Today, there are two Maldives offers, one budget and one luxury.
The budget option is incredibly affordable, with prices that outshine Southeast Asia; the luxury option has also broken the price point I previously recommended.
We don’t often promote the Maldives因为the good offers are hard to find, but today, astonishingly, two have come up!
Moreover, the two Maldives products available today can also be canceled with no loss after verification (15 days before departure).
Both of these Maldives deals are self-operated products from Trip.com.
The advantage of Trip.com’s self-operated offerings is the service and dedicated customer support. Plus, in case of any issues, there’s official backing.
Like the previously promoted Maldives products, Trip.com’s self-operated Maldives deals also have flexible cancellation policies, including no-penalty cancellations and automatic refunds after expiration, so you can stock up with confidence.
Let me explain each option one by one.
One is Kuramathi Island (4 nights with full board for 4788 yuan per person), and the other is Ayada Island (2 nights garden villa + 2 nights ocean villa with pool, daily breakfast and dinner for 11999 yuan per person).
Both can also be canceled without loss (15 days prior to check-in).
1) Maldives Kuramathi Island (kuramathi) beach villa 4-night FB package (including breakfast, lunch, and dinner + round-trip speedboat), 4788 yuan/person.
Validity: From May 1, 2024, to October 31, 2024. For stays from July 20 to October 31, an additional 800 yuan/person is required. No price increase during the May Day holiday!
A reservation can be canceled free of charge if canceled more than 15 days before check-in.
If you need an upgrade to 2 nights in a beachfront villa and 2 nights in an overwater villa, an additional 1350 yuan/person fee applies.
If you want to upgrade from FB (full board) to AI (all-inclusive), the additional fee is 1650 yuan/person.
Each room can accommodate a maximum of 3 adults, or 2 adults and 1 child.
When promoting Maldives islands, seeing is believing.
The Maldives hotels have very high occupancy prices. If someone casually recommends them without having been there themselves, it can lead to problems because they won’t truly know if the island is good or not.
We promote the Maldives less often because ever since the pandemic, we have physically experienced all Maldives options we have recommended. Even if we hadn’t visited a specific place at the time of recommendation (like Jawakara), we would make trips there as soon as possible afterward to provide a verification report.
We just recently visited Kuramathi, so today’s offerings are the freshest available.
PS: The cost of reviewing Maldives options is very high; round-trip airfare alone is quite substantial.
Whether it’s pigs, dolphins, or other agents, many have recommended this island to me multiple times.
The biggest highlight of this island is its long 1.8-kilometer trailing beach that stretches to the boundless horizon.
You could say this trailing beach is unique in the Maldives. Islands with long trailing beaches are already rare, and one with a 1.8-kilometer-long trailing beach is second to none in the Maldives.
As everyone knows, islands with long trailing beaches are especially great for photography.
The beach on this island is really good as well, here are some actual photos of the beach.
However, because this is a large island, you might find that some areas of the beach aren’t cleaned up promptly in the morning, with remnants of coral brought ashore by the waves, making it not suitable for walking barefoot.
Not only is the beach great, but Kuramathi’s snorkeling also has its advantages. There are corals underwater, and you can see marine life while snorkeling.
Here are further images we captured. The underwater environment has layers, with corals, and there are plenty of marine animals.
Moreover, the vegetation on the island is very lush, given its status as an older island where vegetation has been growing for decades.
Another advantage is that the value-for-money of this package is exceedingly high.
At 4788 yuan per person, including 4 nights in a hotel, plus daily three meals all-inclusive, along with round-trip transportation, this is truly unbeatable.
Calculating it into per night, it’s equivalent to 2394 yuan per night with three meals included.
This pricing directly competes with that of Southeast Asia.
Many all-inclusive resorts in Malaysia and Thailand have prices starting over 2000 yuan, but the waters and beaches in Southeast Asia cannot be compared to those in the Maldives.
If the price is similar between Southeast Asia and the Maldives, where would you choose to go, the Maldives or Southeast Asia? Furthermore, consider Kuramathi’s 1.8-kilometer long trailing beach.
