A new budget vacation option in the Maldives: pros and cons

Guesthouses and local islands - inhabited islands where locals live - are becoming increasingly popular among Russian tourists vacationing in the Maldives. This is the opposite of island resorts, where there are only tourists and staff.

As Interfax notes, the growth of guesthouses has contributed to the increase in tourist flow from Russia. In 2025, approximately 278,000 Russians visited the Maldives—a 23.8% increase from the previous year and three times more than in 2019.

However, despite seemingly identical natural conditions, this type of vacation has both advantages and significant disadvantages, as highlighted by tourism industry experts.
The advantages primarily include price. For example, the current cost of a trip with accommodation in guesthouses and flights with transfers starts from $ 2,610 for two, in hotels and resorts with direct flights — from $ 5,872.

Disadvantages include more complex logistics, limited medical care and issues with monitoring excursion activities. Local islands also have a dress code that must be followed outside designated beaches, as well as state policies regarding alcohol. Alcohol is completely prohibited on local islands.

Photo by Stanislav Beloglazov by @beloglazov_travel