.
.
BOOK EARLY
Lock in your travel for a budget trip to Maldives ahead of time and score yourself a hot little deal. As a general rule, booking 6 months in advance will ensure you receive earlybird discounts. Keep an eye out for half yearly, Christmas, New Year and Ramadan sales.
.
BOOK WITH A MALDIVES TRAVEL AGENT
.
Booking with a Maldives Travel Agent like Indulge Maldives ensures you get the very best deals. It’s a huge myth that booking online is cheaper than booking with a travel agent. You see travel agents are given the best possible rates to a property – cheaper than online travel agents. This ensures good relations between a hotel & travel agent & that the travel agent will continue to send more guests. From our 5+ years of living in Maldives, it’s safe to say we have the best connections at both resorts & local islands. We know Maldives inside out – we live here. We are up to date with the latest travel info, deals & rates. Let us take care of your Maldives trip from the planning right through to your departure. We will save you both researching time & money. Every island & resort is very different to the next – so let us match the perfect islands & properties to your holiday desires. Read our Client’s Reviews or Chat to one of our friendly & professional Travel Specialists today. Or read about the cheapest Maldives resorts here
.
SAVE ON FLIGHTS
Booking flights well in advance will also help you to save big as the Maldives is one of the world’s most expensive destinations to fly to. Flights can sometimes be more expensive than your entire guesthouse stay! Stop over in Dubai, Turkey, Singapore, Russia or Kuala Lumpur to save further.
.
VISIT DURING THE SHOULDER / LOW SEASON
Wondering when is the best time to visit Maldives? The high season in Maldives begins in November and continues through to March. It is this time of year that the weather is most favourable, however, properties have high price tags to match. If you’re wondering how to travel Maldives on a budget, try to book in the shoulder seasons such as April and October, or when prices are cheapest, from low season (May- Sept). There will still be many sunny days with odd showers or couple of days rain. The wettest months of the year are May, June & October.
.
STAY IN A GUESTHOUSE
.
Guesthouses are designed specifically for budget travellers. Unlike resorts, Guesthouses are located on Maldives local islands and offer bed and breakfast / small hotel-like accommodation and facilities. Guesthouses range from 2 – 4 stars, 3 – 100 rooms, with basic to luxury amenities. A stay in a guesthouse begins from US$50 – $300 a night. Read all about what to expect from a guesthouse in our Maldives Accommodation Guide, our top 10 Maldives local islands here or download your free copy of our 18 page Maldives on a budget e-book
.
GO ALL INCLUSIVE
Save big by staying at a guesthouse or resort that offers an all-inclusive packaged deal with accommodation, island transfers, meals and even excursions. Meals at resorts start from USD$30++ per person per meal. Be surf to book an a full board or all inclusive package so there are no surprises upon check out. See if you can manage to score a Maldives deal with free meal plan upgrade to full board or all inclusive.
.
STAY CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT
When it comes to travelling the Maldives on a budget, location is everything. Staying within close proximity to the international airport often means you will find more affordable accommodation deals, & speedboat transfers will be much less expensive, as these islands are more accessible. Generally, the closer you stay to the airport, the more competitive guesthouse prices are e.g. Maafushi, Dhiffushi, Thulusdhoo & Dhigurah. However these islands can also be the most popular. Don’t be fooled by a competitive guesthouse price, on an island far away from the airport – you may just pay more for the transfer than the accommodation!
.
TAKE LOCAL FERRYS & PUBLIC SPEEDBOATS
.
Maldives airport transfers can be super expensive, especially to travel long distances and even more so via a private speedboat. A 20 minute one-way private charter will cost around US$200. To maximise your savings, use local ferries and public speedboats.
Local ferries start from US$1.5 from the capital city of Malé. It is important to note that ferries only depart Malé City once daily, so you will need to be highly organised & well planned. Local ferries are only advisable for travel to islands within 2hrs from Male.
For a faster journey or longer distances, pre-book speedboat tickets through your travel agent or guesthouse. Remember there are no public speedboats or ferry services available from the airport. Public speedboats have multiple schedules to and from the airport daily. Costs begin from US$25pp. Seaplanes and domestic flights are also out of the picture for budget travellers. Read our How to Book Maldives Island Transfers Guide here.
.
