Last year, Maldives registered an influx of 1.3 lakh Indian visitors. With 60-percent of their GDP coming from the tourist end of business in their economy,
the dreamy, blue waters are now eyeing a footfall of 2 lakh tourists over the year, from the Indian subcontinent. Maldivian is the national carrier of the Maldives, operating five flights a week from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. While Indian carrier flights are also viable options as are private jets, A PTI report asserts that Maldivian will be taking the lead in boosting tourism and upping their India-Maldives flight count, particularly from the Southern states. With travel to the picturesque escape becoming more accessible, here's taking a look at travel and adventure creator Greg Bognar's Maldivian itinerary, for inspiration.
Settling in
Arrive in Malé on day 1 at the famed Malé Airport. The first thing on the list is to change your cash to local currency and purchase a sim card. Following that, either take a speedboat straight to Dhigurah or change ferries via Mahibadhoo. Dhigurah offers the longest 'bikini beach', followed by a visit to the Sand Bank, the turtles at Turtle Reef as well as the whale shark tour. Greg suggests the Bliss Dhigurah for your stay and The Remora, Beach Fresh and Hermit's for your food tour.
Beach bliss
Next stop should ideally be Feridhoo. Here, you can sorkel at what Greg calls the "best" house reef. Walking tours are popular here as is the manta ray tour. Greg suggests making breathing in the island's calm energies a priority while you fuel up at the Ambaa Cafe and N6 Beach Cafe. Then, change ferries via Mahibadhoo to move on to the Omadhoo island. Rinse and repeat the Feridhoo routine and keep a special eye out for sharks and rays at the pier. Greg suggests staying on the Dhoadhi Beach and eating at the Dream Island, Turtle Garden and Green Island.
Ending strong
From Omadhoo, take the ferry to Mathiveri and make snorkeling there a priority. The Koba Chai Cafe, Badawins and Sis Forest come highly recommended for eating out. The last leg of the trip should ideally be in Malé, to explore the city - Greg puts special emphasis on the fish market.
