Complete guides to the Maldives — for every budget, from budget guesthouses to overwater villas.
The Maldives archipelago — 1,200 coral islands across 26 atolls, no point higher than 2.4 metres above sea level, the lowest-lying nation on earth — sits on top of one of the world's most diverse and extensive coral reef systems. The Indian Ocean around the atolls contains some of the clearest water on earth (visibility regularly exceeding 30 metres), the largest aggregation of manta rays in the Indian Ocean at Baa Atoll, regular whale shark sightings at North Malé Atoll and an underwater biodiversity that has made these waters one of the world's premier diving and snorkelling destinations.
The popular image of the Maldives as exclusively a luxury overwater villa destination is accurate for a segment of the market but misses the full picture: since 2009, when the government permitted tourist accommodation on inhabited local islands, a budget-conscious independent travel sector has developed around guesthouses on islands like Maafushi, Dhigurah and Fulidhoo, where comfortable accommodation is available from USD 50–100 per night and all the Maldivian marine experience is accessible by local dive operators and boat excursions at competitive prices.
Maldives
