Maldives solo, female, old (!) and on a budget: FINE and FABULOUS!
A first foray to The Maldives: tips, suggestions, recommendations and helpful guidelines especially for older female solo travelers but helpful to anyone going to holiday in the Maldives!
A stay in The Maldives is easier than you think; easier than I ever imaged it would be while trying to plan my trip.
It really does look just like this. Jump in. The water is a constant pleasing temperature, sometimes just a little cooler and refreshing but never hot, never cold! I could have stayed in for… hours. I love being in the water. There is nothing nasty or scary in the water, really…… In most places it is very clear. On some islands you will find good fish life and some coral, within meters of the beach. Snorkeling equipment is frequently available at your hotel. I always carry my own.
My main purpose for holidaying in the Maldives was to snorkel, so the coastlines of the islands, the water, the beaches, were a focal point. However…. there is so much more. This trip was an eye opening and very positive experience, learning about The Maldives, their way of life on these small islands, their culture and the way that they more than tollerate the arrival of foreign travellers.
A very successful relaxing inexpensive holiday in the Maldive islands is possible… but I did do a lot of research for many months to find out how and I am sharing my research and results here.
I have just returned from The Maldives (March 2025) and I would like to share what I have experienced to help similar travellers to find their way more easily and not have to do the endless research as I did!
Finding information in itself was not easy using keywords to find locate island webpages, travel blogs, YouTube videos, traveler’s channels, and hotel offerings - mainly on Booking.com
I am not advertising anything and I don’t think I will get any kickback as I don’t know how to do that…… I just had such a successful trip that I would like to share my knowledge and my newfound best place to go and relax if you are looking for beautiful surroundings, quiet, serenity, a safe environment, beautiful tranquil turquoise waters and some good snorkeling, and I should add, easy to get to, easy to get around, well organized and you will find very helpful, kind people in a safe environment and not break the bank.
I may add to this from time to time, but for now, it will not be ongoing or updated until I have any new information.
I do plan to return to the Maldives.
“Once you have been to a place, it is much easier to find your way there again!”
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Find and book your lodging & hotel contact
Getting there
VISA requirement
Choosing a hotel
Daily Budget
Getting to your island of choice
What to expect on the small islands
Food choices on the islands
The Maldives is a dry country. No alcohol
The Muslim community
FLIGHT SEARCHING
I used both Skyscanner and Kayak and compared flight prices, as well as looking on Tripadvisor, Travelocity and Edreams, avoiding taking budget airlines as all had bad reviews and I didn’t want to start out with a bad flight or lost connections.
I flew Qatar Airlines, and it was a pleasure, it got my trip off on the right foot. In March the prices were reasonable, I paid about 900 euro and it was not a protracted journey; a short stopover in Doha, both ways, flights on time and very pleasant. I see the prices going up heading into summer.
ARRIVING IN MALE’ MALDIVES CAPITAL
As you start to descend, you see the vast expanse of ocean and dots that turn into islands and the strangest sight is a mini NY sitting in the middle of gorgeous waters, on 3 islands that are being “enlarged” by adding land. You’ll see boats here and there, and a fairly small airport and not much more.
Arriving in the morning, I walk out of the airport arrivals, alittle dazed from not much sleep, I change money right there and get a good rate (before leaving the arrivals area, look before you go through the door) .Everything really very straight forward, no elaborate customs and immigrations, just the standard questions about the length and purpose of your stay and verifying that you have a return ticket.
The next step is to look for the booths that organize the speedboat bookings, in the arrivals hall.
More than likely your hotel will have already booked a spot for you on a “speedboat” and will tell you which booth to go to, to make sure you are on the passenger list, mine was D3 to Ukulhas, my first stop. I did have to hang around the airport and wait about 1.5 hours before being guided to the docking area, along with probably another 40 people. Unfortunately, there is nowhere comfortable to wait unless you walk towards the domestic terminal about 5 minutes away, there is a place to have coffee and a restaurant. (check out Google Maps and get a general idea of the airport area) Beware, coffee in all of the Maldives is really expensive, usually around $5. (most prices are displayed in US dollars, or Madive Rupees) . I am not willing to pay that for a coffee not knowing if it will be what I like. I actually took my own coffee with me and made it in the room, most rooms have a coffee maker. I picked up milk or condensed milk at the little “corner stores”. I didn’t find the powdered coconut milk until nearly the last day, otherwise I would have been using that most likely. (It was sold in a big 1 chilo bag….)
