One of the last trips I did right before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the world was a one-week island hopping adventure in the Maldives in early 2020. The Maldives are a nation comprised of 1192 islands that lie in 26 atolls (islands within a coral reef chain) in the Indian Ocean that lie approximately 750 miles southwest of the Indian subcontinent. When one thinks of the Maldives, images of stunning white sand beaches, crystal clear blue waters and those iconic over-water bungalows likely abound. Given these over-water bungalows can cost $1000 a night, the Maldives is not known to be a “cheap” destination. What might surprise you is that I did my Island Hopping Adventure in the Maldives on a budget. The Maldives on a Budget? Should those words be in the same sentence? Yes, indeed they can be! On my 8 day budget island hopping adventure in the Maldives, I visited 5 islands (stayed on 2) and went on excursions such as diving, snorkeling and whale-watching, all for less than $1000USD. You can do this trip for even less as a couple – as you can share accommodation costs. The Maldives does not have to be expensive – learn how to make this paradise your next budget trip!
Contents:
A Whale Shark-oriented Itinerary
Affordable transportation options
An Overwater Bungalow for next time
This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase via one of these links, I may receive a small percentage at no extra cost to you.
When researching my trip to the Maldives, I must admit that as much as I’m a frugal traveller, I was not immune to the dream of staying in one of those overwater bungalows. Realistically however, as much as I wanted to realize that dream, I was travelling solo – so there was no one to split the room costs – and also, it just seemed like one of those things I should hold out to do with a romantic partner or at the very least a travelling companion to share the cost and experience with one day (I was single at the time of the trip.)
I decided to do this trip backpacker style, on a budget, until I can come back one day to do it together with a special someone in one of those fancy overwater bungalows. The Maldives doesn’t have to be a trip of a lifetime. It can be a place you return to again and again if you don’t break the bank visiting just one time.
Local vs. Private Islands:
Most of the fancy over-water bungalow hotels are located on private islands in the Maldives. Access is typically only via an expensive seaplane – which can run you several hundred dollars per ticket each-way. Local islands, by contrast, are where local Maldvians live, and accommodations and food are far less expensive. Local islands can be accessed by various public and communal ferries and boats – which are far more affordable transport options than seaplanes.
A whale shark-oriented itinerary:
As there are over 1000 islands in the Maldives, narrowing down which Atoll or region of the Maldivan island chain you want to visit will be key for a short 1 week trip. My trip-planning centered around which part of the Maldives has the highest chance of seeing Whale sharks.
When I was in the 1st grade, my teacher asked us to name different sharks that we knew of: Great White, Blue Shark, Hammerhead Shark… then one kid said “Whale Shark.” Full-stop. Few things are more mind-blowing to the mind of a 6 year old than the idea of a shark that is also a whale. I’ve been mystified by this animal ever since.
So where are the best islands to see Whale Sharks? From my research, the Southern Ari Atoll was the best place in the Maldives to see whale sharks. I settled on the two local islands of Maamigilli and Dhigurah. These two islands are among two of the best for seeing Whale Sharks in the Maldives.
Affordable Transportation Options:
Most flights land at Velana Airport (MLE) in Hulhumalé – a man-made island next to the island of Malé – which is the commercial and economic centre of the Maldives. From Velana airport there are various transport options depending on where you are heading in the island-chain. There are chartered airplanes to various private and local airports as well as scheduled flights to some of the larger local islands.
As I was doing this trip on a budget, I elected to take a water taxi to Malé. The cost is just 10 Rufiyaa ($0.65USD). From Malé there are a variety of different boat options to get to the Southern Ari Atoll. The one you take may depend on the day you arrive – as some public ferries only run on certain days.
My suggestion if you want to try taking budget public transportation in the Maldives, is to make a plan; but be prepared to make changes to that plan – as even the most carefully laid plans can be derailed by bad weather conditions.
My plan was to try to take the public ferry from Malé to Maamigili – but the backup was to take a flight if the boat option fell through. Thankfully, there are regularly scheduled domestic flights from Velana airport to Maamigili (at a cost of about $150USD) in case the ferry is not an option. You can always book a flight at the airport if the ferries are not an option. The airport information kiosk can tell you if the ferries are running when you arrive – I found them to be very helpful.
