Buzz
Some valuable insights and crucial information for your solo trip
1. Visa
For your Maldives adventure, you don't need to apply for a visa beforehand. It will be granted on arrival with a passport validity of over 6 months. Make sure to have your round-trip flight ticket and hotel booking ready in case of customs inquiry. The visa is valid for 30 days.
2. Hunt for flight tickets
The cheaper your flight tickets, the more you save for your journey. It's advisable to book individual one-way tickets rather than a direct one from Vietnam. Opt for connecting flights through a third country to Maldives for more economical fares. Plus, if you're up for it, take the opportunity to explore another country for a few days during transit. In my recent trip, I booked with Air Asia:
3. Pack wisely
– Round-trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia): approximately 50-60 USD
– Round-trip from Kuala Lumpur to Maldives: 195 USD
3. Find the right resort
When visiting Maldives, spending a day or more at a resort is a must to indulge in their services and the breathtaking scenery.
Before our trip, our group researched several resorts and found one that we really liked, Olhuuveli (4 stars), priced at around 250 USD per day. However, this resort doesn't allow external transportation services, and their transfer fee is higher than the room rate. Ultimately, we opted for Fihalhohi Resort (4 stars) at a slightly higher cost, approximately 270 USD per day. They accept external boat transfers (If you use the resort's boat, they charge 810 USD for 3 rooms, meaning each room would pay 270 USD solely for transportation from the airport to the resort and back).
Filhahohi is located in the southern part of Maldives, taking around 1 hour and 20 minutes to travel from Maldives Airport. Our group chose a twin-bed room to split the costs.
If you want to save money and explore different resorts during the day, you can travel from Maldives Airport to the capital city Malé. It's about a 15-minute ferry ride costing 1 USD. Stay and explore Malé for a day (average room prices range from 60-70 USD and above). Afterward, seek services on the island to visit various resorts, estimating around 60 USD and above. If you're traveling in a group, negotiating might get you a better deal, or you can join existing groups if you're traveling solo or in a smaller party.
4. Negotiate your transportation
The use of the resort's boat is not mandatory and depends on the time and tourist season. Previously, there were groups that stayed at Olhuuveli and were allowed to use external transportation. However, when my group tried to negotiate via email, they immediately declined.
With Fihalhohi Resort, despite numerous email attempts, they did not respond. In the end, we had to make a phone call. They mentioned that the owner would inform us later. Finally, a few days later, they emailed accepting our group's request not to use the resort's boat.
5. Find alternative transportation
You can search and negotiate on inhabited islands like Mafuushi, Guraidhoo, etc. Visit the hotel booking sites of these inhabited islands, send emails to inquire about boat services, or directly call them. It's recommended to negotiate directly as some places quote very high prices, and bargaining is necessary to lower the cost.
Our group rented a boat from Mafuushi Island. They quoted the entire canoe transportation cost from the airport to the resort, from the resort to Mafushi, and from Mafuushi to Malé. The total cost per person was only 52 USD. The whole group was surprised, wondering why the price was so low for such a long distance. Doubts about potential scams and concerns about poor service crossed our minds. However, upon arrival, we found that the boat was of excellent quality. We saved over 200 USD on transportation.
6. Services
There are numerous services in Maldives such as night fishing, snorkeling, turtle watching, observing various marine creatures, dolphin watching, and reef fishing... especially the beaches.
In my opinion, you should choose services on inhabited islands like Mafuushi instead of resorts as prices are much higher there. Check out from the resort and take a boat to Mafuushi for these activities, it's more cost-effective.
In Mafuushi, the lowest room price is around 50 USD, offering a variety of rooms from standard to luxurious. Opt for rooms that include breakfast and dinner, as meals outside can be quite expensive, around 8-10 USD (excluding 22% tax).
Service prices are per person, and the more people, the cheaper it gets. It's best to travel with at least 6-8 people. If you're traveling solo or in a smaller group, consider joining a group that has already registered for the same service.
7. Dining Experience
Apart from hotel dining, explore the local cuisine as the dishes here are delicious and of high quality.
According to Hồ Khánh Toàn/ Zing News
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Reference: Travel guide on Mytour
MytourApril 14, 2017
