Only a true blue beach-lover would understand how possible it is to spend a day doing nothing but just frolic on the sand while listening to chill music with cocktails on one hand or read a good book in one sitting, for the whole day, under the intense heat of the sun. And that’s what we did on our Maldives trip. And you could do that on the most coveted island in the world, yes, backpacking the Maldives is possible. I did it, and of course, you could too.
I am a certified beach addict. I could spend an entire day doing nothing, as long as my feet are buried into the sand with background music coming from the soft waves from the sea. I could care less if I have nth layers of tan and if my hair is always frizzy; my skin and my hair actually love saltwater. Moving on, me and my buddy’s Beach Hop Asia 2016 summer backpacking trip included the Maldives. We had eight days to explore it and we meticulously planned everything so as to save bucks and time. After exploring Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, we took a one-hour flight from Colombo then arrived in Male for the next leg of our beach adventure.
So here’s a rough guide on achieving paradise without pawning two months’ worth of your salary, or your car, or your precious engagement ring bling.
HOW LONG SHOULD I STAY IN THE MALDIVES
This
is basically the most important part of planning your trip. So consider
everything carefully as this will totally be the determining factor of all the subsequent
decisions you’ll make.
Geographically,
the Maldives is a country consists of 1,190 coral islands that is grouped into
a double chain of 26 atolls (a string of closely spaced small coral islands)
spread over 90,000 square kilometers in Indian Ocean. Whew! The point is, if
you plan on staying on local islands plus island resorts then you need a week
to do so. But if you just want to go straight to the island resorts and skip
the local islands, then a quick four-day trip will do (a decision that you
would probably regret for the rest of your life. Haha).
A
week would be enough if you’re really pressed with time but a month would be cool
if you’re the adventurous type of hopping on to different atolls and immerse to
the Maldivian way of life by staying on local islands.
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| Rainy Male City |
HOW
TO GET THERE
There
are numerous ways to get to Male (the capital of Maldives) via direct flights
from different key Asian hubs. I heard that flights from Singapore are the
cheapest but if you’re coming from Manila, AirAsia has direct flights daily
from Kuala Lumpur to Male. You just have to secure a Manila to Kuala Lumpur
flight alongside the other flight to guarantee a smooth trip. Make sure to
subscribe to their latest promos to get good deals on flights.
As
for me and my buddy, we came from Colombo in Sri Lanka which is just an hour
away via plane to Male (capital city of Maldives).
We got a promo fare for PhP6,000 (US$120) for a roundtrip ticket per person via
Mihin Lanka (low-cost airline of the flag carrier, SriLankan Airlines).
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| Ferry terminal at Male International Airport |
TRAVEL VISA
No
pre-arrival visa is required when you come to the Maldives. All nationalities
are allowed to enter the country and stay for thirty days without securing any
visa, including the Philippines, as long as you follow the requirements; valid
passport (6 months validity) with Machine Readable Zone (MRZ), valid ticket for
journey out of the Maldives, and enough funds to cover daily expenses (US$100 +
US$50 per day) OR a confirmation of reservation in any Tourist Resort or Hotel.
Please
note that the decision to grant entry to the Republic of Maldives lies at the
discretion of the immigration and not a right of every tourist. Should you wish
to extend your stay, you may do so by applying for extension at the head office
of the Maldives Immigration. They will re-assess your financial capability for
the stay period of the extension.
We
didn’t have any problems when we went to the immigration officer assigned to us.
The lady just asked me for the duration of the trip, who I’m with and the
resort or local island we’re staying at and the cutest visa sticker was
attached to my passport instantly.
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| Cutest visa sticker ever! |
WHERE TO STAY
It
was not until 2009 when the government allowed the locals to operate their own guesthouses
on local islands. This paved way for budget-conscious travelers to enjoy the
Maldives without breaking the bank on those island resorts that would probably
cost you around US$150 per night for two persons (cheapest room rate for island
resorts in Maldives that I found online). I heard that a night on one of the
most expensive island resorts could go as high as US$2,000 per night.
Staying
on a local island has its pros and cons. You get to stay on an inexpensive
guesthouse but have to respect the norms on proper attire. You can have a nice
view of the sea but can only swim with your swimsuits on a designated private
beach. You do not have the luxuries of resort life but gets to experience firsthand
the Maldivian way of life.
Maafushi
Island (one-hour away from Male via ferry) is the common local island that is
frequented by most backpackers. Accommodations here could go as low as PhP1,300
(US$26) per night for a private AC room for 2 persons; definitely a lot cheaper
compared to some beach resorts in the Philippines.
