naposledy aktualizované: 8/2/20 | 2. augusta 2020
Maldivy vyvolávajú obrázky nedotknutých pláží, atoly z útesov, ako aj extravagantné bungalovy na vode, kde šťastní hostia môžu pozorovať ryby sklenenými podlahami a skočiť do mora z ich balkóna.
Tento ostrovný národ bol vždy na mojom „zozname vedier“, takže keď som sa minulý mesiac rozhodol vidieť Srí Lanku a Dubaj, Maldivy boli racionálnym a zrejmým doplnkom mojej itinerára.
Najmä preto, že v súčasnosti existuje turistická cestovná scéna s rozpočtovým plánom.
V roku 2009 Maldivská vláda umožnila miestnym obyvateľom otvoriť turistom svoje vlastné penzióny a reštaurácie. Zatiaľ čo predtým boli cestujúci obmedzení na strediskové ostrovy, teraz môžu vidieť a zostať na akomkoľvek type regionálneho ostrova, ktorý si vybrali. Zrazu sa začali objavovať domácnosť, hotely a penzióny.
Bol to významný posun v politike, ktorý nakoniec umožnil miestnym obyvateľom kus ekonomického koláča.
Aj keď som si želal zažiť každodenný život, už spomínané idylické obrázky sa zvlnili s mojou mysľou. Neexistovala žiadna metóda, ktorú by mi mohla chýbať možnosť zažiť tento typ luxusu.
Keď som rozdelil svoje deväťdňové videnie na dve časti, rozhodol som sa stráviť štyri dni v letovisku a päť dní na „skutočných“ ostrovoch.
Život na vrchole
S dobrým priateľom v Dubaji som pristál v stredisku Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa, 150 km južne od hlavného mesta Malé. Rovnako ako všetky strediská, aj hotel je na vlastnom osobnom ostrove, ktorý sa môže pochváliť bungalovmi Voda, ich vlastnej reštaurácie, baru, kúpeľov, ako aj prevádzkovaných zájazdov. Rovnako ako väčšina letovísk, aj jedlá, ako aj nápoje sú zahrnuté v nákladoch miestnosti.
Cinnamon je na dolnom konci nákladového spektra, čo ma stálo 356 USD za noc. Aj keď to nie je super rozpočet, je to oveľa lacnejšie ako ostatné strediská. Napríklad Park Hyatt je 850 USD za noc, Taj je 1 050 USD, W je 1 300 USD, St. Regis je 1 600 USD, ako aj štyri Seasons je neuveriteľná 2 000 USD za noc!
Pokiaľ presne nezistíte, ako cestovať hackerom, pozri tu môže byť neúmerne drahý.
Keď som svrbil na oneskorenú dovolenku, ako aj na pracovné detox, môj videl to, čo si lekár objednal: tropický ostrov s obmedzeným webom, ako aj dobrý priateľ, ktorého úlohou bolo zabrániť mi v práci.
Strávil som dni pokúšaním sa dostať na odpálenie na pláži, čítam kníh (veľmi navrhujem, aby som nadšene žil Helen Russell), pil som víno, vyplnil moju tvár, ako aj odchádzal do dôchodku na ďalšie čítanie alebo film.
Život na ostrove bol ľahký. V bubline letoviska sa nemusíte obávať obchádzania, jedla alebo čo robiť.
Bola to dovolenka.
Personál bol super priateľský, pochopili presne, ako sa pripraviť skvelý nápoj, a vždy tu bolo jedlo. Jedlá boli bufetový štýl (pokiaľ ste nezaplatili ďalšie za očarujúcu krabú reštauráciu alebo triedu varenia na obed, čo som urobil. Pozrite sa na pozoruhodné jedlo, ktoré som uvaril na fotografii nižšie).
Využívali sme niekoľko zájazdov hotela a šli sme každý deň sledovali delfíny (toľko delfínov!), Snordeli sme a navštívili sme pár ostrovov blízkych ostrovov.
Keďže strediská v krajine sú zamerané na domácnosti alebo páry, mimo potápaných letovísk je málo samostatných cestujúcich alebo bez nosníkov. Môj dobrý priateľ, rovnako ako som bol jediným nekupcom na ostrove.
Zistil som, že nie je veľa interakcií hostí, ale pretože všade je na dovolenke, nie som prekvapený.
