Thought you needed to be rich for a holiday in the Maldives?
Think again.
Kara Wildbur reveals that her travel firm, Say Yes Adventures, offers a nine-night package break in the Indian Ocean paradise for as little as £1,099 – about the same as a seven-night holiday to Marbella in a three-star hotel (£1,124 in July).
And here, Kara, whose TikTok travel videos have snared her 133,000 followers, also reveals top tips for making any trip to the Maldives budget-friendly, having successfully enjoyed a trip on the cheap there herself recently.
The common Maldives booking mistake
Kara tells MailOnline: ‘People wrongly assume that their trip to the Maldives needs to be expensive – when it doesn’t! If tourists book their Maldives trips through [regular] package-holiday websites, they’ll only see resort islands (which are very expensive).’
Instead, Kara recommends heading to the local islands, but notes that travellers booking stays on these will typically need to research flights, accommodation and transport individually and book it themselves.
She continues: ‘That’s why we started Say Yes Adventures – to offer a budget-friendly package trip to the local islands instead.’
She explains: ‘Our 10-day £1,099 Maldives package includes three local islands, nine nights of shared accommodation in three-star beachfront hotels, 16 bucket-list activities, 12 meals and much more from just £1,099 per person.’
Kara Wildbur (pictured above), who runs Say Yes Adventures, explains how to holiday in the Maldives on a budget
Kara recommends Thulusdhoo island (pictured above) and describes it as ‘famous for surfing’
Kara reveals: ‘[On our trip] I never thought it would be possible and seriously thought we’d “fail” to do it on a budget as soon as we got there. But it was genuinely easier than we ever could have imagined.’
Top tips for sticking to a budget
The travel pro explains: ‘Staying on the local islands gives you a unique opportunity to save money while also experiencing this stunning country.
‘The local islands are a lot more affordable than resort islands and still offer the same white-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters, with the added bonus of being able to experience local Maldivian culture as well.
‘Our Say Yes Adventures group trip includes three beachfront hotels that are just a five-minute walk from the closest bikini beach [beaches on local islands where tourists can wear swimwear]. We were able to have breakfast on the beach every morning and watch the sunset from our balcony – so dreamy!’
Average spend per day
‘Hotels range from £25-£100 ($30-$122) per night, depending on the type of accommodation you book,’ explains Kara.
The travel content creator adds: ‘Meals are around £6 ($7.50) each and there are amazing local food options.
Pictured above is Dhigurah island, one of Kara’s top recommendations
Kara explains that local islands are a ‘lot more affordable’ than resort islands. The travel influencer adds that the local islands have the same ‘crystal clear water’ as the resorts
‘Activities are definitely the most expensive part – usually around £63-£79 ($80-$100) per person – so on days that you’re chilling, you’ll spend very little. But on days where you want to pay for an activity, you’ll be spending a lot more.
‘In order to stick to a stricter budget, we made sure to limit the amount of extra activities we did, which meant we were spending about £35-40 ($43-$50).’
In a TikTok video where Kara shares her budget for a day in the Maldives, the content creator spends £1.77 ($2.22) taking two local ferries from the airport to the island of Thulusdhoo.
She enjoys a Burger King in capital, Male, for just £7 ($8.77) and stays in a beachfront hotel for £28 ($35) per night, which includes breakfast. The traveller then eats a local dinner for just £6.50 ($8.15).
Best islands for first-timers
Kara reveals: ‘The islands we visit and offer tours to are Thulusdhoo, Dhiffushi and Dhigurah. They’re close enough to Male Airport that you won’t need to waste much time getting there – while also being absolutely stunning.
‘Thulusdhoo is famous for surfing and has stunning bikini beaches on the doorsteps of the hotels.
‘Dhiffushi is slightly larger and offers more varied food options and beautiful marine life.
Dhiffushi island (pictured above) has ‘beautiful marine life’, reveals Kara
The travel content creator loves the local islands’ ‘white-sand beaches’ and explains that ‘snorkelling in the Maldives is just on another level’. She’s pictured above on the island of Thulusdhoo
‘We enjoyed multiple trips from Dhiffushi to see sharks, manta rays, sea turtles and more.’
Favourite restaurant
‘Our favourite meal in the Maldives was on Thulusdhoo from a restaurant called Bandaha Cafe’, says the budget traveller.
Kara explains: ‘The entire meal cost us £7/$8.70 per person, which included local Maldivian curries, rice, a roti and a soft drink.
‘I still think about that curry regularly as it was absolutely amazing.’
Where to avoid
Kara warns: ‘As someone who loves adventure and keeping busy – I’d avoid the resort islands on any of my Maldives trips.
‘I’d much prefer to experience local culture by staying on local islands and meeting local Maldivian people.’
Best thing to do
The travel influencer explains: ‘Snorkelling in the Maldives is just on another level to anything I’ve ever experienced before.
‘You can walk out of your hotel and feed stingrays on the beach, spot mini reef sharks from your breakfast table or snorkel with an unbelievably wide range of marine life.
‘We had the best time snorkelling when we were there, so we’ve made sure to include that for our guests too!
‘They’ll be able to spot manta rays, sea turtles, sting rays, coral gardens and hopefully whale sharks!’
Want to find out more about Say Yes Adventures? Check out the website – www.sayyesadventures.com – for more details on trips, or take a look on Instagram – @sayyes.adventures.