I’m not rich and I don’t get paid for reviews, like some other travel bloggers do. I pay for everything myself, so I don’t have the money to stay a week (or a day for that matter) in a luxurious water bungalow on an island resort in the Maldives. Which by the way is still on my bucket list.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a vacation to the Maldives. We did it on a ‘budget’. Because what a lot of people don’t know, is that if you stay on an inhabited island, in stead of an island resort, you can stay in a good hotel for like $80-$100 a night, including breakfast. Or if you’re young and comfort isn’t necessarily high on your list, you can stay in some lesser hotels for $50. That way a trip to the beautiful Maldives all of a sudden is possible!

I may earn a commission from links mentioned in this post. Regardless, I only recommend hotels & services I personally used and am happy with.

Maafushi island

We stayed at the island Maafushi. Which is perfectly located at about 18 miles from Malé. And is a great starting point for a lot of beautiful day tours and snorkeling trips. It’s easy accessible. Both by public ferry as speed boat. Speed boats are quicker of course, but the ferry also only takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and costs only $3,25*.
*prices in March 2019

For more information about transfers to Maafushi, read my article How to get to Maafushi island in the Maldives.

Islamic country

Maafushi is a small island. It’s 7.4 miles long and 0,15 miles wide. It’s an inhabited island and has about 1300 people living on the island. The Maldives is an islamic country, so there are some things to take into consideration and laws you have to follow. For example, you can’t go swimming in your bikini just anywhere. There is a so called ‘bikini beach’ where the tourists can swim in bikini/beach wear. On other beaches, wearing a bikini or bathing suit isn’t allowed and you must wear appropriate clothing. But the other beaches on Maafushi aren’t worth your while, they aren’t that well maintained. And since it’s a small island, all hotels are within walking distance of Bikini beach. So that’s perfect. And it’s a good place to watch the sun set, and swing on one of the 3 giants swings that are set up between the palm trees.

There is no alcohol served on the island (they provide a ‘party boat’ off shore where you can drink alcohol) and some shops are closed during prayer time. We don’t drink, so for us it was no problem that there wasn’t any alcohol. They do however make delicious fruit shakes and smoothies!
There are some souvenir shops and small supermarkets, where you can buy your water and sodas, ice cream, cookies, chips and other things.

Restaurants

There are several restaurants to choose from. You can dine on the beach (for $10 they set up your own private and romantic table with candle light) and there are lots of types of foods to choose from. From Indian, Thai, to Italian or Chinese.

We had diner at the small restaurant of our hotel most of the time. Mainly because of the great menu, friendly staff and the atmosphere of the place.

Hotel

We stayed at a really nice small hotel, called Stingray Beach Inn. It only has 10 rooms and felt really cosy. There was a great atmosphere and an exceptionally friendly and accommodating staff. With a small restaurant and hammocks between the palmtrees to relax in. And they even had a jacuzzi, which you can use for free.

Our hotel room was on just 1 minute walking away from the bikini beach. Where we had sun beds provided by the hotel (you can ask someone from the hotel and they will bring it for you) and a beautiful reef to snorkel at. You had to swim out to the reef, but even in the shallow water there were fish to be seen. And even rays on the sandy bottom. So it’s best to have on water shoes and/or wear snorkel mask to see under water where you’re stepping.

Snorkeling

You can snorkel at Maafushi itself. But of course it’s also great to see other snorkeling spots and discover the great under water world of the Maldives. Maafushi (and other islands as well) offer great snorkeling day trips.

We took a couple of snorkeling tours, where we saw beautiful reefs, lots of different fish. And we swam with sea turtles, nurse sharks, baby sharks, dolphins and saw stingrays. All in the wild, unlike some tours that are offered in other countries, where the animals are in an inclosed area of the sea or are lured with food. So that made it extra special for us. Swimming with sharks was on my bucket list, so I got to check that one of my list 🙂

We also went to an island resort for one day. To experience how it is to be on an all inclusive luxurious island resort and ‘feel rich’ for a day. It was a great day, we snorkeled at an amazing reef and saw baby sharks.

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I can definitely recommend going to the Maldives. The beautiful turquoise water and all the different fish, makes the Maldives a trip to remember. And we have great pictures to go along with the memory.

Read my article Maldives on a budget for more traveling tips.
Go to Booking.com to check out other great hotels on the Maldives.