All of the speedboats come and go with service, to my knowledge, to most of the inhabited islands on a daily basis, (I have read that there are 160). Generally, the speedboat takes from an hour to an hour and a half to reach your destination. Only some of the smaller islands do not have daily service.
BOOKING A STAY.
I would start with searching on Booking.com . This gives you the lay of the land, some price comparison, and pictures which tell you a bit about each island. I then looked up the island on Google Maps to see if these were “green islands” or like many, so much construction has taken place that little of the tropical feel is left, although most have a “green belt” running along the edge of the island. I preferred being on islands which had preserved more of the natural habitat. I find that this is the easiest way to see what sort of accommodations are available - anywhere. Once you have picked out a few favorites you can then search AirBnB (and I did find 1 on Airbnb that I chose to stay in) as well, and any other sites, look at the location on Google Maps, see what other hotels are nearby, most links will lead back to Booking.com so they have quite a monopoly in a place like The Maldives. HOWEVER you can search the hotel name and possibly find their own website, a few have them. I don’t have any qualms with Booking.com and have used them more than any other booking site, I just regret that they charge hosts a very high percentage.
Most properties in the islands have a listing on Booking.com . Book a night or two or if you are traveling in high season, you may want to book a few more nights, you can generally change your mind without a penalty.
What I found to be true was once you make the reservation, they ask for a WhatsApp contact number. You will need this connection. The accommodation, (most of which are very small hotels or BnBs) will get in touch and help you with your arrival and tell you which speedboat to take, most likely they will make the reservation for you.
At that point, if you are comfortable booking directly you can book the rest of your stay directly with the hotel/B&B, and pay possibly $20-$30 less per day. They honor their bookings, I had no problems, I did this once I was there and realized that this was possible.
BEWARE of one thing: Most hotels in the Maldives ask you to pay upon arrival, and unless you want to carry wads of cash, you will have to pay with your credit card and they will charge from 3.5 to 4% to use your card. This applies to Booking.com reservations as well, pay attention. If you are comparing prices, as I do, factor this percentage in. Look to see if breakfast is included as well. No way of getting around this charge, I tried… and tried, and even argued the point with Booking.com as I think that it is unfair to publish a price, when the end price is 3-4% higher.
Had I known that I would feel so safe in the Maldives, I would have brought more cash and paid in cash when I could. (see my notes on cash!)
SPEEDBOATS TO THE ISLANDS transfers to the islands (most have scheduled service) is by speedboats which carry around 30 passengers. You can take ferries, and if you insist, your hotel will provide information on travel by ferry. Ferries are slow and less frequent and don’t keep to a schedule as well. Your speedboat passage will generally run $50. Between smaller islands within an atoll group, expect to spend $10-12.
Getting around seems daunting, until you get there! All of the boats are lined up outside of the airport on a designated dock (and the taxis are lined up on the road alongside the dock area, which is basically just one long jetty.
You will need to get on the list by contacting the “booth” which has service to the island you are going to. Find out which booth by contacting the first place that you will be staying in.
YOUR VISA
You are required to fill out the government form before you arrive and there is a specific window of time - up to 4 days before you arrive.
Tourist Visa - Maldives Immigration information page Tourist Visa Maldives
Visa Application IMUGA VISA APPLICATION
You will be required to show the Q code which will be provided by your first hotel, which will be given to you probably 2 days before you arrive. I found the whole process pretty easy. You really will need an Iphone to do this easily, and to stay in contact with your hotel to arrange pick up at the port. I found that all the hotels have a very efficient pick up service by normally, electric vehicles a bit larger than a golf cart or a 3 wheeler!
Overnighting near the airport or Male’:
I did not need to overnight on the way there. My choice for overnighting on the way back was “Sunny Canopy” a new hotel about 15 minutes from the airport which advertised a $10 shuttle back to the airport. Beware, I did have to insist. To get there I used an App that was recommended to me and it worked well. The hotel messaged me that they could provide a RT airport transfer for $40. I reminded them that they advertised a $10 drop off, and I got it.
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I am pleased to help people find their way to this wonderful destination which until now was considered only a luxury destination staying in overpriced, sterile private islands in “over the water bungalows”. There is so much more!