ARRIVE DURING THE DAY
Arriving during the day means you may have the opportunity save big by taking local ferries and public speedboats to your intended local island. If you arrive during the night, most speedboats to local islands do not travel during the night time, so you may be up for an unwanted night at the airport island.
.
TRANSIT THROUGH HULHUMALE ISLAND
.
Many flights arrive in the Maldives late at night, meaning tourists need to know how to plan a transit stay in Maldives. It may be more affordable to book a guesthouse at Hulhumale Island (airport island) for the night, than to take an expensive private charter speedboat late at night to a local island. By waiting until the next day to take a local ferry or public speedboat, you will save even further. Many travellers also make the mistake of staying in the capital city Malé. It is on a separate island, is a taxi ride away from the airport and is super expensive. Malé isn’t set up for tourists, like neighbouring Hulhumale Island.
.
PURCHASE A RESORT DAY PASS
.
Get a little taste of the luxury of the Maldives, by taking a day trip to a nearby resort. Purchase a resort day pass for a fraction of the cost of actually staying at a luxury resort! It’s a much more affordable alternative that allows you to indulge in all of the little luxuries of a particular resort, like the wining and dining facilities, beaches, pools, water sports and beach bars, for a certain number of hours. At the end of the day, simply return home to your guesthouse island. As an extra tip, most resorts will charge for a return speedboat transfer from your guesthouse island. A cheaper alternative is to arrange a speedboat transfer via a local speedboat driver at your guesthouse island. Indulge Maldives can arrange day passes to Club Med Kani for you, if staying at Thulusdhoo Island. We offer exclusive discounted rates. Chat to us about this option today.
.
BOOK EXCURSIONS WITH GUESTHOUSES
.
Book excursions as a part of your Maldives guesthouse package with your travel agent ahead of time, to explore all that the Maldives has to offer and to save yourself money. By doing excursions on local islands, you will visit the very same excursions sites as resorts guests, but for half the price! Resort guests will be taken to the very same sandbanks, islands, surf spots, dive sites, but will pay a lot more.
.
EAT LOCAL
.
Immerse yourself in Maldivian culture by eating local Maldivian specialty foods. Try out local island cafés where you can enjoy a local meal and drink for less than US$5. Some specialty dishes to try include ‘mas huni’ and ‘mas roshi.’ Expect to pay around USD$10 for a meal at café & guesthouses on the island. All Indulge Maldives guests receive an exclusive 5% discount tour very own cafe Indulge Thulusdhoo. Meals at your hotel or guesthouse will be slightly more expensive, but you won’t have the worry of ‘where to eat’. Half board meal plans start at USD$15pp per day & full board at USD$30pp per day.
.
TAKE CASH
Did you know that paying in the local currency Rufiyaa (MVR) is slightly cheaper than paying in US Dollars. It’s advisable to determine if your intended local island has ATM facilities and if your accommodation accepts credit card. Otherwise you may need to withdraw enough local currency for your entire stay at the ATM at the international airport upon your arrival, before you depart for your guesthouse island.
.
BOOK YOUR MALDIVES TRIP WITH US…
We love providing affordable & personalised service for our guests. We take care of everything from the planning right through to your departure from Maldives. We offer you:
- The very best rates – cheaper than your will find anywhere online
- We match your holiday wish list to the perfect island & property – saving you time & money.
- Free Maldives phone / email consultation
- A complimentary Maldives holiday itinerary
- Free FAQ Guide to Travelling the Maldives for the First Time
- Free 18 page Maldive on A Budget e-book
- Arrange all excursions & island transfers in accordance with your flights
- We are also Surf Travel Specialists
- Professional Photography Services (drone, underwater, lifestyle)
- We are available on What’s App throughout your entire stay in Maldives should you require assistance during your stay
CONTACT OUR FRIENDLY TEAM TODAY
.
.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
RESORT, LOCAL ISLAND or LIVEABOARD? MALDIVES ACCOMMODATION GUIDE
Tips on budget-saving time to the Maldives is certainly highly in waiting for by travelers who want a thrifty holiday to the Maldives this hahaha it’s interesting and I feel greatly helped after reading this, thank you Theapartmentsumalas.com
We are so happy to hear of this Adam! We hope to inspire you to visit Maldives on a budget!
Hey, thanks for sharing such an amazing travel guide loved it. Photos are awesome.
Thank you Monica – glad we could be of assistance!