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| Our lovely chill backyard at Whale Shark Inn |
The
busy areas of Male and Hulhumale do have cheap accommodations too but don’t
have a nice view of the Maldives that you see on postcards. You may opt to stay
on those places and just do some sea excursions every day but you wouldn’t get
to see the locals’ way of life that you’d experience when you stay on a local
island.
Remember
that tourist tax is added on top of everything so make sure that you have
leeway on your budget.
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| Hello, neighbors! |
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| Soccer is a popular sport in Maldives. Photo taken from our local island, Maamigili. |
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| You wouldn't experience the hospitality of Maldivians if you aren't staying on a local island. |
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
A
public ferry known as dhoni provides
the main transportation to go around the different 26 atolls in the Maldives. Ferry
routes, schedules and fares are organized and usually on time
(weather-permitting). I found a useful site that features almost everything
that you need to know on Maldives boat transfer and public transportation here.
As
for me and my buddies, we stayed overnight on the reclaimed island of Hulhumale
(where Male International Airport is) and hopped on a cab the next day to go to
the Hulhumale Port then boarded a ferry going to Male North Harbour. From there, we took
a cab going to Petrol Jetty where our dhoni
going to Maamigili Island was docked.
Hopping
on to different islands using public ferries is quite cheap but takes so much
time especially when you go to the farther atolls. For faster transfers to the
islands, you may opt to take shared/private speedboats or book seaplane/domestic flights.
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| Commuting in the Maldives using public ferries (dhoni) is so cheap. Around US$1 each way, even for the longest routes. |
SEA EXCURSIONS
If
you’re staying on a local island, then you could ask your host to hook you up
to a boat that would bring you to nearby sandbars, coral gardens and such. You
could also ask for help on doing a day tour on a nearby island resort for a
fee. If you’re staying in Hulhumale or Male, there are many tour companies that
offer a wide range of activities to suit your island desires.
As
for us, we got four free sea excursions from our guesthouse in Maamigili Island
including lunch picnic on a sandbar, sunset fishing (and barbecue party later
that night), numerous snorkeling trips, and my ultimate favorite wild sea
turtles and whale sharks encounter. We also sought the help of our host, Ahmed,
to help us in doing two day trips on nearby island resorts ($25 and $45 per
person including afternoon snack buffet and use of amenities).
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| Hello there, friends. |
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| Swimming with wild whale sharks was one of the highlights of our trip. |
FOOD
In
Male and Hulhumale, restaurants and cafes are readily available. On local
islands, there are few eateries that serve meals for as low as US$1 per meal,
yes, that cheap. As for the island resorts, well, standard resort prices apply.
As
for us, all of our breakfasts were included on the room rate we got from Whale
Shark Inn. For other meals, we had to dine on the eateries on our local island or
have it delivered on the guesthouse. Meal prices ranges from MVR25 (US$1.63) to
MVR120 (US$7.84).
But
take note of this, alcoholic drinks and pork are strictly not allowed on local
islands as well as Male. You may want to take a trip on a nearby island resort
to gulp on some beer which usually starts at US$5 per can. Also, bringing in of
these prohibited items in the country would incur penalties and punishments.
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| Mocktail |
LANGUAGE
Dhivehi is the predominant
spoken language in the Maldives but English is commonly used. Their writing
system is called Thaana.
POPULATION
Currently
(March 2017), the Republic of Maldives has a total population of 373,998 with a
population density of 1,253 per sq.km. (source).
RELIGION
The
Maldives is a Muslim nation (Sunni) and all citizens should adhere to the state
religion legally.
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| White sand roads |
MONEY EXCHANGE
Maldivian
Rufiyaa (MVR) is the standard currency in the whole of Maldives but small bills
of US Dollars are widely accepted on hotels and guesthouses (MVR1 = US$0.065).
You could exchange your money through accredited money exchange centers located
at the airport or in the banks in Male City. Hotels and guesthouses have foreign
exchange services as well.
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| Am I dreaming? |
Check here for discounted hotels and island resorts in Maldives
Hey Carla,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. My wife and I dream of going to Maldives one day once we're up and running with our hold and it can stand on it's own. We imagine this place would be a bit expensive. We'd likely do a bit of splurging and budgeting but this serves as a good guide to one side of what we're looking for. As a US citizen it's great that we can travel hack with credit card and travel points so that's been a huge plus for us. Thanks again for this info!
Cheers,
Mark
Thanks Mark. Enjoy Maldives! :)
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