The Maldives has a reputation for being the ultimate tourist destination. With its beautiful beaches and pristine blue waters, it has everything you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city life. However, a Maldivian holiday is infamous for breaking a holiday budget – even more so if you’ve been saving for what seems like forever. Worry not though, cause we’re breaking it down for you on how you can enjoy a 5-day trip to the Maldives without koyak-ing a hole in your pocket. Yes, it’s NOT impossibru!
1. Getting there
Source: Maldives.net
Typically, travelling to the Maldives from the Southeast Asian region is waaaaay more affordable than if you were to travel from Western or European countries. Flight rates can go anywhere from RM300 to RM500 depending on your travel dates. Of course, look out for offers like this one from AirAsia that gives you up to 50% off your flights to the Maldives. So affordable kan?! We’ll tell you more about this awesome deal later, but for the benefit of this budget breakdown, we’ll put the estimated travel figure at RM500.
Flight budget: RM500/return tickets
2. Staying there
Source: Aspire Heavenly Holidays
Because of its reputation for being a luxury holiday island, hotels and resorts in the Maldives have rooms that go up to a whopping RM16,000! Can put down payment for car already leh! However, with tourism booming in the Maldives, there are now plenty of inexpensive island resorts and guesthouses to choose from for those who can’t fork out a lung and liver.
In fact, you may even be able to book a room at a nice, comfortable guesthouse for as low as RM76 per night! No joke!
If you’re looking for more affordable options, try looking around:
- Maafushi
- Fulidhoo
- Guraidhoo
- Male
For instance, Male itself has many options for you to choose from, like the Sea House Hotel Top Deck or the LVIS Boutique Hotel!
Accommodation budget: RM400-RM600/5 days
3. Moving around there
Source: Backpack Maldives
The Maldives is made up of almost 1,200 smaller islands! Therefore, getting around would typically require the use of a speedboat or public ferry.
This means that getting to your hotel from the airport would also require a boat ride, and that can sometimes go up to RM1,200! Pro-tip: Book a hotel that includes the airport transfer fees in their booking rates for a subsidised fee and you won’t have to worry about making it in time to catch a boat either!
Your budget for transport would depend on how many of these islands you would like to explore during your time there. Inter-island ferries would cost approximately RM30 per day depending on the frequency and distance from island to island. Speedboats would naturally be more expensive as they get you between islands in half the time a ferry would.
Transportation budget: RM150/5 days
4. Makan time there
Food can get a little expensive, depending on where you choose to eat. Of course, if you’re planning on eating pretty atas food then be prepared to pay atas prices lah. However, local eateries do offer meals that range from anywhere between RM19 and RM38 per meal for a dish of fish curry and rice. But also, look at the size of that fish wei!
Source: TripAdvisor
Most of the guesthouses will offer meals as well, so be sure to look out for those when you’re booking your stay.
Food budget: RM300-RM600/5 days
5. What you can do there
If you’re not one to sit back and soak up the sun, the Maldives has plenty of activities to offer for the adventurer in you, such as:
- Snorkelling – RM135/person
Source: Pinterest
- Manta ray diving – RM250/person
Source: Telegraph
- Sand bank excursions – RM77/person
Source: Kuredu
- Glass bottom boat rides – RM116/ride
Source: Maldives
Sounds fun right? That’s not all though, as these are just some of the few activities the island has to offer with many more in-store!
Activities budget: RM77 – RM580
To make it easier for you guys, here’s a summary of the budget breakdown:-
Flight budget: RM500
Accommodation budget: RM400-RM600
Transportation budget: RM150
Food budget: RM300-RM600
Activities budget: RM77-RM580
Total budget for that awesome holiday in Maldives: RM2,430
Alright, so who said you can’t enjoy the best of what the Maldives has to offer on a budget? You just need to know where to look! So, don’t wait liao la! If you’re looking for cheap flights, book on AirAsia now because they are having a promo!
Hurry though, as the booking period only lasts from 16 to 22 April 2018! Log on to AirAsia, book that trip and finally have that holiday in the Maldives you’ve been dreaming off. If you see us there, say hi okay?
