Do you dream of white beaches, turquoise lagoons but don’t have the budget to stay in a stunning Maldives resort? The solution now exists, they are guesthouses which are increasingly being opened by fishing islands for tourists. But how do you organize Maldives Holidays yourself?
And above all, why?
It can be a cheap possibility to go there even in high season, when resort prices skyrocket. But you can also evaluate it as an alternative, always knowing what’s going on on the local inhabited islands. Or do you think you can’t book a resort without a tour operator? Now, many resorts have opened online reservation. Let’s see together how to organize a DIY trip to the Maldives.
When to go?
The dry season will officially be from mid-December to mid-April, but the best time is between mid-February and mid-April. In December and January there may still be some parts of it that are cloudy. It’s true that now the climate is becoming less predictable, so you can still get rain, but this is a short-lived phenomenon once the sun returns. It is peak season so prices are high everywhere. During other months, it is considered low season, the chance of rain is higher, clouds can accompany you throughout the holiday or not. It is usually advisable to consider staying in the Maldives in the off season for at least ten days or a few weeks to get more sun.
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Required documents
To go to the Maldives, an electronic passport with a minimum validity period of 6 months is required from the date of return. On arrival, you will be granted a free tourist visa for a maximum duration of 30 days. You can apply to extend it for another 60 days by filling out the form and showing two passport photos.
Customs
It is forbidden to bring alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, non-Islamic religious materials and pornography into the country. It is forbidden to bring coral, shells, and sand as souvenirs.
How to get cheap airline tickets
Many scheduled airlines offer great deals to this destination. To set up your own Maldives, all you have to do is check flight comparison sites (Skyscanner, Google Flight), and monitor the prices, then book them directly on the company’s website if possible. By ordering months in advance, there are great deals even for high season. You can also evaluate charter companies (Airitaly, Neos), in some cases they offer good deals on direct flights.
All international flights arrive at Male airport, on the island of Hulhule: here we have currency exchange, luggage storage and desks for several luxury hotels and seaplane companies.
Internal switching
Unless you are traveling with a dhoni this will be an essential item in your budget, internal travel is not cheap.
Find itineraries and itineraries on the internet:
– Maldives Transport Official Site
– Dhoni routes and schedules from almost all atolls
That is, quite slow but very cheap, only serving inhabited islands (in the surrounding area) every day except Friday and in some cases even Monday. The dhonis from Male depart from the Vilingili Ferry Terminal in the southwest of the island.
To get to Vilingili from the airport (Hulhule island) several dhoni continuous shuttle to Male island in about 10 minutes, then from the dhoni arrival port you can hire a taxi to Vilingili (30 Rufie, $2). Starting 2018, with the opening of the Sinamalé Bridge, you can be taken directly by taxi. If the transfer is on a Friday or the flight schedule does not match the dhoni schedule, usually all guesthouses around Male (North and South Male atolls) can offer transfers by speedboat, the cost of which may vary depending on the distance.
I hope this information was helpful!
