Local island or resort: what to choose in the Maldives

Which island to choose for the perfect holiday in the Maldives: the pros and cons of residential islands and luxury resorts.

Maldives consists of more than a thousand islands scattered in the azure Indian Ocean. And only some of them are inhabited. But inhabited islands also fall into two categories: luxury resort islands that are entirely occupied by hotels. And local islands, where the locals live and ordinary life flows. What is the best choice for your vacation, and on which island will you get more impressions?

Previously, only the rich could relax in the Maldives. Because the average cost of a vacation started at $ 1500 for two in just 4 nights. In the Maldives, there were only fashionable resorts located on the resort islands. And on the islands where the locals live, tourists simply had nowhere to stay. Therefore, until 2008, the Maldives was a rather closed resort for wealthy tourists. But the laws have changed in the country, and the residents of the Maldives were allowed to open their own tourism business on the local islands. This is how hotels and guesthouses appeared on ordinary islands, which made the rest in the Maldives pretty affordable.

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Features of rest on local islands

The Maldives are very small. The population of the islands where the locals live is comparable to the population of a small village: from 500 to 2.5 thousand people. There are guest houses on a hundred of these islands. And about 30 islands have a fairly well-developed infrastructure: guesthouses, cafes, restaurants, bikini beaches, diving centers. What are the advantages and disadvantages of resting on such islands?

• Cost of living

Life on local islands is much cheaper than on a resort island. This is the main plus. Accommodation can be rented from $ 30 per night, depending on the hotel and the season: in summer, accommodation is cheaper. Of course, the cost of rooms in the Maldives is higher than in neighboring Asian countries, but you have to bring everything to the islands - except for coconuts and palm trees, practically nothing grows in the Maldives.

• Apartments

Guest houses in the Maldives are quite small. They offer their clients from 2 to 12 rooms. Each room has air conditioning, a private bathroom, a table, chairs, sometimes a minibar, new furniture, clean linens, often free Wi-fi. The local hotel will have a furnished courtyard with sun loungers, sometimes a small pool, a bar with freshly squeezed juices. As a rule, all guesthouses have a tour desk, a cafe, and a small restaurant nearby.

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• Food

Another indisputable plus of the local islands is budget food. There are cafes and shops on the local islands, which cannot be said about the resort islands, where there is no alternative to restaurants with high price tags. The cost of lunch per person is about $ 10, while a bottle of mineral water on the resort island is about $ 5.

 The guesthouses offer breakfast, board or half board, sometimes all inclusive. But none of the food types include alcoholic beverages. Typically Continental and Maldivian dishes are served. The basis of the diet is rice and vegetables. Beef and chicken are served from meat. It is worth preparing for the abundance of spices in all dishes. Also, depending on the chosen hotel, the guesthouse will offer seafood: lobster, crabs, octopus, fish. Food, of course, does not differ as much as on the resort islands, so gourmets will not like the local islands. But you can buy all inclusive on one of the resort islands for a day and go on vacation and tasting.

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• Transfer

The Maldives is an island nation. You can only get to the islands by water or air. Taking into account the fact that the distance between the northernmost and the southernmost atoll is more than 1200 km, the transfer issue is quite acute. The cheapest way to get to the inhabited islands located near the capital of the Maldives, Male. There are inexpensive government ferries between the inhabited islands that do not go to the resort islands. The fare can be about $ 5-30. This way you will be able to significantly save on the transfer. However, it is worth considering that ferries travel three times slower than a speedboat. And if the local islands are far away, then the duration of the trip can be 12-15 hours. In addition, sometimes ferries are canceled due to bad weather. They also do not run daily: you may have to wait several days for the ferry to travel to the selected island. All this time you will have to spend in the capital or pay for an expensive transfer by seaplane or speedboat.

Guest houses can organize a private boat, but the cost of the trip is about $ 200, while to the resort islands the cost of the trip will be from $ 90 per person in two directions, and by seaplane - from $ 360 in 2 directions. Flight on domestic airlines, and then by speedboat - from $ 430 dollars per person in 2 directions. After all, the resort does not have the task of making money on the transportation of tourists: the main thing is to deliver them to the island. And the guesthouse does not have its own transport and appeals to private owners.