Additionally, Kuramathi Island is entirely comprised of villa hotels.
While some islands in the Maldives might offer cheaper prices, they don’t have villas but rather standard hotel-style rooms, which we do not recommend at all.
If you go to the Maldives, you must stay in a villa.
The price offered by little dolphin is indeed great because I recently saw other platforms promoting this island at over 6000 yuan per person.
The self-operated team at little dolphin is commendable indeed.
Let me go into detail about Kuramathi Island.
This is an older island and the largest island in the North Ari Atoll. It takes about 90 minutes by speedboat, or 20 minutes by seaplane to reach the island (the seaplane requires an additional upgraded fee of 2600 yuan/person).
Older islands generally occupy some of the best positions, views, and beaches in the Maldives.
Kuramathi’s beach is very nice, and the uniqueness of the 1.8-kilometer long trailing beach cannot be overstated.
The island has a large children’s center specifically designed for children aged 3 to 12.
This island offers a variety of indoor and outdoor activities, including treasure hunts, beach excursions, visits to ecological centers, and learning about marine knowledge.
Childcare services for kids are available for a fee.
The island is well-equipped with facilities, including tennis courts and football fields. Only large islands can have so many facilities.
There’s a visually pleasing infinity pool, which sparkles beautifully at night.
In the evenings, there’s a lively bar with various activities.
The entire island features 9 restaurants and 6 bars.
Three main restaurants, Haruge, Malaafiay, and Farivalhu, provide buffet-style dining. However, different dining arrangements are made based on the type of accommodation.
There’s also an Island Coffee Shop, a café on-site.
However, the food quality is average, and there is a noticeable difference from the more expensive islands we visited previously. I’ll share some images; overall, the food is somewhat geared towards a Western palate.
Next, let’s discuss the rooms.
The 4788 yuan deal includes a beach villa with an area of 70 square meters, as shown below.
The image above is sourced online since we stayed in a 90-square-meter premium beach villa, and I’ll share pictures of that premium beach villa (shown below).
Interior layout of the premium beach villa:
To be honest, the decor isn’t new, but thankfully the room is spacious enough.
For an additional fee of 1350 yuan/person, you can upgrade to 2 nights in a beach villa and 2 nights in an overwater villa. The overwater villa is often a better option and tends to be more modern.
We didn’t capture any images of the overwater villa, so here’s an image from the hotel’s website.
So, what are the drawbacks of Kuramathi Island? Mainly, there are two:
This is an older island; according to Trip.com, it was established in 1975, which is not entirely accurate.
Initially, there were three hotels on this island, which were merged into one in November 2009 and renovated. Then, it was renovated again in 2016.
However, it is indeed an older island.
I recommend this island primarily for snorkeling and taking photos on the long trailing beach.
Some areas of the island have breakwaters, which slightly obstruct the view. However, the long trailing beach area does not have this, and there are few overwater villas; the breakwaters are mainly concentrated around the beach villas and certain public areas.
Another drawback is the lengthy travel time to reach the island, which requires a 90-minute speedboat ride (we measured it to be approximately 75 minutes). Additionally, it is quite close to a nearby local island.
I’ll show you a satellite view; the local island is on the right side.
There is only one Chinese-speaking front desk staff member on the island (most islands typically have 3).
However, this price is genuinely good.
I personally think there’s no need to spend an additional 1650 yuan/person to upgrade to AI (all-inclusive). The FB (full board) meals are absolutely sufficient.
Of course, the all-inclusive plan simply offers more dining choices, covers drinks and beverages, includes daily afternoon tea, as well as snorkeling activities and excursions to nearby islands. It’s simply richer in offerings.
The FB daily meal plan is enough for everyone to dine very satisfactorily.
That said, the necessity to upgrade to an overwater villa is considerable! Going to the Maldives and staying in an overwater villa is essential. There’s a noticeable difference between these beach villas and overwater villas.
If you’re going for a honeymoon and staying for four nights or more, you can receive a complimentary flower bed decoration, a chocolate or macaroon gift, and a bottle of red wine (specific services are subject to the hotel’s arrangements).
