Living the real Maldives
Maldives – what comes to mind? Skies and oceans of blue, soft sand through your toes and a luxurious resort island where you can relax, watch sunsets, slide into crystal clear waters and even help save the coral reefs. But do you know the real Maldives? Where the blues and the goldens are just one part of everyday life for the locals? Wouldn’t you like to get a real flavour of Maldivian life?
On a journey with us, you live on Maldivian islands that are not private resort islands but inhabited by Maldivian citizens and you will spend time here, seeing and experiencing with a true blue citizen of this island nation. Under and above the ocean. Beaches, diving and coral reefs of course, but forests, mangroves and lagoons too! We believe in order to truly connect to a place, it is all about meaningfully connecting with its people and culture too. It is about discovering authentic community based experiences and off-the-beaten-path locations to learn about the culture, beliefs, traditions – all through the eyes of a citizen.
And while you are at it, falling in love with it all, this is where you will get a true, first-hand lesson in climate change.
Our aim is to create a positive experience for you and for your hosts too. Ergo, the services in your itinerary are developed and managed by the citizens. This is something we keep in mind with your travel and accommodation too. We prefer stays that are owned and run by Maldivian citizens as much as possible. Therefore all accommodation is carefully selected and audited. By staying in these island guest houses, we contribute to the local economy and towards increasing employment. Maldivian island families run the properties that we partner up with (through our local partners) where everyone plays their part in the running of the guest house.
Journey with us to the north of the Maldives and discover stories of years gone by on the historical island of Utheemu. Explore the tropical forests and mangroves of Baraah and learn how these vast areas of vegetation are the lifeblood of the Maldives. Dip into the past on Kelaa and find out why the British established a staging position on this most northeastern Maldives island. With opportunities to relax on quiet white sandy beaches, snorkel tropical waters and enjoy uninterrupted views of Maldivian sunsets this is a true Maldivian island experience not to be missed.
Duration: 8 days minimum.
Option 1: Low Season July/August 2022
Option 2: Coming Soon
Please get in touch for details and pricing. (insert the link on please get in touch)
*This price does not include international flights and visa fees or processing.
*This price includes carbon offsets
*Please also note that prices are subject to vary based on COVID – related developments
*All itineraries can be tailored to your specific needs as long as it operates as much as possible, within our Transformational and Responsible Travel philosophies. Prices will vary based on the final curation.
**This itinerary focuses on seeing the real Maldives – the local Maldives. Ergo the level of properties that you would stay at on this journey are not entirely environmentally sound. This is just the nature of the Maldives at this level along with the challenges of an island nation. There are no standards, regulations, guidelines, or requirements for properties to limit the use of plastic and use biodegradable products. You also have to consider that currently water is produced in the Maldives in plastic. There is a SUP phase-out program for MV for the end of 2023. All supplies and services have to be imported, more environmentally friendly products are far more expensive and not readily available on the shelf.
We could of course look at a more high-range accommodation that marks all ticks on the environmentally responsible front. However, by doing so, you defeat the objective of staying local. Money will head out of the country or you will be isolated in a luxury private island resort.
Note: The Maldives is a Muslim country and therefore alcohol is not available on local islands. Subject to availability, day/evening visits to resorts can be arranged. Bikinis are also not allowed to be worn on local island beaches; however, most of our guesthouses offer private gardens or private beach areas for guests.
Cancellation Policy:
For cancellation and no show policies, the following will be applicable:
Before – 15 days prior to arrival: – $25 Administration fee and any related bank charges.
8 days –14 days = charged at 50%
No show or 0 –7 days = charged at 100%
In the event of travel restrictions being applied by either the destination government or Maldives government, which prevents a fully paid trip from going ahead the trip can be postponed within a 12 month period at no additional charge.
For amendments of dates, accommodation type, and transfer method after the reservation has been confirmed together with any name changes or additions/cancellation of individual guests within a booking, an administration fee of USD$25 per person will be charged.
Read Covid-19 Information
For any other queries please refer to FAQs or get in touch at connect@theubuntu.life