Six-Day-Five-Night All-Inclusive Maldives Trip — Experience Luxury Life for Just 45,000 NTD

Text and Photos /Evan

When it comes to the Maldives, it's probably a place that everyone looks forward to but also fears might hurt their wallets. The anticipation is because it’s truly a dreamy destination, while the fear stems from the worry of seeing your bank account take a serious hit.

Today, we’re going to write a complete guide to help you effortlessly become the envy of everyone as a “fake socialite,” but this guide is relatively simple because traveling to the Maldives independently is really convenient — not difficult at all — so there aren’t many things to watch out for.

Let me first tell you how much our six-day-five-night “fake socialite” independent trip to the Maldives cost us in total — 45,365 NTD, all-inclusive, oh yes!! This includes a seaplane ride (330 USD per person), scuba diving, and a high-end resort (staying three days in both a water villa and a beach villa).

But I heard that the price of the seaplane has gone up, apparently to 350 USD per person now — prices in places like this just keep rising every year — so you definitely should go as soon as possible.

If you have budget concerns, you can choose a resort that doesn’t require a seaplane (some resorts are closer to the capital and can be reached by boat). Your travel costs will instantly drop by around 10,000 NTD, but if you don’t take the seaplane, it’s really a pity, because the scenery is absolutely stunning, and it’s also a very unique experience, so I still recommend giving it a try if you can.

Photos related to the seaplane

Important Notes
Language Used: English
Time Difference: Three hours behind Taiwan, but it varies by island — some are only one hour different.
Best Travel Period: November to April (though when chatting with hotel staff at that time, they mentioned the rainy season isn’t as fixed anymore!)
Currency Used: US Dollars

How to Book Flights

The following are our flight booking suggestions — not necessarily the best way, just for reference.

We booked flights with Scoot, transiting in Singapore. The reason is that Scoot often has promotional tickets to Singapore, no visa is required for entry, and you can even stay in Singapore for a bit to enjoy some local food before heading off.

For accommodation in Singapore, you can stay at 2013 Singapore Seven-Day Tour Day 1 — Changi Airport / Cheap, Comfortable & Clean Beary Best — I quite recommend it.

Based on ticket prices during the same period, you can reach the Maldives for under 15,000 NTD, and the seats on Scoot are pretty spacious too. After arriving in Singapore, the transfer to the Maldives is via Tigerair, which is also pretty good.

With this booking method, you can keep your airfare within about 13,000–14,000 NTD. You can check out more details on the official Scoot website.

Of course, what we have here is just based on normal small promotions — if you catch a big sale, you can even push it under 10,000 NTD.

How to Arrange the Number of Days in Resorts vs. Local Islands and the Required Budget

1. Staying in resorts the entire trip, all-inclusive — approximately 60,000 NTD needed
2. Three days in a resort + two days on a local island: around 40,000 NTD
3. Entire stay on local islands: around 20,000 NTD

How to Get to Resorts and Local Islands and the Related Costs

1. Arriving at the Resort: After reaching Malé, take a 10-minute shuttle bus from the International Arrival Terminal to the TMA Terminal, then wait in the Kuredu Lounge for the seaplane to your resort, Kuredu Island Resort and Spa (the resort where we stayed).
2. From the Resort to the Local Island Maafushi: After returning to the main island, taking a public ferry is cheaper — called Public Ferryboat (90 minutes, 2 USD per person), with two daily departures (morning and evening) to reach the local island Maafushi.

A Brief Introduction to Our Resort

Name of the resort we stayed at: Kuredu Island Resort and Spa　

Note: If you're a honeymoon guest, remember to email the hotel—they’ll prepare special treats for you!

Overwater bungalow costs about NT$12,000 per night (includes three meals but not activities)

This was my first time staying in an overwater bungalow, and it felt magical—the feeling of opening the door straight to the sea was like being in heaven. The emerald-green water paired with champagne, sitting on the wooden balcony and enjoying this view...

All worries just melt away~ And you only need to bring your own snorkeling gear and swimsuit to jump straight into the sea and play with the fish—it’s super convenient~ There are actually many kinds of fish here~

I thought we’d have to go to special spots to see lots of fish, but there were so many adorable fish right beneath our bungalow~ So I think no matter what, you should stay in an overwater bungalow for at least one night to enjoy this tranquility~

You can go snorkeling right off the overwater bungalow balcony

Special treats of champagne and fruit, paired with lounge chairs on the balcony

A whole row of overwater bungalows

Interior photo of the overwater bungalow (the middle features a couple’s T-shirt, only for honeymooners)

Beach bungalow costs about NT$12,000 per night (includes three meals and all activities except scuba diving and SPA)

The last two days were spent in beach bungalows. The beach bungalows are also super beautiful—open the window for an unbeatable ocean view, step outside the door and your feet touch the sand immediately, offering a different kind of charm. You can still jump straight into the sea for snorkeling.