Remember to proactively present a copy of your wedding certificate, which has to be valid within six months, at the hotel front desk to enjoy these perks. Also, kindly inform Trip.com in advance.
Purchase QR Code
Note, once you scan in, certainly click on the red box in the image below to select the 【Pre-sale】 option. The price in the subsequent calendar may be higher and bound to specific dates.
Pre-sale allows for double booking. Additionally, there is currently limited inventory for the May Day holiday; if you intend to visit the Maldives during May Day, it’s best to hurry.
Feel assured in booking since you can still cancel it free of charge if done 15 days before departure after verification.
Another product is from our old friend Ayada.
2) Maldives Ayada Island (2 nights garden villa + 2 nights ocean villa with pool + daily breakfast and dinner + internal flight transferred by speedboat to the island), 11999 yuan/person.
Validity until October 31, 2024; during the National Day holiday (September 30 – October 7), an additional 375 yuan per person per night applies; no price increase for all other dates.
If you wish to upgrade to an all-inclusive package, there’s an additional charge of 1500 yuan per person.
Each room can accommodate 3 adults, or 2 adults and 1 child.
The price is even better than what we offered during Double Eleven, which was expected.
I previously stated that the prices for good offers during the peak season (November to March) released during Double Eleven would be the best. However, during the Maldives low season from April to October, prices might be slashed.
It seems my guesses were fairly accurate. The image below is from my initial article.
The biggest highlight of this package is that after making a reservation and verifying, cancellations or modifications are free of charge if done 15 days before check-in.
This means you can cancel even after making a reservation!
Yet, the verification period is relatively short, only from April 9 to April 22. If you don’t verify during this timeframe, you’ll receive a refund.
I suggest everyone verify a desired date first, as you can cancel or modify it for free 15 days in advance anyway.
Moreover, for flights arriving after 5 PM, if guests want to check in on the same day, the hotel grants a free upgrade to 4 nights in the ocean villa (with pool) for those who initially booked 2 nights in the garden villa and 2 nights in the ocean villa (with pool).
Applicable flights: 3U3923, MU235, AK072, SQ438, OD295, but this is subject to availability, so book promptly. Guests with flight bookings can provide that information to customer service to assist with arrangements with the hotel.
We’ve visited Ayada and quite enjoyed it.
AYADA is a six-star island managed by the Turkish Ayadeniz Group, yet it’s very suitable for Chinese visitors.
Opened in 2011, it’s a mid-sized island with 122 rooms and over 370 staff members who are very friendly towards Chinese guests. The spa, booking department, and front desk each have one staff member fluent in Chinese, and there are also two Chinese-speaking butlers as well as two wedding photographers who speak Chinese.
WIFI covers the entire island.
The island boasts nearly all trendy elements.
A white lighthouse, a pure white church, an infinity pool under the stars, a sea swing, ocean floating platform, a marine net bed, deserted island picnics, white bicycles… the pure white church can also host weddings.
AYADA’s rooms are spacious, with the most basic rooms being over 100 square meters.
Each room features double sinks, almost all have pools, and net beds. It’s a very comfortable yet aesthetically pleasing stay.
Here’s the layout of the two adults and two children room type.
Garden villa.
Outdoors, there are hammocks and pools. However, take note that the garden villa doesn’t have a sea view as its surroundings are too lush for visibility.
You often have to walk some distance to catch a glimpse of the sea.
The remaining two nights are in an ocean villa, which is 108 square meters, equipped with a hammock and an outdoor pool.
The room is positioned ideally, lying on the bed with a direct view of the outdoor pool and the sea.
The outdoor area of the overwater villa is also quite extensive.
For Chinese guests, the introductory booklet received is directly in Chinese, how considerate!
The island offers a wide range of activities.
The activity center includes a football field, beach volleyball, water chess, table tennis, billiards, a gym, and various entertainment options, plus a dedicated parrot garden.
AYADA is well-known for its aesthetics, such as the glass chapel and a dedicated Chinese wedding photography agency on the island.
