4D3N Maldives Trip On Budget Below RM2,000

Maldives, one of those countries I never thought I could ever travel to someday. The ultimate reason why holding me back from visiting Maldives is because of the luxury and overly expensive resorts and water villas which believed to reserve for the rich and famous only. Not until the boyfriend bought me a round-trip airticket to Maldives and he told me it's possible to travel to Maldives on a budget, I thought he was kidding at first. Only to find out he's been to Maldives for 4 times before, guess he's not fooling me. He was right - it's possible to visit Maldives without the worry of burning a big hole on your wallet, or maybe your bank account.

FLYING IN MALDIVES

From Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), so far AirAsia is the only airlines flying directly from Kuala Lumpur and arrive at Male International Airport, located on Hulhule Island sits next to the capital city of Male. The flight duration takes approximately 4 hours and 40 minutes. Time difference wise, Maldives is 3 hours behind Malaysia. 

As for visa, don't worry about it cause visitors with valid travel documents will be given a free 30-day visa on arrival. Bear in mind being a Muslim country, Maldives prohibit and ban items like alcohol, pigs and pork products, pornographic materials and public observance of non-Muslims religions.

LANGUAGE & CURRENCY EXCHANGE

The official language of Maldives is Dhivehi but fret not, cause English is widely spoken in business and tourist sectors. We have no issue with the language barrier at all. As for the currency, their official is Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR). However, majority of the resorts and most local islands accept US dollar as payment and because of that, we don't even bother to exchange for any MVR at all. 

US$1 = 15 MVR

We didn't buy any local simcard cause our trip is pretty short and brief. Plus, almost all the hotels, inns, and guesthouses and even eateries do provide free WiFi. In case you are interested to get their local simcard, you can buy at the airport once get out from the arrival hall.

ACCOMMODATION IN MALDIVES
Generally, there are two different type of islands in Maldives; the private and public. The private islands are mostly dominated by the luxury and expensive resorts whereas for the public islands, also known as inhabited island, there are local people living there. Being a budget-conscious traveller like me, I would rather to save up my money staying in the public island instead. Besides giving more affordable options for the independent tourists exploring the atolls, there are plenty of tour agencies, restaurants, shops available here. We chosen to stay in Maafushi Island in South Male Atoll - which I found quite popular among the budget travellers.



In Maafushi Island, there are numerous hotels and inns within the island, ranging from USD50-USD100 per night. The popular one are like Arena, White Shell, Kaani and more. The boyfriend pick to stay in Kaani Village & Spa that cost RM260 per night includes free breakfast.



AIRPORT TRANSFER TO MAAFUSHI
I unable to share the info regarding the airport transfer to Male Island cause I don't have the chance to visit this main capital city. Right after we arrived Maldives at night (around 8pm), immediately we head to Maafushi by taking scheduled speedboat - one way takes approximately 30 minutes ride and costs USD20 per person. These schedule speedboats only run 4 or 5 times per day (normally 8am, 12pm, 5pm, 7pm and 10pm - it's wise to ask the hotel you book from regarding the latest timetable). You can also opt for public ferry which of course, it's more cheaper but then, it's kinda slow as it takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes, infrequent and no public ferries on Friday.

SUMMARY OF MY 4D3N ITINERARY 
Day 1: Arrived Maldives at night. Took speedboat to Maafushi and rest.
Day 2: Full day snorkelling
Day 3: Diving / Excursion to private resort
Day 4: Half day snorkelling. Leaving Maldives

Basically, the things to do in Maldives are snorkelling and diving - the primary activities. Besides these, you can also go for fishing trip, water sports like kayaking, jetski, parasailing and more, or even splurge on a private island excursion.

