Joanna James
The Maldives has been a premier travel destination for decades, and the price tag that accompanies a trip to these beautiful islands reflects that. The country is isolated from the rest of the world so there are quite a few things you’d be advised to check before visiting this country.
The Maldives is made up of over 1000 small islands. A large majority of these islands are uninhabited and industry and agriculture is minimal at best and mostly non-existent. What this means is that literally everything you eat, drink or buy needs to be imported. First imported in to Male and from Male to the island resorts - this means that everything you buy will be quite expensive. This is something worth keeping in mind; extras will empty your wallet pretty quickly and the taxes can be quite much at times. You can expect a 10% service charge and 8% goods and services tax.
One thing that can be quite misleading in the Maldives is the pricing of 3 star and 4-star hotels and resorts compared to 5-star resorts. The price difference will in general be far smaller than you’d expect. And in some cases, a 5-star resort or hotel might offer lower prices.
All inclusive packages are quite popular among tourists visiting the islands, but keep in mind that not all all-inclusive packages are made equal. You’d be well advised to do your research beforehand. Make sure to choose a well-regarded resort like Milaidhoo Island Maldives, where you know that the all-inclusive package you purchase will be worth what you pay.
In the Maldives, you’ll forget about the real world, and for most of your trip, you’re not going to care whether you have access to the internet or not. But depending on your commitments and requirements, if you have to check your emails from time to time, it’s good to check with your resort how good their connectivity is because not all resorts have good (and free) access to internet – in some places, it will only be available in the lobby or common areas.
In the Maldives, things to do are always aplenty. However, if you have plans to go snorkelling and catch a glimpse of the amazing reefs that surround these luxury resorts, double check with your resort – some have great reefs right at their doorsteps while others will require you to swim out to sea. And not all reefs are equal; if diving and snorkelling are priorities, make plans ahead to book a resort known for its own house reef.
At first glance, you might wonder why the location of your villa would matter. Well it won’t make a big difference, but even tiny things can break the fairy tale - so make sure your villa is located away from any of the main docking points or generators and is as close to the beach as possible and ideally has unobstructed views of the sea.
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