Enjoying The High Life For Less

Visit the Maldives on a budget with the kids? With the right planning, it’s possible. Elisa Chia shares her tips.

- Elisa Chia

Mention the Maldives and cynics dismiss this “paradise on Earth” as a holiday destination for the super-rich – your bills are subject to a 10 per cent service charge and 12 per cent government tax, in US dollars.

But with some careful planning, your family can enjoy an affordable beach vacation there, like my family did at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives.

1.THE SPEEDBOAT WILL DO 

There are well over a hundred resorts in the Maldives, each on its own atoll. Pick one that’s far away from Male International Airport and be prepared to pay through your nose for a seaplane transfer.

A 30-minute return flight, which takes you 100km across the turquoise waters, can set you back by US$500++ (S$677++) per adult and US$250++ per child at one resort we checked.

Now, compare this to a 40-minute speedboat transfer to the Holiday Inn, which is 35km away from the airport. It costs US$229 nett per adult and US$139 nett per child below age 12.

2.JUST ONE ROOM FOR US, PLEASE 

Here’s another reason we appreciated the resort: kids under 12 years old stay and eat free here. The king-size bed was big enough to fit all four of us comfortably. Neither did we have to shell out for their meals at the resort’s Kandooma Cafe – up to four children can dine free when two adults pay the full price.

3.TAKE YOUR TODDLER HERE