We cracked the code for a budget Maldives trip: skipping the resorts for local islands Gulhi and Maafushi. We found the best house reefs, enjoyed nightly shark viewings, and survived a territorial fish attack! This is our full story on local guesthouses, cultural quirks, and the 25-hour flight home.
Our whirlwind trip through Sri Lanka had just wrapped up, and we were trading the tea country and ancient ruins for the most unlikely destination on our itinerary: the Maldives. For years, this spot felt synonymous with luxury resorts—a place we'd never go. But we were determined to prove that this legendary destination could be done right: on a traveller's budget, embracing the local island life. And the Maldives is only an hour-and-a-half flight from Colombo.
This quick, culture-rich stopover was the final moment of tropical bliss before our trip took its most important turn: a 25-hour marathon flight home to meet our brand-new (and first!) grandson. The Pacific was grand, Sri Lanka was wild, but nothing beats that final family destination.
Arrival in Nicola's 110th Country
Leaving Colombo behind, we took an hour-and-a-half flight on the wonderfully budget-friendly Chongqing Airlines (where we were even treated to a sandwich and yoghurt!). Landing here marked Nicola’s 110th country—fittingly, another stunning beach spot, keeping company with the Philippines for her 100th.
Right outside the airport are the speedboat ferries, but our connection was too tight. We booked a required night in Hulhumalé, the man-made island next to the capital, Malé, to align with the ferry schedules. It was a gentle introduction to the islands. We loved the beautiful city beach, were amused by the sheer amount of blonde-specific shampoo at the local grocery store (odd for a country without many blondes!), and caught a stunning sunset. It was the perfect spot to leave our big bags and head out light for the real island experience.
Gulhi Island: Sunburns, Tuna, and a Nightly Shark Show
To avoid wasting a day, we opted for the speedboat ferry to our first island. We returned to the airport from our hotel to catch the ferry. Nicola got into an argument with a Russian man because he was vaping in the waiting area right underneath a No Vaping sign. Vaping is illegal in the Maldives. The boat ride was spectacular, giving us great views of Malé, the smallest capital in the world, which is jam-packed onto its little island—so packed they had to build Hulhumalé just for space.
For five nights, we stayed at the tiny, seven-room Ocean Pearl Maldives guesthouse on Gulhi Island. This local island only has about 900 residents, and tourism was only permitted here starting in 2009. While alcohol is forbidden and modesty is required on public streets, special bikini beaches exist for tourists. Nicola bought long pants, but still managed to burn her butt on day one (luckily, she was wearing a rash vest!), proving the sun here is seriously harsh. She realized quickly that covering up is the best way to dress for burners like her!
This island quickly became a favourite:
- The Quirk: We rented sunbeds for five days and had a daily quest to track down the guy. When Nicola tried to describe him—"ummmm, dark hair, sunglasses..."—the water sports guys laughed and added, "and a beard," since all three of them matched the description!
- Local Life: We saw locals gathering in shady, netted chairs and around a covered area with a communal TV (Nicola wondered if they fight over the remote). The island even had a great kids’ play area and an outdoor gym.
- Food Fun: We learned that "fish and chips" here is actually tuna, a darker fish that was a surprise on first bite!
- A Room With A View: Our room view was affectionately dubbed a "sea view," but you had to look past the open-air soccer game to look through a gap at the sea.
- Nightly Show: The dock area was our evening entertainment. We would grab a spot just before sunset and wait for the stars: every night, tons of sharks and sting rays would cruise in. It was spectacular and made us truly happy that we picked this local island.
The Price of Luxury: A Fish Attack and a Hissy Fit
We knew we couldn't come to the Maldives without seeing what all the fuss was about, so we booked a day trip to the resort island of Vadoo. We paid $145 USD each for the day—a fraction of the $1,000+ it costs to stay overnight.
Despite being very welcome, the day quickly went sideways. I warned Nicola not to stay in the water too long because of her earlier sunburn. She was back in two minutes, and I said to her, "I didn’t mean that short!" Seconds after leaving me, while snorkelling in the shallow, reef-filled water, she felt she was being attacked from behind—and she was! A fish bit her on the back of her calf and upper thigh! It was extremely scary, and we later learned it was a Trigger Fish that was likely protecting its nest. Nicola bravely went back in the water that afternoon, but was certainly on guard for every little thing. She also confirmed that her wounds looked dramatic, but that she's a bit of a delicate flower.
Later, we went for a tour of the overwater bungalows. The resort had organized a buggy, but a Russian lady threw a huge "hissy fit" because she wanted to go first, and in the end, we all had to walk. The rooms themselves were only "ok," and the glass panel on the floor was hard to keep clean from the underside. While the snorkelling was excellent (when not being ravaged), we left happy to be staying on our local island. As a parting gift, we saw a shark jump out of the water and do a flip, confirming the sea life is spectacular right up close!
Maafushi, Farewell, and the Longest Trip To Canada
After five wonderful days, we took the local boat to our second island, Maafushi. This island was noticeably busier, with more tourists and a lot more building going on. We did splurge on a Premium Double Bed Room With Balcony (Sea View) at the Arena Beach Hotel, which offered a lovely view, but the beach and snorkelling weren't quite as good as Gulhi.
The breakfasts were interesting: paneer curry, tuna with coconut and lime, and chicken sausages (no pork here!). We loved seeing the 23-year-old parrot at the restaurant and noticed the servers were often from Bangladesh, since there aren’t enough people to work in the islands. One of the waiters even gave us a fresh coconut on our last day.
On the day we left Maafushi, a huge storm rolled in, and we were wading through 4 inches of water on our way to the ferry terminal. Our final night had to be spent back in Hulhumalé for the flight home. We had to pick up the bags we had left there before our flight back to Canada the next day. Our last supper was a delicious tuna steak for Nicola (had to have one last one) and local kottu for me.
The flight to Canada was a saga. We flew on Emirates from Malé to Dubai, followed by a 15-hour flight to Toronto. Due to a mechanical issue in Dubai and a glycol leak on the gate in Toronto, the already long trip became a gruelling 25 hours. We were exhausted, but the purpose of the marathon journey was waiting.
The Maldives was spectacular, but all good things must come to an end. We arrived in Ontario for the most important destination of all: Grandpa/Lola time with our first grandson! The year isn't over yet, though—we are heading off again soon, with Guatemala next on the list!
