TripWise

These figures use an example traveller: two adults from Bengaluru, 4-star stays. Enter your own budget to see what this costs you.

Overwater villas above a turquoise lagoon

Photo: Map originally vector'ed by Hassan Waheed, Aabaadhuge of Thinadhoo island.. Note: This section of map was extracted and its text was romanized by Oblivious. Special assitance by Waddey and Zuru. helix84 · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia

Maldives · Indian Ocean

Maldives

The splurge trip — though local islands make it far cheaper than you think.

Save a little longer
Fair fit

Why TripWise recommends this

  • Strong match for comfortable travel
  • Strong match for nature and landscapes
  • November is the best time to go

Worth knowing before you book

  • · Reachable in about 22 months of saving at your current rate

Resort islands are genuinely expensive, but guesthouses on local islands like Maafushi or Dhigurah bring the Maldives within reach of a mid-range budget. Visa on arrival, four hours from most metros.

Things to do

Food

  • Mas huni breakfast

    ₹400 pp

    Tuna, coconut and chilli with roshi flatbread — the local morning meal.

    Any islandabout 1hView on map

Adventure

  • Snorkelling the house reef

    Free

    Reef sharks, turtles and rays a few metres off the beach.

    Any atollabout 2hView on map

  • Manta and whale shark trip

    ₹8,000 pp

    Full-day boat looking for whale sharks; sightings are not guaranteed.

    South Ari Atollabout 8hView on map

Relaxation

  • Sandbank picnic

    ₹2,500 pp

    A boat drops you on a bare sandbank for a couple of hours.

    Maafushiabout 3hView on map

  • Sunset dolphin cruise

    ₹2,500 pp

    Spinner dolphins follow the boat most evenings.

    Any atollabout 2hView on map

Culture

  • Malé fish market

    Free

    An hour in the capital between flights — the non-resort Maldives.

    Maléabout 2hView on map