How to relax on Maldives only for $1000 for tourists from Ukraine? Eeeeeassssy!
Yes, usually you see $2500-4000 prices for the Maldives package, and it seems it’s too expensive and non-accessible. But it’s not! 
First of all, I advice you to subscribe to some groups and discount sources on Facebook like TripMyDream, Live4travel, Lowcostavia, Мандруй дешевше, etc. On the one of these sources I found great discount to the Qatar Airways flight from Kyiv to Male. By using scyscanner.ru (there is an option to view all month prices there) I chose convenient dates in economy class for only $630 round trip (compared to the standard price of 1000-1200$). Flight duration is 4-5 hours in average from Kyiv to Doha (transit in Qatar) and Doha-Male. There was even cheaper flight with the transit in Dubai and Colombo, but, in my opinion, 1h-transit is not enough, you could miss your next flight. Moreover, using the same Company for both flights means you don’t care about your baggage transit, that is very good.
Second, of course, we haven’t searched resorts islands, but guesthouses, that are much cheaper. Our Malas Island view proposed us 244$ for 8 nights with no meals, per head and local taxes were included to this price. And the conditions and facilities were pretty good!
And yes, about the local tourist taxation. Each hotel and guesthouse charges additionally VAT 12%, $3-6 per head for the environment protection and something like service charge of 10% (like tips in the restaurants and cafes). Such service is already included to the receipts, so there is no need to leave tips.
We chose the island to visit - Fulidhoo, it’s a bounty-island, like from the famous commercial, 4-h ferry boat trip from Male, cause we didn’t want to have a vacation in a crowded place, like Maafushi. If you want so, you can go there and you’ll find a lot of entertaining possibilities like speedboats, disco, sandbanks trips, hydro cycles, night shows etc. We wanted peace and relax.
And it was also important, that we could use cheap boats called “ferry” to Fulidhoo for only $3.5 per person.
Our guesthouse proposed only $180 ($244 with the taxes) per head for the whole vacation, there is a bikini-beach on Fulidhoo (a special place you can wear a swim suit; usually, on the local islands, it’s prohibited to use swim suits in public places on Maldives due to their religion), there was a kitchen in a guesthouse, so you can cook by yourself, and this is cheaper than eating in the restaurants)), it had good references. And just because it’s local island, there were some shops, a small clinic, diving center, souvenirs shops. You can order fishing trip (as we had), snorkeling, diving, etc. The local diving club works under PADI certification.
And like in all Maldives, pork and alcohol is strictly prohibited. You should be aware of it.
All Europeans like Fulidhoo, we met a lot of Italians, Romanians, Germans.
The mornings are amazing on Fulidhoo, at 7 a.m. you are the single owner of the beach)))) till 10 a.m., but even after that not more than 10-15 people over there from the nearest guesthouses. It was in February.
It’s a pity, we haven’t met manta rays and whale sharks, cause now they are located mostly around Baa Atoll. Good to know for the next trips! And the right time to see them is a rain season from May to November.
The locals are very hospitable! All of them know English very well, they learn it from the childhood.
No crimes, peaceful and nice. For the whole island it’s just 3 bicycles, no cars at all. Just a small village with 3 streets! ))) It’s just 200x500 sq.m. island!
You can enjoy the small show from the locals in the evening.
All fruits are from Thoddoo island, other food is imported from Sri Lanka.
Just for you to know!
I think our vacation was fully successful! We received almost all we wanted - 26 degrees ocean, a lot of sun, morning and evening swimming, peace, relax, great nature… you need to see and feel it! Definitely!
It was my dream to visit Maldives, and I’m glad I fulfilled it!
As for 1-person cost:
Airplane tickets Kyiv-Doha-Male-Doha-Kyiv - $630
Guesthouse, 8 nights, taxes included, no meals -$244
2 nights on Male - $69
Ferry boat Male-Fulidhoo-Male - $7
Snorkeling trip - $50
Total - $1000
If I’ve missed something, just ask me))) I had a lot of impressions, something could be forgotten!))
