Maldives is the definition of paradise to many with its turquoise water, white sandy beaches, and abundant sea life. Little known to the world until the 1970s, its resort islands are now world-famous and attract tourists from all over the world. Before 2009, people can only stay on resort islands, but now you can stay on local islands as well.

As a Muslim country, there a few rules that you should be aware of but the internet has blown a few points out of proportion. Having stayed on the island of Gaafaru with Mirian Sky Hotel for 6 days, I came to learn a few things as well as bust a few myths, the first being that you can have a budget holiday in the Maldvies! So here are the 7 things to expect when visiting a local island in Maldives:

Maldives Local Islands, What to Expect

1) It’ll take money or time to get there

The Gorgeous blue sea near Gaafaru – photo from the public ferry!

Unless you are staying close to the capital, otherwise you’d have to splash some dosh and or time to get around. Maldives is one of the most dispersed countries in the world, with 289 square kilometers of land but only just over 200 inhabited islands.

You can get the local ferries, which are fairly cheap, from Male Ferry Terminal, however, these can take from 30 minutes to 14 hours depending on your destination. The slight more expensive option is by speed boat, which 1/3 the time but costs more and of course, there are seaplanes.

Speedboat is a fast but costlier alternative

For example, for me to reach the island of Gaafaru, it’d take three hours on one daily ferry that cost 5 USD. But if I pay 200 USD per boat for a speed boat, it’ll only take an hour.

I’ve talked to a traveler who took a 14 hour night ferry to one of the far-reaching islands to see the bioluminescent planktons. It cost him 900 rufiyaas as opposed to almost 500USD on seaplane.

2) Designated bikini beaches and cover-ups outside of it

Chilling on our own private beach

A lot of people aren’t aware or forgets that Maldives is a Muslim country. How does it affect us? You might ask. It is forbidden for one to wear swimwear only outside of designated bikini beach on a local island. While it’d be respectful to cover your shoulders and knees as well, the rules regarding this to foreigners are much slacker and you are only required to cover up.

This goes for both male and female. I tried to at least cover up my knees or shoulders if I can.

3) A slower pace of life and spontaneity

Everything it’s more relaxed in Maldives!

Having only stayed at Mirian Sky Hotel on Gaafaru, I’m not 100% sure this applied to every island. However, things were definitely more relaxed and spontaneous on the local islands. Whatever we wish to do is decide a night before or the morning of the day, and we were often surprised with a side trip along the way.

Take my first day, for example, I was only under the impression that we were going turtle snorkeling but we ended up visiting a sandbank and having a BBQ lunch on a local island as well! And that night, they decided to host a sunset beach dinner for all of us – talk about spontaneity!

4) Colorful houses

Only one of the many colorful houses around Gaafaru

Believe it or not, Maldives isn’t all blue and white. Nor is the overwater villa the prettiest building in the country.

Truth be told, I had zero ideas of what the local island architecture would look like, but I certainly didn’t expect it to be so colorful.

Orange + Green + Pink = perfection!

Freshly painted with vivid colors, the houses range from lilac to turquoise to orange, each with its own style and gorgeous window frames.

5) Jorli

A communal hangout with Jorli and Jorli fithi on Gaafaru

One of my most favorite things about the local islands are their Jorli. Jorli is the word for the netted, metal frame chairs that either form a row (Jorli fithi) or hang on a tree like a hammock. The Jorli fithi are sort of the equivalent to park bench, often found outside people’s home and in open spaces for people to sit and chat. They also double up as drying racks nicely.

6) “Tray”

The ingredients for this “tray”

Analogous to the Indian Pann, I had never seen this interesting alternative to chewing gum before. Called “tray” in Maldivian (I failed to understand or write down its Maldivian pronunciation), it’s a quite common after meal addition. It involves rolling up a betel leave with areca nut, Hera Panna powder, clove, and cardamon inside and chewing it. You are supposed to eat it, but the areca nut has the consistency of wood so I ended up secretly spitting them back out… The taste wasn’t unpleasant, though it did feel like I was eating soap. However, it is extremely effective in cleansing the mouth odor.