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• Features of local culture

The Maldives is an Islamic state. Therefore, it is worth showing respect for the traditions of local residents. Many women wear traditional Islamic attire. If you are relaxing on local islands, short mini-skirts, shorts and tops are somewhat inappropriate. Shirts should be worn that cover the shoulders, and shorts or dresses should be at least halfway down the knee. But there is an opportunity to get acquainted with the way of life on the islands: it is radically different from the experience of tourists on the islands-resorts. Holidays on local islands will appeal to adventure lovers and those who are interested in immersing themselves in a new environment.

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• Beaches

Bounty beaches on local islands are hard to find. As a rule, tourist beaches are cleaned and kept in order, but this is not as perfect a picture as on the resort islands. Among the disadvantages of resting on the local islands, you can swim in swimsuits familiar to Europeans only on bikini beaches. They are specially made for tourists. On all other beaches, you should swim like the locals: in clothes that cover the body. Unfortunately, not all local islands have bikini beaches: this should be taken into account when choosing a place to stay. In such cases, guests are offered to cross to the nearest uninhabited island, where there is a special equipped tourist beach. Many local islands have a wonderful home reef, where not only fish can be found, but also manta rays, whale sharks, rays and other underwater inhabitants.

Asad Photo Maldives

• Leisure

The popular islands have a large selection of water activities. For example, Ukulas or Toddu are not inferior to resort islands in terms of the variety of water activities. At the same time, the cost of water sports on local islands is cheaper than on islands-hotels.

• Purity of water and islands

Please note that on the beaches of local islands, pipes are often found that go into the ocean. We do not recommend swimming near them, because on local islands the drainage system goes directly into the water. Also, on the local islands, there is still a problem of garbage: it is not always taken out on time. A special boat is awaiting, which is often delayed on the way.

• The shops

There are several grocery stores, restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops on the local islands. But supermarkets can only be found on the larger islands and in Male. This will not spoil the rest: small shops have everything you need for life. And the cost of souvenirs on local islands is much lower than the same gizmos on resort islands.

Kurumba Maldives

• Night entertainment

On local islands, with the onset of dusk, life stops. Discos and entertainment can only be found in the capital of the Maldives . On small islands in the evening, life moves to local bars or beaches. It is worth remembering that on the local islands it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is not sold in local stores. You can get them at the floating bar: this is a boat not far from the local island, to which boats are ferried. The cost of alcohol is high: from $ 5-10 for a can of beer, and the choice is not great.

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Maldives resort islands: holiday highlights

In total, there are about 130 resort islands in the Maldives, and new ones are opening every year. Resorts occupy the entire territory of the island. One hotel can be located on one island. Less often, one hotel occupies several neighboring islands connected by a bridge. The size of the resort islands, as a rule, is much smaller than the local ones: it can be less than a kilometer in length. Hotel dimensions vary according to the size of the island. As a rule, these are from 100 to 200 numbers, which is much more than on local islands. But thanks to the location of the villas, the feeling of a desert island is created.

• Cost of living

Rent, on average, from $ 100 dollars per day including taxes. However, the final price depends on the type of meal chosen. Fashionable resorts per day under the all inclusive system can cost several thousand dollars. When booking, it is worth considering taxes: they may not be included in the original price and can reach 30% of the price. By the way, on wiotto . com all taxes and fees are already included in the price presented in the catalog.

• Infrastructure

Almost all islands have bungalows - individual villas that are located on the beach or on the water. The island's space is limited, and the Maldives' authorities have set a condition: to preserve the islands, build up no more than 20% of the land. Hoteliers have gotten out of this by building charming water villas that encircle the islands. The resort islands have their own infrastructure, including swimming pools, bars, restaurants, a spa center, a diving center, a fitness center, and a water entertainment center.

