hostels are virtually non-existent in the Maldives so people on a budget mostly stay in guesthouses and small hotels. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started and save money:
- Hanifaru Transit Inn (Dharavandhoo)
- Dream Inn (Thulusdhoo)
- Sands Exotic Hotel (Thulusdhoo)
Maldives Travel Costs
Accommodation
- Guesthouse private rooms – 625 MVR per night
- Resort rooms – 6,000-30,000 MVR per night
- Airbnb private rooms – 700-1,200 MVR per night
- Airbnb apartments – 1,500-6,000 MVR per night
Food
- Sit-down restaurants – 70-300 MVR
- Beer – 125 MVR
- Cappuccino/latte – 35 MVR
- Bottled water – 5 MVR
- Groceries for a week – 700 MVR
Maldives Suggested Budgets
Backpacker – 1,100 MVR Per Day
If you are backpacking the Maldives, this budget covers staying in a budget guesthouse, cooking all of your meals, not drinking alcohol, taking public ferries to get around (but mostly sticking to one island), and doing free and cheap activities like snorkeling and relaxing at the beach.
Midrange – 4,300 MVR Per Day
On a midrange budget, you can stay in a budget hotel or private Airbnb. You’ll be able to eat out for most of your meals, take some guided tours, go diving, do some water sports, visit a couple of islands, and take the occasional private water taxi to get around.
Upscale – 9,500 MVR Per Day
On a “luxury” budget, you can stay in a hotel, drink alcohol, eat out for all your meals, island-hop, and do more activities and guided excursions such as fishing charters and parasailing. This is just the ground floor for luxury, though.
Maldives Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips
The Maldives is a challenging place to save money so non-resort travel is fairly new to the country. There are only a few things you can do to lower your budget here:
Book in advance – While most budget travelers figure out their plans on arrival, booking in advance has several benefits. For starters, Airbnbs, guesthouses, and hotels can get booked up in peak seasons so your options may be limited. If you have booked in advance, your hotel or friendly villa/guesthouse owner can help facilitate transfers and arrange activities.
Bring plenty of cash – Though the Maldives has its own currency (MVR), US dollars are widely accepted — and you often get a better price if you pay in USD. This varies from one restaurant or shop to another, so carry both and pay with whatever gives you the best rate. There are only ATMs in Malé.
Bring a reusable water bottle – The tap water here is not safe to drink so make sure you have a reusable bottle with you. To stay safe, bring a water filter like LifeStraw to ensure your water is clean and free from bacteria. It saves you money and saves the environment too!
Island hop by ferry – The Maldives’ islands are served by a series of ferries from Malé. They run on opposite days (to Maafushi on Monday, back to Malé on Tuesday) and rarely on Friday (the Muslim sabbath). You can jump from Malé to an atoll’s capital island then to smaller, nearby islands in the chain. Ferries cost between 55-150 MVR depending on the distance. Plan ahead and research the ferries beforehand so you can avoid paying for a private speedboat.
Consider all-inclusive packages – The taxes and import fees on food and drink means that you really don’t have many restaurants to choose from. Some hotels offer great rates which include food, drinks, and even premium amenities such as watersports, free yoga classes, or spa treatments.
Use a travel agent for resort stays – This might seem counterintuitive for a budget traveler but agents who specialize in Maldives travel often have access to better deals than you can find on the internet. Their prices generally include speedboat or seaplane transfer costs and you may even find that you get upgrades on arrival.
How to Get Around in Maldives
Boat – The unreliable but reasonably-priced public ferry is a no-brainer for independent travelers, with ferries starting at 55 MVR depending on the route. If you’re looking to visit an island farther away from Malé, you need to do some island hopping via the ferry system. This might require you to stay overnight on an island along the way as the ferries do not run daily or regularly. Most ferries also do not run on the weekends.
Many of the islands further afield can only be accessed by private boat or plane. Check the ferry schedule well in advance and plan accordingly (I didn’t and it threw off my whole itinerary).
The island ferry schedule can be found here.
Private speedboats cost around 385-1,500 MVR per person depending on the distance from Malé.
Air – Flying is incredibly expensive here. Flights from Malé to the surrounding islands cost up to 7,000 MVR each way. Skip flying if you want to stay on a budget!
When to Go to Maldives
The Maldives is a year-round destination with temperatures hovering between 23-31°C (74-89°F). The high season runs from December to April, when airfare and hotel prices increase dramatically (especially around Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, and Easter). Book in advance if you want to visit during this period.
Don’t be too nervous about booking during the monsoon period, which runs from May to October. You can enjoy fewer crowds, better rates, and plenty of sunny days in between the few-and-far rainy spells.
Diving is spectacular throughout the year. For other watersports, such as surfing, the best breaks are from mid-February to November.
Maldives Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources
These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.
- Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
- Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
- Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
- Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
- SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
- LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
- Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
- Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!
Maldives Travel Guide: Related Articles
Want more tips for your trip? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Maldives travel and continue planning your trip:
