Friends Reveal How They Spent 7 Days in 'Unaffordable' Maldives on a Budget

If you thought that Maldives was a place only the rich could enjoy, you're wrong. Two friends from the United Kingdom proved that this paradisiacal archipelago of tropical islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean can be a destination on any budget, as long as you're willing to sacrifice some of the luxury.

Read more: Tips on How to Travel on a Budget

In an April post shared on TikTok under the username @okay.kara.travels, Welsh content creator Kara Wildbur, 23, explained how she and her friend Tasha managed to stay a week in the Maldivian islands while spending less than $500 each.

The caption says: "Did you know you can travel The Maldives on LESS THAN £50 ($63.50) a day. I've also included a full breakdown of what we spent today & tips on using the local ferries!"

While on a trip to Sri Lanka, Wildbur and her friend made a weeklong stop in the Maldives, setting themselves a budget of no more than $600 each for the whole week. Not only did they manage to make it work, but they spent even less than what they had planned.

Read more: Best Ways to Use Credit Card Points or Miles

Wildbur told Newsweek that in contrast with the Maldives' luxury resort islands, the local islands offer great alternative accommodations, including beachfront hotels like the one they stayed at for £28 ($35) per night, including tourist tax and breakfast.

Upon landing in the capital city of Malé after 24 hours on a plane (the flight's price was not included in the budget), the two friends boarded a local ferry for about $1 per person to reach the first island they visited, Thulusdhoo, located two hours away from the capital, before going to Dhiffushi, a short ferry ride away.

On both islands, they were able to eat all kinds of local food, including curries, rice and rotis, for about $8 to $9 per meal, including soft drinks.

Read more: Compare the Best Rewards Credit Cards for Travel

While the local islands are a fraction of the cost of private resorts, there are some restrictions for tourists, which are not present on the resort islands. In this predominantly Muslim country, it is illegal to drink alcohol, so you can't buy it anywhere on a local island or bring it in from anywhere else.

"Personally, we were not bothered because it meant it was actually a really relaxing holiday," Wildbur said. "We were able to just switch off and relax, have an early night, wake up early in the morning and enjoy the beautiful surroundings, but that can be a downside to some people."

Tourists are also required to dress modestly on a local island, unless you're at a bikini beach, which is becoming increasingly common on the local islands.

Despite these restrictions, which didn't bother Wildbur and Tasha in the slightest, the local islands offer much of the same activities you can find in the resorts, including diving, snorkeling, water sports and tours to private islands.

"We did a couple of tours, like Jet Ski and private island, where it was just me and Tasha on a deserted island, which was a really fun experience. My favorite tour was swimming with the sharks," Wildbur said.

The extra activities cost Wildbur and Tasha a total of £116 per person ($147), making it their biggest expense on the islands.

"You could easily do a long trip of a month or two," Wildbur said. "There's so much to see on each island. The locals and everyone there were so friendly and very very respectful. We had no problems whatsoever.

"Go and be open-minded, but don't expect luxury. You're not paying for luxury, you're paying for the budget experience," she said.

The video quickly went viral on TikTok, with over 3 million views and 337,100 likes.

One user, Kiri Hughes, commented: "I've always wanted to go to the Maldives, but unaffordable until now."

Smurg said: "I've only ever done Maldives in the super expensive fancy way but this video kinda made me want to go budget style. You made it look so nice!"

FdoNB wrote: "I'm just back from the Maldives and we were over £10k, only 5 nights as well."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.