Savage-like holidays in the Maldives: is it possible?

It would seem that the Maldives and the rest of the savage are incompatible concepts. But everything is possible, and even on the distant Indian coast, you can easily relax, without luxury frills and with a tent. You can get to the Maldives as if you were on a river, "savage". The main thing is to know local life hacks.

When to fly to the Maldives

It is generally worth flying to the Maldives from late December to March. It is this time that is considered the best in terms of weather. Clear waters, calm ocean. But if you are flying for surfing to live on the island, wake up and immediately get up on the board, the best option is summer and autumn. The weather, although a little rainy, is windy and makes waves.

Housing and flight prices from November to March will be higher than from April to October. The main thing on which the cost is felt is air travel. In the off -season, companies can make more significant discounts.

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Buying tickets to the Maldives

Perhaps this is the most expensive part, because the Maldives are very far from the rest of the world. Unless you are in India or Sri Lanka: then a trip to the Maldives will cost almost a penny. But in order to visit the Maldives on a budget from Russia or from the countries of the European continent, you need to work hard to find tickets.

• See which airlines fly to the Maldives and subscribe to their newsletter. So you will be the first to know about sales and can quickly get the right ticket.
• Use flexible search. If you are going "savage" on specific dates, you are unlikely to be able to catch a low cost. A "free artist", who decides his own destiny, is easier in this regard. It is enough to wait for the price to drop and buy a ticket on the cheapest day.
• You can just buy a ticket for a direct charter flight and save yourself the headache. For example, such flights fly from Moscow. Or fly with regular airlines with a transfer at " hubs ": Istanbul, Dubai, Qatar.

But we are going to the Maldives as "savages", right? Therefore, you need to fly with a tent. Check the carrier's rules: will you be able to take the tent with you or will there be an overweight.

Ideally, take a sleeping bag and a mat, because in the morning the "savages" can be humid and cool.

Tip: if you are flying with a transfer, choose the minimum waiting time between connecting flights. Your PCR test may simply be out of date if you decide to hang out in an intermediate country and take a walk in Istanbul for a day. We highly do not recommend taking tests in the country of "docking" in order to give yourself a day or two in another country. If the test comes out positive, it's a lot of pain, isolation and burnt tickets to the Maldives.

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Let's get a visa

This is where the "savages" can relax: nothing needs to be done. It is enough to honor the Maldives with your presence to get a free tourist visa for up to 30 days. The stamp will be provided free of charge. There is one note: in order to get a visa on arrival at the airport, you need to confirm your reservation at an officially registered resort. "Savages" go for a trick: they book any inexpensive guesthouse for a couple of days, and then go to rest as a savage (if they plan to spend the night under the stars).

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PCR test and other pieces of paper

Now not a single traveler, even the most "wild" or the most vaccinated, can fly to the Maldives without passing the test. A negative PCP test is required to cross the border.

Maldives are considered very safe in terms of covid. They even received the 2020 Tourism Oscar as a Safe Destination. And in order for your "wild" holiday in the Maldives to take place, you need to take a PCR with you, in which the full name, date of taking the material, the address of the laboratory and its name are indicated in English. The test must be carried out no more than 96 hours before the flight to the Maldives. Be sure to submit an online health declaration on the official government website of the Maldives.

Within 24 hours after arrival or departure, you must complete the Traveler Health Declaration, which can be submitted electronically or in writing to the Maldives Migration Service .

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Remember about insurance

For adventurers in the tropics, insurance is a must. It can be issued independently and online, in a couple of seconds. Most importantly, before leaving home. If you take it out of your country, most insurance companies will invalidate such insurance.

Use aggregator sites that collect offers from different insurance companies to choose the best. If you are going to go diving, surfing, then take extended insurance that covers the costs of active sports.

Where to live as a savage in the Maldives

The Maldives are the islands of freedom, a scattering of thousands of islands in the Indian Ocean. But there are no more than 200 of them inhabited. They can be divided into two categories: fashionable resort islands where you can have a beautiful rest "for a lot of money", and local islands. Of course, on fashionable resorts no "wild" rest: this is the realm of luxury. But the local islands are exactly what the "wild" tourist needs. There are jungles, a wild coast, inexpensive guesthouses and shops.