After scout here and there, I found that those water activities offer by Arena Beach Hotel is the cheapest one. So, here is the price list I got from the excursion desk:

Excursions	Details	Price
Fishing (Traditional hand line fishing equipment and bottled water)	Morning Fishing Trip Freshly caught fish will be served for lunch service Time: 5.30am – 8am	USD35/pax (min 6 pax)
	Sunset Fishing Freshly caught fish will be served on dinner service Time: 5pm – 8pm	USD25/pax (min 6 pax)
Half-Day Adventure 10am – 3pm	·     3-point snorkeling (turtle, colourful fishes) ·     Lunch at sandbank ·     Dolphin watching cruise ·     Underwater photograph	USD25/pax (min 6 pax)
Shark Point Snorkelling 10am – 4pm	·     Snorkelling with buddle of nurse sharks ·     Visit one local island ·     Light lunch	USD50/pax (min 6 pax)

As for our day 2 full day adventure, we booked from our hotel cause we found out the package offers is more interesting and fascinating where we got to snorkelling with manta rays (these can't be seen in Malaysia)

Full-Day Adventure - USD65 per pax (Booked from Kaani Village & Spa)

• 3-point snorkelling (manta rays, nursge sharks and shipwreck)
• Lunch at sandbank
• Dolphin watching cruise
• Free underwater photograph and video

Snorkelling with manta rays

Shark!!! Fret not, cause this nurse shark is actually very friendly and won't bite one

Up-close with stingrays. Sorry but I can't help myself from keep thinking sambal


50 shades of blue at the sandbank

Shipwreck

Private Island Excursions 

Can't afford to stay on the water villas but would love to pay visit at these luxury resorts? Oh well, you can do so cause there are few private islands are open to non-guests who are not staying there. Since I unable to join boyfriend for diving, therefore I made up my mind to splurge myself on a full day private island excursion. To be honest, it's really hard to pick which resort/private island I should go cause almost all of them look exceptionally stunning and awe-inspiring. At the end, I chosen to visit Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, a 5 stars prestige luxury resorts. The package included a buffet lunch, unlimited drinks, as well as access to swimming pool and private beach. We even got to see fish and shark feeding by end of the trip before kiss goodbye to the resort.    

Excursions	Details	Price per pax
Full Day Resort Visit Inclusions: Round trip boat transfers Buffet lunch Unlimited drinks* Pool access* *unless stated wise	Adaaran Club Rannalhi   (No swimming pool access)	USD100
	Fihalhohi Island Resort (No swimming pool access)	USD 100
	Embudhoo Village Resort (Non alcoholic drinks during lunch time only)	USD 110
	Olhuveli Resort (Unlimited drinks during lunch time only	USD 120
	Adaaran Prestige Vadoo	USD 125
	Centara Ras Fushi Resort	USD 135
	Club Med Kani	USD 165

FOOD IN MAAFUSHI

Since our breakfast are provided by the hotel as well as our lunch already included during the excursions (snorkelling and resort visit), the only thing we need to settle is the dinner. Be prepared that an ala carte meal costs as low from USD6 and the widespread of buffet at the price of USD15 (after tax). We didn't get to try the buffet dinner cause we felt not worth for us since we are not big eater and therefore, we settled our dinner at Hot Bite (the location is very close to the Bikin Beach)

Not just Hot Bite serve both Western and Asian meals, they do serve Maldivian food too. 

 BBQ Dinner Buffet at Arena Beach Hotel for the price of USD15 per person

TOTAL SPENDING 

This is my total damage cause I took the full day resort visit package on Day 3:

PARTICULARS	AMOUNT
	USD	RM
Airfare AirAsia KL – Male Maldives - KL Accommodations Kaani Village & Spa – 3 nights Transportation Speedboat airport transfer (USD20/trip) Excursions Full day snorkelling – Day 2 Full day resort visit – Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Half day snorkelling – Day 4 Food and drinks Hot Bite Souvenirs Postcards – 2 for USD1 Stamp (1 piece) Magnet (1 unit)	- - 40 65 125 25 13 1 1 3	390 390 165 269 517 103 54 4 4 12
TOTAL (RM)		1,908

And this one is the boyfriend's total damage since he went for diving:

