Maldives is probably one of the top dream destination for any traveler or beach lover. It has also been a top honeymoon destination because it is truly paradise on earth.
White sand beaches, clear waters, delicious tropical meals, breathtaking views everywhere you look–there’s probably a hundred and one reasons why we should visit Maldives once in this lifetime. The only hindrance for a lot of us is the fact that it is hella expensive.
Fortunately, someone from the #WIMSquad took one for the team and went to the beautiful paradise that is Maldives. Joel Olaveja went on a 7-day trip to Maldives and shared a few tips on how to spend as little money as possible!
That’s right–seven days in Maldives on a budget!
Here’s how he did it:
Photo from Joel Olaveja
A 30-day free visa is issued in all nationalities on arrival. You just need to show an onward plane ticket, proof of funds or a confirmed hotel reservation, but we weren’t asked for those. The immigration process was smooth and very easy.
Photo from Joel Olaveja
If you’re coming from Southeast Asia, you can connect in the following cities through these low cost airlines:
Singapore: Tiger Airways
Kuala Lumpur: Air Asia
We are coming from Europe and our roundtrip ticket cost:
From Madrid: 740€ via Qatar Airways roughly 40k php. We booked it a month before our travel date.Tips: Book your tickets in advance so you can avail lower prices. We met a Filipino couple and their ticket cost roughly 20-30k php coming from The Philippines. And if you’re lucky, you will get it from 15k php.
Photo from Joel Olaveja
Transport here is cheap. Local ferries run on a somewhat infrequent schedule but shouldn’t cost more than 2-4USD. But since our flight arrived late in the afternoon. We opted to book a speedboat going to our first stop “Maafushi Island” that cost us 40USD per person and it takes only 35mins. There is also a shared speed boat joined by other people for 25USD per person.
Photo from Joel Olaveja
I booked a double room with two beds for 5nights and the price is 65usd a night, roughly 15,000php for the whole stay. Breakfast and all tax included. Very reasonable if you split it with your travel buddy.
Photo from Joel Olaveja
Food will set you back around 5-10USD per meal. Most guesthouses in Maafushi offers free breakfast. It’s pretty big meal for a breakfast, that I found myself skipping lunch and have some snacks instead.
Photo from Joel Olaveja
This half day trip cost only 25usd per person. The cheapest way to go on an excursion is to book it through your guest house. But don’t hesitate to shop around for prices though. I asked some guesthouses and I booked this excursion in another hotel cos it’s 5usd less from where we staying.
Photo from Joel Olaveja
If you are on a tight budget, you can still visit some resort island for a day tour from your guesthouse.
Photo from Joel Olaveja
Aside from staying in a hotel, Joel and his travel buddy also booked a stay in an over-water bungalow which cost around 50,000PHP. But hey, it was definitely worth it!
Photo from Joel Olaveja
With views like this, it’s beyond worth it!
Joel shares that the total cost for their 7-day stay was around 35-40,000 per person (5 days on a local island, one day in a private island resort), but this was excluding their plane fare. So, the tip is to book your seats at least a month in advance. He says that it took him a whole month to prepare for the trip!
(RELATED: LOOK: This Couple’s Maldives Vacation Is #Goals!)
He adds that doing a lot of research before the trip wouldn’t hurt, and knowing where to splurge and where not to will definitely help.
Photo from Joel Olaveja
“Maldives is Maldives,” he says. So, wherever you stay, it’s still going to be a life-changing experience.
Joel also shares with WhenInManila.com that he shared his Maldives experience to encourage everyone that it is possible! So, don’t cross out Maldives from your bucket list just yet!
Preparation, research, and wisdom are the keys to your dream destination.
Check out Joel’s complete Maldives experience here.
Where is your dream travel destination? Share it with us!