So, the "savages" landed in the Maldives. Landed on the paradise coast of the local island. What's next? From the experience of travelers, you just need to find a dense rainforest and go a little deeper. Everything, you can pitch a tent.

• Choose islands where there is a forest and a minimum of population, there are no small hotels. You can find it all out by looking at Google. maps. Which islands are suitable for wild holidays? For example, such islands as Maalhos, Feridhoo, Ukulhas, Rasdhoo. There are not many tourists there, as well as guesthouses . Great snorkeling awaits on Ukulhas Island, although there are quite a lot of people and hotels on it.
• Another option is to simply hire a boat, negotiate with the fishermen and go to a desert island. Live there for a few days. For this, of course, you need to purchase everything you need. Indeed, on a deserted island there is not even water and you need to stock up with all responsibility.
• You don't have to go far deep into the forest: a couple of meters - and you are in an impenetrable thicket, where even the locals do not set foot.
• Don't forget the mesh layer for the tent. Maldivian "savages" should prepare for two troubles: mosquitoes and ants. They get pretty good. Therefore, you need to stock up on repellents and mosquitoes. in full . Otherwise they will eat.
• Fresh water. Water for drinking should be stocked up in nearby shops. But in general, it is everywhere in the Maldives. In taps near houses, mosques, hospitals, boat stations. Water is considered technical, but it can be boiled or simply used for washing dishes and washing your face. In the most hopeless variant, you can try to collect water in a container and use it as a shower.
• Although you can find showers in the Maldives. They are at the airport, sometimes on the beaches or near the ferry terminals.
• You can recharge in a cafe and ask for boiling water there.
• But with the onset of twilight, it is worth observing a certain conspiracy and not shining too much with flashlights so as not to attract the attention of locals and the police.

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Where to get food

It all depends on how much you decide to become a "savage". You can quite well spend time in local cafes and restaurants. The portions are large, one dish is enough for two people. And during the day you can relax on the beaches, drinking tropical cocktails in coastal cafes.

The most economical option is to bring your own buckwheat and stew from home. Remember that you should not take alcohol with you: its import into the Maldives is prohibited. All the same, they will pick it up at customs, and they will also search the backpack with canned food sheltered in it.

The second option is shopping at local stores. Food in the Maldives is not considered too cheap, because everything on the island is imported. The cost is not cheap, but given the savings on housing, the cost of food is not critical. A dozen eggs are about $1.50, potatoes - $2, lemons - $3, tangerines - $3 per kilogram, a pack of pasta - $1.

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Money question

It is better to fly to the Maldives with dollars. They are accepted everywhere, and in exchangers you can exchange them without problems.

• For a wild holiday, Maldivian rufiyaa is necessary: in dollars, payment will always be slightly higher.
• ATMs charge a transaction fee, and it can be quite high.
• It is better to change dollars not in banks, but in street exchangers : this way the exchange rate will be more pleasant. Well, you can pay by card where the terminal meets.

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We catch the Internet

Travel sim card is about $30 for a 17 GB package that will be valid for two weeks. A regular SIM card is only $2. Next, you need to buy internet packages. For example, 2 GB will cost an additional $15.

Communication on all islands is 4G, and it is of quite good quality. And at the boat terminals in Male, you can use Wi-fi for free for 15 minutes: it's just a paradise for the "wild" tourist. You can buy account replenishment everywhere, even in a regular grocery store. Sometimes you need to additionally go into the phone settings: it is better to contact the seller with this. You can also ask for Wi-Fi in a cafe, but usually for an additional fee.

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Movement between the islands

"Wild" tourist is divided into two categories. First, the most common: he has no money, and he is looking for an exclusively budget vacation. The second, more rare, but it has a place to be - camping and adventure is a state of mind. In the first case, only ferries are suitable for traveling around the Maldives. Although you need to lay a budget in case of an emergency, when there is no ferry, but you have to go and you have to hire a boat.

The second type of tourist can afford to climb to the atolls remote from Male, where they need to fly by domestic airlines or by seaplane. In this case, it will be possible to see the life of atolls far from civilization from the inside.