PARTICULARS	AMOUNT
	USD	RM
Airfare AirAsia KL – Male Maldives - KL Accommodations Kaani Village & Spa – 3 nights Transportation Speedboat airport transfer (USD20/trip) Excursions Full day snorkelling – Day 2 Diving – 2 dives* Half day snorkelling – Day 4 Food and drinks Hot Bite *Diving package he took from Arena Club - the package including diving equipments and lunch	- - 40 65 70 25 13	390 390 165 269 289 103 54
TOTAL (RM)		1,660

USD1 = RM4.135 as at June 2019

Conclusion, it's possible to realise your dreams to Maldives with the budget under RM2,000, as per what the boyfriend told me earlier. If not due to unfavorable exchange rate of US dollar, I think I might be spending less than what I calculated as above. 

Maldives, you are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful islands in the world but you also make me 50 shades darker. 

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Keep Safe & Stay Vigilant When Visiting Lisbon, Portugal (2018) - Part 3

So, now I've seen the best of Portugal's second largest capital, Porto and wondering what will Lisbon be? Will this capital city of Portugal as charming and beautiful as Porto, or it's just another overrated city to visit?

Let's find it out now.



FROM PORTO TO LISBON WITH HIGH-SPEED TRAIN

In my previous post, I shared that we took high-speed train from Porto (São Bento or Campanha) to Lisbon. The journey takes approximately 3 hours and it costs €18.50 for a second-class category. I prebooked my ticket via online and you may check the timetable and fare here. Normally, the booking opens for reservation two months in advance and I found the website is pretty simple (English language is available) and it's not that difficult to book from. The train from Porto to Lisbon-Santa Apolonia runs every hour and if you are lucky, you might get as low as €9.50. 

PICKPOCKETING IN LISBON

We're welcomed in Lisbon with an awful and bad incident - we're almost being victim for pickpockets. While on our way from Lisbon Main Train Station heading to our hotel, we took lift at the metro station since we have quite number of huge luggages with us. Just when we're about to enter the lift, two young guys were so rush to get in. They even jumped over our luggage and at that point of time, I started to smell something fishy. I was right - by the time we got out from the lift, both of my cousin and my backpack's front zip were opened. Luckily, nothing went missing cause we placed those our important handbags where we stored our cash and passport in front of us. These thieves are commonly targeting on tourists especially those with plenty and huge luggages - cause that's the time where you are busy carrying and dragging your luggage bags and you will be less focus on your other bag which store valuable items. Another shocking story shared by a friend of mine is that her wallet stolen inside church. Unbelievable! A holy place which you never thought of but it did happen. So be extra vigilant when you're vising Lisbon. 

WHAT WE DO & SEE IN LISBON FOR 2 DAYS

1) Tram 28 - This is the ultimate thing you shouldn't miss when in Lisbon. Take a ride on this nostalgic yellow tram and it will takes you up and down through most of the historic parts of the city. Unfortunately like we expected, it's one long queue by the time we arrived and it seems like not worth the wait. It's best to arrive early in the morning to beat the crowds. You can use Viva Viagem card (I will share it more later) or pay the ticket on board. Again another strong reminder: Beware of pickpockets here! Tram 28 is increasingly popular with pickpockets.

Nearest Station: Baixa-Chiado Metro Station

2) Alfama - It's the oldest neighbourhood of Lisbon and home to many of the city's best attractions; such as Lisbon Cathedral, National Pantheon and National Tile Museum. Walking through Alfama's narrow cobbled streets and steep staircases will unexpectedly lead you to a delightful and colourful ancient houses - this is truly a perfect spot for photo opportunity especially for the Insta-hungry travellers. 

3) Time Out Market - Not in my list initially but somehow we accidentally bumped into this. I ever came across Time Out Magazine but I never thought there's a real Time Out Market. Time Out Market is the first ever market in the world where everything has been chosen, tasted and tested by an independent panel of city experts. This is where you can find all the Lisbon's best and finest food under one roof. We managed to savour a piece of blueberry cheesecake here and it's amazingly delicious. 

