Comparing a local island to a resort in the Maldives: Which comes out on top?
During our recent visit to the Maldives we intentionally stayed in two very different accommodations.
One, a dive resort on a local island, and the other, the type of resort you see on the TV (and in your dreams).
How did they compare to each other in terms of price and experience?
Join us as we share our honest thoughts…
Local island or big resort? Which comes out on top when visiting the Maldives?
Boutique Beach Dive Resort
Though Boutique Beach is far from the only resort in the Maldives offering diving, it is the only resort run by divers, specifically for divers (though snorkelers are welcome too).
Located on the island of Dhigurah in the South Ari Atoll, this area is famous for having whale sharks and manta rays year round.
Days generally start early, with dives finishing up around lunchtime. Then, you’ll have the rest of the day to relax or explore the island.
As this is a local Muslim island, alcohol isn’t allowed and you’ll need to dress conservatively when passing through the small town.
Staying on a local island is a great way to save money and have a more authentic Maldivian experience!
We spent our first five nights here.
What we loved most about Boutique Beach
- The incredible diving – literally the best we’ve ever done! Complete with whale sharks and manta rays.
- Friendly, attentive divemasters (and staff across the board). We were fortunate to be paired up with Cam (but got to know Lucinda well too). They were both patient, kind and experienced – we couldn’t have asked for more.
- A massive dive boat with plenty of room to move around.
- Evening briefing sessions, complete with educational sessions and a daily dive video (which is published to YouTube for you to enjoy/share).
- Delicious food and generous portions.
- The biggest bed you’ll ever see – comfy too!
- We made friends with the other guests as we were out on the boat with them each day and sitting with them at meal times.
Things to be aware of
- Meals are served home-style, so there isn’t a choice. However, they do ask your preferences at the start and do a good job of catering to them.
- Though the hotel is very comfortable, it isn’t fancy and doesn’t have a pool – not that you need one when you spend so much time in the ocean.
- Alcohol is not allowed on this island.
How to get there
We were originally booked on a speedboat from Male (to save money) but choppy seas cancelled several trips, so we were put on a domestic flight instead.
These flights take 30 minutes or so, and are followed by a 20-minute speedboat ride. They’re also the mid-option in terms of pricing.
Pro tip: On the flight over, the best views are on the right-hand side of the plane (seats C & D) and on the way back to Male, they’re best on the left (A & B).
If you’d prefer to save money, a speedboat from Male is half the price.
If you’d like to get there faster (and you want the quintessential Maldivian experience), they can also book you on a (more expensive) float plane.
How much a stay at Boutique Beach costs
| Item | Per person (charged in USD) | Per person (converted to NZD, rounded) |
|---|---|---|
| All-inclusive accommodation package (no alcohol, including 10 dives in total, per night) | USD 270 | NZD 440 |
| Green tax (per night) | USD 3 | NZD 5 |
| Dive gear hire (per day of diving) | USD 28.50 | NZD 45 |
| Flyme domestic flights (return) | USD 350 | NZD 570 |
| Total price per person (for 5 nights) | USD 1,829.00 | NZD 2,975.00 |
| Total price for two people (for 5 nights, sharing a room) | USD 3,658.00 | NZD 5,950.00 |
Did you know? If you’d prefer to snorkel, or you just want to save some money, it’s possible to book a snorkel package for USD 180 per person per night (based on a couple/twin share)… that would bring the total for five nights down to USD 1,830 including tax (plus the price of transport) for two adults.
If you’d like to add some diving, you can purchase dives individually (but the dive package is much more affordable if you plan to dive a lot).
Inclusions
- Accommodation in a comfortable room with a private outdoor bathroom.
- Two dives per day (totalling 10 dives on our 5-night package, taken over 4 days).
- Small dive groups – no more than four divers to one divemaster. Each group/couple got their own divemaster when we were there.
- Unlimited soft drinks, juice, water, tea and coffee.
- Meals and snacks.
- Transfer to/from flights and boats.
Kooddoo Mercure
From Boutique Beach, we travelled back to Malé and on to Kooddoo by air.
There, we had the quintessential Maldives overwater villa/bungalow experience – and gosh, was it beautiful!
The staff were attentive and friendly, the snorkelling was amazing and with all-you-can-eat food and drinks (including cocktails), it was nice to kick back and relax without worrying about the budget.