Po štyroch dňoch môj dobrý priateľ, rovnako ako som bol obaja trochu pripravený ísť ďalej. I can only take vacation life for a few days before I get bored. The high life was what I believed it would be — relaxing opulence — however I was itching to see the genuine Maldives, to experience life on the regional islands, as well as to talk to a few locals.
Life the method It should Be
After returning to Malé as well as seeing my good friend off at the airport, I hopped into a speedboat as well as headed to Maafushi, ground zero for the Maldives’ burgeoning independent travel industry, to begin my island-hopping adventure.
It was a horrible place. I hope to never return.
Maafushi, when a sleepy bit island, is now the sufferer of uncontrolled development.
There are hotels going up left as well as right, boats making regular trips to Malé to pick up tour groups, as well as one little over-crowded as well as overbuilt beach. The few restaurants on the island cater mainly to tourists, as well as outside the area cleaned up for visitors, it’s one trash-covered dump.
You can see the composing on the wall — this location is the next Ko Phi Phi. As a guesthouse owner on one more island said, “Soon there will be no more locals there. They will just lease out their land as well as move to Malé.”
But Maafushi is great for a few things: diving, snorkeling, as well as acting as a introducing pad to prettier, quieter islands like Gulhi as well as Fulidhoo.
After a couple of days, I escaped to Mahibadhoo. Kristin, our remarkable solo female travel writer, stayed there a few years ago, as well as so I was excited to see as well as inspect out the remarkable Noovilu, applauded as “possibly the very best guesthouse in the Maldives.” (It was truly nice. A bit costly for my taste however the service, food, as well as activities offered by the personnel was resort quality. incredible interest to detail as well as I suggest staying there.)
Unlike Maafushi, I liked Mahibadhoo.
It was clean (local women volunteer to clean the island when a week), as well as the buildings were more colorful, featuring a rainbow of pastel-colored structures. There was more life right here as well (I watched regional soccer games each night). Overall, the vibe was just nicer.
The island, in spite of having speedboat gain access to to Malé, has escaped (for now) the mass advancement of Maafushi. though it doesn’t have a “bikini beach” (as the beaches for foreigners are called), there is great snorkeling right offshore (which is what I did), as well as it’s a introducing pad for day trips to deserted atolls, sandbars, as well as quieter islands like Dhanbidhoo, Kalhaidhoo, as well as Isdhoo.
Though the islands the locals inhabit are adding guesthouses, they often aren’t set up for tourists. Ferry service is infrequent to all however a couple of the islands, as well as most don’t have many restaurants, or even beaches to lay on. There are a couple reasons for this.
First, bikini beaches exist for tourists. The Maldives is a Muslim country and, while there are public beaches, you requirement to be covered up for them. most of the regional islands don’t have white sandy beaches, so many developed special ones just for the tourists that are hidden from view as well as visitors can be more scantily dressed (hence the bikini name).
Secondly, “eating out” isn’t a thing in the Maldives. Locals mainly cook for themselves. There are cafes however few restaurants. You usually eat at the guesthouses, who cook up meals (included in the price) for guests. However, you can get a great deal of great food this method as many guesthouses cook up curried fish, rice, as well as other regional delicacies. The fare is simple however extremely tasty.
And, while the neighborhoods are still trying to figure out exactly how to offer with tourism, I was unfortunate to leave as well as desire I had more time to check out the nooks as well as crannies of the atolls. everybody right here was friendly as well as curious as well as it would have been nice to get to dig deeper into regional life as well as culture.
Travel tips for the Maldives
While the Maldives doesn’t have to break your budget, it’s important to understand a few things before you go — or you’ll make some expensive mistakes:
Ferries need planning (and don’t always come) – The Maldives’ atolls are served by a series of ferries from Malé. most expense $2-5 USD, however, their routine is unreliable. I was meant to take one that never arrived.
Many only travel when a day, so if one doesn’t come, you’ll have to fork over money for a speedboat ($25 USD) or wait on the next day’s departure.
When you are visiting the Maldives, research study the ferries in advance so you understand when as well as where you can go next. Island hopping is extremely difficult without planning. I messed up by not looking at the ferry system before I arrived; as a result, I missed a few islands I wished to visit. I wrongly presumed there would be regular ferries between the islands — I was sorely mistaken.
Inter-island ferry routines can be discovered here.
Speedboats are your good friend – From Malé, you can take speedboats to a few of the close-by funding islands of surrounding atolls. They expense $25-30 USD however likewise leave infrequently, usually when a day (Maafushi is the only island I discovered with several speedboat departures). If you’re not on a tight budget plan as well as want to save time, grab a speedboat.
