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Be My Travel Muse

Solo Female Travel

The Maldives Unlike You’ve Ever Seen it Before: Local Style

12/19/2013 by Kristin 26 Comments

Newlywed couples stroll along white sand beaches, hand in hand.  Their bungalow sits over the water, with bleached white sheets and a dedicated staff who serve them steak dinners, rent them expensive jet skis, and offer them boat trips with other foreign guests.

They spend $3,000 per night on this bungalow, but it’s a once-in-a-lifetime occasion!  Sure, it could be just about anywhere with beautiful beaches (and trust me, the world has more of them than one could ever hope to see), but it’s the Maldives, so it’s exclusive, and out of the reach of most people, right?

What if I told you none of this has to be true?  What if I told you there are locally-owned guesthouses in the Maldives, and it’s entirely possible to go there, even as a solo traveler, and have a completely authentic experience without feeling like the only odd man out without a spouse or boatloads of cash?

Guess what? That’s exactly what I’m telling you.

maldives
This is more reachable than you may think

I had wanted to visit the Maldives ever since I first heard about it.  I knew it was amazing for diving and I had always dreamed of seeing it for myself.  When an email came through for one of the low cost airlines I subscribe to, I realized I could fly over for a couple hundred dollars and booked it without hesitation – I would figure out the rest later.

maldives reef
The reef underneath the jade water

At first I was afraid it would break the bank.  Not only that, I’d be the only solo traveler in a sea of couples.  Then I found something out that changed my perspective completely.

Staying Local 

maldives guesthouse
The garden at my guesthouse

Three years ago, the Maldives opened up the possibility to locals to open guesthouses and welcome travelers to locally-inhabited islands, thereby providing an authentic and budget friendly alternative to resorts. I found this one via Airbnb.

Given it’s still such a small market (the place I stayed at will be fully booked for the first time ever this month, though it’s only three rooms anyway), local tourism in the Maldives is relatively new and provides a great opportunity for travelers who want to experience something more authentic.

blue phytoplankton
More stars than I’ve seen in a while and blue phytoplankton to match

I stayed at a place called the Amazing Noovilu, run by an upbeat and always smiling local named Mazin, with his family providing the rest of the support from cleaning rooms to driving boats to cooking the meals.  The room itself ran $100 per night, though I saw several options on Airbnb for closer to $50, making it a truly budget-friendly way to explore the Maldives.

You can’t be crabby in the Maldives!

Even better than that, Mazin ate each meal with us, which was almost always a traditional Maldivian meal, complete with grilled fish, a delicious bread called roshi, rice, curries, veggies, and lots of tuna.

Mazin’s brother cooking a freshly-caught fish

Awesome almost-private tours

Perhaps the best part of the trip, and what remains the best kept secret on the Maldives at the moment, is how private each tour we did ended up being.  It was typically just myself, Mazin, his brother driving the boat, and the buddy I was traveling with.

kristin addis
Boating it around the Maldives

“We must look like really big deals,” we joked to each other, being driven around in a private boat, just the two of us.  Yet we were paying less for the privilege.

We swam with manta rays and whale sharks, getting the opportunity to stay and float with them as long as we wanted while several boatloads of people came and left, only getting a short glimpse.

Maldives local islands
A stunning sunset

Possibly my favorite thing about the whole experience was getting to dive one-on-one with Mazin.  He rented diving equipment from local sea cucumber fishermen, took me out on the little speedboat, and guided dives in some of the best reefs in this world – all without any other divers around.

Fishing on a local fisherman’s boat under the stars and going to a deserted island while the others stay at the guesthouse were additional cherries on top of an already fantastic trip.

Interacting with the locals

Maldives local islands
A nice haul of tuna – all caught with nothing more than a handline – the policy in the Maldives

Especially moving was the reception from the locals on Mahibadhoo.  When visiting the local outdoor coffee shop (the main hangout for locals), the owner came over twice to make sure the coffee and service was to my liking.

“I told him not to make it too sweet. I used to work in the resorts. I know Europeans don’t like it too sweet,” he said.

Maldives local islands
A local woman in Mahibadhoo out for a stroll

Then there was the encounter with a couple of young local girls outside my garden door, waiting to present me with some gifts – a set of hair barrettes and a pen. It was an incredibly touching gesture (and honestly, I needed a pen! I had misplaced mine).

I couldn’t have expected that this kind of no-frills trip to the Maldives would be so much fun and such a rewarding experience.  I’m glad to know that it’s possible to go and do it local, and to have crossed an item off of the never-ending bucket list.

Do it yourself:

  • This guesthouse can be booked using Airbnb
  • One thing to be aware of is the rules in the Maldives, which are structured according to Islam: no alcohol (it will be a “dry” vacation if you stay on a local island), no bikinis (though once you leave the local islands – on the boat or on private islands, bikinis are fine), and covering up shoulders and knees is pretty much required of females
  • Meals are authentic and local.  This means fish for nearly every meal, though dietary restrictions can be accommodated
  • More airlines are opening up routes to the Maldives via Malé, its capital city. Cheap flights are easy to find if you can be flexible with your dates. November proved to be an excellent month to visit

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Maldives
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I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

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Comments

  1. Kylie says

    12/19/2013 at 7:07 am

    That looks so amazing! I really have fallen in love with you and your blog, I check for updates daily! You have great stories and wonderful off the beaten path information!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/20/2013 at 6:32 am

      Thanks so much Kylie! I try! I really appreciate your kind comment 🙂

      Reply
  2. Pamela says

    12/19/2013 at 6:57 pm

    Wow, I have always put this place at the furthest corner of my mind because I was under the impression of it being expensive and lots of honeymoon couples hanging around. So thank you for making me realise that it is possible to enjoy the beauty of the place and get the authentic feel os the place. 😀 I will put this country in the one of the possible places to go in 2014!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/20/2013 at 6:33 am

      I thought that too but I had always wanted to go there so badly. It’s great that now it’s an option for everyone!