What we loved most about Kooddoo Mercure
- The great selection of included drinks – both alcohol and non-alcoholic (their coconut smoothies were amazing!)
- The Italian restaurant, Vista. The meals here were delicious – and of course, included in the cost of your stay.
- The seafood buffet was delicious (according to Nathan).
- The house reef was incredible!! To get there quickest, walk out to the villas and go to the end of the left arm. Use the ladder to get into the water and swim out to where the water changes colour – this dropoff is home to reef sharks, grey nurse sharks, turtles, Napoleon wrasse and more!
- The beautiful infinity pool right by the ocean.
- The overwater villas have private decks and ladders that lead you right into the ocean. And when you’re done, you can use your outdoor bath or shower to rinse off before entering your villa again via the bathroom.
Things to be aware of
- I did a dive at Shark Point (which is well-known in the area), but there wasn’t a single shark there. We probably just got unlucky – you never know what you’ll get when it comes to wildlife.
- The food at the buffet was hit-or-miss. It was often cold or overcooked.
How to get there
The team at Koodoo Mercure will book your flight and organise transfers for you.
Best of all, these are included in your stay, helping you save significant money on your visit!
The price you are quoted really is the total price, aside from your international flights and any optional extras (like massages, dives and boat trips).
How much a stay at Kooddoo Mercure costs
| Item | Per person (converted to USD, rounded) | Per person (charged in NZD) |
|---|---|---|
| All-inclusive accommodation package (including domestic flights and 2x activity vouchers each) | USD 1,465 | NZD 2,400 |
| Total price per person | USD 1,465 | NZD 2,400 |
| Total price for two people (sharing a room) | USD 2,935 | NZD 4,799 |
Check current prices: Click here and search for Kooddoo Mercure.
We paid approximately NZD1,000 in total to upgrade from a beach villa to an overwater one, and as it was our first stay in an overwater villa, we think NZD200/night was worth the extra expense.
However, if we were to return, we both agree we’d gladly book a beach villa to save money.
You’re allowed to walk out to the villas regardless, and we preferred to start our snorkel from the villas closer to the reef (though we did swim back to our own deck each time which was fun).
Inclusions
Our package included:
- Accommodation in an over-water villa.
- Daily buffet breakfast at Alita Restaurant.
- Daily lunch at Alita Restaurant or Vista.
- Nightly dinner at Alita Restaurant or Vista.
- All-inclusive daily free-flow drinks.
- Roundtrip domestic flight transfers to and from Malé (a big bonus!)
- Daily snacks at Pool Bar and Vista.
- Daily bucket of beers and in-villa minibar refresh.
- Airport lounge service with drinks and snacks.
- Choice of one activity per person (a discounted massage, scuba dive or tubing behind a jetski… we had to pay an additional USD 150 toward my dive gear hire and the remainder of Nathan’s massage)
- Choice of one excursion per person (fishing trip or dolphin-watching trip).
- One hour daily stand-up paddleboard and kayak.
- Green tax.
We got a good special through Luxury Escapes, so recommend checking your inclusions as they vary slightly.
Comparing prices and experiences
Though it’s hard to compare our two experiences directly, we’ll do our best.
We loved the diving at Boutique Beach and the homely feeling of the resort. We totally understand why people would return time and time again!
But equally, we loved Kooddoo Mercure. It gave us access to the Maldivian experience that we dreamed of, at a price point that didn’t totally blow the bank (at least, compared with most of the resorts we priced).
Different prices for different tastes (based on two people, staying for 5 nights each):
- Boutique Beach:
- Snorkelling package with speedboat transfers: USD 2,130
- Diving package with plane transfers: USD 3,430
- Kooddoo Mercure: USD 2,935
As for which one is right for you, it totally depends on the experience you’re after.
If you enjoy snorkelling/diving, and you have the time, we 100% recommend a visit to Boutique Beach to start your trip with an adventure, before moving on to the Mercure to relax and enjoy the sun (and again, amazing snorkelling).
If diving/snorkelling doesn’t particularly appeal (but you still want to save some money), you might like to look into other hotels and homestays on the local islands.
We loved our visit to the Maldives.
Though we went with pretty high expectations, it surpassed them still!
With flight connections from Singapore, the Middle East and even the UK, it works both as a destination in its own right, or when combined with a bigger trip.
Happy travels!