There is no alcohol – As the Maldives is a Muslim country, you can’t get alcohol anywhere except on the resort islands which have a special exemption.
Flying is not affordable – flying is incredibly costly here. Flights from Malé to surrounding atolls can expense as much as $350 USD each way. avoid this.
Take great deals of USD – though the Maldives has its own currency (the rufiyaa), us dollars are commonly accepted as well as you commonly get a much better cost if you pay in USD. This varies from one restaurant or shop to another, so I brought both currencies with me as well as paid in whatever currency had a lower price. (Though you’re speaking the difference of $.50 cents, so don’t stress as well much)
However, Maldivian ATMs fee hefty charges (upwards of $6.50 USD) per withdrawal. Taking money or making one big withdrawal eliminates or reduces those charges (and so does having a bankthat reimburses those fees).
And don’t concern – the Maldives is extremely safe. nobody is going to take all that cash. I never when felt uneasy about having great deals of money on me.
At resorts, whatever will be charged to your credit history card so make sure you have a ‘no foreign exchange fee’ card!
Is it great for solo travelers?
Yes, if you just want to read, relax, as well as focus on you.
While you’ll see a great deal of travelers in Malé heading to dive boats or bouncing from island to island, it’s all friends, couples, as well as families. in spite of the affordable expense of travel, the Maldives is still not on the solo traveler radar.
Is the Maldives cheap?
To môže byť! though they import a great deal of goods, if you stay with regional ferries, guesthouses, as well as regional food (fish, rice, curry), you can get by for under $75 USD a day (even less if you are sharing accommodation). This does not include things like airfare as well as travel insurance coverage though.
Since there’s no alcohol on the islands, you don’t have to concern about drinking away your budget. right here are some typical costs in 2020:
Single space in a regional guesthouse: $45-55 USD per night
Public ferry: $2-5 USD per ride
Airport ferry to Malé: $1 USD
Speedboats: $25-35 USD per ride
Tea: $.50 USD
Snorkel rental: $8 USD/day
Diving for whale sharks: $200 USD
Meals: $9-11 USD each
Buffet dinners: $15-20 USD each
Sandwich on Male: $4-5 USD
Bottle of water: $0.40-0.70 USD
In my four days, my biggest cost was the $120 USD I paid to lease an entire speedboat back to Malé when my ferry didn’t show up. beyond that, I discovered the islands to be rather the bargain!
***
We believe of the Maldives as a budget-busting, high-end location however they don’t have to be. The country is cheaper than a few of the prominent destinations in the Caribbean or even Southeast Asia!
One day I hope to return as well as spend more time island-hopping. There’s more I want to see as well as do here.
I extremely suggest visiting the Maldives before the islands ended up being as well overdeveloped, the beaches get swallowed up by the sea (climate modification as well as coral bleaching were both hot topics with the locals I spoke with), or the world catches on to exactly how affordable the country truly is.
Book Your trip to the Maldives: Logistical tips as well as Tricks
Zarezervujte si svoj let
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to discover a affordable flight. They are my two preferred browse engines since they browse websites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned. begin with Skyscanner very first though since they have the biggest reach!
Zarezervujte si ubytovanie
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest stock as well as finest deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses as well as affordable hotels.
Nepamätáte si cestovné poistenie
Travel insurance coverage will protect you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s comprehensive security in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to utilize it many times in the past. Moje preferované podnikanie, ktoré ponúkajú najlepšie služby a hodnotu, sú:
Bezpečnostné krídlo (pre všetkých pod 70)
Zaistite moju cestu (pre tých nad 70 rokov)
Medjet (pre ďalšie pokrytie repatriácie)
Hľadáte to najlepšie podnikanie, s ktorým môžete ušetriť peniaze?
Pozrite sa na moju stránku zdrojov, kde nájdete to najlepšie podnikanie, ktoré môžete využiť pri cestovaní. Uvádzam všetky tie, ktoré využívam na ušetrite peniaze, keď som na ceste. Ušetrite vám peniaze, keď budete cestovať.
Want more info on the Maldives?
Be sure to see our robust destination guide on the Maldives for even more planning tips!
Note: Cinnamon Hakuraa covered the expense of the space at the resort (which included food as well as beverages). The rest of my trip, including my flight, was paid for completely by me.