Here are some of the public/collective speedboat and ferry options:
Scheduled Speedboat Return Transfer (90mins):
Pricing: I was quoted anywhere between $35 – $65 one way **Get in contact with your guest house to get pricing
Male’ to Maamigili
Thursday & Saturday (16:00hrs)
Maamigili to Male’
Thursday & Saturday (06:00hrs)
Speed boat transfer available everyday except Friday and departure is from Malé at 3 pm **Timetables can vary
**Best way to book is to contact your guest house and have them assist you with the booking
MTCC Public Dhoni Ferry:
By far the cheapest option if the timing works for you – the ferries only run on certain days. You can check the schedule here: https://transport.mtcc.mv/. At the time of my trip in early 2020, there was an MTCC transfer option from Malé to Dhigurah that took about 6-7 hours and cost just $3.50USD. However, as I check the schedule in late-2021, I don’t see the more lengthy transport schedule available – check the website before your trip, or at the airport information desk when you arrive to see if this ferry option is available.
Here are a few more resources on the public ferry network in the Maldives: https://www.atolltransfer.com/ferry-routes-c1jxp
Sun Dhoni Ferry:
As far as I can tell this was a privately-run ferry service from Male to various stops in the Southern Ari Atoll including Maamigili and Dhigurah. Departures from Male on Monday and Thursday to Maamigili at 23:45, travel time approximately 6 hours (can be longer if seas are rough) the price for air conditioning class is $35USD / person one way. Trip from Maamigili/Dhigurah to Male on Saturday and Wednesday at 23:45.
My recommendation is the speedboat option if the timing works for you. The huge savings in time helps immensely, and basically takes the same amount of time as a plane when you factor in all the wait time associated with actually getting onto an airplane.
I ended up taking the overnight Sun Dhoni ferry for my trip. I had arrived on a Thursday late-afternoon and was too late to get the speedboat; and the MTCC ferry did not have an evening option from Malé to Maamigili. Finding the Sun Dhoni ferry in the public jetty in Malé was an interesting experience. There is no signage at the jetty to indicate which boat was the Sun Dhoni boat, thankfully, I had gotten to Malé with quite a few hours to spare before the midnight departure time so had time to pursue the jetty looking for the boat before-hand.
Finally, I had to ask an officer at the jetty kiosk (see map) for help to find which boat was the one leaving for Maamigili at midnight. This was an especially interesting experience as I realized that the Maldivian language – Dhivehi – was not available on Google translate.
Nevertheless through the power of sign-language I managed to get myself understood, and was shown the way to the boat. I told the boat owner (who did speak English) that I intended to take the midnight boat to Maamigili, and he told me to return at 11pm for boarding. I then went off to have an amazing seafood dinner at Salt Café & Restaurant a couple minutes walk away which overlooked the harbour.
The Sun Dhoni boat was clean and comfortable, with toilets, and long banks of beds where you can lay out and sleep through the journey. I used a sleep sheet and some clothes in the pillow section of my sleep sheet and did my best to get some sleep in as the waves rocked the boat up and down – you might want to opt for a flight if you get sea sick.
Maamigili:
When I arrived at the dock in Maamigili at the crack of dawn, Kitty a worker from the guesthouse I had booked, was right there waiting for me! I had been in contact with the guesthouse earlier to advise of my mode of transport to the island and my estimated arrival time, so they knew what time I was to arrive. Maamigili is not very big, and the guesthouse was no more than a 5-10 minute walk away from the dock, so I was very impressed to see that the guest house had sent a welcome party, with a vehicle so so I didn’t have to walk the short distance to the guesthouse with my backpack.
I was initially booked into the Koimala hotel, but the hotel was overbooked so I was moved into a suite at Koimala’s sister property the Dravida hotel instead. When I arrived at the hotel, I was shown my room and served an amazing breakfast. My room was beautiful with a full-tub, and was very clean and modern.
I booked a Whale Shark watching excursion for the next day, and also wandered around the little island. The Maldives is a Muslim nation, so women should ideally have their arms and legs covered, although longer shorts, and short-sleeve t-shirts appear to be well-tolerated – I took my cue from what the foreign guest house workers were wearing. There’s a “guest beach” or “bikini beach” on Maamigili where foreigners can wear western-style bathing suits.
I stayed on Maamigili for 3 days, and went on a whale watching excursion one day, as well as a snorkeling excursion – that was included in my hotel package – on another day. Unfortunately I did not see any whale sharks on either excursion – I met others who did however – so it’s really a matter of luck.
Next to Maamigili cross a narrow channel, is a private island called Diffushi, where there is a resort called the Holiday Island Resort. The resort runs a ferry between Maamigili and Holiday Island, and after 6pm, it’s a free service for those who want to visit from Maamigili – just talk to your guesthouse and they can get the boat ride arranged.
After dinner one night, I took the free resort ferry to Holiday Island to get a fancy resort experience. You don’t have to pay to visit the island, but you can open a tab and order food and drink when you get there. I wandered around the beach, got a drink, and enjoyed the sunset. All of the local islands in the Maldives are dry islands, so you can only get alcohol on the private resort islands. I watched a shark feeding, and headed back to Maamigili.
