{"id":547,"date":"2023-06-18T08:06:39","date_gmt":"2023-06-18T07:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelinguistandthemule.com\/?p=547"},"modified":"2025-02-21T03:30:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T03:30:40","slug":"the-maldives-on-an-idiots-budget-here-are-5-tips-to-help-you-save-money-in-the-maldives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelinguistandthemule.com\/index.php\/2023\/06\/18\/the-maldives-on-an-idiots-budget-here-are-5-tips-to-help-you-save-money-in-the-maldives\/","title":{"rendered":"The Maldives on an Idiot’s Budget: 6 Tips to Help you Save Money in the Maldives!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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If you’re planning to go to the Maldives on an idiot’s budget the way I did, I have 6 recommendations for you that have to do with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Transportation by Ferry<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Transportation by Bus (and Ferry)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Ferry Tickets<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. When to Travel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Money<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Getting Insider Tips<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    1) Transportation by Ferry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Be sure to visit the MTCC (Maldives Transport and Contracting Company) homepage<\/a> and download whatever ferry schedule(s) you need. Doing so will help you avoid the problem I describe below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2) Transportation by Bus (and Ferry)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Be sure to download the RTL Travel App<\/a> so you can get around Mal\u00e9 and Hulhumal\u00e9 (as well as some other islands) by public bus cheaply and efficiently. Prices range from MVR 5 to MVR 10. The app also includes ferry information, but I only used the bus information. You can either buy a ticket through the app or pay as you board the bus with a tap-enabled credit card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3) Ferry Tickets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    If you take a ferry ride that includes a same-day stopover (in other words, if you are traveling from A to B and later that same day from B to C), tell the ticket seller on the first boat that your destination is C, not B. That will save you money, since you only pay for A to C, rather than A to B and B to C! There were only two prices for all of the ferries I took: either MVR 22 for a short ride or MVR 53 for a long(er) ride. You can’t beat those prices!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4) When to Travel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Travel in the off-season, which is May to August. I went in June and loved it. Supposedly, the off-season is “monsoon” (rather than “rainy”) season, which implies there will be tons of rain. In reality, at least on this occasion, however, it rained a lot less than I expected. Furthermore, most prices (except in Mal\u00e9 and Hulhumal\u00e9) were quite reasonable and there were hardly any crowds, so traveling from place to place and finding last-minute accommodations was a breeze!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5) Money<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    If you need Maldivian currency, I suggest you withdraw your cash at a Habib Bank ATM because you won’t pay a fee! Not all ATMs are fee-free but this one is and the exchange rate is excellent! Note: Since small(er) islands seem to only have Bank of Maldives ATMs, if any, which charge a ridiculous fee of 100 MVR ($6.50), be sure to withdraw cash at the airport or in Mal\u00e9 or Hulhumal\u00e9. In the Maldives, you can often pay by credit card but many businesses (including speedboats and ferries) are cash only, so be sure to have some local currency and\/or US dollars!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    6) Getting Insider Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Talk to locals to get insider tips, such as 3) (the one about ferry tickets). I learned that one from a guy named Areef, who was our host when we stayed on Dhangethi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here is how all of these tips helped me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I made the mistake of trusting some random schedule information<\/a> that I had found online, only to discover that my ferry to Ukulhas, an island in the Alif Alif (or AA) Atoll,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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