The ultimate Maldives travel guide for all the budgets

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The ultimate Maldives travel guide

You are dreaming to visit the Maldives, swim in turquoise water, relax on a white sand beach or swim with turtles? This Maldives travel guide is for you! We have been to the Maldives recently and we will give you all the info about how to get there, where to stay, how to get to your hotel or what activities to do!

The Maldives

The Maldives are located in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. The capital is Male, the international airport is located here. The Maldives are a chain of 26 atolls who are composed by different islands. The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars. The Maldives has a tropical monsoon climate. This destination is famous for the islands and sandbanks but also for his unique marine ecosystem. There are 187 species of coral forming the coral reefs. This area houses fishes, turtles, sharks, dolphins etc.

How to get to the Maldives

First of all, you need to book a flight to Malé, the capital of the Maldives. From Europe, the price is around 700$ per person. Than, you have 3 choice to get to your hotel:

The first one is the boat. If the resort is located on an atoll near Male, the easier solution is to take a boat.

The second solution is to take a plane. There is an “airport island” in the Maldives. After this flight, a small boat will drive you to your resort.

The last one, which is the best one, is the seaplane. During our last trip in the Maldives, we have taken a seaplane. It was so high on my bucket list! To be honest with you, it is one of our favorite memory of this trip. The feeling when flying above these beautiful attols and lagoons is absolutely incredible! You fly above these stunning landscapes during around 30 minutes and you can enjoy this unique view on this blue paradise. We had an am. We took the company Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) which is a really good company. Also, it was so fun to see the pilot with flip-flop!

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Where to stay in the Maldives

The Maldives were known as a luxury destination for a long time, but now there are resorts for every budget! If you take your flights in advanace and you choose an afforable resort, you can visit the Maldives on a budget!

If you want to stay in a resort with a good value for money, you can find easily. For example, two years ago, we have been to the Sun island resort. It was a really good resort and really affordable, around 150$/night. There were sandbanks, dolphins cruises, beautiful beaches, and clean and spacious beach villas.

If you are looking for a luxury resort, there are also many amazing ones. This time, we have stayed in three different hotels. The first one was the Movenpick Kured Hivaru, you can find our review just (here). This resort is perfect for a honeymoon, it is very romantic. The second one was the Fushifaru. This island is beautiful, and the resort has the chance to have a sandbank near the resort. There is a dive center and it is common to see sharks. Effectively, we have seen 5 sharks during our dive session. The last one was the Soneva Fushi, a Relais & chateaux resort. This resort is a luxury eco resort. It was one of our best experiences so far. The service was excellent. You can read our review just (here).

Activities and excursions to do in the Maldives

Diving and snorkeling

In this Maldives travel guide, we will also give you an idea of all the amazing activities you can do there! For us, the best activities to do in the Maldives are snorkeling and diving. The Maldives is one of the most beautiful scuba diving destinations on earth. Almost all resorts have a diving center. So, it is easy to book a dive. Due to its reputation, the dive price is very high, around 150$ per person for a one hour dive. The Maldives are famous for the turtles, sharks, stingrays, colorful fishes and so on. You won’t be disappointed! It definitely worths the price!

If you are afraid of diving, you can enjoy the Maldives reefs by snorkeling. Take your palm and fins and go explore the reef!

Dolphins cruise

The dolphins in the Maldives are some of the most amazing and magical activities we have ever done. Watching the sunset on the boat and see the dolphins swimming and following the boat was absolutely unforgettable.

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Sleep in an overwater bungalow

If was on the top of my bucket list! I wanted to stay in a water bungalow for son long! And it was an amazing experience. Waking up on the water was a magical feeling. It is very special to sleep just above the water.

Excursion on a private sandbank

You can book an excursion to a private sandbank for the day, with a picnic. For my birthday, we have done this excursion and it was an magical day! We went to this beautiful sandbank, only 10 minutes from the hotel by boat. We had a picnic on the sand and then we enjoyed this beautiful and quiet place that we had just our ourselves!

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Flight over the Maldives

Our experience in a seaplane was one of the best memories of our Maldives trip. The islands create a pattern in the sea as the deep ocean crashes into sandbars and coral reefs. Many islands are surrounded by miles of shallow waters low enough to wade through at low tide.

Chill out and enjoy paradise!

Sometimes, it just a pleasure to stop everything, relax and contemplate nature. Just being in front of this amazing scene and admiring the lanscape is a good reason to visit the Maldives!

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To conclude, we highly recommend the Maldives! It is one of our top 3 best destinations where we have ever been. It is a perfect destination for couples, families and honey moons. If you are looking for turquoise water, white sand and beautiful diving/snorkeling spots you won’t be disappointed!

Hope you enjoyed this Maldives travel guide my travel fam! If you are planning your trip to the Maldives or if you have already been there let us a comment! xxx

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