      Reply
  3. Alexandra says

    12/19/2013 at 8:34 pm

    When I was struggling with the heat in India this summer I almost headed to the Maldives but thought there was no way to do it on a budget… If only you had written this earlier 🙁

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/20/2013 at 6:33 am

      Best put it on the list for the future then!

      Reply
  4. Franca says

    12/20/2013 at 2:46 am

    You did it the right way, that’s for sure. After 18 months of traveling I learnt that staying with locals turns out to be always the best option, at least it has been for me so far. You don’t need a 5 stars resort to enjoy a place, thanks for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/20/2013 at 6:33 am

      Completely agreed it’s always the best way to experience a place

      Reply
  5. Queenie says

    12/20/2013 at 5:34 pm

    Thanks for this extremely helpful article. I always wanted to go to Maldives, but had not really planned the trip because I felt it was too expensive and not suitable for a solo traveler like me. But this article changed all that! I can’t wait to share this with my friends!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/20/2013 at 6:23 pm

      glad you found it helpful! Yes, it was really good to find out it doesn’t have to be all couples and honeymooners!

      Reply
  6. Hogga says

    12/23/2013 at 9:56 am

    wow such vivid colours

    Reply
  7. Jamie says

    12/26/2013 at 10:40 am

    This is an experience of my dreams. How amazing to get to experience local activities without it seeming like a show is being put on for you as a tourist. The girls giving you those gifts is just adorable. I could dive into that photo of the reef.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      12/27/2013 at 5:16 am

      I know! I was so touched by that! I love that it doesn’t have to be super expensive too. It was all around perfect.

      Reply
  8. Kadri says

    02/27/2014 at 2:53 pm

    Maldives looks like a perfect place to visit.

    Reply
  9. Kristin says

    04/09/2014 at 12:08 am

    Mazin’s is the only place I’ve stayed, but in this article I wrote for nomadic matt I described, in detail, how to get around the Maldives and a few websites you can use for booking. I’d suggest airbnb which gives you a map view of guesthouses, and then cross referencing with trip advisor: http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/travel-to-the-maldives-budget/

    Reply
  10. paper boat sailor says

    11/07/2014 at 10:33 pm

    I am researching for an article about tourism in the Maldives and this write-up was of great use to me. This beautiful atoll country actually has an immensely troubled political history, and none of its tensions and effects are remotely apparent on the exclusive resort islands–what a pity, right?
    I went to the Maldives for the first time last year, stayed in Male, Maafushi and Addu atoll, and was witness to the daily life in a unique country with a completely absorbing history.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/09/2014 at 11:50 am

      I found out more about that while I was in the Maldives. I think there were protests in Male in the months prior to my arrival. A resort would be pretty, I’m sure, but staying with locals was the coolest experience I could have had.

      Reply
  11. Sarah says

    05/04/2016 at 3:29 pm

    I lived in Maldives for almost a year so can definitely back you up girl! Budget, authentic travel in Maldives IS possible!! Great article, what lovely memories you’ve made. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      05/07/2016 at 12:06 pm

      Wow what a cool experience that must have been!

      Reply
  12. Alex says

    04/12/2017 at 2:51 am

    Hey Kristin,

    If you don’t mind, I’d like to share a list of other nice and peaceful local islands:
    – Rasdhoo;
    – Ukulhas;
    – Mathiveri;
    – Thoddoo;
    – Dhigurah; (All of them in Ari Atoll as Mahibadhoo)
    – Dharavandhoo, Baa Atoll
    – Thinadhoo, Vaavu Atoll
    – Guraidhoo, South Male Atoll

    Reply
    • Ann says

      11/25/2018 at 8:32 am

      How do we find a place to stay in these places please?

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        11/25/2018 at 11:18 am

        I’d check out Airbnb

        Reply
  13. whatthewhatthewhat says

    04/15/2017 at 5:46 pm

    What about gays? Since it’s a Muslim country, I’m assuming if I were to go with my boyfriend, I would have to hide PDA? Which is fine but would be unfortunate.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      04/15/2017 at 11:30 pm

      I can’t answer that from experience but these guys did a pretty good write up on it: http://nomadicboys.com/gay-maldives/
      I generally felt that if I wanted to be totally free, to wear a bikini, drink alcohol, eat pork, etc., I’d need to be on a resort island. When you stay local you accept their rules, which fall under Sharia Law. I think the ideal vacation there would include both local and resort islands.

      Reply
  14. Matt says

    08/20/2019 at 12:05 am

    Maldives is an amazing place that I want to Visit!! Would love to explore it soon! Keep on sharing this kind of blogs…

    Reply

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