For those who don’t like water activities, you can just wade in the shallows. This time, while I was wading on the beach outside the beach bungalow, a small shark swam right up next to me XD (so cute yet a bit scary),

In the afternoon, you can sit on the balcony daydreaming or sketching? At night, you can sit with your loved one on the balcony counting stars together~ Oh my god, it’s like shooting a Korean drama~ And the rooms are very spacious~ and comfortable too~

Another perk of all-inclusive meals is that you can indulge everywhere XD because you can drink any of the island’s 20+ cocktails, do whatever you want~ (talking about it makes me want to go again~ lol)

View from the beach bungalow window

Open the beach bungalow door to endless sandy beaches paired with emerald-green sea

Interior photo of the beach bungalow + super spacious bathroom~~~~

Dining restaurant

There are three dining spots, each with its own unique style. One of the restaurants even offers a direct view of dolphins leaping, with pleasant scenery and delicious food. The variety is also quite rich—you won’t get tired of the food!

Features and things to note about local inhabited islands

The homestay we stayed at on the inhabited island cost less than NT$1,000 per person per night (there are actually many homestays; you can check reviews online)

Actually, the inhabited island is really beautiful. Just think about it—on the Maldives’ sea, which island wouldn’t be beautiful? The daily sunsets, beaches, and resorts are as charming as anywhere else, and there are also beach candlelit dinners.

On the island, you can also observe some aspects of local life. Since most residents on the inhabited island are Muslim, during my stay I even witnessed the moment when the call to prayer sounded,

and everyone headed to one place to pray together. At that moment, all the residents who were previously playing, chatting, or working on the street put down what they were doing and went in the same direction.

It was really cool!! And the residents on the inhabited island are very friendly, giving off no uncomfortable vibe. Every afternoon you can also see cute kids playing by the roadside, while women chat and relax under their specially made nets—very cozy!

The only thing to note is: bikinis are not allowed on the inhabited island. Because it’s a relatively conservative country!! So definitely don’t wear bikinis there!!

Beautiful scenery on the inhabited island

Our itinerary arrangement and brief introduction

First three days in the resort + last two days on the inhabited island

Day 1: Overwater bungalow

Day Two and Three: Beach Bungalow

Resort Check-in Experience and Available Facilities

This resort gives off an impression of comfort. Its pricing is mid-range among Maldivian resorts. We’ve already introduced the rooms and dining; here’s a brief rundown of what we did on the island.

Actually, we were quite busy on the island because there were so many activities to enjoy. After waking up, we would definitely go snorkeling and swim in the pool. The resort also offers tennis, cycling, and canoeing.

We also made time for a spa session (their spa is really fun—when you’re face down, you can see fish swimming right below you, isn’t that super cool? Guests get one free session).

In addition, one afternoon was dedicated to taking Instagram-worthy photos (so beautiful, it’d be a shame not to!), and in the evening, aside from drinks, there was a special nighttime activity.

That was shining lights into the sea from the dock, which attracts a bunch of sharks and rays swimming right up close—super up-close encounters, very fun indeed. So we were really busy at the resort, and even left on the last day without doing everything. Honestly, you don’t have to worry about getting bored.

Day Four and Five: Local Island

The homestay we stayed at was: Ocean Vista Guest House — less than NT$1,000 per person per night, super affordable.

Itinerary Activities

Upon arriving at the local island, many people join island-hopping tours. But since we’re all getting a bit older XD, we only joined one day of scuba diving and spent the other day on the island enjoying the sea, having a beach candlelit dinner, and just hanging out.

We also observed the locals (haha, it’s really interesting!)

For those choosing to stay on the local island for several days, joining island-hopping tours is a great option. This way, you can visit various resorts in a short time, enjoy their facilities, and then return to the local island for sleep—enjoying breathtaking ocean views without breaking the bank.

A very smart way to travel, indeed.

The rooms on the local island are spacious and clean.

Our Total Expenses and Spending Breakdown Chart

At that time, the exchange rate was 1 USD = 30 TWD.

More Photos

Sunset at the Resort

Resort Beach

Us at the Resort, Just Floating Around All Day and the Endless Infinity Pool

Resort Nighttime Shots of the Sea Where You Can See Rays and Sharks

The Spa Bed at the Hotel with an Underwater View of Fish

Resort Nighttime Poolside Activity Area with Unlimited Cocktails

The Resort Also Includes a Free Evening Boat Trip — the Sunset on the Boat is Absolutely Gorgeous

Sunset on the Local Island

Local Island Beach

Local Island Beach Dinner

Cute Kids on the Public Ferry

Alleys on the Local Island

Pretending to be a resident of the local island — W (those lounge chairs you see everywhere in the alleys)

Real residents XD

Going out for diving

Evangeline-Evan
Hi everyone, I’m Evan. I’m someone who’s timid and easily scared.
But through independent travel, I’ve gradually found my courage.
Each independent trip has helped me discover a different side of myself.
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