Tips for Traveling the Maldives on a Budget
South Palm Resort Maldives
The Maldives is one of the top travel destinations on this planet and I recently visited for the first time in May 2023.
I used every method of saving money on this trip and we ended up paying a little over $1200 for everything. Flights, transportation, hotels, food, the whole thang!
So here are a few travel tips that can help you save money on your trip to the Maldives.
1. Visit While You are Already in Asia
Flights to the Maldives from the US are EXPENSIVE! The cheapest flight I’ve seen to the Maldives was like $800 round trip. I typically don’t suggest that people fly more than 10 hrs to visit one destination. To maximize your travel and minimize your flight costs, it’s better to visit multiple countries in the same area if you have time.
I spent a little under $400 per person on our flights to the Maldives because we were already in Singapore and were planning to visit Thailand after the Maldives. I bought my tickets less than 1 month in advance. Had I purchased the tickets earlier it would have cost me about $250.
So if you’re planning to visit India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore or Indonesia then you aren’t that far from the Maldives. Check the flight prices to see what’s available. I love using Google Flights to browse flight prices.
2. Travel During Low Season
Take advantage of lower prices by traveling during the low (rainy) season which starts in May-November. You may encounter some rain like we did on the first 3 days of our trip but the other 4 days were bright and sunny so there is hope! If you do choose to visit during low season, I would recommend traveling at the beginning or end of the low season, not in the middle. Consider a 7-10 night stay incase you encounter some rainy days during your stay.
3. Book Deals on Websites Like Travelzoo
I was gifted (by my friend) a 5 night resort stay in the Maldives for $399. That’s the best deal I’ve ever seen for the Maldives but it was offered in May 2021 so it was still during the pandemic.
I’ve seen some deals on TravelZoo for $1500-$5000 and some of them include flights and food as well. Do understand that these deals are only offered for a limited time so you have to act fast when you see a good one.
Be sure to read the fine print before purchasing anything from these types of websites.
No this is not sponsored but I do really love Travelzoo, I have been purchasing deals from them for about 10yrs.
South Palm Resort Maldives
4. Stay at Affordable Resorts
I know it may be hard to believe, but there are affordable resorts and hotels in the Maldives. We spent a few days on the main island of Malé where everyone flies into the Maldives at.
While researching where to stay on the island I found that a lot of the hotels in Male were quite affordable and several of them were beachfront and prices under $100 a night.
We ended up staying at Acacia in Malé for 2 Nights and their rooms average around $60-$90 a night and it was right on the beach and they offer airport pick up/drop off. I highly recommend
For 5 Nights we stayed at the South Palm Resort in the southern islands of the Maldives. Their villa prices range from $110-$350 a night .
5. Stay on a Local Island
The Maldives isn’t just a resort-island filled country, people actually live there on some of the local islands.
A popular island to consider is Maafushi. Beach hotels are available, the beaches are nice, and you can even get hotels and Airbnbs for as little as $30 a night. Take a look online and see for yourself.
South Palm Resort Maldives
6. Get Free Stays
This only applies if you create content for social media or have skills in videography, photography, blogging/writing , and web or graphic design. You can trade your skills for a free stay or room upgrade.
I was able to save money on my trip because I create content on social media. I was able to arrange a hotel collaboration for my first two nights on the local island and receive an upgrade to an overwater bungalow at the resort.
I hope you found this blog helpful in planning your Maldives vacation. It’s definitely a travel experience you need to have at least once in your lifetime. If you have any questions feel free to reach on IG, TikTok or by email.
Happy Travels!