7) Friendly local and curious children

This lovely girl came up to say hi to me – twice!

Perhaps it was because I was one of the only few tourists on the island, but the local children love running up and saying hi to me whenever I walked around Gaafaru. A family had invited me to take a selfie together, a little girl had gifted me with handfuls of shells, and one toddler ran up to say hi to me twice as I walked down the street. Most of the locals are extremely friendly, pointing me back towards my hotel when I was lost.

In fact, I had never been to a place where I felt safer! Pin this article for later!

The post 7 Things to Expect When Visiting Maldives Local Islands appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

This beautiful country is all about the turquoise water, white sandy beaches, and tropical sea life. You’ll love all the adventures in the Maldives you can find. Many people consider it their dream vacation destination, imagining days laying around the white, sandy beaches and turquoise water.

While some only see this as a luxury honeymoon location, staying on the local island is altogether a different experience and one that is more affordable and perhaps cultural. I stayed at Mirian Sky and through them, got to try all these incredible adventures that I’ll always remember.

Tips Before You Go:

• We highly recommend Kiwi for finding the best possible flights to the Maldives. Compare the different routes and prices on their site.
• The Maldives is warm all year round, so you’ll be sure to want to dress for it! Check out our favorite summer essentials here.
• Yes, you do need a visa to visit! iVisa makes it super easy to figure it all out.
• Since these are all the best adventures in the Maldives, you’ll want to get travel insurance just in case something goes wrong. We LOVE World Nomads, and it’s the most recommended company around.
• For even more tours in the Maldives, we use Viator. Check here for all their available activities.

Adventures in the Maldives at Mirian Sky Hotel

1. Turtle Snorkelling

Can you spot the turtle? They do camouflage well!

Turtles are one of the big three, along with shark and mantas, that people want to see in Maldives. And these adorable green mammals are much easier to find. We were brought to one of their frequent sighting spot to snorkel and saw a total of four turtles during our hour-long snorkel. They were friendly enough to let you swim alongside them.

A still extracted from one of my video – the turtle coming up for water!

Turtle spotting aside, there are some wonderful fauna and corals to be seen at the spot. Picnic Island and its surrounding sea are brimming with sea life and we saw a turtle there, too (as well as an octopus!).

2. Dolphin Safari

A pod of dolphins swimming alongside our speedboat

By luck, we stumbled into a pod of Sharp Tooth dolphins on our way to a shipwreck and they cruised with us for a while. Though we didn’t manage to snorkel with them as they swam too fast, we got very close on the speed boat. Smaller, darker with a pointier beak than the bottle-nose dolphins, there were almost twenty in this pod. During one of our attempts to swim with them, we heard their sonic communication – which was an experience in itself.

3. Sand Bank Visit

One of the things that I had seen of Maldives before my visit was a drone video of the couple on a deserted sand bank. Needless to say, I was excited to visit one. A natural body of sand that congregated by the way of waves and currents, the sand bank we visited was made of broken corals. Combined the white sand with azure and turquoise water and you have paradise!

4. Shipwreck Snorkelling

Anchor point shipwreck!

There are numerous shipwrecks around Gaafaru Island and Anchor Point is the closest one that happened 150 years ago. The only visible sign of it above the water is a single metal rod that reaches above the sea level, but the underwater world is something else entirely.

Claimed by nature, the shipwreck is now a haven for fishes and other sea creatures. You can still make out the top part of the ship and its rough shapes, though in many parts it’s already overgrown. I was surprised at how many sea lives there are – nature will always find a way!

5. Sunset Dinner by the Beach

Nightly sunset view from the bikini beach

Given the romantic setting as well as the beautiful sceneries, it would be a shame if you don’t enjoy a sunset beach dinner. A surprise by our lovely host at Mirian Sky Hotel, the eight guests were treated to a sunset dinner at the bikini beach of Gaafaru. With the sun setting behind us, I shared one of the most romantic moments in my life with two German sisters and our lovely host.

