Maldives local island or resort: how to choose your stay

The Maldives used to mean one thing: an expensive resort on its own island. Today you can also stay in a guesthouse on an inhabited local island, live alongside Maldivian families and spend much less. Both are beautiful. They are simply very different holidays, and choosing the wrong one is the most common regret we hear from travellers.

Two kinds of island

A resort island is a private island with one hotel on it. Everything is inside the resort: restaurants, the beach, water villas, the spa and the dive centre. A local island is an ordinary inhabited island with a town, a mosque, schools and a harbour, where guesthouses and small hotels have opened for visitors.

On a resort, you are mostly on holiday from the country. On a local island, you are visiting it.

Getting there: speedboat or seaplane

Almost everyone lands at Velana International Airport, next to Malé. From there, your transfer depends on how far away your island is.

• Speedboat: used for local islands and for resorts in the nearer atolls. Quick, simple and usually the most affordable option. The sea can be choppy, so bring motion sickness tablets if you need them.
• Seaplane: used by many resorts in more distant atolls. The flight is spectacular, but seaplanes only fly in daylight, so a late arrival can mean a night in or near Malé first.
• Domestic flight plus speedboat: some far-off islands combine the two.

Ask about transfer times and costs before you book. At some resorts the transfer is a large part of the total price, and it affects how much of your first and last day you actually spend on the beach.

Local customs on inhabited islands

The Maldives is a Muslim country, and local islands follow local norms. For many Bangladeshi travellers this feels familiar and comfortable.

• Dress modestly in the village, with shoulders and knees covered.
• Bikinis and similar swimwear are only for designated bikini beaches, which are set apart from the village. Not every local island has one.
• Alcohol is not available on local islands. It is only served on resort islands.
• Life slows down around prayer times and on Fridays, when some shops and cafés close for a while.

Guesthouses usually arrange snorkelling trips, sandbank picnics and sometimes dolphin cruises, so you still get the lagoon, just with more local character and simpler rooms.

Which suits you?

Couples and honeymooners

If privacy and a water villa are the dream, a resort is worth it. Some couples split the stay: a few nights on a local island to explore, then a resort to finish. It also pairs well with a few days in the hills first, as in our Sri Lanka and Maldives trip.

Families

Resorts with a kids' club, family rooms and a shallow lagoon are the easiest choice with young children. Local islands can work well for families who like a calm, modest atmosphere and don't mind fewer facilities.

Travellers on a budget

A local island guesthouse gives you the same clear water for much less than a resort. You'll pay for excursions separately, and you'll eat at local cafés rather than buffets, which many people end up enjoying more.

Before you book

1. Check how your island is reached and how long the transfer takes on your arrival day.
2. Read what's included. Meal plans at resorts vary widely, from breakfast only to all meals.
3. On a local island, confirm there is a bikini beach if that matters to you.
4. Check the entry rules. The Maldives has generally been straightforward to enter for Bangladeshi passport holders, but a confirmed booking, a return ticket and an online traveller declaration are usually asked for, and requirements can change.

Decide what kind of days you want first: the island will follow.

Softway Travels can help you weigh the options, compare resorts and guesthouses for your dates and book the island, transfers and flights together. Start with our Maldives package, and we'll check the current entry rules when you book.