Grand Park Kodhipparu

• Apartments

A private villa is the highlight of the resort islands. Maldivian villas feature chic furnishings, infinity pools, glass floors, allowing you to admire the beauty of the Indian Ocean. The villa can be cozy and small, designed for two travelers. But hotels also offer residences with many rooms, designed for a large number of guests. By the way, you may be asked to pay extra for using the Internet in villas in resort hotels: it will be free only in the public area.

• Transfer

You can get to the island by speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight. There are no government ferries to the resort islands. The cost of the transfer, on wiotto.com , is included in the price of the tour package.

Kudadoo Maldives Private Island

• Privacy

The main reason for choosing the Maldives is seclusion. On the local islands, you still cannot completely escape from civilization. Couples looking for romance and wanting to hide from prying eyes prefer resort islands. Hotels, which are chosen by celebrities and oligarchs, are sensitive to the issue of the privacy of their guests. There are villas that can only be reached by boat, and there are absolutely no neighbors nearby. Some resorts follow the “ no shoes ” principle, which means no shoes, no news: complete relaxation . On local islands, seclusion is much more difficult, because in fact, a tourist finds himself in an inhabited village.

• Meal Options

Most hotels offer 4 dining options to choose from: breakfast, boarding, half board and all inclusive. But only by choosing the all-inclusive program, you can drink alcoholic drinks in unlimited quantities without surcharges. If you choose a different type of food, you will need to pay for alcohol separately. Its cost is high. In premium hotels, guests are offered Ultra All-inclusive, which includes premium brands of alcohol.

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa

• Service

The resorts offer exceptional service by providing their guests with a personal butler. The service in the resort islands is always top notch.

• Night entertainment

The Maldives is not Ibiza , where people go for entertainment. Find nightlife only on the resort islands , which have bars, karaoke and discos. Not all resorts are focused on nightlife. At the resorts, alcohol is available to guests and is legal to drink.

• Activities

Each resort island must have a diving center and a water activity center. They offer not only assistance in snorkeling and diving , but also jet skis, boat trips, surfing, catamarans, fishing, excursions.

• Environmental friendliness

The resorts practice recycling and modern cleaning systems. Therefore, the water in the ocean around the resort island remains crystal clear. The wastewater is treated and used to water the plants on the island. Many resorts care about the environment and support the development of flora and fauna, have a marine biologist, research centers. They also serve organic produce and use the island's fruits and vegetables. The use of plastic is often prohibited in resorts.

Asad Photo Maldives

• Visiting with children

Many resorts are family oriented. Guests are offered children's clubs where animators work with children. Usually children from 4 years old are accepted: for babies, a nurse can be hired for an additional fee. The restaurants of family hotels offer a children's menu, high chairs.

• Infinity pools and see-through baths overlooking the turquoise ocean are the shots that many bloggers travel to the Maldives for
  
  

Summing up: which is better - a local island or a resort?

What are the similarities between the local island and cut the unit vector in the Maldives? You could say ocean, sun and palm trees. The underwater world is incredible everywhere, and the sand is snow-white.

• Diving and snorkeling on local islands and resort islands is not much different. Tourists from local islands will be taken to the same diving sites where they will take tourists from neighboring island resorts. The main thing is to understand what exactly you want to see and choose the right season and atoll.
• In terms of infrastructure, modest hotels on the local islands are incomparable with resort hotels. A hotel on local islands, in fact, is just a room for a settlement, while a hotel on an island is a chic complex with restaurants, bars, swimming pools, entertainment programs, discos, fitness clubs, and children's animation.
• Full All inclusive is possible only on resort islands. In guesthouses, it is also sometimes offered, but it does not include alcohol and a wide variety of dishes.
• Island resorts are certainly more expensive than local island vacations. But they give an exclusive vacation away from civilization.
• The biggest plus on the local islands is saving money and being completely immersed in the local culture.

The choice of vacation spot depends on budget and personal preference. On a tight budget and a love of learning, head to the local islands to experience the local culture.

H about for a beach relaxation, unbelievable photographs and gastronomic delights ride the -Island Resort . They will give you a serene relaxation, comfort and heavenly pleasure!

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