How to Visit the Maldives on a Budget

The Maldives, a paradise in the Indian ocean. Thought of as a dream destination by many and associated with the rich/wealthy. What if we told you, you could visit this beautiful country or add it to a backpacking itinerary without breaking the bank?

Lauren Sheppard and her boyfriend went traveling in Asia and found several ways to visit the Maldives on the cheap. Check our Lauren’s guide to visiting the Maldives on a budget with some top tips and advice how you can keep your costs down.

Best Ways to Get to the Maldives

Direct flights into the Maldives from worldwide destinations are expensive. But if you break the journey up you will be able to visit the Maldives for a fraction of the price of a normal flight ticket.

When we were leaving Sri Lanka, we had planned to head straight to India. But after looking at flights and realising it would cost £100 each to fly To Kerala, India or £100 each to fly to Male, Maldives and then £50 each from Male to Kerala, we decided to spend a week in the Maldives!

Arriving from Sri Lanka or India will save you a lot of money! I recommend using the Skyscanner flight search which generally has the best deals.

Transport & Getting Around

Arriving at Male airport, we had to make our way to the other side of the island to get to the ferry port. Every day there is a ferry at 5pm which will take you from Male to an inhabited island called Maafushi. This ferry only costs 50p because a lot of the locals in Maafushi work in Male and therefore the ferry needs to be affordable for them. This is a lot cheaper than booking private transfers.

Cheap Places to Stay in the Maldives

You might think finding low cost accommodation in the Maldives is impossible, but think again.

Maafushi Island is one of the best places to experience the spectacular Maldives without breaking the bank. Maafushi is a stunning little island which has locals living there, you will get a really authentic local experience and will not spend a fortune staying here. You can also walk around the island in just half an hour!

Remember although accommodation in the Maldives is generally more expensive than the rest of Asia, it’s still cheaper than anywhere in Europe!

There are no big hotels on Maafushi island but also a number of guesthouses. Our guesthouse cost £38 per night with breakfast, split that between two = paradise on the cheap!

• To compare prices and reviews, check: Booking.com

Food & Drink

There are supermarkets and restaurants available on Male and Maafushi island which are cheap as the locals need to be able to afford to eat. You can get dinner in a restaurant for less than £5 or even prepared your own ready made food from the supermarkets. The Maldives is a strict Muslim country but in most hotels and resorts they serve alcohol but in Maafushi there is no alcohol allowed.