My most recent trip was to one of my favourite destinations in the world ‘The Maldives’. So many people say to me ‘why would you want to go there? There is nothing to do?’
As someone who doesn’t switch off very easily I absolutely love it there. The Maldives has a total of 1200 islands, 200 are inhabited and 164 have been developed as tourist resorts. They are all very different. Some are big, some are small, some have lots to do and others are extremely relaxed. I’ve now visited 9 islands including a local one which really surprised me with how inexpensive it was!
Islands I have visited have included Hard Rock, Mirihi, Coco Palm Bodu Hithi, Lux, Sheraton and Westin Miriandhoo.
Flying to Male, the Capital of the Maldives can take around 11 hours if you fly direct, but these flights aren’t always available year round. So the options are; you can stop in the Dubai or Abu Dhabi or connect in Sri Lanka and then it’s about an hour on from there. I have tried and tested all these options and my advice would be if you haven’t stopped off in the other destinations do! I’ll cover both of these destinations in separate posts.
I always use Sky Scanner to look at different flight options to work out what is going to be the most cost effective and I also chose flights based on how best to maximise my time in a destination.
Once you get to Male you will travel to your ‘hotel island’ either by speed boat or by sea plane. This will usually be organised by the tour operator you book with.
My advice would be to book at Island at least a 30 minute boat ride from Male or take a sea plane flight… you want to be on an island that feels remote and doesn’t have views of the city! The idea of the Maldives is it’s supposed to feel like a remote island. It really is true paradise. Yes, the water does look exactly like it does in the photos and the sea life is phenomenal.
I experienced a magical moment with Rocco and Tahlia watching Stingrays and Yellow Tip Reef Sharks swim in the shallow waters as we walked along the pristine white sand the last time I took them there. So, that should answer another question I have been asked - “Is the Maldives child friendly?” - YES. Some islands have lots of activities for children. Others have nothing to do but I quite enjoy visiting those with the children because they can enjoy the simplicity and beauty of nature.
The Maldives does have a reputation of being expensive and that is correct, some of the islands can be a bit pricey.
If you are looking to book in to a hotel on a package holiday, I would probably suggest booking on an all inclusive or full board basis, that way you know you won’t be hit with a big bill on departure. Another idea that you might want to consider is book a direct flight to Male and then stay on a local island… this won’t break the bank, you can arrange transport easily in Male when you arrive and you get to see the TRUE Maldivian way of life and trust me it’s still extremely beautiful. It all depends how much of an adventure you are up for… but doing it this way it really doesn’t have to be expensive.
Something else you might want to question is do you want to stay in a water villa or a beach bungalow? Having stayed in both I prefer a water villa but this really has to be personal preference and if you are visiting with young children you might think a beach bungalow is best.
The best times of year to visit the Maldives is usually between October and April. However, I’ve been in both August and September which is considered their wet season. It was still around 29 degrees and on the odd occasion it might rain it usually lasts for about an hour… but when it pours it’s usually does pour!
The Maldives will always hold a special place in my heart, and without a doubt I will be back there. I love trying out different islands each time I go. If you have been and have a favourite let me know. If you haven’t been make sure it is on your bucket list and remember there are options that you can look in to where it won’t break the bank.
Laura x
