Can You Do Maldives On A Budget?

A month ago,it was a challenge to do Maldives,one of the most expensive countries in the world as a backpacker.A flight booking and a hotel reservation is all I had.With almost nil information on internet on how to,I'm glad that we did what I had dreamt of since long.

 LIVE BLOGGING FROM MALDIVES

Or,

This?

Can Maldives be done in a backpacker's/budget way?

The answer is "Yes"

Is Maldives only for honeymooners?

"No".No doubt Maldives is romantic,you would either fall in love with the country or your partner.

Are resorts the only option of stay in Maldives?

"No".2 years back,it was the only option.Now things have changed,more and more people like to explore Maldives the way locals do.

Is Maldives expensive?

                                Me,swimming in the sea.Some experiences just come for free.

"Yes" it is,from everything starting from the taxi,to the food to your stay,unless you keep an eye on your budget,it might just go beyond what you might have thought of.

People of Maldives?

People are very friendly,caring and genuine,both men and women.

Best For?

Maldives is best for water sports,diving snorkeling water skiing,surfing.The water is crystal clear,and you can spot fishes and corals even on the shore!!

The Sea Food is..

The sea-food is awesome.Maldives is best way to outgrow the typical smelly sea food we are accustomed with.Most of the dishes are prepared with fish,though the spicyness and taste is so rich that you would want to have fish every day and every night.

What if I am a vegetarian?

Even if you are a vegetarian or a chicken lover,Maldivians prepare their food with love.The 5 days in Maldives gave us the best gastronomical experience of a lifetime.

The Music is?



Maldivians are friendly people.We danced all night with them.Guess the hindi song they danced and sang especially for us[Hint: Watch the video]


If you get a chance,dance to the local fast thumpy music the way we did.It's like our own bhangra but very fast,the music is catchy!

The Myth About Maldives?

Maldives is not the bikini destination we know of.Unless of course you stay at resorts or go on a excursion to a nearby picnic island from your local island.Most of the local islands where we stayed had no bikini rule.So yes,if budget is on your mind..keep other things the way people like it!

The No Alcohol glitch?

In Maldives,sale or consumption or import of alcohol is prohibited.There are better things to do see and drink in Maldives.And while you come back,its best to get one of the those duty free liquor from the airport departure gates,they have awesome collection!

Best Season To Go Maldives?

Is off-season during the “rainy” season which is June/July to Oct/Nov for best rates.

The currency of Maldives?  

Is Rufiyaa. US Dollar is accepted everywhere.The best way is to exchange the currency from the currency exchange counters in Indian Rupee to Dollars,but preferably not from the airports.The conversion charges are high.

Once you have sufficient dollars its best to exchange it to Maldivian Rufiyaa from the currency exchange counter at the Maldive airport and keep the receipt,so that when you come back you can exchange Rufiyaa to dollar. It is important to keep the receipt and reconfirm at the counter for the counter exchange of currencies.

What we did was split our expenses in such a way that we had half the amount as dollars for hotel,reservation etc) and half the amount as Maldivian Rufiyaa(for food,ferry,water sports)

You can also keep US dollars for all your expenses in Maldives,but it comes out to be little costly in terms of daily expenses.

1 Maldivian rufiyaa(MVR) = 3.5198 Indian rupees(INR)
1 USD = 54.1783 INR
1 USD = 15.3200 MVR

FOR ALL INFORMATION ON MALDIVES VISIT: MALDIVES OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Coming up:Maldives
Video on Maldives
On How We Did It
The Interesting Recipes