• State ferries are inexpensive and ply the different islands of the atoll, linking them together. From the airport to the capital ferry can be reached by bus for only $0.65.
• The cost of a 1.5 hour ferry ride will cost about $4. So you travel by ferry, stopping at several islands. Moreover, if you get off at some point of the trip, then you can jump onto the next ferry using the same ticket. You should not believe those who offer to book a ticket for you on a ferry crossing or take it cheaper: they want to make money on a tourist.
• Ferries do not run every day. You can wait a week for transport in your direction. Due to bad weather (and sometimes just like that), ferries are canceled. And then all hope for a speedboat.
• The speedboat will cost about $50 for a 10 minute trip.

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What you need to know about "Maldives Savages"

• The jungles of the Maldives are teeming with ants, mosquitoes and other insects. But there are no dangerous lives among them.
• A first-aid kit, antiseptic, allergy medications are worth taking. And by the way, don't forget the medicines for gastrointestinal disorders. Wild rest - it is.
• When the reef is exposed at low tide, you can go hunting. Look at the locals. They skillfully get octopuses out of reef cracks and catch crabs. All living creatures can be immediately cooked for dinner. But do not overdo it with the exotic by frying an unknown and poisonous fish for dinner.
• Neither locals nor tourists look deep into the rainforest. Everyone walks only along the coastline: they don’t want to be eaten by mosquitoes, so it’s unlikely that anyone will disturb you.
• Being in the forests of the Maldives is quite safe. There are no tigers.
• Remember that swimwear is only allowed on bikini beaches. On public beaches where locals rest, the appearance in this form is prohibited.
• Wild rest should not develop into sunbathing naked. Nudism in the Maldives is punishable by a fine, so you should know when to stop on the islands of freedom.
• After sunset in the Maldives, you should not swim. Predators swim up to the shore: it's still the ocean. Don't become dinner.
• Drinking alcohol is prohibited in the Maldives. You will not get it anywhere except for fashionable resorts and floating bars. Get your money ready, gentlemen: $10 a cocktail.
• If you order goods and services, then remember that 12% tax 3% eco-fee is added to the bill.
• Dangerous insects in the Maldives. But under the palm trees, rest more carefully: coconuts have a habit of falling.

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For "civilized savages"

If such a wild vacation seems too extreme for you, then you should opt for guesthouses and inexpensive hotels. On average, you can find housing for $30-50 per day. Among the most popular local islands where it is worth settling are Maafushi, Thoddoo, Ukulhas, Dhigurah.

How much money do you need to take with

It all depends on what you plan to do. If you are going to spend money only on a few transfers between local islands and cook your own food, then hundreds of dollars will be enough. But you should have money with you for insurance. Plus, the Maldives has a minimum amount of expenses per tourist per day and, theoretically, at customs they may be asked to confirm solvency. But this almost never happens.

If a wild holiday with mosquitoes is not for you and you will stay in guesthouses, calculate based on $30-50 per room per day. To visit the cafe, also deposit at least $ 30 per day.

Dollars are happily accepted everywhere, but if you pay in Maldivian rufiyaa, it will come out a little cheaper.

Products can be bought in supermarkets and small shops. Or check out local cafes. The average check for two in an inexpensive cafe is $30-40.

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Language issue

The inhabitants of the Maldives understand English very well. You shouldn't have any problems here. All the islands now live thanks to tourism.

What to do "savages"

• Fishing. With a "wild vacation" for you, it will be not only interesting leisure time, but a delicious dinner.
• Surfing. If you are going during the wave season, take a board with you to the paradise islands. No wonder surfers come here from all over the world.
• Diving. The best time to dive is in winter, because that's when the water is clearest.
• Snorkeling. Well, what are the Maldives without a mask and tube! Be sure to take it with you.
• Island travel. This is the main attraction during the wild holidays: travel between the islands using a ferry or speedboats, get out on both local and uninhabited islands.
• Day at the resort. Yes, you can even order all inclusive and spend a couple of days at a luxury resort for an additional fee. For a day you need to pay from $75.
• Excursion to Male. On the way back, look at the coral mosque and other historical sights of the capital.

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In the Maldives, the sun shines equally brightly for everyone: for those who are relaxing on the beach in a tent, and for those who sip a cocktail at a fashionable resort.