'I spent £416 on dream Maldives holiday - it's cheaper than people think' • PressWay • Your Route to Real News

17 April 2024 , 15:06

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Natasha Whitley decided to add a budget trip to the Maldives onto a holiday to Sri Lanka (Image: No credit)

A woman travelled to the Maldives on a budget - spending just £416 for a six-day holiday including food, activities and a room overlooking the ocean.

Natasha Whitley, 28, had planned a trip to Sri Lanka but - having realised the Maldives was just a 90-minute flight away from the south Asian country - she decided make a stop. The Maldives is known for its sandy beaches, turquoise water and stays in its famous water hut resorts that regularly cost thousands of pounds per night.

Instead of staying in the resort islands, Natasha decided to find lodgings on part of the island primarily inhabited by locals where she was able to book a room overlooking the ocean for £25 a night. The local islands, which only opened to tourists in 2009, are less popular as alcohol is banned and only certain beaches allow you to wear bikinis.

Natasha, a pharmacist and content creator from Bournemouth, Dorset, said: "It had always been high on my bucket list but I never thought I would be able to afford it. Since I saw a TikTok about doing the Maldives on a budget, I googled it and looked at what hotels were costing and was shocked at how cheap it was."

Natasha and her friend Kara Wildbur, 23, set off on their travels on April 1 and spent six days in the Maldives before heading to Sri Lanka, where they both are now. They split their time between the islands of Thulusdhoo and Dhiffushi staying in two beautiful beach front rooms at the Beach House by Sii Hotels and the Batutu Surf View Hotel.

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'I spent £416 on dream Maldives holiday - it's cheaper than people think'

Natasha managed to find bargain rooms (No credit)

She enjoyed the beautiful islands on a budget (No credit)

Natasha said: "Rooms on Thulusdhoo and Dhiffushi islands were around £30 a night for a room per person. Ferries and transport were also cheap so it was much more affordable than it looked."

Natasha and her friend took advantage of the cheaper prices and enjoyed lots of activities. They went swimming with sharks for £88 and took a trip to a deserted island for £28, which both included jet ski rides. They also paid a modest £12 each to take a trip to a floating bar, which is common in the local islands as it is illegal to serve alcohol on land.

Natasha said: "We went swimming with sharks and we got an excursion to visit a deserted island. We also took a jet ski ride and spotted dolphins, manta ray, stingray, turtles and flying fish. There is no alcohol allowed due to religious reasons either, so we got a dinghy to a floating bar in the sea too."

Food was also very affordable with a meal costing an average of £7 a day per person with breakfast included with their rooms. The most expensive part of their trip were the flights - from London to Male and then Male to Colombo - which came up to £905.

Natasha and Kara post travel content to their TikTok pages: @okay.kara.travels and @travelsbytash respectively. Natasha has also started running affordable group trips for solo travellers, and has trips planned to Iceland and Costa Rica.