Maamigili was a wonderful little island. Like most islands in the Maldives, the island is tiny – less than 1km across – so you can walk pretty much everywhere. The locals are very friendly. Walking to the beach one day, a local family saw me from their house and invited me over to have tea and watermelon with them! Overall, my time in Maamigili was a wonderful start to my visit to the Maldives.
Dhigurah:
Dhigurah is a long and narrow island that has an absolutely stunning sandbar at the south end of the 4km long island. I took the MTCC ferry from Maamigili to Dhigurah, where I was again met at the dock by a staff member of the guesthouse I was staying at, and driven to my guesthouse: Dhigurah Retreat Beach. I was pleased with my room at Dhigurah Retreat Beach. It was spotlessly clean, modern, and had everything I needed. An excellent breakfast was included in my room rate.
One of the first things I did on Dhigurah was walk along the beach to the sandbar at the end of the island. When I got there, my jaw dropped. It was exactly the beautiful vision I had seen in all the post-cards, screen savers, videos – except better. Better because I was actually there.
A long finger of icing-sugar sand stretched out into the shallow aquamarine waters for almost 1 kilometer. From there you could see one of the resort island of LUX South Ari Atoll Resort, less than 500 meters away. During low tide, a sand path appears between the two islands and you can actually walk between the two islands.
Foreigners can wear Western-style bathing suits from Northwest Beach – basically middle of the island – on the western side of the island all the way down to the glorious sandbank at the end of the island. Women should wear clothing that covers their upper arms and legs at least to the knees in the town, and on the Northern and Eastern beaches of the island.
I went on diving and snorkeling excursions from Dhigurah and saw the underwater world in the Maldives including Manta Rays, but unfortunately still was not lucky enough to see any Whale Sharks. I did meet others who saw Whale Sharks that week, but I also met a couple who had gone on three whale shark excursions in a week and did not see any. While I was disappointed not to have seen whale sharks on my excursions, I felt like I had given it a good shot, and will simply have to return to another time. Again, can’t be upset for long when you’re in an actual paradise!
Outside of the excursions, I did daily walk and swims along the beach to the sandbar. I used a swim buoy which serves as both a dry bag that you can wear like a one-shoulder backpack to carry your belongings on dry land; swim buoy, and emergency floatation device on my swim-walks along the beach. The best part about the swim buoy is that you can safely carry your belongings with you while swimming as well, as the buoy is essentially a dry bag in addition to a swim safety device. Very essential for solo beach goers who do not have someone to look after their belongings on the beach and for personal safety. I also brought my sarong and snorkel gear along for impromptu snorkeling, as well as for yoga sessions on the beach. It was a beautiful time. If there was only one island I could visit in the Maldives – it would be Dhigurah.
As I said goodbye to the Maldives, I was so grateful to have carved out a non-standard vacation for myself. Not only was it far less expensive than booking a vacation at a resort; it also gave me exposure to the local people who live in the Maldives. I was constantly impressed by how kind and welcoming the local people were in the Maldives, and I look forward to visiting them again soon!
Trip Costs:
Accommodations: $456USD
Transportation: $75USD
Whale Shark excursion: $200USD
Diving (including full-equipment): $65USD
Food* $100USD
*All breakfasts were included at my accommodations, and dinner was also included at my accommodations on Maamigili. A typical meal with grilled fish and sides would cost $8 – 10USD (in early 2020 prices)
Total: $901USD
**Impressively, if I were to do this same trip with a partner or a friend the total cost per person would only be $668USD as the accommodations costs would be split in half per-person!
As you can see, the trip costs don’t include the cost of flights to get to the Maldives. I actually got my flights for free using points. Read my guide about how to maximize your airline reward points – when you’re flying and even when you’re NOT flying; so you too can get a free flight to the Maldives!
An Overwater Bungalow for my next trip:
While I did not end up staying at an overwater bungalow for this trip, I did research different options extensively. If I had someone to go with, I would have booked Sun Island Resort. This resort is situated in the South Ari Atoll, and the rates were far more affordable than average. Approximately $400 – $500 for an overwater bungalow instead of $1000, and their rates often included 3 meals a day! When I was coming back from a snorkeling trip, I actually sailed by this resort island and was super impressed by vast shallow white sandbank that went out several hundred meters from the shore. If I were to book a resort for the next time, I would definitely consider this one!
Packing tips:
As this post is already very long, I’m going to be making a separate post for a packing guide for a budget beach vacation for solo travellers.