Nearest Station: Cais Do Sodre Metro Station
Opening Hours: 10am - 12am

4) Praça do Comércio - Sitting on the northern bank of Tagus River and surrounded by classical 18th century building, Praça do Comércio is to consider to be the largest public square in Lisbon. Once known as "Gateaway to Lisbon", it is currently dotted with countless of cafes, restaurants and shopping venue. If you are looking for typical souvenirs like magnets, keychains and so on, you can find plenty of souvenir stores here. However, I personally think the souvenir stores along the pathway to Alfama offer better deal than here. 

5) Santa Justa Lift - Also known as "Carmo Elevator", this is the city's best-loved landmark and it offers spectacular viewpoint overlooking the city. This extraordinary structure where the elevator built inside a unique Gothic tower was built to transport the passengers from the lower streets of the Baixa district to the higher higher Largo do Carmo. 

Nearest Station: Baixa-Chiado Metro Station
Opening Hours: 9am - 11pm

Entrance Fee: €5.30 for a return ride. Free entry if you bought the 24-hour Carris metro ticket (€6 per person for 24 hour ticket includes unlimited rides on metro, trams, buses, funniculars and the Santa Justa Lift)

TRAVEL AROUND LISBON

Talking about public transport in Lisbon, it's actually pretty easy to navigate around the city with its extensive and efficient public transport network such as metro, tram, bus, funicular, urban train and even ferries. You can ever reach the airport (Aeroporto) under the red line and railway station under blue line with metro (you can refer the Metro map below). Although the metro announcement are made only in Portuguese, signs and ticketing machines are generally in bilingual in Portuguese and English.

[Photo credit to here]

Before starting your journey around Lisbon, it's wise to get a Viva Viagem card. It's the easiest and faster way to pay the journeys on public transport in Lisbon. A card itself costs €0.50 and it's non-refundable. To load it, there are three options available:

Single Trip		€1.50
Day Pass (Valid for 24h after first use)	Metro & buses	€6.40
	Metro, buses & ferries	€9.50
	Metro, buses & trains	€10.55
Zapping (Stored Value)		€3.00 - €40.00

To know about Viva Viagem Card, read more here.

OUR STAY IS LISBON

If money wasn't an issue, I would choose to stay somewhere near Baixa-Chiado metro station cause this is where most of the major attractions located. But because there are three of us and not many options available for a room of three, I booked our stay nearby Intendente metro station. Still not bad considering it's just three stations away from Baixa-Chiado and there's a shared kitchen within the property. 

LX Center Guesthouse, Lisbon

Date Stayed: 11 October - 13 October 2018 (2 nights)

Room Rate: €60 per night for a triple room with private bathroom. There's an additional surcharge of €1 per person per night for city tax. Booked from Booking.com

TOTAL EXPENSES WE SPENT IN LISBON - PER PAX

PARTICULARS	AMOUNT
	€	RM
Accommodation LX Center Guesthouse (2 nights) Add: City Tax (Per head per night) Transportation Metro around Lisbon Food and drinks Groceries for lunch and dinner Others Postcards and stamps Magnets Lisboa tote bag Coaster	€40.00 €2.00 €7.75 €7.65 €7.60 €7.50 €4.00 €2.50	196 10 38 37 37 36 19 12
	TOTAL	385

Note: Exchange rate&nbsp €1 = RM4.86 as at October 2018

The official currency in Portugal is the Euro (€).

Magnets in Lisbon is relatively cheap. I found six for €5 in Alfama. 

PORTO VS LISBON

My verdict on Lisbon - I still think Porto is more better than Lisbon. Even both my mom and cousin seconded this too. One of the main reasons is due to the pickpocket incident. Though it was unsuccessful attempt, but this causing us to wander around with a worry heart. Secondly, it was overcrowded with tourists almost everywhere. I found Porto offers plenty of things to see than Lisbon. Even tram in Porto is more attractive than Lisbon's tram 28, to be honest.


Tram in Porto with blue tiles on it

My upcoming post, Sintra! One of the most beautiful palaces in Europe I ever visited - Pena Palace.

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