MALDIVES – Sun, Sand & Sea

Helping you answer where to stay in Maldives, dos and dont’s in Maldives and how to plan your visit. Top tips before you visit Maldives

The Maldives was everything and more. It was a dream vacation and one of the best things we did, was to book a year in advance. This helped us get a great deal but also plan our flights to get us a good connection.

Where did we stay? After browsing around a lot of resorts on booking.com and reading about the most romantic resorts to stay in, I realized that a lot of villas are very overpriced and unless you want a massive infinity pool with your water villa, have personalized service to your room etc, you can get a gorgeous place to stay in without burning a hole in your pocket. And, we found such a place, Vakarufalhi Resort. The stay is friendly, the villas are beautiful, food is gorgeous, its clean with pure white sands and most importantly, nestled away amidst the Indian ocean and you enjoy every min of the seclusion. Highly recommend this resort!W

Budget / Currency / Travelling to and around the island: Our total budget for the trip was £5,300 and about 20% was spent on getting to the Maldives. Budget breakdown ( all costs are for 2 in £) : Flights , via Rome ( 1400 ) / Seaplane transfer ( 600 ) / Water villa, all-inclusive package (3000 ) / Extras, activity on the island (300). In terms of currency, you need to carry US dollars and that is acceptable everywhere on the island and in Male city ( where all the flights land and the only city). You would notice the seaplane transfer cost is exorbitant…:-). Yes, it is. The Maldives is the biggest operator of sea planes in the world and once you land in Male city, you then share which resort you are staying in and you are then escorted to your sea plane to drop you to your resort. Note: Usually, seaplane transfer are booked when you make your booking. There are cheaper alternatives, such as taking a ferry, but I highly recommend the seaplane transfer experience !

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Things to do : The pictures above give you a glimpse of some of the amazing things you could do during your stay at the Maldives . 1.Special bath experience : Our resort arranged this in our room where they use hand-picked flowers from around the island and locally created essential oils to have an amazing bathing experience overlooking the ocean.  The massage rooms are just spectacular, as they have glass floors and you cam admire the marine life while getting a massage done. Definitely recommend !

2.Snorkeling : Maldives is the snorkeling capital of the world with the best marine life there is to experience. You will get the kit from your resort and sometimes if you are a beginner, there will be instructors available to give you lessons to help you get started. You will swim next to turtles, baby sharks etc.

3.Beach yoga : The pristine white sand and the beaches form the picture perfect backdrop for practicing yoga. More importantly, the sense of calm that you experience is a different level. Some resorts have morning classes, so, be sure to get yourself booked on it.

What was the food like ? The local food is inspired by Indian / Sri lankan flavors , as, most of the hotel staff comes from these countries. Having said that, 90% of the guests are Europeans , and therefore, they will always have a different theme every night, that is what we experienced. We had Turkish, Indian, Italian, barbecue on the beach etc. So, you will be spoilt for choices :-). And, most importantly, dont miss the organic coconut water, which they get directly from the trees as and when you order <3.

Hope the tips and tricks help you get started with planning your dream vacation !