MALDIVES DAY 1 | WORLD BIGGEST UNDERWATER RESTAURANT AT A 5 STAR RESORT

The Maldives is a fascinating country to travel to independently, not least because it’s only been possible to do so for the past five years. Now, guesthouses are springing up on local islands on a seemingly monthly basis, offering budget travellers an affordable way to explore the country.

And, in many ways, travelling on a budget in the Maldives is far superior to staying in one of the luxury resorts. Each resort is built on its own island, isolating you from the rest of the country so you never get a chance to experience local life. Staying on the local islands has given me an insight into life in the Maldives that very few people have experienced so far.

But things are changing rapidly.

The number of guesthouses on some of the more popular islands are doubling each year as more and more travellers turn up in search of paradise on a budget. On one of the islands I visited, Dave and I were the only tourists — we had every beach to ourselves! I suspect this won’t be as commonplace five years from now.


Tourism in general is relatively new to the Maldives. The first resort opened in 1973 and for thirty years, the only way to visit as a tourist was via these expensive island resorts.

Seven years ago, however, the government changed its regulations to allow guesthouses to open on the local islands. For the first time, tourists were allowed to stay with locals and gain an insight into Maldivian life. At present, many budget travellers remain unaware that it’s possible to do this.!