How To Plan Your Vacay In the Maldives
There must not be a single traveller in the world who doesn’t have Maldives on their bucket list. The pristine beaches, luxury resorts, wonderful locales and sumptuous food — Maldives is a must-visit destination for honeymooners, backpackers and those looking for a good time.
But you do need to consider these five points if you are planning a Maldives vacation:
1 Less is more in the Maldives.
Any seasoned traveller will tell you that you ideally should not spend more than five days on your Maldives vacation. The island is scenic enough to dream about for days, but it is more ideally suited to those who prefer slow, restful holidays. You might get bored if you book a holiday for more than a week in the Maldives.
2 Pace yourself in terms of activities.
You can participate in a range of water sports in the Maldives. There is also a spot of shopping to be done and a few great restaurants to try out. But don’t pack in everything in a single day, because you will get both tired and feeling a little lost on the rest of your vacation. Most spots are quite far away from each other, so there is a bit of commuting by ferry and cab to factor in. Pace yourself: spend one day snorkelling and scuba diving, the next day checking out dolphins at Cinnamon Hakurra, another shopping, one day visiting the villages, and so on.
3 Set a budget for meals.
If you are on a budget holiday, then you may have to watch your pennies when eating out. Eating at most restaurants should cost about USD50 per person. But do remember that leading resorts here have the best on-site restaurants — so what do you choose, gorging or watching your budget?
4 Pick a luxury resort for an all-inclusive experience.
We recommend going for a quality Maldives vacation — there is so much fun to be had by staying at a high end resort than a home stay or hired digs. Most travellers to Maldives check into the prestigious One&Only Reethi Rah Maldives, one of the region’s leading resorts. Experience luxury living through an array of accommodation, dining and on-site amenities. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find reasons to leave the property at all. Also, the hotel has a range of offers to choose from, so you get the best experiences.
5 Airport transfers are expensive, so negotiate and pick wisely.
Most hotels and resorts are located far away from the Velana International Airport at Male, the capital of Maldives. So you will need to choose how to reach the hotel from the airport — luxury resorts may include airport transfers in your overall package, but others will not. You can either take a ferry to your hotel, or charter a seaplane. But do find out the exact route beforehand to avoid confusion when you get there.
We hope these tips help you plan the best ever Maldives vacation. Bon voyage!