Buffet dinner by the beach!

Served buffet style, we had some fish from the line fishing as well, which leads to my last item on this list…

6. Line Fishing and Eating Your Catch

Speeding off to the sunset to fish!

If you have never fished before, you must try line fishing! I had very little faith in my fishing abilities, however, aside from failing to cast the line, I was able to catch two fish by myself. Done in the evening and twilight hours, line fishing is a delicate act of knowing how much you should release the line and play tug-of-war with the fish.

Freshly caught and cooked by the chef at Mirian Sky

We caught eight in total, not counting an accidentally nurse shark (we let it go, of course). Which was cooked for dinner that night!

Where to Stay in the Maldives:
Mirian Sky Hotel on Gaafaru

The exterior of the hotel!

I spent a week at Mirian Sky Hotel in the Maldives. A three and a half hour ferry from the capital Male or an hour on a speed boat, Gaafaru is a small, unspoiled fishing village with a population of just over one thousand.

If you want to experience a local island in peace and quiet with friendly staff and excellent service, then you are in the right place.

The two-floor hotel is modern, clean and has all the basic amenities. The hotel isn’t very big, which is nice and peaceful, and the reception area is the same as the dining room. There’s a small outdoor patio with a place to wash sand off your feet.

Here’s a quick video of the hotel as well as my room:

The air conditioning works perfectly, the room is clean and well equipped with a mini-fridge, LCD TV, wardrobe, vanity table and chair, double bed. The bathroom, standard of many South-East Asia countries, consist of a shower with no curtain or stand.

The room is spacious and nice!

There’s also a fan if you aren’t cool enough! I enjoy my room so much that I end up staying in and watching a movie from my hard-disc in the evening. I am anti-social, I know.

View from the balcony

While the room has a balcony that does face the sea, you won’t use it much as it’d put you in direct sight of the mosque.

My welcome lunch!

The food, prepared by the chef Mohammed, exceeded my expectations. I had pancake, omelet, and toasts for breakfast, there’s also tea, coffee, and cereal, too. He will literally make you anything you want and does the best salad! Lunch and dinner usually consist of salad or pasta with chicken or fish. Though you can get authentic Maldivian food, fried rice or noodles etc as well.

Everyone at Mirian Sky is friendly and did their best to take care of me and make sure my stay was great, as they do with all the other guests!

Now that I’ve finished gushing, here’s some nitty gritty info:

• Shower gel and shampoo are provided, as well as towel and beach towel.
• You have free use of bikini beach and their sun bed and umbrella. However, the beach is not on the doorstep and requires a five-minute walk or so. You will have to cover up your bikini or swimsuit as well since it is a local island.
• The WiFi is very weak and glitchy. It only works on one device at a time but does work all over the island. I recommend that you get a SIM card if the internet is essential to you.
• Its proximity to Male is a huge bonus. The choice of cheaper daily public ferry if needed is a superb option. However, the fact that it’s opposite a mosque opposite means you’ll hear it every morning at 5 am.

Pin “Adventures in the Maldives” for later!

The post 6 Things to Cross Off your Bucket List in the Maldives appeared first on Hippie In Heels.

This post is from another travel blogger who had a destination wedding in Bali then started a 6 month backpacking trip with her new husband, choosing to honeymoon in the Maldives. I know a lot of people would love to do something like this so I asked her to share a little bit about how she chose to do this, what she packed, and where she stayed. So, here’s Kim to share her story on how to honeymoon while backpacking.

Let’s start with a quick introduction of how we got to where we are today. This crazy adventure started back in 2008. I, Kim from Tennessee, went to Australia, for a 3-month working holiday. Soon afterwards, I met Rob. Fast and furious style, we fell in love and decided to tie the knot that year.

Residing in Australia until 2015, we decided 2016 was our year. We’d explore the world before moving back to the States to be closer to my family. We had 12-months up our sleeves and decided to extensively travel Asia. Not only is the region more budget friendly, but we also felt it’s a great area to travel whilst we’re still relatively young. We find it takes a bit more patience and some compromises. We’d start in Hawaii (a bit out of the way, but we had to get Rob’s visa for the USA sorted). From there, the plan was to head to the Philippines and continue through Southeast Asia for 6-months. Then, we’d head west to India and Nepal, before making a loop back through Malaysia and Indonesia. And finally a brief stint back to Australia. Woo hoo! Exciting times ahead!

How to honeymoon while backpacking

Knowing we’d be visiting Sri Lanka and India, Rob and I were debating on whether to visit the Maldives. Of course, it’s beautiful, but it was quite a bit more expensive than the rest of the places we were budgeting for. But then, we had a lightbulb moment. Aha! We’d not only visit the Maldives, but we’d go there for our honeymoon! And since it would be half way through our trip, what better time to celebrate.

Sure, maybe it sounds cliche, but how can you go wrong with a honeymoon in the Maldives? After living out of a backpack for the last 6-months, it was time for a bit of luxury. I mean, check out my original packing list

I AM NOT THE SAME HAVING SEEN THE MOON ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD. -MARY ANNE RADMACHER

We looked at visiting a local island; after all, we love travelling like a local. The accommodation looked brilliant and the reviews were fantastic. And this is exactly how we would have travelled had it not been our delayed honeymoon.

Long story short, we never had a proper getaway after our wedding. Rob was working on a big project and was unable to have any time off. Don’t get me wrong; we had a beautiful, intimate wedding in Bali, Indonesia. Lucky for us, Rob was working there at the time, so it just made sense. With only 4-guests (Rob’s family), there was absolutely no stress. We were just able to make a lifetime commitment to each other in a wonderful, relaxed environment! As for my family, they definitely would have made the trip from the States if I wanted them to. But as I’m so practical, I told them not to worry, and we’d come to visit in a few months and have a wedding party Stateside. That was also the first time they met my new husband, but hey, that’s a different story…

The next day after the wedding we were off to Jakarta. And for anyone that’s been, you know it’s not exactly the type of place for a honeymoon. In fact, much to our surprise, our room had two single beds nailed down to the floor on opposite sides of the room. Sweet!

In reality, I’m super practical so I was never fussed about a honeymoon. Though my dad gave Rob advice that I’d say that now, but in 20 years, I’d be complaining. So we thought it best to rectify the situation.

And of course, there was no better time than now! Like anyone, I wanted our honeymoon to be special. Though after wearing the same underwear for 6-months, it was time to treat myself to a few new things. I had to keep in mind I’d be carrying them in my backpack for the following 4-months post our honeymoon. So, I had to ensure they were both light and small enough to fit in my bag too.

Packing for a honeymoon while backpacking

So, here’s what I ended up splurging on:

• Bikini Top– ($29) I†started our trip with two. One was reversible so it was a two-for-one deal, except the base colour was white (oops, silly me). So, after 6-months with it, it was time for a new top. In Sri Lanka at the time, I waited until we hit the southern beaches to find something spectacular. Much to my surprise, the beaches weren’t like back home, and I couldn’t find swim options with ease. So, when we got back to Colombo, it was on. I went to two malls and was lucky enough to find one shop with swimsuits. And even luckier to find an Aussie Swim Store. And they even sold separates, which was great as my black bottoms would match back to everything. I tried on every single top in the shop (no exaggeration). And I finally decided I needed some sparkly leopard print in my life.And as tacky as that sounds, it really does look amazing on if I say so myself, haha.

• Dress– ($22.50) Score! I picked up this one on sale at Urban Revivo in China. At the time I bought it we hadn’t yet decided if we were going to go the guesthouse or the resort route. So I bought something versatile that could be worn in either a conservative or modern setting. And we all know, black is a girl’s best friend. This dress is no exception, with the off the shoulder cut with embroidery detail, flows sleeves, and baby doll fit. The photo just does not do it justice!

honeymoon LBD

• Eyeliner– ($9) I only packed minimal makeup for my year long trip. I can’t leave the house without mascara. And between my[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
  [easyazon_link identifier=”B00GLO6OYA” locale=”US” tag=”Hipinhee-20″]NARS Multiple[/easyazon_link] and lipgloss, I’m pretty much set for any occasion. But, for my honeymoon I wanted to add a different dimension, and I knew the eyes were the way to go. I opted for a green gel colour, and it was great to see my eyes pop again!

• Hat– ($4) There was no way I was wearing my dorky purple Kathmandu safari hat on my honeymoon. And my knockoff Adidas visor wasn’t going to make the cut either. So, I had to invest. In the fort area of Galle, Sri Lanka, I found the perfect straw hat at a rock bottom price, so I was set!

• Necklace– ($8.50) For those of you that don’t know me, I’m a dog lover through and through. Whilst travelling these 12-months, our two dogs are waiting for us to return home to Australia. Then, we’ll make the big move to the States. In Sri Lanka, they have a shop called Embark. The store’s mission is to save Sri Lanka’s street dogs. I was in love! So I bought a necklace to accessorise and saved a dog at the same time! OMG – it was the best!

• Sandals– ($1.50) For a girl that went from over 100 pairs of shoes (not joking) down to three, a new pair of shoes was a must. Luckily I found a great pair of jelly type sandals with a bit of bling on clearance. Gosh, I love a good bargain!

• Sarong– ($3.50) When the lady at Unawatuna Beach approached me, I was sold! The hard part was just in deciding which one. I finally decided the blue would match the colour of the crystal blue waters in the Maldives, and was stoked with my decision.

• Shellac Pedicure– ($10.50) You can only imagine how bad my feet needed this after 6-months on the road. Hiking, camping, beaching enough said! This was one of the best splurges on my list. My only regret is not doing it sooner ;)

• Sunglasses– ($1.50) There is a wonderful store in China called MiniSo. This shop is like a trendy accessories dollar store. Seriously, everything is on point (from creative home necessities to cute Panda eye masks) but costs you hardly anything. I fell in love with my $1.50 sunglasses and have never looked back.

GRAND TOTAL = $90

Oh, in case you’re wondering, I did look for some nice panties or lingerie. But, I didn’t like what I found or it was very expensive, so I skipped it. After all, Rob wouldn’t be seeing it on me for long anyways *bow-chica-wow-wow* Haha, sorry – I know, I know, TMI!

Where to stay in Maldives for a honeymoon

When we landed in the Maldives, I felt like a “Bond girl” as we walked from the runway to speedboat. And the next 7-nights at Eriyadu were pure heaven. Well, there were a few hiccups.

It rained most the time and Rob lost his wedding ring (for real – how’s the irony!) But hey, those imperfections are what makes it perfect, right.

And I’m sure it would have been just as wonderful without my new gifts to myself. But it was nice to go shopping and get pampered, so what better excuse to do it than for my long awaited honeymoon!

For anyone on the road, looking to celebrate that special commitment you’ve made to your partner – CONGRATS! The Maldives really is a wonderful place to do it! Eriyadu was perfect, as it was reasonably priced ($2,300 for 7-nights plus the speed-boat transfers for $330) and absolutely beautiful! So, for less than $350/night we had a deluxe room with breakfast, lunch and dinner, all-inclusive drinks & snorkelling gear.

Rob also spoiled me with the most expensive massage I’ve ever had ($120 of pure bliss) and we went diving with sharks ($350). The entire experience was unforgettable!

Do you have a backpacker honeymoon story to tell? I’d love to hear it!

Kim is a freelance writer and the Co-Founder of Simply Travelled. Simply Travelled is a travel blog that encourages people to take a LEAP! An adult gap year, career break, sabbatical – call it what you will. Despite her klutzy nature, she believes life is all about balance. Being the recipient of so much generosity to date, Kim wants to pay it forward, by offering her top travel tips and advice to everyone interested keen on travelling. You can connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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